Page 25 of Whispers of the Void (Voidborn Chronicles #1)
CHAPTER 25
RAIZ
* * *
“Y ou can turn the lights back up a bit,” Hyva says as he caps the needle he just used and puts it in a sterile discard bag. “She’s asleep.”
We both look down at her as the lights turn back to dim. “She was reading when the headache started.”
Her lips press into a line; tension bleeds from the shape of her mouth and the stiff way she lays on the bed. Her chest moves up and down rhythmically, though, in slow, measured breaths that seem calm if not relaxed. I wish there was an easy answer to how to solve her headaches. And the mental episodes.
The futility I feel is maddening.
“How long did it take to go from the beginning of her headache to this?” He pulls out his tablet to input my answers.
“Minutes from when she stood up and mentioned her head beginning to hurt.”
Hyva makes a humming sound as he taps on the screen. “What was she reading about?”
“She’d spent most of the day researching both human physiology and things to know to help ready herself for the mission to the temple.”
“Did she seem more stressed than usual about anything?”
More stressed than usual. That’s an interesting question. In all fairness, I’ve only known her for a short period of time, despite knowing she’s my mate, I couldn’t say whether she was more or less stressed than usual.
“I’m not sure. I don’t think I can answer that.” A small whimper comes from her. “Should I go inside her head and check on her?”
“No. Give her some time. The medication she takes is strong.” He lifts her wrist and places two fingers on the inside of it. “Her pulse is steady. She’s not in distress.”
I don’t like it. Knowing she could be slipping into that white void inside herself without me. Whoever that male is that somehow slips inside with her and seemingly knows more than she does worries me.
He could hurt her.
Then I’d have to add another to my list of enemies.
Not that he’s not already there just for having the audacity to violate her space the way he does. If I ever come face to face with the male, he’s as good as dead. Hyva’s hand on my shoulder pulls me from my rapidly darkening thoughts.
“We should let her rest.”
I don’t want to leave her side, but I follow him out into the living area. He walks over to the bar cart in the corner and pours us both a glass of ale. The bitter brew sits on my tongue as my thoughts stay focused on Neev. If my dark mood bothers Hyva, he doesn’t give any indication.
“Did she find anything while she was looking through this?” He holds up the book on human physiology.
“No.” I take another sip while he thumbs through the pages. “But I did float the idea of her being more than human.”
He turns to me. “How did that go?”
“She’s convinced she’s strictly human.”
“I’d be shocked if she wasn’t. From the science of it, she is only human. There are no genetic abnormalities.” He goes back to looking through the book.
“Could there be two identical species? Maybe living in another galaxy or something.”
“The universe is vast, so anything is possible.” He stops skimming the book and looks back at me. “But it’s not probable.”
“I’ve never heard of a human with purple eyes.”
“Because you’ve met so many?” He sets aside the book and stretches out on the couch, one long arm slung over the back and his ale resting on his knees. “I know you want answers. I get it. I do, too, but there’s a high likelihood that there are things about their species they keep to themselves. Look at us, for example, and the secrets we hold so tight to our chests.”
He’s right, but I hate it. Not knowing. Feeling helpless to help her. It guts me.
How bad will it be if she willingly joins the bond with me? Will I be able to function with the uncertainty if we don’t figure out how to stop her attacks? At least she seems to be responding well to the treatments we’re giving her.
I steer our conversation away from Neev and toward preparations for the upcoming mission. Hyva pulls out his tablet and goes through the list of what he’ll have in the medical pack he’ll carry. I reached out to my contact about securing five kyril for the journey now that the time we have is shortened.
I keep working long after Hyva leaves for the evening. Even though he checked on Neev one last time and assured me she was okay, I move myself into the bedroom to be close to her. Hyva pulled the cold pack off her, so I can watch her facial expressions as she sleeps. If she shows any sign of distress, I’m going in.
