Who Are You?

Who Are You?
Mara

I don’t have another vision. No matter how desperately I chase it, how much I try to conjure it up. 

I close my eyes until they ache, trying to summon the faceless man back into the darkness behind my eyelids. I replay every second of it over and over again like a maladaptive daydream, slowing it down, pulling it apart, searching for something I missed.

Every time I reach the moment where his face should come into focus, the memory blurs all over again, dissolving into an empty haze. 

It’s maddening.

Nerion eventually coaxes me out of bed, insisting that it will take time. It will take more of me, more bonding, more everything. 

“You can’t pour from an empty cup,” he tells me as he drapes one of his shirts over my shoulders. “You need food, and water.”

I look up at him as the fabric swallows me whole. “So you can bring me back to your bed?”

His violet eyes darken. “Always.”

I stand, holding back a laugh. The shirt hangs to my knees, the sleeves long enough that my hands aren’t visible.  It smells just like him, and it makes the ache in my chest loosen slightly. 

That ache between my legs? That’s still harsh. Waves of pain radiating through me with every step. 

How am I meant to keep up with them? Will my body adjust to this?

My ass aches as I try to find a comfortable position on the wooden chair tucked into the dining table. I wince and when Nerion appears in front of me with a cup of water, I blush. 

He hands me the cup and I take in the curve of his long, thick fingers. Oh god, I can’t even begin to fathom that he had one of them inside of my ass. The thought of him putting more in there, takes my breath away and I avert my eyes. 

“Thank you,” I mutter. 

The water is cold against my tongue, tasting like nature, fresh and earthy. I sigh, letting it cool my throat, washing over the heat in my body. 

I start into the cup, catching my reflection in the water. For a moment., my heart pinches in my chest. 

Who are you? The question refuses to leave me alone. If that really is a vision of my future, if the magic truly shows me the man I’m destined to spend my life with...

Then why can’t I see him? My fingers tighten around the cup. Why is my magic hiding him from me?

I want it to be Kaelith. I just want the vision to clear long enough to see red eyes looking back at me. For dark hair to replace the blur. For that deep voice that already haunts my thoughts to whisper the same word.

Mine.

Then I could breathe again. Then I would know that everything Kaelith believes about himself, that he isn’t worthy, that fate could never choose him, has been wrong all along.

But what if it isn’t him?What if the face finally comes into focus and it’s someone else? 

The water suddenly tastes flat. I set the cup down on the table, the echo of it filling the empty house. Nerion is sitting across from me, watching me intently. He’s wearing nothing but a loose pair of pants, the muscles in his chest catching my attention even as I try to keep my thoughts focused. 

The heat between my legs flushes again and I press my thighs together and look away before clearing my throat.

“Nerion?”

He hums a response, tilting his head down in acknowledgment of his name on my lips. 

“How am I supposed to wait for another vision when I don’t even know what I’m waiting to see?”

He frowns, looking down at his lap. “I’ve summoned them back to the house.”

I look at him then. “The Vowed?”

He nods. 

“Why?”

He clicks his tongue, placing his chin on his hand which settles on the arm of the chair. “You’ve had your first vision. That’s incredibly significant.”

The frustration is beginning to suffocate me. “But I didn’t really have a vision. I don’t even know what I saw.”

He looks at me, the corners of his eyes twitching like he can feel the desperation that’s steeling my breath away. His lips part as if he’s about to say something when he whips his head to the side, looking at the front entrance of the house. 

“They’re almost here,” Nerion says, thoughtfully, almost to himself. 

I nod, my shoulders dropping the tension. I’m not upset that he called them, but there’s something so freeing about processing things without four pairs of eyes on me. But I need answers. I want to talk to Kaelith, want to see what he thinks. 

Nerion’s eyes sweep over me, lingering for a brief moment on the oversized shirt before returning to my face. The front door to the house opens, the sounds of footsteps on the wooden floor echoing on the ground. 

I look up instinctively, Rhydan walking in first. 

His bright blue eyes find mine, a beautiful grin spreading across his face. 

“Well,” he says, dragging a hand through his damp hair. “You look far more awake than I expected.”

I open my lips to respong to him but don’t get a chance. He closes the distance between us, wrapping a hand behind my neck and pulling me toward him as he leans in for a kiss. 

My lips are raw, my lugns breathless when he finally pulls away. He enjoys my predicament, winking at me before stepping back. 

Thane has made himself comfortable on the back wall, crossing his arms over his chest. He just watches, only giving me slight nod. 

Oh god. Why is the room suddenly a thousand degrees hotter? And why can I not stop thinking about his tongue between my legs. 

This is all a bit much.

But of course that thought is premature. 

Kaelith steps into the room. I still, everything disappearing around me. My heart swells in my chest, my palms turning clammy like a schoolgirl with a crush. 

The ridiculous knot that has sat in my chest ever since the vision made me worry, leaves me. Relief at the sight of him washes through me. I hadn’t really realized I was waiting for him.

His crimson eyes lock onto mine. They don’t leave, not for a second. They slowly drift over me, lingering on my bare legs before climbing back up the length of the oversized shirt.

Nerion’s shirt. His jaw clenches, possessivement hardening the muscles in his arms. His fingers curl into fists at his sides before relaxing again.

Rhydan steps into my line of vision, talking, completely oblivious.

“I was surprised that Nerion summoned us back. I would have thought he’s like to keep you in bed all day, possibly night, too.”

I duck my head, avoiding his bright eyes.

“At least that’s what I would have done if I were him.”

“I wouldn’t put it past you,” I say. 

His grin widens. “There, we’re getting to know each other, aren’t we?”

I shake my head, smiling despite myself.

Out of the corner of my eye, I catch movement. Nerion rises from his chair. He doesn’t look at me, but walks directly toward Kaelith. They speak to each other so quietly that I can’t quite make out the words. Nerion tips his head toward the hallway, and Kaelith nods.

The two of them disappear from the dining room together. I stare after them, unease settling low in my stomach.

They’ve gone to speak in private, and I know without a doubt that they’re talking about the vision. About me. About my possible future mate.