“She will not harm you. She has vowed to keep her fangs to herself while she seeks sanctuary.” Gaius must have seen my wary glance.
“Wait a second, how would you know what her intentions are?” I know the fae have certain lesser magics but I wasn’t aware talking to animals was one of them. “Can you speak to animals?” I turn to Embrys who just raises his eyebrows and shakes his head, which is now the chosen seat of a fluffy chickadee that looks very content pecking at his thick hair, and wrapping it around itself to create the beginnings of a nest.
“The fire’s heat should abate within a few days’ time. You may remain here while you await its passing.” Gaius ignores my question and waves us toward the tunnel that the deer had entered from.
“A few days?!” I look at Embrys with raised eyebrows, “we can’t stay a few days! We have to find where everyone else went… if they are ok.” Gaius just shakes his head before disappearing around the corner, into the tunnel. We follow him, watching our footing so as to not step on one of the multitude of small forest creatures skittering around.
“Embrys, I can’t just stay here. We have to go find Marissa and Oleander,” I plead, he just pushes a breath out of his lips and shrugs.
“I’m sorry, Nuria. Gaius is right. It won’t be safe for a few days. We are lucky to have found him. Oleander can hold her own in a fire and I believe the rebels have a water wielder or two. They will be safe,” he says and we stop behind Gaius at the doorway to a small room.
“I have this chamber which I trust shall prove sufficient for your stay. I am not accustomed to entertaining guests, save for those that are of fur and feather.” He waves out two foxes that were curled on the bed in the small space.
I am keenly aware that there is only one bed in this room and pretty much zero floor space. I blush as I catch Embrys’ questioning eye.
“There is a bathing chamber at the end of this tunnel. Perhaps the waters will even be warmed by the fires outside.” Gaius taps his fingertips together, grinning under his bushy moustache.
“Well, I am not sure about you, but I am exhausted. Thank you Gaius for your hospitality.” Embrys nods to him and Gaius looks between us, waggling his eyebrows, before scurrying back down the tunnel.
“Um… maybe you can go sleep on the sofa or something?” I suggest, watching as Embrys enters the room and takes his cloak off whilst kicking off his boots. He jumps onto the bed.
“Not a chance. Besides, there would be no room out there with Gaius’ horde. I do not sleep in barns. Nor do I sleep with animals.” He sits up, raising an eyebrow while giving me his vexing half smile.
He starts to unbutton his tunic, popping one button open at a time without breaking eye contact, as if he knows it will catch my attention. I just roll my eyes and head towards the bathing chamber. I am truly exhausted from this never ending night as well but a cold bath feels like a smarter option than jumping straight into bed with the guy I have been sharing visions with practically my whole life. After what Oleander shared about his past and our near kiss moments ago, I’m not sure how I truly feel but what Idofeel, is my restraint faltering.
The bathing chamber is steaming from the heat of the fire, as Gaius predicted, and it takes me a moment to be able to see my surroundings. There is a dark central pool that looks big enough to fit ten people with a little creek running into one end and exiting the other, constantly circulating the water. There are a few rock ledges around the room that house little colonies of only the yellow glow worms, giving the space a nice warm radiance.
I take a quick glance behind me to see if anyone has followed and when I feel I am truly alone I peel off my smoky clothes. I know I will have to put these back on but at least I can wash the grime and soot off my skin.
I dip my toe in to make sure it isn’t boiling and I am met with the perfect bath temperature that contrasts the cool air and rock of the cave. It sends a delightful shiver up my spine as I slide all the way into the waters. The moan that escapes my lips is entirely involuntary as the warmth covers my shoulders and immediately relaxes the tension I had been holding on to.
I give my face a little scrub and notice the crusted blood from where I got hit, washing off in a deep red slurry that is whiskedaway in the gentle current.Surely I have some sort of brain damage from all the times I’ve been hit on the head since being here.I give my sore temple a gentle rub prodding to see how large the cut is but I find none.Huh, super speedy healing, this whole fae thing is cool.
I close my eyes and lean back against the cool rock, sinking down so just my head is out of the water and I start to drift off, the exhaustion fully taking hold of me now.
I feel like I am falling and open my eyes to see shimmering purple crystals surrounding me. I am floating, mid-air, in a cave covered in them, with sharp little points glistening on all surfaces. I can hear voices whispering but they are so faint and overlapping that I cannot make out what is being said. A few sound as if they have an urgency to them though, I lean in to better hear.
“What are you saying?” I call out, thrashing my arms and legs around, trying to find something to grab onto to get me out of this suspension, but the walls of the cave seem to be expanding out of my reach whenever I get near them.
“Help!” a voice comes in clearly and I swear it sounds like Oleander.
“Where are you?” I call back, looking around at the crystals but only seeing hundreds of my own reflections looking back.
“They think it was me! We are surrounded… Quick, hide!” I hear her call out again but this time sounding much further away.
“Wait! Who is surrounding you? How do I find you?” I thrash around but the connection goes silent.
“Nuria…. Nuria!” I can hear a different voice calling to me now and the walls start to shake as if an earthquake is ripping through the cave.
“Nuria!” Embrys’ deep voice rumbles. I flick open my eyes to see him in front of me in the pool, shaking my shoulders.“ThankThe Mother! Nuria, you must have been dreaming. When I came in you were under the water.” He leaves his hands on my shoulders as if he thinks I will sink under again, I can feel the calluses in his strong grip rub against my bare skin. I notice he is fully clothed and look down, remembering that I am not, and wrap my arms around my breasts.
“I’m ok,” I wriggle out of his grasp and sink a bit lower until my chin is resting just on top of the water. “I was in the purple crystal cave. Except it was massive and I was floating and there were voices…” I stare blankly at Embrys’ torso as I recall the strange dream. He sinks down so our heads are on the same level and our eyes meet. “Wait… why were you in here in the first place?” I raise an eyebrow at his intrusion.
“Would you believe me if I said I was just worried about you being gone so long?” he chuckles and takes a small step closer to me, giving me a teasing smile that doesn't meet his serious eyes. “There is something about this place that feels strange; a certain power hums in the walls. My fire feels wilder here… I did not wish to leave you alone…” He steps up even closer and I can feel the added heat of his body through the minimal water that separates us.
“Playing the protector instead of captor now, are we? Kind of cliché don’t you think?” I joke but I think back to the way he stepped up for Oleander when they were children and realize it is probably just in his nature, and I kind of like it.Is that so wrong?
He blows out a breath as he sweeps a wet hand through his tousled hair, the motion does wonders for showing off his muscled arm.
