Abandoned (Born From Shadows #2)

Tatianna was a whirlwind of confusion. She had to stop herself from asking, “what the fuck is the last heir?” and instead she just stared at the two of them like a dog whose owner only pretended to throw the ball. She eventually put her confusion to the side and focused on Kaycion’s reaction. How would he think of this? Does he remember whatever the shop owner was saying? By the numbness in his face, she assumed he didn’t. Not even a flicker of recognition went through his eyes at the name.

“Um, can we please just have the food…and can you not mention whatever it was that you just mentioned to anyone?” she asked eventually, snapping everyone out of their trance of confusion and curiosity.

“Of course,” the Elf replied. “You don’t even have to ask, take what you need.” Satisfied with the answer she grabbed a small amount of produce before walking away. If only it were that easy when she was a child, she wouldn’t have had to pickpocket so many people and steal from so many stores.

“Perhaps we should go find the Inn,” she suggested to the brooding Fae, whilst passing him his portion of the newly acquired food.

When he didn’t reply she took it as a sign of him not caring and started to walk towards where Tyrion had first spotted the Inn at the edge of the small town. It was a very small settlement, few Elves were around and there were few houses. Most of the town was overrun with flora and fauna, and she wondered if all the Elven cities and towns were like this. Not a single tree was cleared or grass removed to make way for civilisation, they were one with the forest in which they inhabited. She could find no trace of litter or pollution. It was beautiful to see.

When she walked in she saw Tyrion arguing with the bartender, his large wings making him stand out in the small crowd.

“What’s going on?” she asked approaching the situation.

“He can only get us two rooms,” Tyrion sighed.

“So? Why the argument?” she asked still wondering what the commotion was all about.

“Don’t worry about it, we will just take the two rooms,” Tyrion sighed and turned back towards the short Elf behind the bar who looked 15. After remembering what Tyrion said about Elf’s appearance, it shouldn’t be surprising. However, it was still weird to have a female tending the bar, especially one who looked so young. She would never see something like this in Haveenté.

She told them the room numbers and the group made their way to the back of the Inn. “So how are we going to do this?” Tyrion asked opening one of the room doors to find out that the inside was fitted with just a queen-sized bed and a bathroom.

“This would be a lot easier with three rooms, why are they all full? From what I can see no Elf’s really visited this town. We didn’t even go through it on the way to Haveenté,” she replied.

“You’re right, and under normal circumstances, this place is practically untouched by those who don’t live in it. However it seems the King has kindly sent members of the Guard to each town and they occupy these rooms,” Tyrion explained what the Elf who tended the Inn no doubt was discussing with him.

“Guards? What for?”

“That’s what I am worried about…there seems to be a lot we have missed on our time away,” Tyrion responded. “Now back to these rooms.”

“You and Kaycion share one, and I will go in the other,” she replied with certainty.

Tyrion however looked sceptical. “The thing is, I can’t share a bed with Kaycion.”

“Why?”

“Because we both have a thing called wings that can make it a bit squishy for the two of us,” he briefly explained.

“So I have to share?” she asked feeling more nervous about their arrangements. Tyrion nodded his head. She looked between the two of them weighing out her options. One part of her wanted to immediately go with Tyrion, however from their time travelling she knew he was a loud snorer and having that in her ear all night meant no sleep. She was already jumpy enough to begin with. So that left…Kaycion. Silent. Angry. Moody. Kaycion. She couldn’t decide which was worse.

The two options danced within her mind. Deciding between two ultimatums wasn’t her strongest ability, considering she rarely actually got a choice. However, now looking for the slightest of deciding factors between the two of them she couldn’t find one.

Kaycion rarely slept at night, but in saying that he didn’t really move around all that much. Tyrion would shift in his sleep and wack her in the face, she thought.

That’s when she came to her conclusion on the matter. “I’ll go with Kaycion,” she finalised. There’s no going back now.

“It’s the snoring wasn’t it?” Tyrion asked.

“That and the moving…and the annoying ‘listen to me I’m older,’ thing you’ve got going on,” she replied.

Tyrion shook his head and said goodnight before heading into his room for the night. She awkwardly followed Kaycion into theirs, now suddenly feeling panicked and afraid. She hadn’t been in the same bed as someone since the Red Prince now King, and she couldn’t say that it was a pleasant memory. On certain nights if she was unlucky she could feel his presence in her dreams. Now once again she had to get in bed with a strange male. Although this is just for sleep. Just sleep, she reminded herself.

She took a deep breath and walked to where Kaycion was now laying down. He had tucked in his wings as best he could, but the black feather still took up most of the bed. Just sleep.

After patting Nylif and making sure the wolf was comfortable on the floor by giving her a spare pillow. She pulled up the covers and got into the bed. The mattress felt like heaven after the past few months of harsh sleeping conditions.

“Don’t touch me,” he told her after she entered the bed. “That’s something you and I can agree on,” she wished to reply, but instead she remained silent and shuffled to the end of the bed.

Kaycion’s presence right next to her was making her heart accelerate. Despite the small distance she had placed between them she could feel his soft breaths, hear his heartbeat rhythmically, slow and strong.

Just sleep, she repeated and shut her eyes. Soon enough her mind was filled with dreams, and hidden within them were a pair of grey eyes and black wings.

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She woke up feeling hotter than ever. It felt as if she had ten layers of sheets on top of her. She went to push off one of the layers to find out it was a lot heavier than a sheet should be. Her eyes then snapped open and looked at the heavy wing plastered around her body like a blanket in the sunlight that leaked through the window. She froze, not knowing what to do.

Her eyes flickered back trying to see Kaycion. Over her shoulder, she spotted a dark brown mop of hair face first into the pillow. His sleeping position face down meant his wings were spread over the entire bed. She sighed and lay there motionless for a while, not knowing what to do. From what she could tell he was asleep. Something he hasn’t done in…well in a very long time. He was out like a light and she didn’t want to disturb his needed rest.

However she did need to get ready for her journey to the Dark Lands, and spending half the day in bed put a halt to that plan. Then curiosity got the best of her as she stared at the feathers flaring out across her stomach. She had always wanted to know how they felt, ever since she first saw a Fae. A hand slowly lifted and stroked the wings. They felt as if someone stuck a piece of felt onto a wall of muscle. It was addictingly soft, like stroking a cat, her fingers kept running along one of the wings only stopping when a deep groan echoed through the silent room. Her hand froze, her legs clenched. Gods that was…she wanted to hear that again. Her fingers continued with a mind of their own and stroked his wing. Then the sound came out again, raspy and deep, vibrating through every cell of her body. However this time his wing lifted from her body and got tucked closer to him. She looked over at him, his eyes trained on her, staring directly into her eyes.

It was as if she was in a spell, unable to break away from his eye contact. His eyes were such a beautiful grey, staring into them now she saw a faint bit of pale blue in the edges, and his pupils were slightly dilated which twisted up her insides. Heat drifted through her entire body and she squeezed her thighs for some relief. An action that didn’t go unnoticed by the male staring at her as if she were his prey.

Nylif jumped up onto the bed, breaking their eye contact, and the wolf snuggled into Tatianna’s side. Kaycion immediately got out of the bed as if she were the plague and he left the room.

“Nylif, what the fuck just happened?” she asked the wolf and patted her head. Nylif gave her an unamused look and placed her head on Tatianna’s stomach. “Time to go to the Dark Lands, what do you think?”

Nylif lifted her head and then rolled away from Tatianna. “I’m scared too,” she said and then got up from the bed.