7. Zyx

7

ZYX

I wake up, my senses slowly coming to life. The first thing I notice is the warmth pressed against me, the soft curves of a body nestled in my arms. Bronwyn. My heart rate picks up, and I have to fight the urge to pull her closer.

Memories of last night flood back. The fear in her eyes when she thought I might take advantage of her. It twists something in my gut. I can't let her wake up like this, no matter how right it feels.

Carefully, I begin to slide away from her. My movements are slow, deliberate. I don't want to jostle her or make her feel trapped. It's torture, peeling myself away from her warmth, but I manage.

As I create some distance between us, Bronwyn stirs. My breath catches in my throat as I watch her. She's fucking beautiful. Her hair's a mess, spread out on my pillow. My shirt she's wearing has ridden up, exposing her beautiful thighs. It's like Oltyx himself is testing my self-control.

Or maybe this is a reward?

The thought flits through my mind before I can stop it. I shake my head, trying to clear it.

I force myself up and out of the bed. My wings unfurl as I stretch, the muscles loosening after being cramped all night. Out of the corner of my eye, I catch Bronwyn watching me. It's killing me, pretending not to notice her gaze trailing over my body.

I flex my wings, extending them to their full span. The morning light filtering through the windows catches on the membrane, creating a shimmering effect. I roll my shoulders, my back muscles rippling with the movement.

"Morning," I grunt, not trusting myself to say more. I turn slightly, giving her a better view of my profile. Two can play at this game. I reach up, running a hand through my hair, knowing full well how it makes my bicep flex.

It's taking every ounce of self-control not to turn around fully, to not drink in the sight of her in my bed, wearing my clothes.

But I resist. I won't make her uncomfortable. Not when I want her to trust me. Even if it might fucking kill me to keep my hands to myself with this incessant way that she is calling to me.

I quickly pull on my clothes, trying not to stare at Bronwyn as she sits up in bed. But fuck, she's gorgeous.

What a solstice.

"Help yourself to anything you need," I tell her, gesturing toward the bathroom. "Clothes, toiletries, whatever."

I hurry out of the room before I do something stupid, like pin her to the bed and kiss her. I try to be a strong man. As a hunter and guard, I have to have a lot of self control. But Bronwyn is testing it.

In the kitchen, I busy myself making tea and laying out bread, jams, and fruit. My mind keeps drifting back to Bronwyn, thinking about her in my clothes, covered in my scent.

Using my shadows, I throw the windows open to try and cool myself off.

Kairos and Naia join me, looking refreshed. "We've decided," Kairos announces. "We want to go to the Nati celebration."

I nod, spreading jam on a slice of bread. "It's quite the experience. You'll-"

My words die in my throat as Bronwyn walks in. She's wearing one of my shirts, the fabric draping over her curves in a way that makes my mouth go dry. The hem hits mid-thigh, exposing her long legs. I force my eyes up to her face, noticing how she's braided her hair to the side.

"Morning," she says softly. "I hope it's okay I borrowed this."

"It's perfect," I manage to say, my voice rougher than I intended. I clear my throat. "Uh, we were just discussing the Nati celebration. These two want to go."

Bronwyn's eyes light up. "I'd love to go too, if that's alright."

"Of course," I say, probably too quickly. The thought of showing Bronwyn more of my world, of spending more time with her, sends a thrill through me. "We should start preparing. It's quite a journey. If we go now, we should be able to take our time and get there just as the celebrations start."

I start gathering supplies, hyper-aware of Bronwyn's presence as she moves around the kitchen. Every time she brushes past me, I feel it like an electric shock. I pack dried meats, fruits, and water skins, explaining the route as I go.

I catch Bronwyn nodding, her eyes following my movements. Is she watching me the way I watch her? The thought makes my heart race.

As I continue packing, I can't help but imagine the nights ahead. Bronwyn sleeping near me under the stars, the firelight dancing on her skin. It's going to be torture, but I can't wait.

"We'll stop in the market, too. To get everyone an extra pair of clothes or two." I glance between Kairos and Naia, who have one small pack between the two of them. But Bronwyn clearly has nothing.

I'd prefer her wear nothing.

Fuck, I need to get it together.

Sucking in a breath, I give them a smile. "Let's start with the first stop."

