The Fall of Vequera

Chapter twenty-eight | Valia

LOCATION: EASTCLIFF, ELER

YEAR: 621 C.E

VALIA WOKE UP TO SOMEONE SHAKING HER SHOULDERS.

Opening her eyes, Koa hovered over her with worry in his golden eyes. Her breathing picked up as tightness in her chest appeared. It came out choppy and short. Her eyes moved rapidly across his face to find something to focus on. His face was a few inches away from hers and she noticed he had freckles and the slight crookedness of his nose. Neither of them said a word for a moment before Valia pushed him off her, knocking him to the ground. He groaned loudly as he hit the ground, cursing out. "Why did you push me so hard, shit?"

Moonlight shined into the small window above and it illuminated his face and the surrounding area. "Why are you even in here?" Was the only thing she could make herself say as she ran a hand over her face and then she noticed the wet tears. She quickly wiped them away and moved into a sitting position on the bed. The blanket she had been sleeping with was laying next to Koa and her lips turned into a thin line. Her hands turned into fists as she forced herself back in her mind. Valia reached for the blanket and placed it on her shoulders.

"You were screaming...his name. You were having a nightmare,"

She was relieved that he couldn't see the broken expression on her face because it was too dark. The nightmare was unlike the others. Koa moved and leaned against the bed's base, quite close to her feet. She wouldn't have to look him in the eyes and she was thankful for that. He tapped his fingers on his lap. "I died. He killed me." She said softly. Why was she telling him that? She banged her head lightly against the wall.

"The other ones always end before he does," She added cautiously. 

He begun to hum a song, she hadn't heard before. It was a light melody. "If you want to go back to sleep then I'll watch over you, so I can wake you if you have another." He paused the song to speak before starting over again. "I'll save you before he even has a chance." He promised her. Her gaze moved to stare at the back of his head. She liked his hair. It was long, falling down his shoulders and it was a brownish black color. It reminded her of silk. She knew the Litinae cut their hair when they begun to train or when they were a year into training. And the hair would grow back thick and healthy, it was to show growth in their souls and with their gifts. Koa had told her she would not have to cut her hair because it would not grow back as fast as theirs and he knew she would never want to do it anyway.

"I don't need saving." She whispered as she pushed herself to lay back down on her side. Her eyes fell to the wall in front of him.

Koa chuckled quietly. "Of course, you don't." He had a lightness to his tone like he didn't believe her not one bit. Quietness fell over them as she closed her eyes and tried to welcome sleep but it never came and she sighed deeply.

"Has Mary told you the tale of the first flame?" He whispered.

She shook her head before she noticed he couldn't see her. "No, she hasn't." He leaned his head back to glance over before moving his eyes to stare out the window.

"Well, The gods didn't want a flame at first because the gift would be too dangerous for many people to have and Thelin, the god of fire reluctantly agreed for a time. She had fallen in love with a Litinae. Her name was Adina Delacroix. At the time and now, Thelin has appeared as a woman and as a man in a lot of art created for her. The statue you sit under a lot is of Thelin." Her eyes moved back to his head and down to his neck, seeing his pulse as he spoke with concentration like he was finding the perfect words to tell her the story. She wondered why she had been drawn to it when she needed to be alone.