Chapter 55

Dessa's arm was looped through Kalla's as they walked down the front steps of the villa the following afternoon. She hoped she didn't recognize the cloaking spell she'd put over herself to block the scent of a certain someone, one that had become intwined with hers with the line they'd crossed the night before at Madame Amoria's.

"You were unusually quiet this morning," Kalla commented as she turned toward her. "Everything all right?"

"I'm fine," she said in short.

Truth be told, she wasn't fine. Not when the sharp sting of rejection was still there.

Elys hadn't followed her back to the villa the night before.

She'd waited, nervous knots twisting her stomach for hours she sat on her bed, looking at the door. She heard when the others got back – Archer's drunken laughter before he stumbled into bed and immediately started snoring, Milena and Eamon as they whispered to each other before finally putting up a ward.

But as for Elys, he hadn't come. Not until almost three that morning. She knew his bootsteps, slow and unsure as they paused in front of her door. By then, she'd changed into her nightgown and snuggled under the covers. She was on the verge of sleep but feeling him so close had her bolting up in bed, eyes on back the door.

Dessa almost used her magic to throw open the door and yank him inside.

Until he sighed and took a step back, then another and another until he was in his room, locking the door behind him and letting out a string of curses.

She hadn't seen him yet. He hadn't come down for lunch since all of them slept in. Hadn't even left his room even though she knew he was up, mumbling to himself, pacing the length of his room. She had almost knocked before she went down to make sure he knew they were ready to leave.

She didn't.

"You sure you don't want to stay another night?" Kalla asked her then, squeezing her hand.

Dessa nodded with a slight smile. "We need to get to Palrion. We're heading to Mik's parents' inn for the night and then I'm going to try out my portal magic and see if I can manage to create one to Arloerin. It'll be a first for me, one between two worlds."

"I'm sure you'll do perfect," she told her. "Just like your mother told me, your magic's come easier to you than we thought it would."

"I still struggle with it, though."

"And everyone around you is more than willing to help. That's why you're going to Arloerin, isn't it? You and Cleo...gods, I can just imagine what you'll be able to do together. Not to mention what you'll be able to do with a certain male who couldn't seem to keep his eyes or his hands off you last night."

Dessa looked down at her boots as a blush raced across her cheeks.

"You two disappeared for a time...and then we all saw you leave. You seemed a little...flustered," Kalla grinned. "Something happen?"

Her silence was answer enough.

"Something did happen and yet it wasn't everything you wanted, right?"

The look Dessa gave her was yet another silent answer.

Kalla reached up and laid her hand against her cheek. "Trust me, Des. That kid's loved you even before you were born. Even though I'm more than sure Elys has seen all of this in his visions, it's a little different when it's actually happening, isn't it? Hell, you both got your stubbornness from Lyv and Jai, though you inherited it and he learned it. I thought those two were the worst when it came to a certain bond between them, but I think you two have them beat."

Dessa all but choked at the hint of the two words that had been running through her head all night coming from the mouth of another.

Mating bond.

Kalla sighed and smiled at her, winking. "I always seem to say too much when I'm not supposed to, don't I?"

Was that what it really was between them? Not a sibling or a best friend bond, but one much stronger and unbreakable? From what she knew about the Seer of Ikreus magic in the past, none had ever lived long enough to find their mates other than Lenora, who had been the Seer before Elys, when she found Dessa's grandfather Bence. Then again, Elys was the first of the Seers to not live a life in chains and would live long enough to find his mate, to create a life with someone, to even have a family.

And that someone...gods, it really was her.

Dessa shook her head, though it wasn't in answer to Kalla's question. "I...I thought, I hoped..." She swallowed hard...and looked up at that very male who was coming outside then.

Elys paused at the top of the stairs, his gaze immediately locked on hers. He was dressed in his leather, just as she was, his bag slung across his chest, dagger on his leg, and sword crossed over his back. Milena, Eamon, and Archer were talking as they followed out behind him, then walked around him and down the stairs toward where she and Kalla stood. Kalla gave Dessa's hand another squeeze before letting go to grab Milena up in a hug and started saying her goodbyes.

And Dessa...she couldn't keep her eyes off Elys as he slowly started his descent down the steps to stop a few feet in front of her.

Kalla, Milena, Eamon, and Archer all felt the instant tension between them. Luckily for Dessa, her cloaking spell was holding steady. They could still scent her on Elys, though, since he didn't have the magic to do the same.

Milena raised both blond brows. "Something's definitely up."

"Are they fighting again?" Archer groaned, rubbing his hand on is forehead. "I hate it when they fight, mostly because it's so awkward."

And Eamon, ever the protective uncle, crossed his arms over his chest, looking between them. "Everything all right, you two?"

The intensity of Elys's stare had Dessa shifting where she stood, trying to stop the thoughts of what they'd done the night before in their path and stifle the heat that pooled low in her stomach.

Elys's mind seemed to be going in the same direction, his eyes darkening as he looked her slowly up and down.

"Fine," they said together.

And just like that...they seemed to both completely ignore the fact they'd crossed a line the night before.

