Chapter 3

G 'Illach was once Ilias's home.

During the first year after his mother's death, freshly orphaned and roughened from two years of begging for food on the streets in the human city that outcasted his mother, Ilias found refuge here.

The warriors took him in—treated him like a brother and trained him out of the kindness of their own hearts. Or they just felt incredibly sorry for him, in all of his malnourished and neglected glory. Nonetheless, they taught him the necessary skills to please the previous Captain of the Silver Guard, thus pleasing the king.

It sickened him knowing what he knew now—how the male he had worked so hard for, paraded his talent and skill for, was no better a male than the humans who had tried to take advantage of him when he was young and desperate. The thought of it was nauseating. And as much as he tried to push it to the back of his mind, it was hard to forget when he was forced into such close proximity with that male's victim.

Kaya did not seemed bothered by the revelation. Not as much as he was. She showed up to training every morning before breakfast, did the drills he asked her to, listened to the female sparring instructor thoroughly, and did not complain at all.

She spoke to him, but it was not the nonsensical rambling from before. Days passed, turning to weeks before he saw the slightest hint of emotion from her. She was oddly compliant and impersonal—tending to her goats after long days of work, and then retiring to their dreadfully silent cottage to read her books and paid no mind to him when he returned from his own duties.

He at least expected her to be curious as to where he wandered off to during the evenings, but nothing about his existence seemed to quite pique her interest.

Ilias received a crumpled brow and a frown when he arrived one night with blood dripping from his stomach. It wasn't deep enough to require assistance, but it hurt like hell and he leaked blood from the door all the way to the washroom, where Kaya stood and watched as he cleaned and bandaged the damage dealt from the horned serpent.

He told himself that the thing had crept up on him, but the truth was that he was distracted. And had been. Incredibly so. The guilt ate at him. And ate. And ate. Until all he could think about was the look on her face when he told her he would teach her respect. Ilias Dothrae was not one to get on his knees and beg for forgiveness. But he would if it meant that she understood he was so horribly, terribly…

Sorry .

So sorry, in fact, that he spent the evening trailing her, waiting for the right moment to apologize. He watched her laughing with the female warriors, smiling as she fed her damned goats, and watched her tell the children of G'Illach her stories around the fire at Caddat, a multiple day fest meant to celebrate all of Cadaith's creations. The children watched her so intently, their bright round eyes following her every movement—every word as if they could physically see the story.

As Ilias drew closer to where she sat, he began to see, as well.

He was transported to a time and place that no longer existed—the place that was here before Galore, before Caddagh came and started to push their people out. A place where large, winged creatures blew fire into the air; where males, females, and children ran naked through forests of towering pines and willows. A place where the river was appreciated, as was the power and magic of life that flowed through it.

Ilias hadn't realized what happened until Kaya stopped talking.

The children had long since dispersed, leaving the two of them alone. She stared at him with those wild blue eyes, her arms folded across her chest as she approached him. It was noticeable that she was keeping a safe distance, her guarded posture saying more than she realized.

"You have an unnatural talent for storytelling." It sounded ridiculous the moment he said it and when he reached up to scratch at the scruff that Kaya hatefully admired, he saw that wonderful gleam return to her eyes. It flickered there momentarily before she sighed and turned away. "The stories about the dragons," he followed behind her, not too closely as if she were an animal he dared not to spook. "Were they real?"

"They're still real. Majority of them flew to other continents when they sensed unrest. From what I have read, there is said to be three still alive here in Galore, but they're burrowed under the mountain and won't come out. There is no exact location of their lair, though. Only Hyara and the High Order are said to know where they are." Kaya explained, pulling her long and tangled hair over her shoulder as she knelt to pick up her books. He tried to avert his eyes, but they stayed honed in on the exposed flesh of her neck that was so pale it was almost translucent. A violent shiver forced him to stand straighter, his body far more rigid than before.

Ilias strode forward, his movements careful as he helped her retrieve her things. She paid him no mind, still, as she extended her hand in his direction and motioned for him to hand her the books. He stilled, tucking them under his arm.

"Ailikaya, I would like to speak with you." His tone was soft, gentle enough that her eyes involuntarily lifted to meet his. She assessed him, finally, after weeks of ignoring him. And he was just as strikingly peculiar as he had been the first time she saw him. "I must apologize to you. I never meant to make you feel threatened. I can assure you that it is within my honor and duty not only to your father, but myself, to never put you in harms way. Of any kind."

