Song of Blood and Reign

Chapter 34

Chapter 34

Early the following morning, Lyv woke before Jai. She was still wrapped in his arms, their legs tangled together beneath the sheets of their bed. His scent was all around her thanks to stealing his tunic to wear to bed and having him so close.

Jai fell asleep as soon as he collapsed into bed after he changed out of his leather gear and into a pair of loose-fitting pajama pants that hung low on his hips. Just one look and she wanted to jump him all over again, but his breathing had already deepened as sleep pulled him under. Not that he wouldn't have minded being woken back up by Lyv touches and kisses, but he looked so peaceful in his sleep that all she wanted to do then was curl up beside him, which she did. He slept like a rock, not moving once in the night.

Lyv, however, barely got any. She kept waking up thinking she was back in her cell in the keep, still under Corliss's control with Guinevere and the conduit Mik grinning at her from the other side of the cell bars.

But she needed to make herself realize she was safe and with her family again.

Needed to reassure herself that she was going to get Corliss's dark magic, as well as her own from the stone, out of her.

And they would have that future with Dessa and Elys she got a glimpse of in her desperation.

Now, Lyv was still lying beside Jai in their bed as the morning glow slowly began peeking in through the windows. Leaning her head back against the pillow, she freed her hands so she could reach up and run her fingers through his hair, tracing along his ears, brushing across his closed eyelids, the slope of his nose, and the curve of his lips, and finally along the scruff of his jaw. He hadn't shaved in a while, it seemed. Usually, it was shorter, but Lyv had to admit she found him even more handsome like this.

Even through her touching him, Jai still didn't wake. He must have been more than tired for that to happen, especially since Lyv leaned forward and kissed his cheek gently before pulling herself from his grasp. She quickly cleaned up and dressed in her leather gear, even grabbing a thick cloak from the depths of her bag. One look out the window and she knew she'd need it. A few more inches of snow had blanketed the town in the night, the sunlight glittering off it. A late winter storm, especially with the Spring Equinox just a few weeks away.

With one last kiss for Jai and writing a quick note to him as to where she went and not to worry, she left him to sleep a little longer.

No one else seemed to be up just yet, so Lyv made herself a quick breakfast of toast and an apple, along with a cup of tea. Just when she was finishing, a deep hum from outside the kitchen window turned her attention toward it.

"Did you sleep out here all night?" Lyv asked Roshan.

Her dragon was curled up on the patio and just began blinking awake. The snow had melted in a Roshan-shaped area around him, the heat radiating off him melting it before it even hit the ground. As soon as Roshan heard her voice, though, he perked up, turning his massive head in her direction before poking his nose to her stomach. Instant warmth wrapped around her as she leaned forward to kiss his brow, making his gray eyes close in comfort.

"You should have gone with Erly and Chesnan so you wouldn't have been out here in the snow. I'm sure you could have been cozier and somewhere warm."

Roshan hummed again, curling his entire body around her then.

"Oh, I see. You just wanted to stay close to me, huh?"

He almost seemed to nod against her, moving his head a fraction.