Chapter 14

L iana sighed with contentment as steaming water cascaded over her aching muscles.

The intense training session with Kaxim had pushed her to her limits, but she’d relished the challenge, buoyed by her improving chances of surviving in battle.

A sudden thought struck her as she stepped out of the bath and wrapped herself in a plush robe.

Her kísími needed to be fed.

She dressed and hurried to the Ilkanisa’s kitchens to organize a proper meal.

That evening, the chefs had prepared tantalizing dishes: succulent meats drizzled in velvety sauces, vibrant vegetables sautéed with exotic spices, and flaky pastries oozing with sweet filling.

Liana arranged an assortment on a gleaming silver tray and took the stairs to the palace roof where Kaxim’s tent stood.

‘Kaxim?’ she called.

He appeared at the fold of the k?lajan , his sword in his hand, mid-polish.

Raking his eyes over her, he jerked his chin in question.

‘I brought you dinner,’ she announced.

Beyond the roofline, Ilkana’s golden spires reflected the dying sunlight. The streets below echoed with the sound of merchants, citizens, and families taking walks in the cool evening air.

She laid the salver on the outdoor table before the bivouac. ‘Please, eat. You must be famished after today.’

Kaxim examined the spread, his expression unreadable.

After a long moment, he spoke in a low rasp. ‘While I appreciate the gesture, Your Highness, I’m afraid I must decline. My body requires a simpler fare - plain meat, fresh vegetables, a piece of fruit perhaps.’

Liana’s cheeks flushed with embarrassment.

Of course, a warrior of his caliber would not indulge in such rich delicacies.

She stammered an apology. ‘Forgive me, I should have realized. I’ll fetch something more suitable right away.’

As she turned to leave, the warrior’s hand on her arm stopped her. His eyes softened. ‘Liana. I am grateful for your thoughtfulness. Please join me once you return.’

His words warmed her, dissolving her momentary mortification.

She had much to learn about this enigmatic man who had agreed to be her teacher. But she looked forward to unraveling the mystery, one simple meal at a time.

She nodded, a smile playing at her lips. ‘I’ll be back soon.’

Liana returned to the kitchens, lost in thought, as she gathered a platter of hearty, unadorned food.

She’d just taken the last step onto the roof when she glanced up and bit back a gasp.

The towering Katánian warrior was stripping off his sweat-soaked training clothes without self-consciousness, leaving only a loincloth to protect his modesty.

He glanced at her for a moment, unperturbed by her presence.

In his humaniform, his gyrfalcon wings were nowhere to be seen.

Liana’s eyes widened, feet faltering and hands tightening on the platter as Kaxim drew a bucket of water from the roof trough and upended it over his head, rivulets cascading over his glistening skin.

She couldn’t tear her gaze away as he scrubbed his chest and arms with a rough cloth.

Heat bloomed in Liana’s cheeks, and she scolded herself.

Fokkin’ stop with the gawking.

She set her tray down and sat at the table, aiming her eyes away from him.

Her stare flitted across the roof, but as much as he tried, she found herself slicing her eyes at him, mesmerized by the play of hard muscle beneath his bronzed flesh.

At last, Kaxim finished bathing and wrapped a clean robe around himself.

The damp mantle clung to his frame, hinting at the sculpted physique underneath. It was evident that he’d honed his body into a weapon as deadly as any blade.

Each ligament seemed chiseled from stone, a testament to countless hours of rigorous training. And yet, no brutish bulkiness to him. Instead, he possessed a lean, sinewy strength that spoke of speed, agility, and raw power.

Liana realized she had been silent and staring for too long.

Her eyes traveled up from his chest and locked with his gaze.

She flushed as his brow arched in question.

Her face grew hot again under his scrutiny.

‘Forgive me, I was lost in thought,’ she muttered. ‘You’ve given me much to contemplate.’

‘Contemplation is good,’ he replied. ‘But action is better. I look forward to the following days and seeing what you’re made of, sahasí .’

‘ Sahasí ?’

He gave her a contemplative look. ‘She who dares.’

Her eyebrows rose. ‘That remains to be seen.’

Kaxim’s lips twitched in what might have been the ghost of a smile. ‘Indeed.’

Kaxim disappeared into the k?lajan , emerging a few moments later, dressed in fitted leather trousers and an open shirt, his feet bare.

He joined Liana at the table, and they sat cross-legged on plush cushions, with the tray of food between them.

Kaxim picked up a piece of flatbread and tore off a chunk, using it to scoop up a mouthful of crushed sesame, spiced dip, and roasted vegetables.

Her eyes were drawn to his sinewed, thick, long hands.

He took pride in his jewelry, and her gaze lit on his rings, three on each hand, trailing to his chest where her crimson feather flashed against the dusky skin of his ripped muscles.

‘Eat, Liana.’

Her eyes flew up to his, finding him gazing at her, amused.

She ducked her face and reached for a plate, forcing morsels into her dry mouth.

He chewed with quiet reverence as if every bite were a small blessing to savor.

She followed his lead, focusing on the flavors and textures of the simple meal in a way she had never before.