Kaya sunk her teeth into her lower lip, observing him as he spoke. Even though he seemed sincere, there was no telling his true nature. A multitude of males could issue the most handsome apologies, only for them to turn around and do the very thing they never swore to do again.

There was a softness in Ilias's eyes. A softness that told a story of a boy who experienced the same kind of hurt she had—a story of a boy that also had a hard time believing people when they apologized for doing something wrong. Words were only worth so much in the grand scheme of all things. In nature, you could not talk a wild animal into trusting you. There were no amount of sweet nothings and assurances whispered into the ear of a wild horse that could keep it from trampling you. It took routine dedication and patience, repeatedly proving that you are gentle and mean no harm.

"You'll prove it, then." Kaya declared. "That is all I can say to you, in return. And while I appreciate the sentiment, it will take a bit more for me to trust you again. As I'm sure you're aware."

Ilias lifted his eyes from the book he was holding, fingers stilling over the golden lettering on the worn spine. "If I can gain Fury's trust, I am most confident that I will be able to gain yours."

A brief smile, matched with narrowed blue eyes flickering in his direction again. "I believe I might like an apology for being compared to the likes of your hateful horse, as well."

"I apologize. But as entitled as the both of you are—" He felt the icy chill of her shadows before he saw them uncurling at her shoulders, a subtle warning. "Too soon for jokes, I understand."

Kaya shouldering past him, back in the direction of their cabin, was as much a yes as anything. He bit at the smile that was forming on his face, his humor-filled gaze following each of her wild movements as they walked up the hill.

He was afraid to admit to himself that it was a relief to have her talking again. Even if it was curt words spoken only out of obligation to reply, it gave him enough hope to continue.

"We begin your training tomorrow. With your powers." He stated, following her.

Kaya gave a grunt, shoving open the heavy wooden door and stepping into the dimly lit sitting area. She tossed her books into a disorderly pile, not once glancing at them as she moved towards the washroom.Ilias still followed close behind, the proximity grinding a nerve inside her that had her eyes twitching at the corners. She tried to ignore his impenetrable stare, filling her mind with stories and history, but it all felt scrambled .

She'd been reading rather much about G'Illach.

Once home to a race of woodland faerie, small and precarious creatures described as Santigha. Or "of the tree". They made tunnels in the Drikiera mountain range, turning the stone into underground villages complete with vaulted chambers that housed their collections of lost items. They were harmless in the sense that they would hurt no one, but the Santigha were once known to be thieving little creatures until the village head of G'Illach made them promise to only take what had been forgotten and to return items that were remembered.

They agreed.

And now Kaya was waiting for one of them to return that damned book she'd thrown at Ilias's head. She wished that she still had the thing so that she could chuck it at him again, seeing as he lingered annoyingly by the door to the washroom. As if he hadn't already said enough and wanted to talk more .

"Are you wanting to watch me undress, Captain? Or were you hoping to share my bath water?"

Ilias looked as if he had just awoken from a dazed stupor, blinking rapidly as she removed her tunic. She was bound, thank the gods, but just the sight of her midriff was enough to have him grunting and turning away. She slammed the door.

"Your mother told me that you were kind and modest. I'm beginning to think she lied to me." He called, striding towards the kitchen. For a moment, he merely stared at cooking supplies, his mind entirely blank. He felt ridiculous. Foolish. That the smallest sliver of flesh had his blood hot and cheeks flushed like some boy deep in the throes of puberty.

Utterly deplorable. And entirely unprofessional.

Ilias shook his head and drew in deep, regulatory breaths. It helped nothing.

After a moment of berating himself enough to calm his hormones, Ilias lit the stove and began preparing their meal.

He heard her grumbles through the paper-thin walls and turned to listen closer as she began arguing with herself. It wasn't until he heard a loud thud that he turned on his heel and took a step towards the washroom, a bud of rage sprouting in chest—the sudden urge to bust the door down and rush to her aid was overwhelming. He pushed it down, gritting his teeth as he spoke.

"Everything alright in there, princess?"

"Mind your gods-damned business." She shrieked.

"I'm sorry—"

Another garbled hiss and the washroom door swung open to reveal her, standing there dripping water across the floor, her body haphazardly covered with a drying cloth. "I wasn't talking to you." She sounded winded, her wet hair plastered to her face at one side. "One thing you should know about this gods-damned curse of mine is that they rarely shut up."

"And you argue with them?"

She gave him a humorless smile. "Try living with them for one day and then you might understand."

