Bringer of Winter- a M/M/M Epic Fantasy Romance

18- Fight. Fly.

KHIF—

The day after our first battle, I woke in Heath's arms confused, groggy, and well rested for the first time in months. I stared down at his face, so soft in sleep it belied the anger he could show in his fits of rage. He was so hurt, angry, and confused it made my heart wring as I reached for him, pausing just as my fingers were seconds from his cheek.

I am young, I told myself. Barely seventeen, if my counting of the days is correct. These emotions, these urges, they are normal.

Despite my vows as Cailleach and his hatred for my people, my very being— everything that made me Nibean and myself— I felt an odd sort of affection for this man whom the ancestors felt such anger towards. They hated him, and they mourned the loss of his soul from their ranks. They screamed of agonies, atrocities he had committed. But they refused to tell me what they were in detail, not having realized yet that I already knew, had already guessed.

I knew what weighed on his mind, on his soul. Knew, because the ancestors had spoken of horrors and I had always been fond of riddles. And if Heath wasn't a riddle, I didn't know what was.

The ancestors poured out tears of mourning that made my heart clench and my soul ache for peace. Yes, it was almost breaking me to know that the man who had caused such pain and agony to me and to my people was not a monster. He was a terrified, lonely, and broken man whose pain in life had brought him to the brink of insanity. But I also knew deep down that already I had forgiven him his sins. He had none of the blood of my family on his hands, only on his soul, and for this I was grateful. If I had seen Naka or Ally's blood on his hands, I would not have let him live through the night. He would have died with my blade deep in his belly within hours.

I slipped from the bed as quietly as I could, regretful that I had to leave the warmth of his body in the chill predawn morning air. I paused to study his hard edged, stubborn face and soft blonde hair, wanting desperately to shift my fingers through it, and then moved to the doorway.

Just beside the large doorway was my leather jerkin, trousers, and boots. Taking the clothes and moving as quietly as I could with the jangling bracelets, anklets, and weird head piece Lucia and Teri had dressed me in, I stepped out of the door and undressed quickly, leaving the stunning Nibean night dress and the many bangles, earrings, and other accessories in a pile on a little table that was positioned just by the door. I pulled on my jerkin, boots, and trousers and then slipped from Heath's mansion. I wanted to do more— to say goodbye, to leave some sort of note— but I knew it was unneeded. I was a slave to Heath, and what was more likely than him feeling any kind of affection for me was him not even noticing I had left.

When I returned to Master's home I slipped in as quietly as I had left Heath's home. After washing my face in the bathing pool and checking to make sure that I had left nothing on me that would give Ryker any suspicions on what had happened the night before, I made my way back to our little cabin to try to get a few more hours of sleep.

I was drilled heavily by Ryker when he woke. My hair a mess above my head as we moved to the baths to take our morning bath, he asked me so many questions my head began to spin. He was suspicious and so angry at Heath I knew that if I didn't calm him he would do something dangerous.

"Ryker," I finally hissed as I glared him down from the other end of the bath, the water up to my chest even though it only reached his waist. My hands on my hips in a stance as stubborn as I could make it, I tried desperately to emulate my Grana.

"Silence. That is enough. If I tell you something, it is the truth. Trust me in my words. Or do you not trust your Cailleach in his judgment? When I tell you that Heath did nothing to hurt me, and nothing that would shame me or my Bheur name, I tell you the truth. I will not repeat myself again, and you will not ask again. Understood?"