Page 63 of Beneath the Veil of Tides
The ground rumbled, and face-to-face with me stood a staggering, silken light blue dragon. Then, it leaped back into the air and disappeared above the clouds.
“Let’s get moving before you change your mind and never want to leave my home,” Noctis joked, but I understood why he said it. The Aetherkin Bound was one Icouldsee myself staying in.
The god started to make his way toward the markets and houses, leaving me to catch up.
“Where are we going?” I huffed when I met him.
Noctis’s fixed eyes reflected the different colors blanketing his homeland. His upturned lips seemed stuck in place as he strolled through the Aetherkin Bound, and when he slowly turned to meet my gaze, a quiet warmth bloomed in my chest.
Just as quickly as it had sprouted, the joy within me redirected towards envy. Would I ever find a place I called home, or would I wander the realms forever in search of anything that made me feel?
“Somewhere no one can find us. Except for the Writherbought.”
By the time we made it beyond the main streets, I was overwhelmed by the townsfolk. Their devotion to Noctis was overwhelming, his banished status forgotten in their eyes. Prayers, gifts, and tears followed us through every step of the street.
And Noctis stopped at each one.
When the god and I finally cleared the streets and entered the white-coated forest, the people of Aetherkin rose from their knees.
Towering ivory tree trunks grew whimsically from the ground, swirling and twisting in every direction. Their canopies grew leaves that looked as if they were frosted in the winter. However, the weather did not justify ice.
A narrow path carved from the ground led us further into the trees, Noctis leading me until we were far enough away from the city. It was silent, and the sun had fully set to dimming the vibrant villages in nighttime festivities.
The forest was lit by the lantern Noctis had bought from a passing vendor, its glow cutting through the trees. Cracks along his jawline and down his face helped illuminate the path, an eerie reminder that the god buckled little by little due to the curse. They shone pearlescent by the lantern’s glow, splitting his features like the lightning from the trial.
“Now we just wait?” I asked, hesitant to know the answer.
Noctis nodded.
“With, of course, something to invite it to us.”
Noctis gestured for me to stay and stepped meters away.
“Close your eyes, and do not open them for anything,” he ordered, stern yet concerned. At the flick of his hand, I rose from the ground in a slow, unnatural ascent. Panic spiked as my feet lost contact with the earth, my legs thrashing wildly as I kicked at empty air, trying desperately to find purchase where there was none. He slowly lowered me onto a tree branch that mostly hid me from view.
“And do not leave this tree,” he instructed.
Bossy.
I gripped the branch until my knuckles turned white. My heart pounded, my hands getting clammy with each second that passed as he stood in a clearing so far away from me.
Noctis raised his palms, and the realm obeyed his command. The trees bent in his direction, creaking under the stress. Swirls of black and white power spun around him in feathery threads, caressing his body. One shot toward me and rubbed gently across my face, reminding me of his order. He used his power to draw the creature toward us from beyond sight, forcing it to come whether it willed it or not.
Vulnerability washed over me, but I forced my eyes shut and tilted my ear toward the god.
Leaves startled me as they flew across my skin, and I swatted them away, making sure not to peek even the slightest. My hair floated off my back, but I centered myself and focused on my breathing.
Then, the power showcase stopped.
“Oh, Noctis,” a wicked, grueling voice cut through the shuffling nature. “I’ve been waiting to findyou for decades.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
I expected the realm to erupt, waiting for the first clash of battle and claws carving vicious arcs. Instead, Noctis chuckled dryly as if unbothered by the Writherbought’s arrival.
I, on the other hand, believed my racing heart would be enough to end me.
“Waiting? You never would have found me if I hadn’t called,” Noctis spat disinterested. Leaves crunched under boots, but I couldn’t make out who moved with my eyes sealed shut.
