The Reaper's Voyage

Chapter 23

"I want to take you somewhere. It's what you can expect from me when you win that Tournament and we can finally be together. That is, if you'll have me," Tiarnan proposed, staring deeply into her eyes with a shy smile.

Doubt infiltrated her mind and her shoulders sag. "What if I don't win?"

He wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her closer to him and brought his hand up to stroke her jaw. "I don't care. I've waited too long for you and even if I have to move the earth off its axis, I will have you. Besides, I have no doubt that you won't win."

Delyth, too tongue-tied by his words, averted her eyes from him while she bit her lower lip to restrain the big smile that will spread across her face. Because Tiarnan's eyes almost never leave her face, he caught it and his lip turned up in a smirk.

"I like seeing you blush. Your cheeks go up and your breathing becomes uneven like you can't fathom the words that I profess to you." Her eyes were still looking at everything but him, so he took this as an opportunity to lean forward and whisper in her ear. "I mean every word I say to you and I plan to prove it, one day, my golden dream."

Finally, she was looking at him except this time, her eyes are as wide as when you see a ghost. He winks at her and pecks her nose softly before taking her hand and pulling her behind him while she was struggling to wrap her mind around the moment they had.

"Let's go, Delyth. You're already late for training."

That was the conversation they had two days ago. Now, they walk hand in hand across the long stretch rock-patterned path and the moss covered ground on each side of them. All around them is green. No blotch of pink, yellow or white from any flower is spotted. The walk is peaceful and dream-like. It is the fairytale that every girl in Naelund dreamt of living. It's weird to see this side of Swuybia. She was getting used to the dry land that it is but according to Tiarnan...

"Swuybia was once the most beautiful nation in the Udriles Kingdom. When the magic died, the life in Swuybia died as well. No one comes around this side because the pain of remembering what once was too great."

In Delyth's eyes, it seems like even though there are no fairies or warlocks, there was still enough magic to keep it flourishing the way it is. She assumes the reason Swuybia looks so dry is because their hope was gone. Here is still the way it was, possibly because they left their hope here and never looked back. Their abandoned hope is lingering and keeping this place alive. The mystical creatures weren't the great magic. Their hope was.

Or so she thinks, even though it makes some sense.

Tiarnan squeezes her hand lightly and looks back at her with a soft smile on his face. Delyth notices how relaxed he appears. No lines on his forehead. The permanent smile on his face and the spring in every step he takes.

He deserves to be sculpted and admired like a god, she thinks to herself.

"Have you had your fill?" His silky voice startles her from the depths of her thoughts. She blinks rapidly to see him glancing down at her with a perfectly arched eyebrow. She shies away and tries to remove her hand from his grasp but he holds onto her tighter. "Don't worry, beautiful. I like your eyes on me."

This is a new side of Tiarnan that surprises her every time. She likes it. There was never a man who has made her feel like nothing is worth unless he is by her side. On the nights when she thinks of him—which is almost every night—she thinks about the option of forgetting about her revenge on Silas and living her life happily and carefree with Tiarnan, like her parents would've wanted. But then she remembers that not avenging her parents and protecting anyone who might suffer at his hands in the future will haunt her forever.