Page 127 of The Eye of the Fifth
‘Fuck,’ he mumbled, rubbing a hand over his face. ‘I should never have said that.’
‘You were right. If I’d had control of my power it would never have happened.’
Sincerity shone in his golden eyes as he held her gaze. ‘No, Kyra… I reacted badly. And you… you didn’t deserve that.’
Relief seeped its way into her twisted heart, lessening the guilt she’d been carrying since that night. ‘You believe me now?’
‘I think I always did,’ he admitted. ‘I was angry at myself for not being able to keep Kano’s location a secret. I felt like… like I’d failed him. It was easier to blame you than blame myself.’
‘Great. Thanks for that.’
His mouth twitched. ‘I’m sorry.’
‘Me too,’ she whispered and truly meant it.
They fell silent for a few moments, and all awkwardness, all hostility completely disappeared into the ether, leaving Kyra feeling significantly lighter than she had done in days.
She could have sworn he moved a touch closer as he said in a low voice, ‘It was good though… before.’
The smile that crept on her face felt foreign. As did the sudden tingling rush of excitement. ‘It was more than good, Kawai.’
He gave a soft laugh. ‘Glad to be of service.’
She rolled her eyes, but secretly relished the return of their easy banter.
Even if Kawai’s smile was fading faster than she would have liked. ‘The merking said only King Therion has the power to bring back Kano’s memory,’ he said. ‘But I don’t believe that. You have power much greater than that control. If anyone can do it, you can.’
As though the lifted heaviness had ignited a new hope, she found herself staring at Kano again. ‘I don’t really know how I did it. But… I do remember what it felt like falling into your mind. I can try to replicate that feeling and hopefully find the lost memories. I can try to bring them back but… I can’t promise it will work. I haven’t had much luck with my Warden magic so far.’
Kawai ran a hand through his floppy hair. ‘I thought it would be better for him if he didn’t remember. I thought maybe if the memories stayed lost, he would be happier. But I think it’s confusing him even more. And I know it’s selfish but… it’s killing me that he doesn’t remember who I am.’
What he was asking was seemingly impossible. Her Warden magic never came when called, and she doubted very much if this trialwould be the first time it did. But even with that doubt, she wanted to help. ‘I’ll try.’
Moving slowly, so as not to wake anyone else, Kyra crept over to Kano’s side. ‘Wait-’ Kawai murmured behind her, ‘You meannow?’
‘In sleep his mind will be more open,’ said Kyra, remembering what Naal had told her when she’d confessed how she’d extracted Kano’s location from Kawai. ‘I can at least try. I don’t think he’ll notice my presence.’
Looking disturbed, Kawai said, ‘What if I’m wrong? What if he doesn’t want it?’
She turned back to him. ‘When Kano arrived here, he told us he wanted to know who he was, that his decision was made solely on that need. If you gave him the choice to stay ignorant or relearn his past, I think I know which one he would choose.’
After a beat, Kawai whispered, ‘Do it.’
‘I’lltry,’she repeated again, already hating the anticipation of failure settling in her stomach.
But she settled next to Kano nonetheless, and gently rested a hand on his head before closing her eyes to her present surroundings.
She tried to imagine her spirit falling like it had before, tried to move from her own mind to his-
Nothing happened.
That usual frustration rose up like a striking adder.
She refused to let it take over this time though. Loosing a tense breath, she forced herself to be still. To remember how she’d felt in the cabin with Kawai before it had turned nasty, replicating the feelings that made her open enough to fall in the first place…
Safe. Warm. Desiring. Present. Happy.
The memory of that night took over, warming her from the inside out, and then she was smiling, wrapped in the cocoon of that truly elated moment.
