“There,” he whispered. “Better, right?”
I nodded.
“I will be right here,” Fyn said. “It will take time, but I promise it will be alright.”
I wanted to believe him, but I didn’t, not yet.
Chapter 44
A family visit, and I’m crying. Again.
I stared at the tablet, but my message to Tinlorray had gone unanswered. I’d sent her four messages since I’d returned to the palace. She’d ignored each one. When I’d tried to call her with Fyn’s touchstone, Tinlorray hadn’t answered. I was hurting her—my literal existence was hurting her.
This was worse than grief. Her brother's body was alive, but Yolkeltod was gone. I hadn’t had any more choice in this than her, but my heart ached for Tinlorray. I knew she was grieving, and I couldn’t do anything to help. I couldn’t watch over her like Yolkeltod had asked me to.
Someone sat behind me, and my wings flared out. Fyn grunted, and I immediately cringed. “I’m sorry, Sunshine.”
“It’s alright,” he said, helping my wings curl up, which sent shards down my spine. Fyn kissed the back of my neck before nuzzling me.
It wasn’t, none of this was. I tried to breathe through it, but the curling emotion remained deep in my gut. Fyn rubbed his forehead on the nape of my neck. The scent of him grew stronger and stronger by the second. I gripped one of his arms, focusing on how securely he held me.
“Softer, Mate,” he said.
I jerked away. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to, Sunshine. I’m so big now. I don’t know what to do. I keep messing up.”
He nipped my neck, and I groaned in pleasure while part of me recoiled from the pressure of his teeth and the wetness of his mouth.
“You are not messing up, Caleb. You are learning.”
At one point in my life, actually all of my life and afterlife, I’d loved learning, but now entering my second life, I couldn’t say I enjoyed it. I would rather have everything go back to how it was. I didn’t want to struggle, but that was the price of being alive.
Fyn didn’t say anything more as he cuddled me. I looked down at my tablet, or more accurately Fyn’s tablet—I hadn’t been added to the Drakcon system yet. My sudden appropriation of Yolkeltod’s body had caused a slight uproar. It had been four days since I came to the palace, but word about me had spread. The Ranks had shared my new soul testing as proof as well as the fact I was Zoltilvoxfyn’s soulmate.
The Council of Seekers had already appealed to study me as well as Fyn. They were curious if what happened to me could be replicated. The Ranks were curious as to why the Crystal had drawn me all the way from Earth to here. There was also a small subset of people who were angry. A drakcol prince had gotten his dead soulmate, but Yolkeltod hadn’t been returned to his body.Yolkeltod had been as popular as Tinlorray had hinted, and his friends were less than pleased.
I hadn’t told anyone about me speaking to Yolkeltod, and neither had Fyn or Tinlorray, as far as I was aware, which was probably for the best. If the general populace knew Yolkeltod had hung around after his accident, they would demand to know why the Crystal hadn’t returned him to his body.
I wanted to know that as well. Why me? It was the same question I’d asked when I died, and I had no more answer now than I did then. I was alive and Yolkeltod wasn’t. It wasn’t fair; it wasn’t right.
For now, the emperor and empress had asked Fyn and I to remain on the palace grounds. They were afraid someone might harm us or that we might further enrage the public about me—a human, inside Yolkeltod’s body. Fyn was fine with their request… and I felt a little like a caged bird.
The bell rang, and Fyn stood, tail brushing my arm; I followed suit, heart rate picking up. Seth and Kal were on the other side, and Fyn waved them in; whereas, I stayed back, tail around my leg and wings hugging my shoulders. I was barefoot, unable to tolerate shoes, preferring the chill of the floor in comparison. The wind wafted in from the open windows and ruffled my hair, making me flinch. I might have to cut off the long locks, though that felt disrespectful. Yolkeltod had long hair. Clearly, he’d liked it. This was his body. How could I cut his hair?
I wrapped my arms around my waist, swallowing more tears. I refused to cry again.
“How are you?” Seth asked, startling me. He’d moved in front of me without me noticing.
I shrugged, then winced. Shit. Yolkeltod’s body twinged at the slightest movements.
He patted my shoulder, stretching to reach it. I was tall, like humongous. I was taller than Seth, taller than Kal, and eventaller than Fyn. I’d always been the shortest person around, and now I was the tallest.
“I’m glad you’re back,” he said. “I’m not the only human anymore.”
A vicious knife plunged into my gut, making my wings sprawl. I wasn’t human. Not anymore.
Kal was at Seth’s side in an instant. He drew his mate behind him, lips curling. I shied back. Why was Kal mad? Fyn slid in front of me and growled at Kal. What the fuck was happening? The first tear slid out as I trembled. One of the new planters with a seedling rattled before crashing to the floor, making me leap, which, in turn, forced a yelp out of my lips.
“Stop,” Seth ordered, moving to Kal's side. “Everything’s fine. Caleb is not threatening me.”
