Tell No One

Chapter 48

As the tawny dawn's light broke through the windows of Ramatee's bedroom, Kiera started to stir from a sleep that had actually left her feeling well rested. The covers served as a warm cocoon, and with a gentle groan, she buried her face further into the plush downy, intending to recover some sleep. However, as she attempted to pull the covers further down, she felt a pressure tighten around her waist. With a muted yelp, Kiera's eyes suddenly slammed open as she realised with a startling clarity that that was, in fact, an arm flung over hips. Stilling, she could make out Ramatee's deep breathing coming from behind her. Right behind her. In fact, she could make out the gentle flurry his breath made on her hair at the back of her head. Opening her eyes fully, she made out the most surprising detail of her situation in her line of sight in front of her. Somehow in the night, Ramatee had ended up with his arm under her neck, snaking under the pillow to stretch out before Kiera's face. And more curious yet, Kiera had snuggled right back, effectively putting her body flush with his.

Kiera felt her face redden, a soft pink blush chasing up her cheeks as she took in their predicament. Objectively, there was nothing wrong with the situation- She belonged to Ramatee. Yet she could not fight the urge to squirm at the thought of the first night of sharing a bed with him, with a man who she didn't know very well, she woke up bundled tightly in his arms. She ran through the actions she could take in her head. She could get out, but that would risk waking Ramatee. She could feign sleep, leave him to deal with the decision with what to do with whatever this was. Kiera looked at her hand, which had somehow found its way to Ramatee's arm, and had been absentmindedly tracing the contours of his forearm as she thought. Kiera quickly snatched her arm back, hugging her hand close to her chest as if it had burned her. Tentatively this time, she reached a finger out, running them along the slightly raised edges his veins made against his skin. She imagined them as rivers, tracing them down to revive the sculpture of his hand. His hands were beautiful. It felt weird to think but tracing a feather-light touch over the lines of his hands, they were beautiful. Unmarred, thick, his hands that represented his many millenniums of life. She could imagine all those things those hands had done, all the tasks they had performed, the blame they had cast, the hurt they had permitted, the wounds they had soothed. Of course, Ramatee's hands would be perfect. He himself was a being of perfection- admittedly, a variant of a more human perception of perfection, for anyone on the surface with horns and golden eyes would probably be labelled a freak. But in Kiera's eyes, and after her illusion of beauty was shattered, she had come to the conclusion that Ramatee may be the most perfectly crafted being across all the dimensions. No doubt she had known that truth for a while, but with the slow acceptance of her place by his side, it was only now that she felt ready enough to remove the futile blindfold of rebellion enough to actually see him. The King of hell, of the Abyss, the dealer of her cards but also the cards themselves. She accepted his offer, and in that, this whole time, she should've accepted this too. No doubt there were more than a few people here who would do anything to trade places with her, and this whole time she should've been grateful, not resentful. Kiera felt tears well up in her eyes, her vision blurring slightly as she rested her open palm on Ramatee's sizeable hand. He tightened his fist in his sleep, responding to the pressure she placed there, effectively clasping her hand to this. In that moment, Kiera saw a third solution to waking up in Ramatee's arms. Cautiously, she managed to turn around, facing towards Ramatee. Bringing her arms into her chest, she rested her head against the curve of his shoulder. His face was just above hers, his breath caressing her forehead. With a deep sigh, Kiera burrowed her face further into Ramatee, closing her eyes and drifting back into a listless sleep.

***

When Kiera woke for the second time, she found the bed empty. Dawn was still completing her stretch of the sky, the bed still painted a rose coloured hue from the red drapes and the pink clouds. Kiera awoke in much the same position she had fallen asleep in, aside from the paper she felt that pressed into her hand. Pulling herself upright, keeping it tightly clasped in her hand, Kiera carefully unfolded the manilla paper. Written in black ink, with a swirled scripture read the words "Have left to attend to duties. Did not want to wake you." Kiera felt a small smile rise to her lips as she clutched the paper close. Reaching over to the nightstand, she grabbed her book, choosing to place it between the last pages. She decided she liked his notes- she liked that he thought about her enough to leave her one anyway. She liked his handwriting, the perfect calligraphy that would've taken Kiera years to match. It was so effortless.

Stretching, gasping in satisfaction as the bones along her spine clicked, Kiera decided to get started on her day.