Queen of Night

20. For You

     The sun and moon were spinning rapidly around a small chunk of rock. They pressed closer and closer, squeezing the rock in between them. With a thundering crack, the rock crumbled and the sun and moon erupted into flaming light.

    Thousands of screams gave way to beast-like roars. Iron covered talons slashed through the air, narrowly missing a pair of strong black wings, etched in silver. Gossamer and membrane merged together, forming a second pair of wings. They looked more feminine than the first pair.

    Water rippled against the shoreline. Her reflection stared back at her. "Come and see," it seemed to beckon her. "The mirror calls you."

    Iyan jerked awake, her ears still ringing with the sound of screams. Esen blinked her eyes open and gave her a confused look. "Are you all right?"

    "I'm fine. It was just a dream." Iyan lifted a hand to her forehead, willing herself to calm down.

    She was still tired, having not received much sleep. She had sat up with Arius for a few hours before joining Esen in their tent. Her heart fluttered at the thought of him. Iyan shook her head and looked around for Asena. There was no sign of her sister.

    "Did Asena ever come back last night?" Iyan asked.

    "Not that I know of." Esen smirked and laughed a bit. "Too bad neither of us won that bet."

    "Oh well." Iyan grabbed her blanket and pulled it around her shoulders. She was still wearing her thick dress and pants, as well as her socks, so there was no need to change. She stepped out of the tent and Esen followed her a few moments later.

    Arius was already up, eating a plate of scrambled eggs. He jerked his head towards two more plates sitting nearby. Iyan took one and Esen took the other.

    "This is a nice surprise," Esen laughed.

    "I can take it away just as quickly as I gave it," Arius warned. Esen ceased laughing and began to eat.

    Iyan tilted her head curiously. "How far does your shield go, Esen?"

    "Over the ruins, but not beyond the front stairs. Why?"

    "It snowed." Iyan pointed beyond the crumbling stone walls. Fluffy snow lay thick on the ground.

    "The solstice isn't until next week," Esen said. "It's an early snow. Why were you asking about the shield?"

    "I was just wondering if we needed to go dig up Gabriel and Asena."

    "Most likely," Arius scoffed. "I'll admit, my tent was rather lonely last night." He shot Iyan a suggestive look.

    "If you wanted company, you should've just asked," Esen laughed. "I would have loved to keep you up with my snoring."

    Arius rolled his eyes but grinned. Several minutes later, Gabriel and Asena appeared near a flight of stairs. Iyan couldn't help but laugh, spying their flushed faces and disheveled hair.

    "Cold haunted ruins," Arius said, clicking his tongue. "You sure know how to show a woman a good time, Gabriel."

    "Hm." Gabriel said nothing more and disappeared into their tent.

    Iyan followed Asena back to their own. "You better not have come in here to tease me," Asena sighed. She grabbed her thick dress and changed quickly.

    "I didn't." Iyan sprawled out across her blankets and watched Asena comb out her hair. "I really want to, though."

    Asena braided her hair, then pursed her lips. "Are you all right with it? With us, I mean?"