“But every time I close my eyes, I am scared of what Cail is going to do to me. I’m scared of what he is going to make me witness. It’s the same with the T?uha. I’m scared of it too. I never know what Ryland will do to me the next time or how long he will let me stay in.”
I turned to him and extended my hand. He grabbed it eagerly, wrapping my hand in his. He leaned forward, his torso close to me as he absorbed my words.
“My body gets weaker and weaker.” Ilyan’s magic surged through my shoulder and I smiled. “I can’t control the nightmares, but I can control the T?uha. I can’t do it tonight. I can’t do it tomorrow.”
“I understand, Joclyn. And when you wake tonight and your heart is aching and your mind is screaming, I will still be here.” I leaned toward him and wrapped my arms around him, the chair awkward in between us.
“I know, Ilyan. I can’t do it without you,” I whispered in his ear, surprised when he lifted me up and swung my legs up over his other arm.
He held me against him as he moved, carrying me to my bunk. He sat me down softly, his hand sliding up to rest against my neck. His finger touched my mark and the now familiar jolt shot through me. I closed my eyes at the touch, my heart hammering, unsure of what I felt or what I wanted to feel.
“That is why I am here,” Ilyan whispered, his lips millimeters from my face. “That’s why I was born. I have waited the last thousand years so I could protect you.”
I closed my eyes and exhaled softly, his proximity making it hard for me to focus.
“Someone has to help me hold up the world.” I spoke softly, more to myself than to Ilyan, but Ilyan smiled anyway.
“Ah, you’ve been talking to Thom.” He smiled and moved to sit on the side of bunk. He pulled the heavy blankets over me, his hand resting softly on my knee.
“It took some doing to get it out of him, I’ll admit.”
“He is a very smart man. He just has a lot of pain in his heart – a lot of regret.”
“How does he know Wyn??” I asked.
“He doesn’t,” He said, his voice strained, “He knew her Mother.”
“Oh.” I guess that made sense, but that was quite the reaction he had earlier.
Ilyan looked at me, my eyes drooping further the longer he stared at me. Finally he shook his head and gently helped me to lie down, his hand smoothing over my hair. I was suddenly very worried that he was about to leave me.
“Sleep well, Jos.” I smiled at his use of my nickname before panic set in.
“Ilyan.” My hand shot out to grab his, desperate to stop him from leaving. “Will you stay with me, just for tonight? I don’t mean… but I need…”
I stuttered to a stop as Ilyan came back, his finger tip tracing the lines of my face.
“I know.”
My eyes began to droop again at his touch, at the gentle magical pulses that he weaved through my body. His finger left my face as he moved, my eyes opening as I watched him move to the foot of the bunk, his strong arms hoisting him up to settle near my feet.
“I will stay here, Joclyn. I want you to go to sleep now.”
I felt his magic grow in my shoulder, the strong energy moving through me as he put me to sleep. I tried to fight him for a moment before I gave in, letting the world of sleep, and the horrors that it held, take me.
“Good night my love.”
Twenty-Eight
IsolaSanta was a small tourist trap of a village in the high Alps of Italy. It consisted of one restaurant, a small hotel, and a few homes of those who worked in and ran the small businesses. Each house was made of grey brick, with the trademark alleys and small walkways that were signature of the renaissance. The whole thing was nestled up against a beautiful lake, the high mountains surrounding us on all sides.
It was beautiful. I looked around in wonder as I sat in one of the many outdoor tables of the town’s café and forced down my perfectly sautéed mushrooms, the crisp mountain air breezing through my hair, moving the clumps around awkwardly. I just hoped I didn’t smell too bad, I didn’t need too many of the tourists cringing in my direction. I had already had a few.
Ilyan looked around uneasily before his magic surged through me strongly. Even though I could now easily manage my own shield, Ilyan didn’t want to take the risk. I was grateful for it anyway. I could already feel my body ache from being outside the T?uha so long. I should have been calm and collected in this beautiful place, but instead I was so on edge I could barely function.
Ilyan looked as he did that night in Santa Fe. His hair was pulled back in a braid, and he had aviator sunglasses on. Although his jeans were a little ripped and dirty, it was nothing compared to the disarray I was in. My clothes were filthy, my hair greasy and matted, and I am sure I looked like a messy beggar that Ilyan had picked up along the way.
I kept placing the Ilyan in front of me against the image of him from the sight. With short hair, his jaw line popped more.
Ilyan caught me looking at him and I looked away quickly, causing him to laugh.
“What?” he asked, his accent rolling as he laughed.