The memory consisted only of flashing images, horrible screaming and an agonizing pain, emanating from somewhere that should not be possible. The face of an older man, twisted in fury, blinked in and out of view. Sharp aching spasms ran through Saelina's abdomen but Ezeas only barely registered it over a searing sensation that seemed to come from inside him. A warm and sticky feeling between his legs shocked his mind into a state of blank horror. And he screamed.

The sound tore from his lips and mixed with Saelina's voice as they both let their agony out. Ezeas felt his body being shaken back and forth and he noticed the sound of his name.

“Ezeas! Open your eyes!”

His voice cut off as his eyelids flew open and he stared into the concerned face of his father. Ezeas gasped and rolled over, emptying the contents of his stomach, his body trembling. He glanced towards Saelina, who was in Tiyala's arms, crying. Their gaze met and Ezeas moved without thinking, crawling to where she was and pulling her away from his mother and into his arms. He clung to her as she sobbed, unable to form any words or explain the situation to his parents.

He felt as her breathing calmed and she fell asleep in his embrace. With great care, Tiyala picked her up and took her back to her room. Ezeas sat up but stayed on the floor, while his father observed him with an unreadable expression.

* * *

Saelina woke up in the soft cocoon of her blanket in her room at the Sethaernan manor. It was comforting but also disconcerting and for a while she was unsure what had happened the last few days. Her head was aching and trying to remember was making it worse, so she contended herself with keeping her mind even for the time being.

Breathing deeply, she tried to calm the slight tremor in her chest before she reached out.

Dhíanvhúr?

You're disturbing my slumber, came the gruff reply.

She sighed in relief and smiled, drifting back to sleep..

She woke up again, and sat up in her bed. A pitcher of water and a glass was at her bedside table but the very sight of it made her nauseated, though she was unsure why. Her feet were sore as she put them on the cool floor. Standing up, she had to brace herself against the wall as a wave of dizziness hit her.

As it settled, she noticed the shadows from the outside light shifting and spun around to stare at the balcony door. A pair of legs could be seen through the glass. Saelina moved closer and spotted Ezeas sitting against the balusters with his head leaned back and his eyes closed.

With quiet movements, she opened the door and went out to sit opposite him. She observed his face, which seemed marked with lines, suggesting he was lacking sleep.

“You should know better than to think you'll go undetected,” he mumbled without opening his eyes.

“I'll keep pretending if you will,” she suggested and the corner of his mouth lifted slightly.

She looked out at the garden, glowing softly in the dimmed light from the crystal; based on the brightness, she guessed it was the middle of the day. But which day?

“How long have I been asleep?”

“About two days,” Ezeas answered, still keeping his eyes closed.

“You haven't been sitting here, the whole time, have you?”

“I haven't. My parents took turns, relieving me, so I could eat and sleep.”

Saelina nodded with relief, though she realized he could not see the gesture. Yet, she still had the sense he knew.

“Did you drink something?” he asked.

“No.”

“The water is no longer tampered with. I tested it myself.”

“So the poison was in there.”

He nodded.

“I trust you,” she confirmed, “but...”

“But you're still worried.”

She sighed and stood, knowing there was no point in postponing it. With firm steps she headed inside and grabbed the pitcher and glass, bringing it back out, with her. She poured a glass and reached it towards Ezeas who was now looking at her.

“Please,” she said.

He took the glass and drank from it, without hesitation. Saelina felt safe to drink, afterwards, taking comfort in the familiar sweetness she had been missing. She closed her eyes and enjoyed the taste and the refreshing feeling.

“Why didn't you want me to kill him?”

The question was so sudden that Saelina had no clue what he referred to.

“Excuse me?”

If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

“That man who followed you when I found you. You asked me not to kill him. Why?”

There was heat in his voice and something violent, barely restrained beneath the surface.

“To be honest, I wouldn't care if Callum died. But his father would, and while Callum is stubborn and reckless, he wants me alive. Regor Harrow is cunning and methodical; if I killed his son and only child, he wouldn't rest until the ground was soaked with my blood.”

