The Crystal Mines

64 Nik

Choose you.

Faolan's words rang through my mind as I laid on the hard ground.

Never again.

I stared up at the stars blinking through the canopy of foreign trees. They weren't like the trees from back home in Asuraville. Home. It wasn't home though. Salvare wasn't either. The room I had been given in the Prime's pod was a loan. Even Ahren's house stood empty, according to Taury. The idea that I didn't have a home hit me in the gut. I wondered what Aegran would be like. If I could find a place there to call my own. Not because of Ameer, or his Kingdom, but for myself.

Mom and Zayden had Ahren now. Though I doubted my mother had made any moves towards him and continued to denied her feelings. My brother and I knew it to be true. Ahren was a wonderful male, and I was happy to call him family as soon as Mom was ready. My heart ached again. No home. No Mom or Zayden or Ahren. I rolled to my side, angry at the stars for daring to look so beautiful while I was upset. Only to meet Ameer's eyes across the fire. He looked at me in concern and dragged the back of a knuckle down my mental wall.

You ok?

No.

Wanna talk about it?

The familiar question brought me back to when he had asked me so long ago. I had stood outside of his room at the university. It was the time I had told him everything. He hadn't baulked at my dark past, my confused feelings over Alden, or my frustrations with my cousin. Ameer had become the one I ran to when I needed to get out of my own head.

Just feeling sorry for myself. I almost pouted like the grow adult I was. He waited for me to continue, propping himself up on his elbow to see me better through the flames. I miss my family. Ahren too. And... and I realized that I don't have a place to call home. A safe place that's wholly my own.

His smile was radiant as the light of the fire gilded his face. Then we will have to remedy that soon.

Gods he was beautiful. Not in the same was Callion was. Ameer was truly a work or art, as if sculpted by the gods themselves and gifted to the world. Callion was hard edges and quiet strength. A god by his own right. Both of them were wrapped in a kindness the world didn't teach them. They fought against their odds together, determined to be good people and dragged Jakota with them.

Anything else?

He knew me well. I can't help but wonder if I will inadvertently ruin the friendship that you and Callion share.

His smile was sad this time and he played with his nose ring distractedly.

The first moment I saw the mating bond in your mind, I knew you were Cal's mate. He could feel you were close by while he was in the prison. The bond for him showed up shortly after you arrived at the university. He asked me to find his mate, whoever they were. And there I was, stumbling across the bond. He gave a short humorless laugh. I should have known. You were drawn to the island, to him, long before I put the pieces together. Of course, by then, I had already... it doesn't matter. The only thing that matters now, is that you realize that you didn't choose this. Didn't choose either of us.

I held back tears by biting my tongue. A question that had been eating at me forced its way out. Where do mates come from? Who decides?

I wish I knew so I could have some words with them. His voice dropped low threateningly, and my toes curled at the octave. I agreed with him, finding the act of mates cruel so far.