Now that she’s given me her consent, I’ll be using my abilities with her extensively. I love when she speaks to me in her mind. The way her nose crinkles when she fights her smile as she does so.
I’m gone for her.
Wholly and happily.
If I wasn’t honor bound to my house, I’d simply leave Zeahiri behind and spend my life solving the mysteries behind my mate’s background.
Stripping off all my clothes, I slip into bed beside her and wrap my arm around her soft body. I pull her until she’s flush against me and spend the next few hours silently counting her heartbeats. Sleep is not on my mind tonight; I have to stay focused on her and ensure she’s okay. My mood isn’t stable enough for sleep, regardless.
If I were to close my eyes and rest, I know I’d end up covered in my brother’s blood watching as the life drained from his eyes. It’s the last thing I need right now. Reliving the most horrific moment of my life, despite it giving me the fire to keep fighting for a future where we aren’t killing our own family, would only cause me to spiral. I can’t risk it. Not with so much on the line.
Not when I have her.
So I lay here, keeping watch over her and hoping the heat of my body and presence of her mate at her back eases her pain. She might not be cognizant of what we are to each other yet, but her body most certainly is. It’s attuned to me in a way I’m not even sure she realizes herself yet.
* * *
Hours pass before she rolls over in my arms. Her hauntingly beautiful violet eyes meet mine, and she smiles. She slides her arms around my back and presses her face to my chest. Love fills my chest so quickly I feel like I could explode.
I didn’t ever think I’d find my mate. For the longest time I assumed I’d be sent into an arranged partnership with a daughter from another one of the noble houses. There are those who are lucky enough to find their mates, but with each passing year, it becomes harder and harder. I have a theory that the Bak’hura could be playing a part in that. Eliminating half your population can’t be good for reproduction.
The reproduction issues we’ve been facing for generations have to be connected somehow. We can reproduce outside of mate bonds, but it’s never as successful. The rates of live births drop from fifty percent for mated pairs to eight percent for arranged. And that’s with all the medical interventions we have at our disposal.
Neev stretches against me, quickly pulling my attention back to her. I run my hand up and down her back as our bodies press together. Even though I’d love to roll her over and slide inside her tight, heavenly body, I tell myself to relax. She doesn’t need anything from me except comfort and safety right now.
“How is your head?” I ask quietly.
“Better. That cold wrap felt amazing.”
“Good. Did you have any dreams?”
“No, thankfully. Just dreamless, deep sleep.”
I release a heavy breath, relieved to know she didn’t have any troubles. My hands stroke up and down the length of her back, slipping under her shirt to the warm, soft skin beneath. Despite my desire to spend the day deep inside her, I don’t do anything to take the morning into sexual territory.
We have to go back down to the surface today, but before then, she needs to try the lenses Hyva and Cuna made for her.
“Do you think you’ll be okay to move around today?” I ask gently. I don’t want to push her if she needs rest, no matter how important it is to get going.
“Yes. I’ll be fine. I feel completely back to normal. I’m sure the headache was a response to all the reading I did.”
I press a kiss to her forehead, inhaling the scent of her hair. My scent on her. A deep satisfaction rolls through me realizing that even when she’s clean, she still smells of me.
“Okay. I need to go down to the training center for a session with Mydax if you want to get cleaned up.”
“Okay. I’ll go find Hyva and ask him about a fitting for the lenses.” She sits up, her long dark hair spilling over her shoulder and down the arm she braces herself on. “What time are we going back down to the surface?”
I fill her in on the plans as I stand and dress, loving the feel of her eyes on me as I do so. When I turn and find her heated gaze still on me, I smile slowly, prowling to where she still sits in the center of the bed. I tuck a lock of hair behind her ear and press a chaste kiss to her lips.
“If you keep looking at me like that, we won’t be leaving this room today.”
“That doesn’t sound so bad,” she says, her voice thick with promise.
I step backwards, so I don’t dive back into bed with her. “Don’t tempt me, female. I’ll let Hyva know to expect you.”