I lead the group to the balcony of my treehouse, gesturing towards the horizon as we finish our meal. The misty silhouettes of Vortexia and Somniara loom in the distance, their outlines shimmering like mirages in the perpetual twilight.

"See those islands?" I point to the ever-shifting landmass to the southeast. "That's Vortexia, Netia's realm. She is the goddess of chaos. The landscape there changes faster than you can blink. Some say it's impossible to map."

Bronwyn leans forward, her eyes wide with wonder. I have to force myself not to stare at the way my shirt clings to her curves.

"And that one?" Kairos asks, nodding towards the dreamlike island floating directly east.

"Somniara," I explain. "Nosaos's domain. The god of dreams. They say if there is no sleep there. Or endless sleep, depending how you look at it. It's like you're in a waking dream-like state all the time."

They murmur among themselves, and I grin, watching them take it in. I've lived here my whole life, with my dad before he passed. But it's fun to see it through someone else's eyes.

"Alright." I grab my pack and look around the room. "Ready to go?"

They eagerly agree, and I know this is going to be a fun few weeks of travel. I have the rest of the month off of guard duty for the celebrations, so I have plenty of time to spend with this new group.

We make our way to the market, weaving through the bustling crowd. I keep close to Bronwyn, my hand hovering near the small of her back. Just in case.

As we browse the stalls, I point out the wall of fog in the distance. "That's the border of Echovia, Cither's realm. God of whispers. No one's ever penetrated that fog without permission. The voices make you go crazy."

I explain how each god's power shapes their realm. "Oltyx's influence makes our forests lush and our earth rich. In Vortexia, Netia's chaos magic causes reality to warp and shift. And in Somniara, Nosaos's dream energy blurs the line between imagination and reality."

We stop at a clothing stall, and I help Bronwyn pick out some practical outfits for the journey. Kairos and Naia pick through the earthen toned fabrics, too, and I give my opinions as they all look.

As Bronwyn holds up a deep green tunic against her chest, I can't help but imagine how it'll bring out the color of her eyes. I grab it. "We'll get it."

"But, Zyx-" She looks between me and the tunic. "I can't-"

I wave my hand at her. "I hate to tell you this, but I'm a hunter, so I don't buy food. Built the house myself. I don't have many things to spend money on so let me spend on this." I point at what Naia is holding. "Anything you want, just give it to Lumi at the front. She always gives me a good deal."

"How sweet," Naia answers. "Thank you."

I nod at her, but when I see Kairos watching me, I add, "You can make it up to me later."

The demon smirks.

As we weave through the market stalls, I can't help but grin at the wonder on everyone's faces. It's been ages since I've been here myself, and seeing it through their eyes makes it all fresh again.

"Oh, look at these!" Bronwyn exclaims, holding up a pair of intricately carved wooden earrings.

I lean in close, pretending to examine them. "Beautiful," I murmur, my eyes locked on her instead of the jewelry. She catches my gaze and blushes, quickly turning back to the vendor.

We continue our leisurely stroll, picking up odds and ends. Kairos finds a book on local flora, while Naia's drawn to a display of colorful scarves. I make sure to snag a few extra supplies - just in case.

As we're wrapping up, a thought hits me. I turn to the group, trying to keep a straight face. "So, uh, you all like camping, right? 'Cause we're gonna be doing a lot of it. Like, weeks."

Naia's eyes widen slightly, and Kairos grins down at her. But before they can respond, Bronwyn bumps her shoulder against mine, a mischievous glint in her eye.

"Oh please, I'm an expert camper," she boasts, chin tilted up in mock challenge.

I can't help it - I laugh, slinging an arm around her shoulders. The contact sends a jolt through me, but I keep it off my face at least. "Is that right? Well, I can't wait to see these expert skills of yours."

She leans into me, just a bit, and it takes everything in me not to kiss her right then. "You'll want to take notes," she says, grinning up at me.

We stand there for a moment, lost in each other's eyes. Then Kairos clears his throat, and I remember we're not alone.

"Right," I say, reluctantly dropping my arm. "We should get going. Got a long journey ahead of us."

As we head out of the market, I can't wipe the smile off my face. Weeks of camping with Bronwyn? Bring it on.