Flames And Starlight

Chapter 43

The first thing I did after leaving the Suriel was find one of our countless maps of the night court. Well, actually I think the first thing I did was stare at a wall for three minutes trying to wrap my mind around what I was told and also come up with a plan. Attempting to do both at the same time resulted with my father prying me from where I stared at the stone walls and ushering me to the library.

He pulled out a large rolled up map from some forgotten corner of the library. You didn't exactly need maps when you had eternity to memorize each and ever mile of the night court but it had come in handy now. The map spouted a cloud of dust into the air as my father put it down onto the mahogany table and, with a slight push, it unfurled to its fullest glory.

The map nearly took up the whole table and offered a birds eye view of the entire land. My land. My night court. The land I would one day be High Lord over. I suddenly felt very very small in comparison to the land under the stars. But those thoughts and doubts would have to wait.

My father then pulled a pen out of the expense of darkness and nothingness that we simply could only explain as between. Between here and where, we did not have an explanation for.

"Mark every place that might be important to her and cause a portal to open." My father said handing me the pen, clearly not caring that I was about to ruin this ages old map.

And so finally my thoughts were aligned towards one goal and I marked each spot that was important to her. Important to us. With a tiny "x". For a second, very briefly, I was tempted to mark the spots with a little heart but it didn't seem appropriate at the time.

She would have laughed at that and rolled her eyes. My father, however, would not have been entirely amused.

The memories came flooding back and ran through my mind as if I were still there, my soul trapped in those moments of time that I never wanted to end.

The cave where I found her near dead body and met her for the first time.

The forest where the mating bond snapped in place and she used her wind to push me into the icy water. It was only fair as I had pushed her first.

Outside of the training grounds where we raced each other. The unforgiving sun shining on our sweaty skin.

The hill where she had shown me her powers for the first time and I had been so stupid to leave without thinking about how it might have hurt her. That was the darkest time, when I thought I had lost her forever.

The spot in the river where I had kissed the expanse of that scar upon her chest as an apology for not being there to protect her.

The streets of Valeris, especially the outside where the rainbow and artists corner lay.

And finally, the forest at the bottom of the mountain where we had fallen through the sky and trees. Where she had pulled those arrows from my wings. I thought back to what the Suriel had said. She had felt the same agony as I had and yet saved me anyway. A whisper of her sobs still rang in the depths of my mind. But we had survived thanks to her. Thanks to her mighty wings and the love she had for me that I could never dream of deserving.

I marked them all with the ghost of a smile on my lips.

"Azriel and I will start a search party to post at those places and hopefully stop anything from getting through." My father said, rolling up the map once more and tucking it under his arms. The white dust brushed on his black suit jacket and left a mark that he rubbed at.
"You," he put his free hand on my shoulder as a comfort. "You need to go find your mate."

An hour later, I set off from our mountain home in search of my mate. In that hour I had gathered different things I may need like a bow and quiver of arrows across my back and different knives strapped to my thighs. I had a skin of water attached to my left hip and a long sword attached to the right.

I had also changed my outfit as I felt the occasion called for it. This time, I had to be prepared to hunt. Or, be ready for war. I now wore black leather pants that tucked into leather boots that came to just below my knee. I still wore a black shirt but instead of a button up, it was flowing and offered much more flexibility and room. The sleeves were rolled to my elbows and the bottom of the shirt was tucked into my pants.

It didn't take me very long to decide where I would go to find her. Of all the places I had marked on that map, Of all the memories we shared together. I went to the place that had changed it all.

It was hard to believe it was only a few days ago that we fell from the sky. It felt like years ago but yet, at the same time, it also felt like yesterday. That night had been very eye opening for both of us. I already knew she was my mate, but I had never known what lengths she would go through to protect me. Until that moment I had never completely known how much she cared but now I do.

And I think that night had surprised Lyria as well for what it had revealed about herself. Things she didn't know she was capable of. And feelings she hadn't succumb to yet.