Ilias tried not to watch as she walked out of the room and began sauntering down the hall. Or perhaps she was just walking. He couldn't tell—he couldn't think, really. Any coherent thought flew out the window the moment he caught sight of her perfect, moon-white ass as she walked down the hall.

He expected for her to stay holed up in her room as she had for the past couple of weeks, but as soon as she dressed herself, she returned and took a seat at the dinette. He stiffened at her presence, overly aware of the feeling of her eyes on his back. Ilias continued cooking in silence, his heart thundering and mind racing because he could feel her eyes on him—watching his every move.

"What do you want from this life, Ilias?"

Her voice—her question caused him to go still.

"What do you mean?" He asked.

Kaya shrugged, propping her chin on her hand. With the other, she began tracing over the scratches and scuffs on the wooden table. "Do you want to get married and have children or would you rather devote yourself to your work? Where do you see yourself ten, twenty, fifty years from now?"

It wasn't that he'd never thought about his future, it was that he never planned on having to discuss the things he thought about only in that late and lonely hours of the night. "I… I would like to be a father." He found himself saying it anyway. Despite his discomfort, despite his embarrassment. " I would like to have plenty of children so that they're never alone. I mean—I have a brother, but he was never allowed to see me until I came here to Galore. His mother was very fickle about sending him to the human realms." He licked his lips and began to stir the stew once again. "I was a very lonely child, princess."

When he finally turned to her, he was shocked to find her smiling. Not in a way that was taunting or that lead to teasing, but one that was understanding. "I love children." She said softly. "I would have a whole army of them if I could."

She understood. The loneliness. The sense of duty that was shouldered and no one to bear the weight with… she understood.

"Well, I hope you get your army." His voice was soft, but loud enough that the shift in energies was noticeable.

Kaya's hand found the aching spot in her chest and she rubbed at it—soothing it. Her attempt at comforting that ache was fruitless, for it continued to hurt. Even as she ate the meal he prepared for them and then scurried off to her room, it hurt.

It felt as if the wall she'd built around her heart was now cracked.

━?○?━?○?━

"Where are you going?" Ilias demanded.

She stayed silent, hoping that if she ignored him he would just go away. She already dressed herself for this excursion anyhow—there was no use in unloading her pack or ridding her back of the sword she brought for her protection. Kaya felt as if she were ready to set out on her own, the threat of horned beasts be damned. Ilias, on the other hand, took one look at her cloaked frame and felt a pit form in the place where his stomach had once been. She was a madwoman. Especially in this weather. For an entire week, it'd stormed. And there was no sight of it ending soon.

This high on the mountain, it wasn't just snakes or other mountain beasts that threatened her safety. It was the gods-damned lightening. So when she didn't reply, Ilias groaned and grabbed his own belongings before following her out the front door of the cottage.

The trail leading to and from their abode was slicked with thick mud. He watched Kaya slip, quickly stabilizing herself on a tree before he heaved a sigh. She glared at him, as always, but kept going.

Kaya was speaking to him again. They'd made progress in the last week, but he had grown increasingly familiar with that icy stare of hers. Perhaps he would be more afraid of it if she actually did something with it.

An entire week of training her powers and the Dark Bringer was nowhere in sight. And he didn't particularly feel as if he should traumatize the poor female in order to get her shadowy little friends to come out of hiding. They'd made absolutely no progress on that front and trying to get her to talk about it served just as useful as getting her to come to her senses about seeking out this book she'd been talking about and searching for all week.

They walked out of the golden gate, a beacon of welcome and hope, and onto the path that would lead them into the forest that was not safe to travel alone. For anyone. Much less a stubborn twenty-year-old who believed herself to be invincible.

"Remind me again why this book is so important to you." Ilias's rumble of a voice stilled her for just a moment.

She glanced at him over her shoulder, shuddering against the harsh winds. "It contains very useful information about what I am trying to achieve." She shrugged, huffing at the start of an incline.

"And what is that, exactly? Because in terms of achievements, you have offered little to no evidence you are improving."

Kaya rolled her eyes, feeling that flicker of annoyance starting to rise in her chest. "You said it, yourself. That my improvement would be internal, at first. And unless you cut me open and dissect me, I fear you wouldn't see much at all."

Ilias narrowed his eyes, his frustration evident. She could feel his energy darken, just slightly, enough to make her slow her determined stride. "You are the most stubborn being I have ever met, princess. Don't you understand that I haven't been sent here to babysit you while you go on your little side-quests, but to actually teach you how to hone your power?" Kaya caught him swatting at a low branch, angrily knocking it out of his way. "And I can't do that if you don't trust me."