For a time, the only sounds were the soft clink of utensils and the distant hum of the city below. But as they ate, peace settled over her, a calmness that had eluded her for so long.

‘The skies remind me there is a larger purpose at work,’ she mused out loud. ‘And the stars to seek contentment in the smallest moments.’

She glanced at Kaxim, studying the strong lines of his face in the warm glow of the lamps.

‘Tis. When under the heavens,’ Kaxim murmured, his glance lifting to the star-strewn vault above. ‘There is a purity, a connection to something greater than ourselves.’

Liana followed his gaze, marveling at the vastness of the cosmos.

Out here, away from the glittering lights of the palace, the celestial bodies appeared closer somehow, as if she could reach out and pluck them from the sky.

‘When I fly, it’s like being a part of something infinite.’

Kaxim nodded, his eyes still fixed on the heavens. ‘In the wild, every moment, breath, and meal is a gift. A reminder of the delicate balance between life and death, the hunter and the hunted.’

He lowered his gaze to the plate before him, his fingers brushing the edge of his bowl. ‘Even here, amid luxury, we must not forget the true nature of our existence. The impermanence of it all.’

She recognized he had a depth to him, a well of wisdom and experience.

‘I know what you mean. I miss the K’rakian wilds so much. They brought me so much peace.’

He lifted a morsel of meat to his lips, chewing with deliberation. She admired his mindfulness of action, a sense of purpose beyond mere sustenance.

He lived each moment as if it were his last, honed to serve his soldiers, army, and Kingdom.

It was a humbling thought that made her life seem frivolous in comparison. All the petty concerns and trivial pleasures of her self-focused freedom that had consumed her since Mount Karth now appeared meaningless in the face of such single-minded focus.

Liana picked at her food, her appetite diminished.

She had many questions and wanted to know about this enigmatic man who had entered her life. But something held her back, a sense of hesitation born of sustained years of solitude and self-reliance.

She mustered the courage to speak. ‘Have you always lived the warrior way?’ she asked. ‘In the wild, I mean. Living in army camps and from one war to the next?’

Kaxim shook his head, his eyes somber. ‘ Nada , not always. I once had the comforts of home, hearth, and family warmth. But that was in my distant past, in another life.’

He fell silent, his gaze turning inward, and Liana held from pressing him further. She sensed the weight of unspoken grief behind his words, the scars of some ancient wound that had never healed.

Instead, she focused on her plate, forcing herself to take small, measured bites.

How lonely he must be, she thought, glancing at his impassive face. We are isolated in our different ways.

It was a strange comfort, realizing she was not alone in her secluded existence. That someone else understood the ache of solitude, the yearning for connection in a cold and uncaring world.

She cleared her throat, breaking the silence that had fallen between them. ‘I’m glad you’re here,’ she said. ‘I know it’s not easy, being so far from your home. But I value your presence. More than you know.’

Kaxim glanced up at her then, his eyes dark and unreadable in the flickering candlelight. For a long moment, he said nothing, and Liana squirmed at the flush of embarrassment creeping up her neck.

But then he nodded, a slow, deliberate incline of his head. ‘As do I,’ he growled. ‘Appreciate yours, that is. I consider you a friend.’

The word hung between them, fragile and tentative, like a newborn bird testing its wings for the first time. Liana was hit with a sudden rush of warmth in her chest, a fluttering of something she couldn’t quite name.

‘A friend,’ she repeated, savoring the sound of it on her tongue. ‘I like that.’

Minutes later, Liana stifled a yawn, the fatigue of the day’s training catching up.

Kaxim’s sharp eyes noted her exhaustion almost at once.

‘You should rest,’ he said. ‘Tomorrow will be even more grueling than today. You’ll need all your strength.’

Part of her wanted to protest and stay talking with him longer. But he was right. With reluctance, she pushed to her feet, wincing as her sore muscles protested the movement.

‘Alright, I’m going,’ she grumbled with a good-natured lips lift. ‘But don’t think this means you’ve won.’

Kaxim’s mouth twitched in what might have been the ghost of a smile. ‘Wouldn’t dream of it, sahasí .’

With a final, lingering glance, Liana returned to her bedchamber. She collapsed onto the soft mattress with a grateful sigh, but sleep remained elusive.

Her mind buzzed with thoughts of the day’s events, Kaxim’s intense gaze, and how his body moved with such fluid grace.

She tossed and turned, trying to find a comfortable position, but it was useless. His face and voice washed over her every time she closed her eyes.

With an exhale, she welcomed the familiar tug of their soul bond, the gentle pressure of his cognition against hers.

Rest, Liana.

The words were a raw, timbred whisper, but they cut through the chaos of her thoughts like a knife.

I can’t. Frustration and exhaustion laced her tone.

You can, he rasped. Close your eyes. Breathe. Let go.

To her surprise, she did.

The tension drained from her body as she focused on the rhythm of her breath, on the soothing presence of Kaxim’s consciousness entwined with her own.

She slipped into the welcoming embrace of slumber.

Her last conscious thought was a silent thank you to the man who had become her anchor in her uncertain world.