She sighed.

“Back then, I had no idea where you would take me and what kind of surroundings I would be in. I couldn't say for sure that you or your countrymen would and could keep me safe.”

“I guess our track record isn't inspiring confidence, so far,” he conceded.

“Yet here I am.”

“Yes. But not by choice.”

His voice sounded regretful. She smiled.

“It may sound callous but seeing you as you start to understand my position is...gratifying.”

He shook his head, not meeting her gaze.

“I have almost two centuries on you and yet, right now, I feel like a child. What happened, that night...”

He paused and a sense of unrest poured out from him. Saelina blinked slowly before opening her mouth.

“It was a decade of misery packed into a few minutes.”

“My mother warned me I might witness things you never wanted me to know. Things a man could never...”

He swallowed visibly, and Saelina nodded.

“I'm sorry, Ezeas.”

He furrowed his brow as he observed her.

“Why?”

“That last instance...I never wanted anyone to live that pain. You didn't deserve it.”

He stared at her.

“Saelina,” he called, softly.

She met his eyes.

“Neither did you.”

She broke eye contact before the words could worm their way to her heart.

“I know,” she mumbled.

“Do you?”

She turned her head even further.

“Yes. Though it took me a long time to realize it.”

“No one told you?”

She smirked.

“Rather the opposite. However, my father ensured I won't have to worry about that, anymore.”

“The man in the last memory?”

She nodded.

“He would rather see me dead than giving birth to a bastard. And he almost did.”

He nodded and said nothing more about it as he leaned his head back and closed his eyes again. She felt calmer as the silence between them grew. The rest no longer needed to be put into words. She looked up, only to see the cave ceiling, far above.

“I miss the sky,” she lamented, “and watching the stars, at night. But...”

She lowered her gaze to meet his.

“I thought I would miss it more.”

The corners of his mouth lifted.

“It's possible you've been too busy staying alive to notice anything else.”

She returned the smile. Ezeas exhaled and ran a hand through his hair, resting an elbow on his raised knee.

“I thought you'd avoid me, after waking up. It would make sense.”

His awkward appearance made teasing him very tempting.

“Are you relieved, Essy?”

“Of course I am.”

The gentleness in his voice sent a jolt through her heart. She tried to ignore the feeling.

“Well, if I knew it would bother you so much, perhaps I would have acted a little colder.”

“To what end?”

“Getting under your skin, of course. Isn't that my job?”

He just smiled.

“If you're well enough to try and anger me, you must be doing better.”

She cocked her head to the side.

“And yet it isn't working. Perhaps we should be more concerned about you?”

“Don't rush, I'll be back to scolding you, while I throw you to the floor, in no time.”

She scoffed.

“And just like that, any concern for you has been spirited away! Extraordinary.”

He chuckled and stood, reaching a hand out to her. She grabbed it and let herself be pulled upright. For a moment, he kept her hand in his; the feel of his skin against hers carried something more, a magnetism which defied explanation. She looked at him, quizzically, but his eyes seemed just as puzzled as they peered into hers. A surge of heat started spreading from her chest but she clenched her jaw and swallowed, resolutely beating the feeling back down as she retrieved her hand. But she was unable to break away from his gaze. To her relief, he looked away, first.

“It's probably a side-effect from sharing consciousness,” he noted.

“That makes sense,” she agreed.

He moved to leave but she found herself grabbing his arm.

“I'm just talking to my mother,” he told her.

“That's not why,” she denied, “I just wanted...thank you, Ezeas.”

He hesitated and she gathered herself to continue.

“I was really lost. In my head. And you came for me.”

She smiled with an amused sound.

“In fact, you always come for me.”

A low chuckled escaped her lips.

“Is that funny?” Ezeas asked with some concern.

The chuckle turned into a giggle.

“I was kidnapped by my savior. I think that's pretty funny.”

“I wouldn't go so far as to call me a savior?”

“No?” she asked. “You've seen where I came from. Do you think I was headed somewhere better, when you caught me?”

He did not answer but she never expected him to.