She paused, turning to face him suddenly. Ilias took one balancing step back, his hand braced upon the trunk of a tree. "I would ask you to forgive me for my rudeness, Ilias. But as you are well aware, I don't find solace in being around someone of your…" Her hands tightened into fists, just as his stomach. He expected her to say human —he expected her to say anything else other than:

"You're a Captain . And that title, alone, makes me absolutely terrified of you."

There was nothing he could say to that.

He stared at her blankly, her eyes boring holes into his own. Ilias should have expected as much—that it was not what he had unknowingly done, but who she thought he was. It was so much worse than being demeaned and set apart for his humanity. It was also entirely unexpected that he felt the blow of her words so deeply. That it actually hurt . Despite his original plan for this job to be strictly professional, he found himself staring at her and inwardly begging that would actually see him. Not the captain that came before him, not the males that sought her attention to gain some for themselves, but him .

"I told you," he started, voice threatening to shake, "that I would prove to you that you could trust me. But you have to let me, Ailikaya. You cannot define me by the acts of one male, who is not me. I am not terminology from your precious books that has one set definition."

It came out harsher than he expected—a saltiness to his tone that seemed too robust and hard to swallow. But something in her softened. The darkness that surrounded her seemed to dissipate, the hardened shell she placed around herself splintered into an opening. A starting point.

"After we retrieve this book you are so stubbornly hell-bent on finding, I am taking you somewhere. And I want you to hold onto that anger—keep it for the male to which it belongs. Don't put it on me."

He lead her the rest of the way to the clearing in an uneasy silence. He could feel her thinking, could feel the chill of death on her. But, for the first time since he met her, it was not directed at him.

As they crested the incline, Ilias stilled. There was no book in sight. There was only the sound of low snarls and starved grumbles.

He saw the blood first—the entrails strewn across the ground like grotesque, red ribbons. And then he saw the beasts, each saddled and reigned with black leather.

Their large black forms stood nearly two feet larger than himself, their muscles flexing under coarse fur as they ripped and tore through their victim—a fae male with green skin and gray eyes that were eerily fixed in their direction. He was dead, of course, but his gaze was still unsettling. Haunting.

"They're a long way from home." Kaya whispered.

Ilias gave her a stern look, hoping she understood she needed to be quiet. She'd done a great job with silence the last few weeks and for the life of him, he couldn't believe she chose now to say something. But she was right. Moorbounders were not usually found here. These creatures were always located in wet, flat locations. Never this high up. He'd seen them in Fiorasia, but never anywhere near a mountain. And considering that Fiorasia was another Credulan settlement—

"Well, look what we have here!"

Their stomachs plummeted in unison, but it was Ilias who turned and came face-to-face with a Credulan warrior. Kaya ducked her head, her body unnaturally still as she felt the warrior approach. She could feel his dark eyes on her form, could feel him drawing closer. He emitted an energy that was not natural—one she never felt before. Like his mere presence interrupted the natural order of the world around them.

"My wife and I are just trying to return home." Ilias's words struck her, her eyes going wide as she jerked her head in his direction. But he was calm. And in seeing this, Kaya allowed her shoulders to fall, her body to loosen as she turned and slid her arm around Ilias's waist. The captain wasted no time in draping his arm around her shoulders, tucking her close to him with such comfortability that it made something in her chest physically ache.

The elf strode towards them, his eyes roving over Kaya's form. "Wife, you say? Quite the lucky man, you are. Newlyweds, I presume? Your bride seems quite shy."

I'll show you shy. The shadows hissed.

Kaya tried shoving them down just enough so that they did not cloud her concentration, but they were latched to her—their thorns digging deep, lodging themselves there.

"She is just tired. You see, we have been traveling for quite some time now. Visiting family." Ilias lowered his arm and her heart thundered when his hand settled on her hip, squeezing gently. Like a true lover's touch. "And we have become lost. You wouldn't happen to know how to return to Diadas from here, would you?"

The elf's eyes narrowed, a shadow of a smirk on his lips that made Kaya's shadows groan and cry out—begging to show themselves. "Diadas? Of course. You keep following this path through to the base of the mountain and then you will have reached the Credulan straight. Might I recommend you stop at the inn located there? Your bride seems to be swaying with exhaustion."

It wasn't exhaustion. It was a daze—her mind consumed by the overwhelming desire to end this male that fed an innocent life to his snarling beasts. It was not the beasts' fault. They were merely a product of their master, but none could be allowed mercy. Not with the taste of fae blood still fresh on their tongues. Their craving for it would never cease.

