Page 33 of Claim the Light
I move through a short hallway and then the beauty of the room around me takes my breath away.
The walls are painted a peaceful blue with a swirling, white overlay that’s sculpted as if to mimic clouds in the sky.
Beds are positioned at intervals along the far wall, each one covered in layers of plush-looking blankets, the topmost one with a texture like feathers on its surface. Off to the right is a table and chairs, along with a wall of cupboards. To the left are multiple open doors, each appearing to lead to a bathroom.
The air is warm, immediately relaxing my tense muscles, and the soft light glowing around us feels like the sun is setting across the opposite wall, even though there are no windows.
And above us…Oh.
The ceiling looks like a canopy of stars.
I exhale all of my anxiety, calmed simply by standing inside this room, and take a deep breath for the first time in… Well… It feels like a lifetime since Tyler broke my peace on the rooftop.
Micah, too, relaxes beside me, the tension finally leaving his shoulders, although he slumps a little now that it seems the fight is going out of him.
“I know you will each want to shower and get some sleep, but first I need you to lie on the healing beds,” Isaac says. “They’ll tell me the extent of any lingering injuries so I can administer the right medicine if needed.”
Without hesitation, I head for the nearest feathery bed, although Micah hangs back a little.
Reaching the side of a bed and reluctantly letting go of Micah’s hand, I sink onto the bed’s soft surface. It’s warm and soothing and the feathers gravitate toward my body, brushing my sides. Slowly, their movement stops and most of them seem to flatten against the bed again except for the ones next to the parts of my body where I came into contact with Tyler: my arms and legs.
Beatrix sinks onto the third bed with a contented sigh. It’s difficult to see from where I’m lying, but it looks like the feathers surrounding her also wrap themselves up against the parts of her body where she touched the ash.
Micah perches on the side of the bed next to mine, remaining sitting as he rubs his shoulder.
Isaac seems to assess us quickly, murmuring quietly to himself as he heads to the cupboards at the side of the room, from which he removes a number of vials.
He hands the first one to me. “You’re dehydrated. This will help.”
He also takes one to Beatrix, who sits up to drink it, before he returns to Micah, where he pauses the longest.
Micah has chosen not to lie down and Isaac eyes him with apparent caution. I’m reminded that the alliance between the two men is new and fragile. Micah is the alpha of a brutal clan and Isaac may be wary of giving him orders—even commands that are intended to be in Micah’s best interests.
“I’m fine,” Micah says to him, taking the offered vial and quickly swallowing its contents. “But if I lie down, I won’t make it back up. I don’t want to fall asleep in these clothes.”
“I respect your decision.” Isaac gives him a brief nod and doesn’t push it. “Your dragon bodies may be new to you, but you’re best placed to understand your own limitations.”
He returns his attention to Beatrix, whose head is tipped back as she stares upward. “That painted ceiling is something else,” she whispers.
A smile flickers around Isaac’s mouth. “The sky above it is real.”
She immediately sits up wide-eyed. “What?”
“There’s a transparent barrier with an opening you can pass through if you want to fly,” Isaac explains. “It was made that way so you can safely test your wings after an injury. There are buffers all around in case your wings fail.”
“I’m definitely going up there.” Beatrix gives a soft groan as she tears her eyes away from the sky above us. “But I really need a shower. That river water was disgusting.”
Isaac’s stormy eyes appear calm for the first time since he pulled us out of the river. “Take your pick of bathrooms. There are plenty of towels and robes. I’ll see what clothing I can find that might fit each of you, and I’ll have food waiting when you get out.”
Beatrix promptly slips off her feathery bed and heads for the bathroom nearest to the back wall.
Isaac checks if we need anything else before he hurries from the room to get the promised clothing and food.
Suddenly, Micah and I are alone.
It’s our first private moment since we kissed. After that, we were fighting to stay alive. Even walking up this stairwell felt dangerous.
We haven’t had a chance to talk, let alone settle into the bond we formed. My feelings for him, this sense of peace that I have with him, is so new to me that I’m not sure how I’m supposed to behave.
