Page 155 of The Kingdom's Reckoning
"Wewillget through this." Myra wrapped her arms around him, careful not to touch his wings. Not because she was afraid of them or what they meant. In fact, they were perhaps the most beautiful wings she had ever seen. She avoided them only to prevent more unnecessary pain.
Laurince collapsed against her. He wrapped her in his arms, squeezing her waist. His shoulders shook as he cried, his sobs dampening her blouse.
Myra only held him tighter.
It tookLaurince a while to calm down, to release all his anger and grief.
No one said anything.
No one rushed him or complained.
At some point, Phaia and Rian had retreated to somewhere else in the small house. Occasionally, she heard thetingof glass being swept up.
Myra remained with Laurince. She would stay there for as long as he needed.
Eventually, Laurince peeled their bodies apart. "Is there…" He cleared his throat, his voice raw. "Is there a mirror?"
"Come on," she said, sliding her hand down his arm and interlocking their fingers.
She led him through the house, down the hallway, and toward the bathing chambers. Faint whispers came from the other bedroom, but she ignored them.
At the bathroom, she faced Laurince and blocked his entry, her arms spread out. "Are you sure you’re ready?"
Laurince glanced behind her and nodded. "There’s no point in delaying the inevitable," he said, rolling his shoulders back. She didn’t comment on the sparkle of fear in his brown eyes.
She moved to the side and let him pass.
Wanting to give him some privacy, she went to close the door as he shuffled past, but then Laurince froze just beyond the threshold. His hands were trembling. She had the urge to reach out and grab hold of them, but she wasn’t sure if he wanted that. Some people preferred to grieve alone. Kallie was like that. Myra had also dealt with her own struggles and grief in solitude, unable to seek support. Sometimes, it seemed like Laurincewas the opposite, but she wasn’t sure if he wanted company in a situation like this. This was personal, transformative, life-altering. Something many would want to face alone first.
"Will you stay with me?" he asked quietly.
Myra blinked. "Of course."
He offered her a small smile in gratitude and moved further into the room. Myra shut the door behind them, offering him as much privacy as she could. Pressing her back against the door, she rested her hand on the doorknob, ready to pry it open at a moment’s notice in case he needed to escape.
Laurince’s footsteps were slow, as if it took every ounce of strength he had to walk toward the sink where the mirror hung on the wall. When he reached it, his head hung low, his gaze fixed on the floor. His wings were folded back behind him. The room was just large enough for them not to touch the walls. He grabbed onto the sink, his fingers curling around the basin. The veins in his arms were prominent, but they had lost some of their eerie blue hue they had the day before.
Myra laid her hand on his, and the trembling lessened marginally.
Laurince took a deep breath. When he exhaled, he finally lifted his head. The color drained from his face as he took in the wings behind him. His lips parted, an intake of breath, but no words followed. Not right away, at least.
Myra didn’t dare move, giving him the time to process everything. Although, she wasn’t sure if there would ever be enough time.
"They’re—" He swallowed hard.
"Beautiful," Myra answered, the word slipping free before she could stop it.
His gaze snapped to hers in the reflection. A rebuttal was on the tip of his tongue, yet it never came.
The wings twitched, and he looked back at them. The lit sconce made the wings appear warm, its light catching on the tiny iridescent notes in the feathers.
"I…I suppose they could be worse," he said, a small flicker of a smile forming. But it was there and gone before it truly took shape. He reached up and gingerly touched the sides of his wings. At the contact, the feathers ruffled and his body shuddered. His eyes widened in shock.
"You’ll get used to them," she promised.
"Will I?" He stared at his reflection, doubt marking his features.
Myra didn’t know whether it was rhetorical. Still, she answered, knowing he needed to hear the words either way. "In time."
