Of Two Suns

xiii

Sleep evaded her.

She was awake with her back against a cavern wall to see Gale silently stride back into the cavern, the coupled scents of citrus and lavender extending through the cavern around him. His scent mixed into the scent of the cavern, winding through its essence of electrified rain and spring grass. He walked as if he hadn't just been sneaking through mountain tunnels, likely in search of any of their assailants. She had wondered if he was only displacing their scents among the tunnels, or if he had found anyone to track as well. If he had, she wondered if he'd killed them.

She was awake, now laying on her back beside the spring, when Riven had unexpectedly fallen asleep beside his partner, arms crossed over his middle and head slouched forward so his bangs shielded his face. Beside him, Gale had been staring at something in his hands, but she couldn't make out what it was.

And she was awake when the two Elves had switched; Gale was quick to doze as Riven straightened where he sat, only for his partner to nod his auburn head onto his shoulder. Mon and Pan had then climbed onto her abdomen to sleep, leaving her to wish she had something soft to lay on too.

They had spent so many hours in that cavern that she couldn't keep track. Horrible, relaxing, suffocating hours.

Any time Ryla had tried to close her eyes for more than a minute, nauseating visions of her burning home and the people she loved flashed across the backs of her eyelids. They burned in the fire that consumed her village, running and screaming, all in vain. And they burned in a pile of unrecognizable corpses, in the harshest silence she had ever known. The visions were so realistic that she could almost smell the scent of burning flesh and ash. Each time her stomach would lurch, and she could hold her eyes closed no longer. Her heart was exhausted after so many races within her chest.

So she remained awake, staring at the cavern's glowing ceiling, at its walls, at the black water beside her. She wondered what her father was staring at; was it the sky, or maybe foliage? Or, maybe he was staring at the charred ruins of his empty home.

And Myr. Gods, she hoped Myr was staring at anything at all, if it meant she was alive. She knew it was incredibly selfish to hope for such a thing when she could be in pain, or worse. But, the alternative made Ryla want to claw through her skin to escape the devastating suffocation.

Just as her skin was beginning to itch, a small noise tickled her ears. It was soft, delicate, and melodic. A song.

Ryla blinked, and pushed herself up onto her forearms. It was coming from the cavern's entrance; from the tunnels. It was a tune she had never heard before, yet she felt almost as if she recognized it. Slowly, she pushed herself up to sit. The melody paused as she did, and for a few seconds she thought she had imagined it. Then, it started up again. Above her, the glowing insects began to flicker, giving the illusion of twinkling stars in the sky.

She stood from where she sat, eyes glancing toward the two Elves still across from her. Both were asleep now, with Riven's head leaned on top of Gale's. Their breaths were deep, soft, calm. Comfortable with each other. Trusting. Clearly Riven didn't consider her much of a threat anymore, if at all. She supposed that was a good thing, if it meant she didn't have to deal with his animosity anymore.

She stepped toward the only way in and out of the cavern.

A single drop of water sounded from behind her, echoing throughout the room. She paused her steps to peer over her shoulder. A single ripple had formed in the middle of the black-water spring. It slowly pushed itself out until it met where the water ended and the dry land began. As soon as it disappeared, the echo ceased as well, and the cavern returned to its blue-lit silence. Ryla furrowed her brows as her gaze narrowed on the water.