But what Dessa couldn't ignore was the way her body reacted as soon as he came up to her side and had to fight off the urge to get even closer. That thin, silvery cord that tied them together...well, it wanted them closer, too, wanted to be completed.

And would have if he'd done as she asked the night before.

Dessa's hands curled into fists at her side.

"You all be good," Kalla told them with a smile as she took several steps back. "And if you even need me or even just want to come for another party, you know exactly where to find me. Just try not to portal right into my rooms, all right?"

Dessa tried not to smile and failed. "We'll see you soon, Kalla."

***

She apparently wasn't giving herself enough credit when it came to portals, but Dessa managed to get her next one perfect. As soon as the five of them stepped through, they found themselves standing in the back gardens of the Sibrian Inn in Palrion. She'd been there plenty of times, but was always in awe of the four story, dark blue building that was so different from any other building in Palrion. With it being just a few weeks before the Summer Solstice, the inn was busier than usual, but their family always had rooms saved for them whenever they decided to come.

While all of the guests balked at the portal and their sudden appearance, one person was used to those appearances in the back gardens and merely grinned, though it was usually because they were arriving on dragons. The Fae female immediately passed the tray of drinks she'd been carrying to another inn staff member and made her way to them.

"Now that's an entrance I haven't seen before," Aila, Mik's little sister, grinned as she held her arms open for Dessa.

Dessa smiled back as she hugged her tight. She'd always loved Aila, the twin version of Mik in female form only a hundred years younger, and being in her cool and calm presence eased the tension that knotted in her. "Well, get used to it. At least you won't have to hear Bron half-heartedly complain about the dragons trampling everything, right?"

"And you know he loves having them around," she laughed, pulling back to take her face in her hands. "Looks like the message Mik and Allel got from your parents wasn't exaggerating about your magic, huh?"

"Nope," she replied with a shake of her head. "Where are those two, by the way? They knew we were coming. Plus, I need to complain about how they decided to stay here longer than planned."

Looping her arm through hers, Aila guided them up the steps to the patio where all the inn guests were still watching. "Mother and Father have been gone the last week and should be back by the end of the next, so they've been keeping the inn running smoothly. Of course, I can do it myself, but Mik still likes to treat me like a little kid, especially since he didn't get to spend it with me while I was growing up..."

"And the fact that Father put me in charge doesn't affect that, huh?"

Dessa's smile was bright as she looked at her Uncle Mik and Aunt Kalla as they came through the back doors. The last few months they'd spent with their family in Palrion had definitely done some good, making them both seem so at ease. They were dressed in the typical light clothing usually found around Palrion due to the heat of the summer, a heat that had already started working its way through Dessa's leather.

She ran those last few steps to them, curling up between them. "I've missed you," she told them, then pulled back to glare. "But I'm also mad at you for not being home yet."

Allel laughed and hugged her tight. Even though she still looked human, the spelled tattoo on her cheek gave her an immortal life span and shapeshifting magic. A blessing and a curse. A blessing since she got more than the seventy years she would have gotten with her mate, but a curse that had been broken since she'd been under the control of dark magic.

And Mik...Dessa had a hard time trying to imagine him other than the male he was now. He'd been controlled by dark magic differently than Allel had been, a conduit that had absolutely no control over what he did.

"We missed you, too, and missed a lot of what's been going on in Ayveri, huh?" Allel told her, brushing Dessa's hair back behind her ear.

Mik kissed her forehead. "Magic, huh?"

Dessa nodded, then held her hand out between them and blocking the view of all the curious eyes behind her. It barely took a thought for her shadowflame to dance around her wrist and through her fingers, sparkling with starlight. "I'm getting the hang of it," she smiled, then closed her hand, smothering the flames. "I'm hoping Cleo can help me more, though. That's where we're going. To Arloerin."

But Mik and Allel were still staring down at her hands, a distant look in both their eyes.

Just like the looks Kalla shared with Elys, they did, too.

Dessa didn't even have to see him to know he was nodding.

***

She wasn't used to having the suite of rooms all to herself. Whenever she was in Palrion with the rest of her family, she, her parents, and Len usually occupied the suite and it was far too big for just her now. She could have taken the larger one of the bedrooms, the one her parents stayed in, but she like the one she had, though she was missing having her little sister's things strewn all over the place, too.

Quickly changing into a plum dress with thin straps and sandals with laces that wound up her calves, she stowed her bag on the chair next to the wardrobe and made her way out into the sitting room where a fire was still kindling in the hearth. Not for warmth, of course, but rather for light since the curtains had been closed. Now, they were thrown open, allowing for the afternoon sunlight to brighten the space.

Dessa was finally alone and wanted to stay that way for a little while before she and Elys went to the Archive as planned. She needed to prepare herself for being alone with him, especially since he hadn't said another word to her ever since they reached Palrion. He was always there, though, when she recounted everything that had happened over those last few months to Mik and Allel, when she showed them everything she'd learned with her magic so far, and even when she finally trudged up the stairs to her rooms. Only then did he part from her, turning left while she went right, and headed to the rooms he'd be sharing with Archer.

