Page 163 of The Keeper of the Kingdoms

“Whatever it is, it will be okay.” I hoped. Nyx only just came back to himself.

“Kol gave it to me, before—” she swallowed. “Before he left for the Second Kingdom. He was agitated, worried looking. He wanted me to give it to Nyx if anything happened to him and I—” Another sob takes her and I can only assume what must have happened.

“How could you forget?”

“I don’t know… I tucked it in to a book and then so much happened. Nyx took me away to search for my family and then Kol was attacked and we watched him—” She buried her face in my shoulder and I’m left to stare at the letter.

It probably held the final words of love between my two best friends and my eyes stung.

“When we came home…there was so much going on. I forgot I even had it. I just found it while organizing some books onto the new bookcase Nyx made. I feel awful. I’ve had it all this time and it could have helped ease his pain. But now I’m terrified of setting him back after he has made so much progress in the last couple of weeks. I don’t know what to do. I was coming to find you for some advice.”

“Oh Zaria,” I blew out a breath. “Firstly you have to forgiveyourself. You have been through as much as he has the last few months and no one would hold this against you.”

She wept fresh tears at my words. “But what if Kol said something in there that could have eased Nyx’s suffering?”

“Do you really think anything short of Kol himself returning unharmed could have done that?”

“No I don’t suppose it would have. But what about now?” she looked up at me, hopeful I had the answer to her dilemma.

I thought for a moment about Nyx and how he was now. He was healed, well, healing. He was strong, I knew that for sure and he was finally becoming the general we needed him to be. With Jaxus by his side, the Kingdoms were in the best possible hands for the troubles that were still looming. I didn’t think a fresh wound over the scar of losing his soul-bonded twin was going to be good for him right now. I began to shake my head even before words could form.

“I can’t destroy it,” she said quickly. “ I couldn’t live with myself.”

“I’m not suggesting that.” But what was I suggesting? I didn’t know what the best course of action was.

“But when will be a good time? I promised Kol.” She was really crying with those words, so I pulled her to me again and let her cry it out while I ran through the options.

Maybe the right thing was to trust that Nyx had the coping skills and the support around him now to handle this. Or maybe he was too freshly on this new path to healing to risk it. Perhaps he never would be ready and the letter I held in my hands would always have the power to undo him.

“I think he is stronger now and I think he could probably handle it.”

Zaria pushed out of my arms nodding. “I think so too. I just?—”

“You just don’t want to be the one that tests it?”

“Exactly. It’s so soon after he was finally healed. If only it was less fresh.”

“Then why should it be today?” I asked.

She frowned. “Then when? Forgetting is one thing, but how long can I put it off. What if he hates me?”

“I don’t know.” I shrugged. “Put it back with the books and carry on with your life. You aren’t destroying it, you just aren’t remembering it exists today. Leave it where it was for a better time. Let the Goddess decide when that should be. I think you will know when he is ready to return to Kol.”

Zaria looked skeptical. “But what if the Goddess was deciding by letting me find it today?”

I put my hands over hers on the letter. “Nah, if she was then you wouldn’t be asking me, you’d be handing it to Nyx right now.”

Her eyes narrowed. “You really think?”

“Well if I’m wrong and this is the Goddess’ plan then you’ll put it back and she will find a way of making it surface again. Right?”

A tiny crease formed in the middle of Zaria’s brow. “I guess so.”

“So go put it back and dry your eyes. I was coming to take you out for a drink while our mates are on patrol.”

“Is that a good idea?” she hesitated.

I groaned. “Listen, if they want to watch over our every move then they shouldn’t insist on doing patrols when they should merely be overseeing them. Therefore, they don’t get a say when we want to get involved with their flyers, by accepting an invite to drinks at the Flaming Pegasus.”

“But—” she began.

I silenced her with a finger to her lips. “I told Jaxus about the invitation and he thought it would be good for us to get more involved with our fellow ryders and the off duty flyers. So he will have told Nyx by now and if The Dragon of the Night hadsomething to say, I have no doubt we would both be well aware of it by now. Besides, we are going out with his elite trained flyers and ryders. We will be as protected as if they were both with us.”

Zaria huffed out a laugh. “Well haven’t you just thought of everything?”

“I have, so get ready. I’m going to get so much of that fruity drink you like in you, you won’t recall your name by dawn, never mind the whereabouts of that letter.”