They all need to die. Let us help you, Kaya.

Not yet. She spoke back to them.

The shadows groaned in agony, curling inside of her to the point that her knees felt as if they would bend under their strength. When? They wailed. Let us, Kaya—

Not. Yet.

Her body was like ice against him, his fingers twitching at her side. He could feel it coming—feel it building in her. Because the elf did not look at her like a wayfaring stranger, nor a young bride who was riddled with exhaustion. This male, in all of his boastful glory, looked at her as if he would make a meal out of her. Not for his beasts, but himself. Like a foreign confection placed in front of him on a pretty little platter. But Kaya was not sweet, nor was she savory. She was bitter. And her shadows bit back .

Ilias pulled her closer, the organ in her chest giving a hollowed thump as he pressed a kiss to her head. "It's okay, my love. We will rest soon. Doesn't that sound nice? Peaceful? Silent ?" He whispered.

Silence.

The only way to quiet the whispers was to let them satiate their craving. With that thought lingering in her mind, Kaya looked up at him and smiled, pushing up onto the tips of her toes and pressed her lips to his.

More. The creature does not believe you. The shadows hissed, inching closer to the surface of her skin.

From the corner of her eye, she saw the elf smooth his hand over the silver pommel of his sword. He curled his fingers around the hilt just as Kaya deepened the kiss, her hands coming up to fist at the front of Ilias's rain-soaked tunic. His heart pounded in response, body radiating shock and surprise. But before he had a moment to grasp what was happening, before he could instinctively place his twitching hand on the small of her back, Kaya shoved him aside.

His back collided with a rock, knocking the air from his lungs just as a thick veil of darkness enveloped him. On the other side of the veil, Kaya directed her shadows forward, slashing and whipping at the male who was now staggering away. It was no use. One tendril of shadow sliced through the air, catching the Credulan's neck. Thick blood sprayed out of him and the sword he intended to wield clattered to the ground, his hands going up to the fatal wound. He tried grabbing at it, clawing at the warm, wet cascade of life that spilled from him as if he could fuse the opening back together.

He was done.

Kaya didn't have the desire to watch him die. Instead, she turned to the moorbounders that were now gnashing their teeth in her direction, desperate to avenge their fallen master. A female beast leaned back onto its haunches, preparing to launch itself forward. The shadows let the beast jump, but before it could near Kaya or Ilias, she severed the beast in two.

Ilias rose to his feet, the growling of the moorbounders growing louder. He pushed against his shadowy enclosure, but could not break through. As if she could sense his desire to be freed from his confines, Kaya lowered the veil and Ilias stumbled forward—sword already raised. He began his work on one larger male, bringing the weapon down upon the beast's neck with such power and force that the creature's head toppled to the ground almost instantly. Although he was swift and thorough, he turned to find that Kaya was already walking back towards the fallen elf, grabbing his sword from the ground.

She lifted it easily, examining the finery of the blade before she wiped it clean with her cloak. Ilias watched her, amazed and slightly amused, as she began moving in the direction they'd been going. He hurriedly cleaned his own blade and followed her.

"What was that back there?" He asked, sidestepping, narrowly dodging spilled intestines.

Kaya gave him a look, her brow crumpled. "It's what you wanted me to do, was it not?"

Ilias grunted. "Well, yes, but you had full control—"

"I didn't. They did." She stepped over a charred log before turning to look at him. "But, fortunately for you, it seems that they like you."

"How do you know that?" He asked.

Kaya surveyed him, her eyes lingering on his tunic that was now stained pink and clinging to him in the most horrible way possible. She could see every muscle—every dip and groove of his form. So well, in fact, that there was no point in him even wearing the damned thing anymore. He may as well have been naked. She wouldn't hate it.

She shook the thought from her mind, but the thundering in her chest would take longer to shake. Especially with the feeling of him still on her lips. She licked them, drawing in a sharp breath before she spoke. "They listened to you."

Before he could muster a response, Kaya was already walking towards the location they'd stopped to rest all those days ago. Ilias stayed back a few paces from her and waited—watched as she looked under fallen logs, lifted rocks, and sifted through bushes and foliage in search of her book. He was reluctant in helping, but he did it anyhow. And after two hours of scouring every single inch of that plateau, Kaya turned to Ilias and sighed .

"It's not here."

