Page 41 of The Storm of the Empire (Flyers Of The First Kingdom #3)

FORTY

HAZEL

K iera’s grandmother was bent over Kol with three other healers, working on the tattooed mark. The tattoo seemed visibly lighter than the last time I’d seen it, but no one knew if it was doing anything to heal Kol.

Nyx paced the back of the room, staying out of the way of the healers. I didn’t think I’d seen him sleep this entire time. He looked like a shell of himself, much like he had been before Kiera helped him. If Kol never woke up, would she be able to help him again?

The healers finished up and gathered their things to leave.

“Gran, can you stay for a minute?” Kiera asked.

Gran turned around, looking us over. “Of course, Firefly.”

The other healers left while Jaxus slipped in, giving us the room to ourselves.

“What is it? What are you all not saying?” Gran eyed us, clearly knowing this was more than just Kiera wanting to speak to her.

“She always knows,” Jaxus laughed and waved for Kiera to tell her. “Go on, Firefly.”

Kiera rolled her eyes at Jaxus, but she was smiling. “Luka and Hazel are soul bonded, and as his magic has started coming out, we’ve come to suspect it’s foresight.”

Gran’s eyes went wide, and she glanced between Luka, me, and Kiera. “That’s a new one. Or rather a very old one!” She muttered something I couldn’t catch, then walked over to Luka to inspect him. “Tell me why you all seem to believe this.”

We walked Gran through the parts of the story we could tell her, starting with the pendant he used to wear that kept it under control, and then Luka told her about the gut feelings and everything he’d just seemed to know. Finally, I told her about the dreams and when he lost himself.

“That’s not great.” Gran’s face told me enough. “But the truth is we don’t know a lot about foresight. We might have some scrolls on it in our archives, but they are all from before the Twelve Kingdoms were formed. I don’t believe there has ever been one with a flyer bond or a soul bond.”

“I had that thought.” Kiera tilted her head, thinking through Gran’s words. “But do you have something further?”

“What do you mean?” I asked.

Luka and I waited with bated breath.

“It’s a little like we talked about, Hazel. You may be able to syphon off his magic to lessen it when it overcomes him.”

“Well, syphoning is a start, but if they meld well…” Gran glanced at me.

“We have,” I told her.

“I thought so. So a good meld will allow, in theory, for Hazel to guide him and pull him back. If you learn to work together, it might keep him back from the visions completely taking him.”

I breathed a little easier but only a little. “How do we train for that?”

“No one knows,” Gran answered.

“And the risks?” I asked.

“We don’t know. But I’d start now because it’s only going to get worse.”

Luka stepped up behind me, sliding an arm around my back. “How do you know it’s going to get worse?”

“No one knows anything, but the memory is long. We’ve only had a few, and they color our perspective. There may be more we’ve never documented because they stayed like Luka was when he wore his pendant. We may never know.”

“So he could put the pendant back on?” I asked breathlessly.

“No,” Gran said sternly. “You see what’s happening here.” She waved at Kol. “Especially once you’ve melded, being blocked off from a soul bond will kill you both. You have to walk into this together with open eyes.”

I nodded, biting my lip so it wouldn’t tremble. “Thank you.”

“I will keep looking into it, as I know Kiera will.” She took my hand. “Have faith in the Goddess. She only gives us what we need, and that means we need his gifts.”

I pressed my eyes closed, fighting my emotion.

Luka half hugged me to him.

“Is there anything else all of you are up to? Or is that enough for one day?” Gran asked.

“Can you stay while Luka tries to use his foresight to see if Kol will wake up?”

Gran looked around the room. “Now?”

“Yes,” Nyx cut in. “Tell us what you think and how big you feel the danger is. I can’t ask him to try if it’s going to make him worse. I can’t make anyone else suffer the way I am.”

A pang of guilt hit me in the chest, and my heart broke for him all over again. I was so concerned about Luka and the possibility of suffering while Nyx had been in hell for more than a year. Luka was doing the right thing, even if I’d end up suffering for it. Maybe we all had to suffer to fix the wrongs.

