Page 48 of The Last Guardian

Solasta grabbed her supplies and turned to meet Nefeli, who had stayed in the corner of the room. “Dax can explain the basics, but there’s to be no kicking or leg practice for now,” the healer warned, “She has to wait a few days.”

The captain nodded. “Alright, I’ll let him know.”

Solasta looked at me one last time, her hand curled on the knob, and she said, “I will come check your wounds tonight.” Then she left my quarters, leaving me alone with Nefeli.

My eyes found the captain as I rose from the bed. Nefeli’s long black hair was pulled back in a ponytail, lightly brushing against her dark leather jacket. The jacket was embossed on the left side with the familiar wolf’s head emblem I had spotted on the boat’s sails. She was gorgeous, the same kind of striking beauty as Zaidkiel.

Silence fell.

We looked at each other for a minute, until I cast a longing look at the tray of food. “Thank you for breakfast.”

Nefeli drew near enough for me to perceive a faint smell of pears. “I know that you’re going through a lot,” she whispered, her sapphire eyes glimmering. “I just wanted to tell you that if you ever need company, I’m here.”

“Are you here for something?” My voice came out sharper than I intended, but I wasn’t ready to discuss what she was implying.

Nefeli flinched before offering me an apologetic smile. “I—just wanted to tell you that you can meet Dax today. He will take your training slow, starting with explanations until you can move properly without reopening your wounds.”

“Who’s Dax?” I asked.

“You haven’t met him yet? Sorry, I forgot.” Nefeli grimaced. “Dax is my brother’s general; they’ve known each other for over a century. Good guy, who also happens to be one of the best warriors on the continent.”

“Your brother?” I arched an eyebrow.

Nefeli grabbed a green apple from the tray and took a bite, then nodded while her mouth was full, chewing. “You know, Zaid.”

Oh.

Oh. Of course.

Stars, now that she had said it, the resemblance between them was so striking that I wondered why it hadn’t been the first thing that had come to mind. They looked so much alike that it was obvious: the way their eyes shone, their thin noses, their silky black hair.

“You didn’t know I was his sister, right?”

I took a seat at the table and shook my head. “He’s not exactly the sharing type. I didn’t even know he was Commander Kaenington until I got here.”

She chuckled and sat in the opposite chair. “I’m not surprised. He’s had trust issues since we were kids.”

Dax is my brother’s general; they’ve known each other for over a century.

My mind replayed what she said a moment ago as I gazed at her. Her perfectly smooth skin, devoid of any signs of aging. Her black hair had not a single strand of gray. She looked like someone in her twenties, and Zaidkiel only looked slightly older than her. But the commander had fought side by side with Uncle Marlon fifteen years ago; he should have been at least fifty years old. And High Mages were thousands of years old. Could they be, too?

I swallowed.

“How old are you?” I asked, my gaze focused on the loaf I had taken. I ran my finger over the tiny impression left by the baker, avoiding looking up at her.

“One hundred seventy-five years old,” Nefeli announced happily. “I’m in the prime of my life, as you can see.”

“What…” I stuttered, stopping before I could finish the sentence. I looked up at her at last, and with a hard swallow, I asked, “What are you?”

Nefeli smiled, twisting the end of her ponytail around her finger. “It’s complicated. My mother was Evarim. My father was Surani. Normally, Surani can only have children with Noxari. It’s forbidden for either race to mix with another.” She paused, as if choosing her words. “Children born in Nythra or Shavaar always become a Surani if it’s a boy, or a Noxari if it’s a girl.”

She shrugged lightly and continued. “My parents ignored that. Stubborn, both of them.” A faint spark flared in her eyes as she reached for another piece of fruit. “The Evarim are stronger—magically and genetically—so as hybrids, we tend to resemble them more. But because of my father, I’m a Noxari-Evarim hybrid, and Zaid is Surani-Evarim.”

My eyes bulged, and I stammered, my lips quivering. Her eyebrows met as she gently took my hand, the bread now on the floor.

”Gods, sorry, I thought you knew all of th—” Nefeli said softly, her warm hands tightening around mine. “You can ask me anything, and I truly want to help you adjust.”

I watched her, her smile blossoming across her face, her soft blue eyes sparkling in the light. “Why?” I frowned, eyeing the woman’s hand around mine. Then I looked up, meeting her gaze. “Why are you so nice to me?”