Tethered

Chapter 28: Darkness✔️

No tension has come between us, our bond as strong as ever, me keeping what I may or may not know under lock and key.

As the days pass, a darkness seems to find its way around this land, around my heart as well, as I know what I must do when it finally arrives.

Creatures have found their way upon the edges of the premises and every time Rhovan scouts to find them, my heart seems to stop.

Morrigan has ordered me stay put. He doesn't want me captured before this war has even started, rendering me useless as a last hope for his people.

I do not blame him, the kings army is grand, easily twice the size of ours and powerful, a few gifted with magyk that could take these people down in moments, I try to inform Rhovan in as much as I know, but I was never well acquainted with the king, nor the prince, of my own decisions. I had never liked him, his touch so cold, his eyes seeming to eat at my soul.

I am with Nyna, helping to bless these children one last time, their mothers and family's receiving my blessings graciously now that a threat has closed in on them, but I do not complain as I speak my sincere praises upon them.

"Nyna?" I call her name, grabbing her attention away from Kaylin.

"Yes, Imp?" Her voice is calm, but I have come to know her, the way her fingers twist when she is nervous and I seek to find us both a small distraction.

"I was wondering, how experienced with hair cutting are you?"

Her lips twist, her hand lifting, wobbling back and forth. "In actuality, my mate has always found pleasure in doing it for me." She's says, a bit sheepishly.

I pause, feeling my mates movements, knowing that he is safe and remembering the care in which he had braided my hair this morn.

"I was thinking of a similar style to yours." I say passingly.

And as I wait for Rhovan to return, Nyna cuts into my braids, letting me keep them to present to my mate, a keepsake for battle, so she says. I am quiet as she sheers off my length, feeling the lightness as she shaves the left side, careful with the blade, watching the hair fall to the ground.

When she finishes, she hands me a mirror, letting me glance at the cut, the soft waves that only just meet my shoulders now.

"Thank you, Nyna." And I mean in more ways than just the hair. She has been almost like a friend to me and I am going to miss seeing her every day.

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Rhovan has dirt clinging to his neck, blood sprayed across his cheek, looking as if he has come home from a battle, when in reality it was a skirmish, just a practice round before the main opponent makes an appearance.

When he sees me, I don't  have to wonder if he likes it, I do not have to ask his opinion, because I can feel how much he thinks it suits me as his soul touches mine, his arms wrapping around me to bury his head in my neck, trying to forget if only for a moment, about the bloodthirsty Vartans that he knows for certain are trying to seek us out, trying to weaken our forces so that not much effort is put  in when they do decide to show themselves.

The hunt so far has not been successful, no sign of them, Magyk very well their benefactor in this, blinding us in the darkness.

It is the next morning that we wake to the screams, Bogels and other creatures gliding into our premises, right past Nel's barrier as if it were butter against a knife, slipping past her guard easily, which makes me wonder if it is not just the kings army, but the royals themselves that may very well be somewhere in the darkness.