Page 36 of The Storm of the Empire (Flyers Of The First Kingdom #3)

THIRTY-FIVE

HAZEL

T he sun filtering through the curtains of my suite woke me the next morning. It felt good to be home, Luka beside me.

He seemed better. Less tired and with the same mischievous light in his eyes I’d come to adore.

“How are you feeling?”

“Fine.” He screwed up his face. “I kept having weird dreams, but then you tried to smother me with a pillow, and they stopped.”

“I did not try to smother you. I just wanted you to stop talking in your sleep.”

“It got the dreams to stop, so I’m not complaining.”

“A pillow thrown at you got them to stop? I doubt it.”

“I must have been turned on by the smothering.” He flashed a grin with his eyes.

“Don’t start.”

“You don’t want your hand around my throat?” He lifted his shoulders and started to get out of bed.

I dragged him back into bed, wanting to hear more about this idea of his.

We lay there long after we were both spent.

“Is that something you do often? Because I’m going to need to invest in a good set of ear plugs if it is,” I teased.

“Not that anyone’s told me, but I didn’t usually stick around much, so maybe?” He made a face.

“What is it?” I rose up on an elbow, studying him.

“Nothing. It just felt weird telling you how I was with my past conquests”

“I don’t expect you to have had no past—I’m well aware of your experience. But things are different now. None of that fazes me.”

“Are you ever going to admit it?” he asked, stroking the side of my face and gazing into my eyes.

“What?”

“That we are mates.”

My heart skipped a beat. “You knew?”

“I’m not stupid,” he chuckled. “Nyx and Jaxus both mentioned it. When we fucked in that tavern, it felt like we became one soul, and since then, I physically can’t get enough of you. Plus, I’m no dragon, but I still want to tear apart any male that comes within three feet of you right now. Aren’t they the signs?”

“I didn’t know you knew all that.” I swallowed, feeling stupid for underestimating him.

“I’m smarter than I look.”

“Clearly,” I deadpanned, and he grabbed me, tickling my ribs and making me squeal.

When he finally let me breathe, I panted, resting my head on his chest. “Are you okay with that?” I asked.

“It’s not like we get a choice…but yes, Goddess, I’m very okay with it. Are you?”

I lifted my head to look him in the eyes. “I couldn’t be happier.”

We were summoned to see Nyx, who was still stuck to Kol’s bedside, and I took in Kol’s wasted form. It was gut wrenching. And they’d planned on doing that to us, too. I had to pull my eyes away and focus on Nyx as he cleared his throat.

“The King welcomes you to his flying legion,” Nyx said at length. His tone as he spit the words through gritted teeth let on that it hadn’t gone down well with His Majesty that yet another pairing had been made with someone from the fringes of his kingdoms. He didn’t like the gray areas.

“I would like to offer you a position under Jaxus as Major of our flying squadron. You’re one of the realms’ best, Hazel, and I need my ranks stacked with those I trust while this is unfolding. You’ll report only to Jaxus and myself. And I’ll need you both to start handling some of Jaxus’ load. He’s doing the work of ten fae while I’m here, and I can’t have him breaking under the strain.”

“What about my weapons classes?” I asked. It would be more than a full-time job to do as he asked while trying to get Luka up to speed about everything army related. He knew nothing about magic or the running of things, which wasn’t his fault, but we should have had space to train with each other like Nyx and Zaria had. With things how they were, though, there just wasn’t time.

“They can resume once things settle down, but we need you elsewhere right now. For now, the palace is on a state of alert, and everyone is in rotation, securing the kingdoms. Just get Luka up to scratch quickly and help Jaxus. That’s all I ask of you right now.”

So we were thrust into a world of bureaucratic nonsense neither of us was ready for with only Jaxus as a shield. Nyx, understandably, was preoccupied and sleep-deprived, wrecked with guilt and grief. None of us were operating on all gears. Then, on top of everything, Luka was going through trying to figure out magic and shielding as well as our mating, and he seemed to be getting sicker by the day. Not bodily sick, but in his mind. Of course, like a typical male he wouldn’t go to the healers, stating it was a waste of time.

We barely kept ourselves from drowning, and there were days I didn’t know how we kept our heads above water. But the one thing I noticed as the days progressed was that Luka was worse when he was away from me.

“Could my magic be making him sick?” I asked Kiera one lunch time when we took a break together. We sat in her office while Luka was off with Jaxus.

“Wouldn’t it be the opposite then?” Kiera mused. “Wouldn’t he better when he’s away from you, not worse?”

“You’re right. I can’t figure out what it is then.”

“Do you want me to take a look at him?”

“I told you, he won’t come down here.” I tossed what was left of my sandwich on the paper before sitting back.

“No, I mean on the sly. Like, we could go for a drink. Jaxus could really use a chance to get out of our rooms, and I can conveniently sit next to Luka and stealthily check him over.”

I stared at her. “Won’t he notice?”

“No, males never notice those kinds of things.” She smirked over at me. “I’ll give it a shot if you want.”

“I need to do something. He’s not going to admit he can’t handle the work unless he figures out what this is if I don’t force it.” I hated worrying about him. I just wanted to know he was okay. I’d spent too long looking for him to lose him now.

We sat at the tavern, and Kiera did as she suggested and sat down next to Luka. It was so subtle and smooth, I thought it would work…until he turned to her.

“Don’t even try it. I don’t know what Hazel has been feeding you, but I’m fine.”

She blinked and glanced over at me. “How did you know?”