“He should be safe to try with us all on hand.” Gran confirmed.

Not waiting for further opinions, Luka walked over to Kol and inhaled, closing his eyes.

He drew some power from me, but not much. He also pulled it from around him.

I stepped up next to him, joining our hands. If we were to practice, Gran said start now. I fed him magic slowly, letting him get used to it. He’d only ever given me his, so I didn’t want to overwhelm him the first time.

His breathing changed, and his heart rate picked up, but he wasn’t growing distant or unrecognizable like he was before. I held steady for him, ready to pull power back as soon as it seemed to overwhelm him, but before I sensed anything like that, I felt my own power draining and realized Luka was drawing it off—fast. I clamped down and drew back like my life depended on it, and I managed to extract myself. Luka dropped to a knee, gasping.

I flew to him, dazed myself but grasping his face to inspect it for signs of him lost to it. His eyes were clear, though, and his face had color. “What happened?”

“I couldn’t—” He broke off in a sob, and I realized he was overcome, but with emotion not foresight.

He turned to Nyx, who looked ashen with concern. “I’m sorry. I want to see for you and for him, but I can’t.”

“What did you see?” Kiera asked.

“Nothing. Nothing at all.” Luka sniffed. It was clear to everyone it was important to him to do this for Nyx, and he obviously felt like he’d failed. I pulled him into my chest and wrapped my arms around him.

“I’m sorry,” he whispered. “Did I hurt you?”

“No, I’m fine, just a little shocked you pulled so much from me. I wasn’t expecting it.”

“It wasn’t planned. I just needed the extra to try and reach for—something. But there was nothing there.”

“Perhaps it’s too unconnected to you?” Gran mused. “Maybe you only see things that immediately affect you or those you love.”

“All the more reason I should see this then!” Luka snapped, losing sight of who he was speaking to.

“Calm down,” I cautioned.

“It’s very new,” Gran said soothingly, unconcerned by his irritation. “You’ll get there if it’s the Goddess’ will.”

Luka sighed.

Nyx approached and held out his hand to Luka. Luka looked up and accepted it, letting Nyx pull him to a stand, and I followed.

“I’m sorry, Luka. I was being selfish.”

“No, I wanted to do it,” Luka insisted.

Nyx shook his head. “I’m being impatient. Gran is right. If it’s the Goddess’ will, it will happen. Please, don’t let this add to your burden. We are all carrying too many of those right now.”

“I’ll try again. If it’s about my connection to the situation, then it will come because you have to know I care about this. I want him to wake up and be well as much as you all do.”

Nyx smiled. “I never doubted that, friend.”

They embraced, and I felt Luka’s emotions settle. He worked so hard to be a part of what we had here, this family of ours, that I understood the overwhelming need in him to make them all feel his devotion. But he was wrong if he thought he had to prove otherwise. He did that every day.

We all dispersed, and I took Luka back to my rooms.

“Move in,” I said out of the blue as we closed the suite door.

“What makes you think I haven’t?” He smirked, and it was good to see that Luka grin back in place.

I looked around for signs he had brought his things while I wasn’t paying attention.

“I mean I haven’t, like, brought all my meagre possessions, but you aren’t getting rid of me. Ever. So technically, that means I live here now.”

I laughed, feeling light for the first time in…forever. “Well, good, because I don’t want to get rid of you. So go and get your meagre possessions and make it official.”

“Right now?”

“Yes, right now!”

While he was gone I drew a bath for us both and made some space for his clothes. My ryder, my mate, was not going anywhere, and if I had to defy the Goddess herself, I would not let her take him from me.

I heard him come in the door as I got into the bath as a little surprise for him to find. But minutes passed, and I didn’t hear him moving around the room.

“Luka?”

Silence.

“Luka, was that you?” I stood, grabbing my towel and wrapping it around myself before leaving the bathing chamber to investigate.

I scanned the room, seeing nothing. Maybe my ears were playing tricks on me.

But then the hollow voice broke through, and I saw him on the floor, back arched up like he was possessed by a demon sent from the underworld.

And then he screamed.