Ilias huffed, wiping the rain and sweat from his brow. "Gods-willing, it'll show up somewhere."

He eyed her for a moment, watching as she brushed loose strands of hair away from her face. She stared out at the ruins of Drikiera, an unreadable expression taking over her features. Her lips had always been plump, but now, with the lower jutting out relatively farther than the top, Ilias couldn't tear his eyes from them.

Her brow crumpled, chin quivering just slightly as she turned to look at him again. "What now?" She asked, voice thick with emotion.

"Well," he took a daring step closer to her and despite every rational thought telling him not to, he extended his hand and rested it on the small of her back. "I suggest we take a little trip to the Borderlands. There's an old friend I've been meaning to pay a visit to."

━?○?━?○?━

Kaya tried to make herself believe that the kiss was all just good acting—that she was playing a part in order to save them from the threat of death. But she hadn't been acting, at all.

Her skin still tingled where he'd touched her. Her lips still burned with a warmth that was unnatural. Or maybe it was natural.

When he held her, there was a tenderness to his touch that ached in the most deliciously overwhelming way. And when he called her his wife , something inside her reacted. Like her body approved of his and welcomed his claim.

She pondered this for the greater part of the evening and well into the bright morning hours, following behind him as he led her down the dangerous rocky path. Kaya hadn't the slightest idea as to where they were going, but she did trust him enough to let him be a guide. He knew these mountains. He knew them well enough that he warned her of difficulties before they crossed paths with them.

They walked well into the night, stopping every few miles sip from streams or to take bites of the bread that Kaya had packed. And jam. He'd laughed when she'd pulled it from her pack and when he expected a scowl in return for his amusement, he was surprised to be met with a soft smile and a shrug.

"May I ask you something, princess?" Ilias's face was emotionless once again, but there was still a glint of affection in his eyes as he watched her eat. Kaya did not look at him, but merely grunted her acceptance. Ilias watched her for a moment longer, eyes lingering on the plump lips that now turned down at each corner, her eyes solemn as she dusted crumbs from her clothing. "What happened that night?" He asked. "The night your mother got her scar."

Tell him. Tell him we are sorry .

She froze. As if the icy chill that accompanied her shadowy friends had consumed her whole, her body went utterly still. Ilias stared at her, and watched as she lifted her eyes to peer at the sun that was now descending just below the mountainous horizon. "He had been hurting me for a long time." She began. "That night was the first night that I fought back. I screamed and everything just went… dark . Moryna told me that when the shadows came out, they ripped him to pieces. And then my parents and the guards broke down the door. My mother just so happened to be in the direct line of one of my shadows, but I couldn't control it. I didn't even know it was happening. They said that the shadows had formed this… veil around me. A shield. And anytime anyone got too close to it, the shadows attacked. It took three days for the veil to dissipate."

She looked at him, finally. She expected to see disgust or horror etched into his features, but he was calm.

"It wasn't your fault that your mother got hurt, Kaya." For a moment, Ilias's stomach sank at his usage of her name. He winced, brows drawing together as he turned to look… anywhere else.

Silence returned between the two of them. Ilias took to busying his hands, rolling up his sleeves before gathering the supplies she'd brought and placing them back in her pack. He could feel her watching—could feel her eyes lingering on the very specific scar on his wrist. It made him itch deep beneath the surface of his skin and when he reached up to scrub at the hair along his jaw, Kaya grabbed his arm.

"What happened?" She asked. Ilias hesitated, begging to the gods that she couldn't sense the fear and humiliation that bloomed to life in his chest. "I told you about my biggest hurt, now you have to tell me about yours."

His eyes dropped to the raised and puckered flesh—a line that marred the expanse of his forearm. He wasn't ashamed of the scar. It told a story of a lost and terrified boy who was so alone and so empty that it nearly killed him. It told the story of someone who faced their hardest battle and won. "I told you, Kaya. I was a very, very lonely child." He watched her face change. He watched all of the harsh, bold lines of her features soften. For a moment, he thought it was pity. But then she smiled.

Hundreds of women and females had smiled at him, but none of them stole his breath away quite like this. It wasn't the first time he'd recognized her beauty, but this moment struck him to his Core. As if someone pulled on two ends of a string and jerked hard to secure a knot.

"Let's go. I still have somewhere I want to take you." Ilias slung her pack over his shoulder and rose to his feet. He tried his best to force away that feeling in his chest, but the harder he pushed against it, the tighter the knot became. Kaya followed behind him, glancing around at the surroundings as they continued their descent into the Borderlands.