Far From Home Two: The Monster's Heir-- a M/M/M fantasy romance

13-- Drawn Swords

*****I freaking love Al'iya. Is it weird to love your own character? Because I love her. She's such a take-no-shit badass. 

Anywho, enjoy :) *****

LLYRIC—

Our travels after lunch were no faster than before. Not only did the children have to stop frequently, but the cart was slower than it could have been if the drivers weren't worried about bruising the kids with its bumps and turns. I could tell it irritated Ember, but Sage seemed amused by his frustration, and even poked at it with snide, biting remarks every time Ember rode by us.

I wondered if Sage had noticed, as I had, how Ember rode by us frequently. Much more than he needed to. The action gave me just a bit of hope for our bond. Hope I knew was folly, for I would be abandoned, or worse, once they knew my secret. But it was something to hold onto.

I kept up my singing as we travelled, hoping to lure Bek and Tristan in, but neither would come near me. Bek because he had enough love and affection from his newly adopted parents, and Tristan because he suspected what I was and hated me for it.

Just before we stopped for the night, Brin and Al'iya had a hurried conversation in their husky language, their eyes pointedly not on me. I watched them, confused, before Brin stood with the sleeping Bek in her arms and moved towards me.

Ah, Al'iya understands, I thought as Brin sat right next to me, letting the boy's sleeping body press up against my own. I didn't understand my power fully, and had never really had a chance to work it and practice using it, especially to heal, but I knew that without the words that would bring my song more weight and power, I needed the skin contact to fully let my gift flow. Without words, I could still sing and weave the children's emotions into something resembling what a child's should be, but without touch it wouldn't hold. The skin contact was like the glue that held my song inside the children's souls.

I began to sing, rocking and closing my eyes as the boy at my side's confusion and anguish began to rush through me. Maybe it was that he was older, had suffered for longer than the younger children, but there was something about Bek's pain that took more out of me than all three of the younger children combined.

My song faltered and I slumped back, tears filling my eyes at the depths of his pain.

"Shh," Al'iya murmured from by my side, her hands stroking my arms in a soothing gesture. I let my head fall back, trying to find comfort in her touch, but all it did was set me on edge.

She must have sensed something, for she soon pulled away and I was left to calm myself in my own peace.

When we stopped for the night, I sat at the edge of the cart, my legs dangling down, too afraid to try to jump down for fear my legs would give out on me, but too filled with silly pride to ask for help. I was already helpless enough, and now I might not have the strength to walk?

Before I could pity myself for too long, Sage was standing between my legs, his smile warm and teasing, his hands going around my hips. He crowded me back against the cart and I instinctively wrapped my legs around him, my feet managing to hook above his ass and hold him tight to my body.

"You need help, sweet boy?"

I nodded with a smile, but then snagged him back when he tried to pull away and lift me to the ground. I was plenty happy right where I was, wrapped around his big body, his heat seeming to seep into my skin and warming me all the way through.

His laugh vibrated through me and we held each other, with my head resting against his warm, steadily rising and falling chest, until we were interrupted with a man's amused cough.