Daughter of Tide and Illusion

Chapter 47

Chapter 47

Jai didn't even take the time to change out of his pajama pants once he brushed his teeth and pulled his hair up in a knot at the back of his head. After the night before, he needed to see Lyv. He'd gotten so used to being with her every morning over the last few weeks in Ayveri and then in the same cabin on the ship. And staying at Kalla's...well, it made him need to be beside her even more. Because Kalla was right. He didn't trust her when it came to his mate.

Gideon was just beginning to wake in one room on the opposite side of the hallway. The room across from Jai's was open, though. It was Thia's...but she wasn't anywhere inside.

Then Jai found her standing outside Gideon's door, hand raised to knock, dressed in leggings and a flowy top with thin straps over her shoulders, bare-footed and looking completely at ease.

And then dropped her hand all together when she saw Jai smirking from his own doorway.

"Good morning," he greeted, giving her a sly wink as he started toward her.

"Morning," she mumbled. "I was just...just going to see if Gideon wanted breakfast. I was going to start on it."

"Have you met the male before? Breakfast is his favorite meal of the day."

"Of course, I know that. You think the only thing I know about him is his love of annoying me?"

"That and that he's completely in love with you, too."

Thia clinched her teeth, narrowing her eyes.

"What are you two going on about?" Gideon asked, rubbing his face as he blinked down at her. "Food? Thia, you know food and flirting are two ways to my heart. And you've been doing marvelous at the flirting back here recently, too, I might add."

"Have I? I never would have known," she told him, rolling her eyes as he held out his arm for her and she looped hers through it without any hesitation.

"Because I'm so subtle?" he continued as they started walking down the hall, leaving Jai behind. "Don't even get me started on how you acted when all those females tried to get me to dance with them last night. You know you're the only one for me. But now, as for breakfast, though there's someone else I'd rather e-..."

Thia reached up and smacked the back of his head before he even finished that statement, making Jai snort out a laugh. Gideon let out a playful growl then before leaning down to pick her up and throw her over his shoulder before she even had the chance to run. She squealed with laughter, hitting his back with her fists, but he held her tight as he headed for the stairs.

Jai didn't follow, going back into his room to pull on his leather pants from the night before and throw a tunic over his shoulder instead of putting it on. His bare feet took him past the staircase leading down to the ground level, though. He knew most of these rooms were extras for guests, but there was one that had always seemed occupied whenever Jai would come to visit.

Now, it was empty.

Jai didn't touch anything as he walked inside, having found the door unlocked when he tried opening it. Two beds were on opposite sides of the large space. Female clothes were strewn across one bed as if she had been in a hurry to get out. But opposite her space was one that looked like it had hardly been used. The only evidence of someone there was the slightly ruffled sheets as if they'd sat down on the edge of the bed to put on boots. A desk sat in front of one window, covered in parchment and open, dried up ink bottles. A leather-bound book was open beside it, one filled with Escarrali history and turned to the page that first mentioned Lyv's father Bence.