Flames And Starlight

Chapter 20

My heart stopped. Stopped then started. Then stopped again. I couldn't breathe. I couldn't speak. I couldn't think.

"Lyria," her name was sweetness on my tongue. I hadn't spoken it since she left. I don't know how I hadn't noticed her scent before because now it seemed to be the only thing I smelled. Lemon and sage.

I could almost feel her presence. My mate.

She stood before me with a bow in hand, arrows around her back, and her two favorite daggers strapped to each thigh. It was so sexy. In a lethal kind of way.

Her silver hair was braided behind her and fell past her waist. She was much tanner and had many more freckles probably due to days under the summer sun. Her golden skin made her silver hair shine like the stars above. Had it truly been a month and a half since I last saw her?

She was was wearing a green shirt. Green had never been my favorite color, or one I even tolerated, but she made it work. With her silver hair and tan skin, it looked quite beautiful on her.

My daze was interrupted by my little sisters scream. "Lyria!" Suri ran to her, letting go of my own hand. Lyria crouched down as Suri ran to her, welcoming her with arms outstretched. They embraced and laughed but all I could do was stare. I was afraid that if I looked away, she would disappear again.

"Hey princess! Look at your hair it's so pretty!" And it was. Her brown hair was braided back in a complicated twist down to her waist. "Did you do it yourself?"

Suri bounced on her toes "No. Kyan did it." At that, Lyria's turquoise and gold eyes met mine with a wild look of curiosity and amusement. "He's been teaching me how."

She took a deep breath as we stared at each other. "Hey Kyan." She whispered and my heart thundered louder and louder and faster and faster.

I cleared my throat. Cassian was trying hard not to laugh, Az smacked him on the arm because of it, Mor looked at us like she wished she had brought popcorn, and mom and dad just stood there quietly observing.  "Would you like to walk with me?"

"I was actually just leaving to hunt around the forest." She raised her bow and smiled slightly. Was this as hard on her as it was for me?

Because I was dying. It was like I was brought back to life just to die an even more painful death.

"Then I'll go with you."

A second past but it felt like forever. "Okay," She nodded after a moments hesitation. I loosed a breath. This had been wayyyyy too difficult.

We walked in silence, side by side, out of the house and towards the forest. I knew what I wanted to say to her, I just didn't know how to say it. Every time I was going to say something I decided against it for one reason or the other. I knew I was just over thinking everything. I had to just go for it.

"Lyria, I can't take this." I stopped and grabbed her by the shoulders so she had no choice but to listen to me. I pinned her against the stone of the house. Her blue and gold eyes looked up at me with emotions I for once couldn't read.

"I'm so sorry for what happened when you were here. I never- I never meant for it to seem like I was running away. Your powers don't scare me. You don't scare me. It was just a big misunderstanding. Can you please, please, forgive me?"

She took a deep breath and put a hand over my hammering heart. For a second I thought she was going to push me away but her hand stayed where it was. Resting over top the heart that called for hers.