Making her way over to the window seat, she pulled one of the pillows into her arms as she sat, leaning back while resting her head on the pane. From this vantage, she could see everyone down below, talking and laughing and drinking. Archer was flirting with Aila just as he always did while Mik kept a close watch. Milena and Allel were chatting over cups of tea, Eamon seated beside Milena and gazing at her while absentmindedly rubbing his hand up and down her back.

Dessa recognized the draw between Mik and Allel and Milena and Eamon even more than she had before. The way the two mated couples always seemed to be near one another, their movements completely in sync. They were all talking, laughing, and having a good time with each other while there she was, sulking in the window. Happy and mated and completely in love.

Jealousy wasn't a good color for her, not when she wanted that for herself.

And the one male who could actually give it all to her was standing in the doorway, leaned against the frame and watching her.

"I didn't hear you knock," she said quietly, glancing over her shoulder before she leaned her forehead against the window again.

"That's because I didn't," Elys replied. "You all right?"

Nodding, she drew her knees up to her chest, still clutching the pillow. "I'm fine."

While she was still looking out the window, she felt Elys move beside her, sitting on the other end of the window seat. She couldn't help but peek over at him, seeing he was dressed in a similar outfit he'd been wearing the day before, the sleeves of his shirt pushed up to his elbows. He bent one knee, resting his elbow on it as he ran his hand through his hair, looking down at the others just as she did.

Dessa felt it then, the pull toward him even stronger now that she'd at least acknowledged the bond between them, now that they'd shared something so intimate the night before. He wasn't just her best friend, but also the one male she wanted by her side through absolutely everything their life together would bring. She wanted everything with him...but he had to want it, too.

"It's good to see Mik and Allel again, huh?" Elys asked then. "After you came up here, Allel said they were only going to be here for about two more weeks before heading back home."

"Hm," she mumbled.

"They suspect why we've come here before heading to Arloerin. I didn't confirm, though, just played it off. I just told them you and I...well, that we were going to go out for the night, just the two of us. Milena, of course, had to go and make the comment about how we're..."

Dessa shook her head, turning fully toward him. "Just stop, would you?"

"Stop what, Dessa Jai?"

Gods, she wished he wouldn't call her that now. Not when all she was thinking about was the way he whispered it as she touched him...

Hands curling into fists, Dessa clenched her jaw and tried not to let her anger and heartache boil over. "Stop acting like everything's the same between us. It's not, Elys. Not after last night."

"Des..."

"I can't," she said in a whisper. "I can't do this, Elys."

Standing from the window seat, Dessa started to walk away from him, but then spun back around to glare. Elys made no move to follow, no move to even stand.

"I told you I wouldn't be able to look at you and just see my best friend. Because you're not that to me anymore...and you haven't been even before what happened between us last night. You mean so much more to me, Elys, and not just because of that line we crossed. It's more than just best friends or lovers...and something I have a feeling you've known for quite some time, something I've just now realized myself. So, until you're ready to cross that line with me again and never look back, I'll be here waiting for you. But I won't go back to being just friends, Elys, and don't make me."

Dessa didn't give him any time to respond before she spun around again, grabbed up her smaller crossbody bag she'd magically extended inside, and left her suite of rooms.

She didn't stop to talk to any of the inn staff or guests who attempted to say hello, didn't go out back to tell the others they were heading out, and especially didn't wait for Elys, who she knew would still follow behind her just as they planned. They had to keep up their story, didn't they?

Elys trailed a dozen feet behind Dessa, his hands in his pockets, keeping watch on everyone around her. She kept up her silence as she walked, though she did stop at a few shops to peer into their windows at what they sold. Maybe they should have planned on taking another day here just to look around. It had been a little over a year since Dessa had been in the city and wanted to explore, wanted to drown her sorrows in pretty things and as many sweets as her stomach could handle.

The buildings grew older, their weathered stone and glistening tiled roofs thousands of years old and yet still standing. The Tomarn River ran along the pathway they walked and Dessa tried to keep herself from kicking off her sandals and running through the stretches of grass or play with the children who ran around, screaming and laughing.

What stopped her was the archive, which appeared right as the road curved and opened.

Of course, Dessa had been there before, but no matter how many times she did it always seemed to take her breath away. Six gigantic columns spanned evenly on either side of two large, ornately carved doors. Doors in which scholars and historians and even anyone just wanting to gain the knowledge walked in and out of.

The Archivists were the ones to keep the place up and running for all those wishing to learn. They were easy to spot in robes ranging from pale gray to bright blue and their specialties were indicated by the golden rings on their fingers with different colored stones. Only a few of them wore another ring, one that looked like a knotted heart with a clear diamond in the center – the Palrion Heart.

And one of those few Archivists stood there waiting for her and Elys, almost like he'd been expecting them.

"I received your message not half an hour ago, Seer of Ikreus," the Archivist Talib smiled at the top of the stone steps.

"Thank you for meeting with us," Elys said, not just a step behind her.

Talib turned his smile to Dessa as she ascended the steps, holding out his hands for hers. "And Princess Dessa, it's so very nice to see you again."

"It's great to see you again, too, Talib."

"I trust your parents are well?"

"Of course. Momma keeps saying how they need to make a trip here to visit."