A Storm of Chaos (The Hunter Legacy #1)

Chapter Thirteen

After the meal, Felix had escorted Kaya to her rooms when he noticed exhaustion taking hold of her once more. He had a miraculous way of disarming tension, especially tension created by Addius, although Kaya would admit that Addius had relaxed enough at dinner she could see a glimmer of the possibility that he might prove to be decent company.

She had also realised, following the brief exchanges she experienced, that whilst the manor seemed quiet, almost empty, those of the manor's household were like a family, and it was the last thought on her mind before she drifted off to sleep.

Kaya had, however, intended to wake at dawn the next morning and make her way into town, but that particular plan had failed.

There had been extenuating circumstances of course, one of which being the bed Kaya hadn't had the heart to move from. She had pulled aside the silk curtains to see the window and watched as white, plush clouds trailed the blue sky and birds zipped past. She hadn't had the chance to truly marvel at the bed when she had first woken yesterday morning, not when her mind had been too distracted by the situation, and so when she had finally crawled into the bed the softness of the sheets, the comfort of the mattress and the silk cushions, had dragged her into sleep before she could even consider keeping up her guard.

She did, of course, sleep with her dagger beneath the pillows.

Now, lying beneath the sunlight, Kaya thought about the hovel she called home in Klave. It paled in comparison to the bedroom alone, and when Kaya thought about returning to that hovel and the life it related to she felt her chest tighten in way that had nothing to do with Chaos.

Kaya's sleep hadn't been entirely perfect, though. She had woken up in the middle of the night upon Chaos sensing Reapers again, and they had been much closer than she would have expected them to be in such a magically-protected country. Chaos had thrummed with the desire to meet those Reapers, to destroy them as its very nature demanded it to do, but Kaya had kept it sealed. She had sat in bed for an hour, until finally the feeling had subsided.

Burying her face against the pillows, Kaya stayed in bed until her stomach grumbled for food. When it did, she dragged herself from the blankets and gently rolled her shoulder and lifted her arm to test her wound, surprised once again at how quickly it was healing thanks to the miracle salve used on it. After, she splashed water on her face and then dressed in another set of fresh clothes Suriel had placed for her last night before Kaya had collapsed into bed.

The light tunic was of emerald green, and above it Kaya laced a corset of darker green, while black riding breeches fitted her perfectly and tucked into leather boots that appeared brand new. She also found a cloak hanging off the back of the bedroom door, which she wrapped around her shoulders, clasping it together at her neck by a gold broach. And, of course, Kaya didn't forget to slide her dagger down the side of her boot.

As if the sisters were attuned to Kaya's movements, breakfast had already been laid out across the table in the drawing room when Kaya stepped out – and Noah was by the window, drenched in sunlight as he waited for her. The sisters shuffled out of the drawing room, and with an easy smile Noah gestured toward the table.

Breakfast was a variety of warm pastries, fruit platters and freshly toasted bread with an array of jams. Kaya didn't hesitate to slide into one of the chairs and begin piling her plate.

'Where are your two shadows?' she asked as Noah came toward the table, plucking a handful of grapeberries from the bowl in front of him.

'Addius took it upon himself to intervene in a minor dispute at the marketplace this morning, and knowing Addius' poor social skills Felix took it upon himself to intervene in Addius' intervening,' Noah explained, smiling wryly.