Page 109 of Nyx
“Hot water has spoiled you. That’s your second shower today. You are the diva now.”
“You like it,” I call out from the bathroom.
“I love it,” he calls back, and I chuckle as I twist the tap. Warm water comes fairly quickly, thanks to Sprocket’s tinkering. In the week since they arrived, she’s jumped in guns blazing. Wrenches blazing?
I shake my head as I shed my dirty clothes and step under the spray. Four of the dozen solar panels are now working, which has provided us with reliable overhead lights and fans. She has also repaired the community boiler and adjusted the well to increase the water flow, so warm showers are no longer a pipe dream but a daily reality. With consistent electricity, many of the stoves are functioning again, although most nights we still gravitate towards the cooking circle.
I dry off and dress in clean clothes, and as I walk back into the kitchen, Nyx is assembling his giant salad in a bowl to carry with us. “Ready?” he asks with a sweet smile, and I take the bowl from him. Boomerang darts out the door, disappearing into the woods as we join the others. Ronan accepts the vegetables with a tilt of his lips that borders a smile.
The first few days after we returned were hard on him, even if he’ll never admit it to anyone but his mate. He and Cameron have always been cuddly, but after our near-death experience, they haven’t left each other’s side. Even here, he was waiting for the other shoe to drop. Things have been quiet, though, and he’s slowly relaxing again.
Elas went hunting this morning and brought home a deer, and I kept Nyx indoors and distracted while he prepared it for dinner tonight. He doesn’t mind if others have meat, but he’s never been able to bring himself to eat the animals he loves so much. The venison sizzles over the fire, Ronan has a few loaves of bread wrapped in a towel, and a pot boils with a brothy soup full of vegetables and rice. Everything smells delicious, and my stomach growls as we take our spots in the circle.
Matuk hobbles over with Audra at his side. At first, I suspected there was more there than friendship, but they behave like siblings, squabbling and teasing. Audra’s mate was killed a few months ago at Ljómur, so Matuk has taken it upon himself to look out for her. Although as the petite woman bosses him around, I wonder if she really needs it.
They choose a spot beside August, and Matuk offers a tentative smile to him and Elas. It doesn’t take long before Matuk is beaming and August is laughing, and I grin as I watch them.
Samuel and Daiwyn join them, while Lillith, Taryn, and Xeni sit to my left. Cameron plops down beside Nyx as Sprocket and Aryn come in last. Sprocket grins and thanks Ronan as he hands her a plate, but Aryn is more reserved and ducks his head almost subserviently. Ronan takes his place with Cameron, and conversations pass in murmurs as we eat. When the meal is finished, silence falls, and Ronan clears his throat.
“I know everyone is adjusting to reality here. The new folks are settling in,” he says with a nod towards where they flock together on one side. So far, everyone is getting along well, but we still gravitate toward our familiar groups. Anytime we meet, the six of them cluster. “We’re all getting used to sharing this space.”
“We appreciate your hospitality,” Matuk says, and the others nod their agreement. “This place is amazing… more than we could’ve possibly hoped for. After Ljómur, none of us were sure where we’d end up, but we certainly didn’t expect it to be somewhere as beautiful as this.”
“Thank you for sharing your home,” Daiwyn says quietly.
“It is your home now, too,” Ronan says, and I can tell he means it. Wary as he may be, he has accepted them into our family. Distant cousins, perhaps, but they’re there. “We need to discuss what happens next… outside of this place.” Nyx takes a deep breath and clings to my arm, and I lean my head on his as Ronan continues. “All of you know the circumstances under which we met. When we ran into each other, we were testing our theory that Nyx can manipulate the rifts.”
“Why did you believe that?” I’m surprised to hear Aryn speak up. He doesn’t talk much, and usually keeps to himself indoors. He appears curious, though, with his tail flicking lazily back and forth behind him as he nods at Nyx. “You obviously had reason to believe Nyx had this ability. Had he done it before?”
Xeni glances over at Nyx, and waits for his nod before turning back to Aryn. “When I was at Ljómur, I studied the files in my free time. There was mention of it happening when the humans held him captive. From everything we’ve read, that’s the only record of it.”
“Did you ever ask Bash about it?” Sprocket asks, and my brow furrows at the new name. Xeni’s face immediately flushes a peony pink.
“No,” he says, with so much animosity Sprocket’s brows fly up to her hairline.
“Well, why not?”
The defensiveness that Xeni once wore like armor has returned, and his face is as hard as stone behind the shield of his crossed arms. “It doesn’t matter, because I didn’t. He probably wouldn’t have known anything, anyway.”
Aryn huffs a laugh and shoots Xeni a look that says he doesn’t believe him. “Guy’s a genius. I bet he would have a lot of theories.”
“Imaginary theories from people who aren’t here don’t do us any good,” Xeni snaps. “I hoped that one of you might have some ideas. Nyx can affect the rift, but it’s only a small reaction when his emotions are extremely high. Even if it were enough, the amount of power he’d have to project would be impossible.”
“You’resure?” Aryn asks. “It wasn’t just a trick of the light? I don’t mean to cause any offence, but a few sparkling lights could’ve been caused by a hundred different things.”
“We’re sure,” Ronan says, then bites his lip as his gaze darts away into the distance. Immediately, I’m on guard, because Ronan is never coy. His eyes shift to meet mine before moving to Nyx with a look that borders apologetic. “I didn’t tell anyone because there was so much going on, but I… I saw this when Xeni was freeing Matuk from the cage.” He pulls a leaf from his pocket unlike any other I’ve ever seen. It’s a vivid shade of bright pink and is long and slender like a feather.
Nyx stills at my side, then stands and walks to Ronan. He takes the leaf, running his fingers over it. “This is from home. A Kacia tree.”
“Yes,” Ronan agrees, and his throat dips in a swallow. “I’m sorry I kept it from you for so long.”
“So the passageway actually opened?” Aryn asks, and Ronan moves his attention across the circle with a solemn nod.
“This is proof our home still exists in some fashion, and that it wasn’t destroyed like we’ve been led to believe. None of us were around to see what actually happened with the rift, though. It might’ve been a blip, or a small opening, or the whole damn thing could’ve reformed. Whatever happened was enough to let this leaf blow through. But itdoesn’t matter,” he stresses, and Aryn looks at him curiously, “because that amount of magic almost killed Nyx. He’s not doing that again. You can get pissed at me for calling the shots on that all you want. It’s non-negotiable.”
“Yeah, that’s not happening,” I agree with as much force and authority as I can muster, and Ronan nods at me in solidarity.
Nyx still holds onto the leaf, twirling it between his fingers before he glances up at Ronan. “Can I have this?”
