Kingdoms of Gold

1 | Not The Organs

Three moons glowed so bright in the sky not a single star twinkled.

The forest brushing the edge of the beach made up for whatever stars were muted. As if the forest had become the night sky, the small foliage scattered the floor glowed an iridescent blue and green. As the beach waves rolled over me, they too glowed that same color.

It took twice as much work than it usually did to pull myself up, my ears popping the release of tension as I swallowed. I felt as if I'd gain an extra ten pounds. The sand was no help, sinking under my weight. 

A thick layer of warm air wrapped around me, drying my clothes and warming my bones. Brynjar's hand rested on the small of my back, his own tanned skin dry. "You'll get use to the change in gravity after a day or two."

I gave him a small nod of acknowledgment, my eyes locked on the beach. Valentino tugged Alistar's limp body out of the water. Malachi was there, helping carry half the weight. 

Alistar's chest rose and fell in shallow breaths, his face twisted in pain even unconscious. 

"It's not your fault." Brynjar's hand traced down to mine. Our palms pressed together, fingers entwined. 

When I didn't so much as blink away, he said, "The bullet was meant for you, but you are not the reason he is hurt. That was his choice and I doubt he'd change the outcome. If I was in his spot, I wouldn't have. He is not hurt because of you."

"Isn't he, though?" I whispered, my voice too hoarse to talk any louder. "If I took that bullet, I would've been fine. We don't know what's going to happen to him."

"If you took that bullet, there was no guarantee you could recover any better than him or any of us. We'd still be in the same situation, traveling to the fae land, no matter who took the bullet."

I guess Alistar taking the bullet had some benefit. It saved me from a tongue lashing much worse than this, and from each of them. I'd have to make his scolding long and rough enough to channel the anger of the entire group, since I doubted none of them would.

"Are you guys here yet?" Mirai popped out from behind a tree, the cuffs of her pants smeared with the glow and her hair still dripped with water. "I found a town not too far away, we might be able to sleep there for the night."

Brynjar sent a rush of heat her way, her hair ruffling while it dried. "There should be a small inn on the edge of town, they'll have somewhere for us to stay."

I fell behind Alistar as we cut through the forest. Malachi, too, slowed until his pace matched mine. Though he didn't push me for anything, only offered his support by staying at my side. It was what I needed before I was swallowed by my guilt.

"Stay here." Brynjar tucked us in the darkness of a building only a few stories high, but elevated from the ground by at least a meter. 

With what money he planned on using to get us a place, I didn't know or care. Any paper money was destroyed by the ocean. That was, if the fae used a paper money system.

The back door opened, two distinct voices whispering to each other, one being Brynjar. A light haired and dark skinned fae stepped out. His clothes was nowhere near what ours were. Loose silk pants hun from his hips. That same material forged into a fitted top. 

His eyes tracked over us, as if he was bored. If he noticed the way our ears curved rather than sharpened or how my eyes glowed a pandemonium of purple hues, he didn't comment or even flinch.

Then he saw Alistar, dying in Valentino's arms. His eyes widened and lips parted. "By the gods. You brought the exile," he whispered. "Come inside. Stay in the kitchen. Don't let anyone out here see you. I'll get food and rooms ready. Do I need to get a healer too?"