Waiting in the Water (Beyond the Veil Book 2) by Anne Stryker

Author:Anne Stryker [Stryker, Anne]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2019-11-19T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter Seventeen

Red

Lingering touches. Heated glances. Shy smiles. Asaria had to be imagining things, or twisting them into what she secretly wished they were. The past four days with Yuval had been quiet, for the most part, when it came to the warm world around them, but daily they talked more about everything. Life as a guard. Life as a receptionist. Life in general.

Ocea fascinated her, and he appeared fascinated by her world as well.

“Does Beyond have two moons?” she blurted the thought when it came.

He laughed, wide eyes locking on her, no judgement in their depths. “What?”

“Fantasy worlds. They always have two moons or something—and the lore. The moons will be goddesses, each vying for the love of the sun, and there would be elves aligned to each in a heated battle for their deity.”

“Then a forbidden love will arise and end in tragedy?”

Asaria didn’t hide her grin. “Ah, so you’ve read the same book.”

“I’m sorry to disappoint. Only one moon and one sun here. Most of our lore stems from Beyond’s first children.” Always watchful even in the quiet, Yuval’s gaze skimmed the world around them before returning to her.

Beyond’s first children. She had heard about them in their conversations. The guardians of the world, each had been given a realm to rule and a time to wait in preparation. Before they knew of each other and before Beyond’s other children came from flowers or drops of light, the guardians had wandered their land in silence. Alone.

“Do you know Ocea’s guardian?” she asked, thumbs running over her shell weapon—which she kept at the ready just in case; it provided her a sense of security and a sense of strength.

Yuval did another sweep of the volcanic plain and the fast-approaching mountain, but this time his eyes didn’t return to her. “I know the Guardian of the Forest. He’s . . . fun?”

Asaria chuckled. “You don’t sound sure.”

“Well . . . he’s loud.” Yuval breathed a laugh. “Kind of big and attention-demanding. He’s very close with his people though. He walks among them without so much as a batted eye.”

“And in Ocea your guardian is the king, so that’s not the case?”

“Rhyeos of Silvan is king there. Things are just different here. In every place. Some rule with more distance; others with fear even.” Yuval rubbed the back of his neck, glancing at her out of the corner of his eye. “I told you some about the times before, when the first children walked the world alone. That time affected each differently. A scar of loneliness is never cut in the same way. Some braved it; some merely longed for more or for family; but others twisted until, in my opinion, they fell from the original design.”

A shiver wracked Asaria’s body when she exhaled. “That’s unsettling.”

“Others disagree with me. Rhyeos, for one. He’s managed friendships with all the surrounding guardians. Arguably, little affects him.” Yuval rolled his eyes, a gentle smile returning to his lips when he stopped at the base of the mountain.

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