Page 51 of Whispers of Ruin
She had no idea what happened to destroy what once stood here, but blood soaked the earth beneath her. That blood wasn’t visible, but it was there, deep within the ground and creating much of the sorrow surrounding her.
Beneath the song, screams also resonated in her ears. The earth didn’t reveal what occurred, but because of the blood, she could imagine the horror that unfolded and the devastation wrought upon those who once resided here.
Her eyes closed, and her shoulders hunched forward as waves of sadness wracked her. This wasn’t her sadness from her loss of Fabian; it was the grief of the earth weeping around her.
She should get up and walk away to save herself from more suffering, but someone had to offer comfort to a land that had been crying for far too long… or at least she did the best she could to try to do so. She hadn’t eased the earth’s weeping yet, but it understood she was here for it.
So, she sat alone in the shadows of the giant trees surrounding the clearing and allowed the earth to share its mourning. The power of the magic once thriving here kept the jungle from encroaching, but it hadn’t stopped a murderous rampage from unfolding.
Whatever entered this clearing and destroyed these monuments was brazen, vicious, and powerful. She suspected it was the ophidians but couldn’t be sure.
If the ophidians came now, the protective spell they’d cast over the clearing would help keep them at bay, butnotout. They’d gotten here and destroyed this place once; they would get in again.
The barrier would alert them to the presence of invaders, and that was what mattered most. She suspected that whoever once lived here hadn’t expected an attack; they wouldn’t make the same mistake.
A nearby footstep caused her eyes to fly open. She didn’t have to see Brokk to know he’d arrived; she smelled him, and the energy he emitted caused her hair to stand on end.
He’d stayed away for most of the day, but she’d often felt his eyes on her. Despite being a dark fae who often bounced from one bed to another, he didn’t understand why she’d shut him out.
Even if he didn’t want to keep her as a lover, and was most likely already looking to move on, they’d become friends. Yet, she’d distanced herself from him.
It was wrong of her to pull away from that friendship, especially since they really could only trust each other in this realm, but being near him was a battle between self-hatred and lust. And that war was battering her down so much she could barely breathe through it.
Still, though it was best if they kept their distance, she would miss his lopsided, endearing smile and unwavering loyalty to all those he cared about.
“Why are you crying?” he inquired. “Is it because of what happened last night?”
She shook her head, though she had cried over that. She wouldn’t do so again.
What they did made her feel like she’d betrayed Fabian, but she wouldn’t beat herself up about it anymore. Life was a journey with many detours, dead ends, roadblocks, and lots of joy.
Despite her distress following her choice last night, there were times of pure bliss before then. She couldn’t and wouldn’t change it.
Last night, Brokk gave her the gift of being free from sorrow, if only for a brief moment in the vast expanse of time with which she’d lived. It was one of the best gifts she’d ever been given.
“No,” she whispered. “It’s not because of last night.”
He tilted his head and studied her like he didn’t believe her, but still he approached. He wore a loose-fitting brown tunic and pants that hugged the corded muscles of his thighs and his taut ass.
Kaylia couldn’t see his ciphers, but she vividly recalled every dip and sway in the markings running across his shoulders and back. She’d spent a lot of time tracing and kissing them last night.
He stopped a couple of feet away and gestured at the ground near her. “May I?”
She should have said no and distanced herself from him immediately, but now that she was in his presence again, she didn’t want him to go. Plus, absorbing the sorrow of this land had made her feel unbelievably lonely.
And she was tired of being alone. She’d isolated herself for centuries and couldn’t do it anymore.
“Yes.” The word was barely more than a breath, but he heard her.
Coming closer, he settled on the ground across from her. He was so close she could smell him, but not so close they touched; she appreciated that. She didn’t like being alone, but she wasn’t looking for anything more than company right now.
He rested his hands on his knees as he imitated her position. “Do you want to talk about it?”
“Something terrible happened here.”
She didn’t realize she was crying until a tear dripped off her chin and landed on her hand. She didn’t bother to wipe away the ones still trickling down her cheek. Those lost here should be mourned by someone other than the earth.
“Their blood stains the earth,” she continued.