He shrugged, picking up his mug of ale. “I could feel it in your intentions. You seemed pretty obvious.”

“I told you he’d know,” Jaxus muttered.

Kiera shot him a glare. “Don’t you start with me. You never notice anything.”

“But I’m not the spy. Duh,” Jaxus returned with good humor.

“Please, let me just have a look. I promise I’ll be quick and not invasive.” Kiera pleaded with her eyes.

Luka exhaled, exasperated. “I feel fine except when I don’t, but if it will get all of you off my back, go ahead.”

Kiera got up and dug some little instruments and crystals out of her bag. “Turn around and sit on the bench facing me,” she said as she came up behind me.

“So you’re making a whole scene then?” Luka flipped himself around. “Well, get on with it.”

Kiera was as thorough as I’d ever seen her be with anyone, and after about ten minutes, she stepped back and put her hands on her hips. “I don’t see anything wrong with him.”

Luka threw his hands up. “I told you so!”

“I’d need a more comprehensive list of symptoms to really dig deep into this.” She kept staring at him like he was going to grow a third head.

“I’m fine. You didn’t find anything. Can we drop it?”

“Fine,” Kiera huffed and sat down heavily in defeat, but I was banking on her to keep looking for an answer. She picked up her drink but then paused. “Wait, what is your magic, Luka?”

Luka lifted his hands palms up. “No idea.”

“But you’re melded?” Kiera scrunched up her face in confusion. “How do you not feel it?”

“We don’t know,” I admitted, knowing how strange it was. “He doesn’t seem to be any different.”

“How can you be sure you’re melded then?” Jaxus asked, seeming as confused as his mate.

“We can exchange power. The flow was immediate,” I said honestly. “Which means he has magic to give.”

“Seems suspect,” Kiera muttered. “Nothing is that easy.”

Jaxus wrapped an arm around her, pulling her closer. “It’s okay, Firefly. We got there in time.”

“I blame Casimir.”

Jaxus laughed and kissed her temple. “Me, too.”

“Shouldn’t your magic be similar to Zaria’s?” Kiera asked after some thought. “Since you come from the same village?”

“Our village was a mix of fae who wanted to escape the sinful life of magic. They came from all over, and my parents never even told me where they were from. So it could be the same as Zaria’s, but it’s probably not.”

“Hmmm.” Kiera pursed her lips. “Have you been tested?”

“In what time?” Luka laughed. “We are up to our eyeballs helping Jaxus while Nyx is out of commission. Our magic is flowing together, so for now, that needs to be enough. Maybe in time they’ll be able to spare me to spend a few days with that weird old dragon who tests for magic types.”

Jaxus grunted. “It depends on how Kol is. Nyx is not doing well, and with any bad news, he’s worse.”

“Like he was when Kol first disappeared?” I asked.

Kiera shook her head. “No, it’s different. He’s withering away, not losing his mind. Grief and guilt are eating him alive. Then, on top of all that, the King won’t leave him alone. Gran stuck around to take over Kol’s care, and she said he’s there at all hours.”

“Is that normal?” I asked, confused. It was my understanding the King had always let Nyx do what he needed to. This micromanaging wasn’t like him.

“No, not at all,” Jaxus answered for her.

Jaxus and Kiera excused themselves to have an early night while Luka and I hung out for a while longer, and it was good for us. We’d needed the night off. We’d all been too stressed, and it all came flooding right back the minute we left the tavern. Even warm with drink, I couldn’t shake the feeling something was wrong.

“What could all of this mean?” I mused on our walk back to the palace. The night was lovely, so we took our time. “All of it. The Dragon’s Bane, the eggs, Octavian, the priests and what they all have to do with each other, Kol, how the King is behaving I hate not being able to make sense of any of it.” I wanted to include how Luka was doing but I didn’t dare. Asking Kiera to examine him was already pushing my luck, and I knew he only let her to indulge me.

Suddenly, Luka stumbled, falling to one knee.

“Are you okay?” I bent to help him.

“I must have stepped in a hole or found an uneven cobble stone.” He waved me off, starting to get up, but fell forward again.

He stayed on all fours for a long moment, not moving.

“Luka, are you okay?”

His head jerked back, and in the light of the street lamps, I could see his irises were a ghostly silver. He slowly got to his feet but still didn’t speak.

I moved in front of him, grabbing his tunic. “Luka? Look at me!”

He stared right at me, but it was like he was looking through me.

He said nothing, and yet, my head filled with his voice. I could not make sense of the words, but the delivery chilled me to the bone.

“Life is being lost, but it ’ s being given not taken.

“More comes and the tide of empires turns.

“The waves crash, and all fall under the crumbling.

“The face with two souls ushers in the night,

“And the son must claim their place, or all will perish under the tyranny and greed of those who wish to keep magic for themselves while all others starve.

“The drought is upon us.

“The Key to survival is and always will be shared.”

Luka staggered, holding his hands out like the ground spun beneath him. “What happened? Where are we?” He stumbled again, and I caught him. That seemed to snap him out of it. “Hazel?”

“What the fuck was that?” I demanded, fear icing through my veins.

“Did I hit my head or something?” He held his head like it was spinning.

My heart jumped into my throat. “You tripped.”

“Yes and then did I hit my head?”

“Do you know what you said?”

“I said something?” he asked, confusion showing in his expression.

“We’re going to the healer’s wing right now.” I stripped off my clothes.

“You don’t need to shift. I think I just hit my head. I can walk there.”

“Get on now, Luka!”