Enslaved

Chapter 22

Ryuu's breath felt stuck in his throat as he thought about everything that she had told him. Her mother had been brutally tortured before dying in front of her when she was only a child. Ryuu shuddered at that but couldn't help the feeling of hope that filled him knowing that Kaida had felt the same thing he had when they had first met. Maybe she didn't know what it was yet but she had felt it too, Ryuu hadn't been mistaken. Ryuu slowly pulled his wings back and folded them tightly as he slid Kaida off his lap and stood from the bed, shoving his yearning to keep her close away. He had to ask her about what the hybrid spy had said to her before he had killed him. Kaida's mismatched eyes followed him as he lit the oil lamp once more, the black scales lining her cheekbones in a delicate yet complicated design flashing with the light. He had not seen any other design that came even close to hers but he supposed that a lot about her was unique to him, since she was his mate. He walked back over to her and brushed off the imaginary dirt on his pants before straightening and closing off his expression.

"Remember why I asked you to come in here?" He held in his cringe at the sharp cold of his voice, willing some warmth into it. "Before you fell asleep in my bed?"

He saw her eyes flash with both surprise and embarrassment and she slid back to the edge of the bed, swinging her legs over the edge and folding her wings on her back, carefully arranging the scarred ends on the mattress. His gaze flicked to the large scar that stretched across her left wing for a second before going back to her face. Her eyes flicked up to him again and his chest stirred with happiness at the small glimmer of life that shone in her eyes that had appeared after he had told her he would always protect her. It was hope, he had to believe that. He had to believe that he could help her to be able to truly smile again.

"Something about the hybrid that attacked me?" Her melodious voice dragged him out of his thoughts. "You had questions?"

He nodded, meeting her mismatched eyes again.

"He said something to you before I arrived, am I right?" Ryuu asked. "I believe I noticed him speak to you before I... disposed of him."

She winced at his words but kept her eyes on him, that small glimmer of light in her eyes flickering as she thought.

"Something about how the Emperor knew about me because of my eyes." Her voice was tight and her eyebrows furrowed slightly as she thought. "And that he wanted the 'different eyed hybrid' to be brought back to the castle and that if I did anything to refuse him that they would hurt Valik."

Ryuu's ears buzzed. How did they know about Kaida? She had only been in his camp for less than a day. His heart lurched when he realized there was only one way they knew about her so quickly: there was a spy in his camp. Ryuu's eye twitched with anger as he stared at Kaida. She sprung off the bed, her knees buckling when she landed on the floor but she stayed standing, her wings taller than she was.

"What happened to Valik?" Her voice was breathless and anxious, as if she had just remembered. "Is he okay?"

Ryuu winced, not being able to hide it this time.

"He's downstairs." Ryuu said, keeping his voice level. "But he was badly hurt. Last I was down there, Vivia was stitching him up."

Kaida's eyes shuttered and that glimmer of hope guttered, sending icicles shooting through Ryuu's veins. She moved around him and out the door without another word, Ryuu following her after a second and down the stairs, turning to the left at the bottom and stopping in the entrance way to the living room. He knew he should question her more but he couldn't find it in himself. If there was any information that he needed, he would ask her later. After she checked on her friend. Faint light shone in the windows from the rising sun and Ryuu felt his eyes throb from staying up all night after two raids and the attack on his camp.

Kaida was sitting on the coffee table, both of her hands holding onto Valik's left hand, his other hand motionless from the sword wound through both his tendon and wing muscle. Ryuu heard the door open and turned, coming face to face with Kajeel who looked tired but relieved. His eyes flashed to Kaida and Valik before going back to Ryuu's face, shutting the door behind him and scrubbing a hand down his face.

"There were no other spies in the camp." He said, keeping his voice quiet from Kaida. "And everybody is either ready or helping others to get ready for the move today. Any injured are going to be carried and I told everyone that breakfast will be delayed by two hours so they can be completely ready to leave directly after eating."

Ryuu nodded, his eyes suddenly dry and drooping. He felt more than drained and he blinked a few times, forcing his eyes to remain open and his thoughts to remain clear. Now was no time to fall asleep, not when the whole camp and his soulmate needed him at full capacity.

"That's good to hear." Ryuu shot a glance over his left shoulder to where Kaida still sat with Valik before looking back to Kajeel and heading for the door. "I need to debrief the night watch."

Kajeel caught Ryuu's left shoulder and stopped him, causing Ryuu to glare sideways at him, asking him with his eyes what he thought he was doing.

"Ryuu, you can't." Kajeel said. "Besides, I already have."

Ryuu bared his teeth at him and let a low snarl loose from his throat, his eyes now aching. Why had he gotten so tired so suddenly?

"This is my job," Ryuu growled at his second. "I have to be the one to debrief the night watch and check around the camp before we leave. Not my second."

Kajeel's fingers dug into Ryuu's shoulder painfully before he roughly pushed him back to the stairs, causing Ryuu to stumble due to exhaustion before he regained his footing.

"Ryuu, I'm going to be brutally honest with you." Kajeel placed himself in front of the door and crossed his arms, his wings fluffing up slightly as he glared into Ryuu's eyes. "You look like shit. I know you haven't slept in probably two days and, as you so eloquently said, you need to lead a whole rebellion. You need to sleep, man."

Ryuu rubbed his eyes tiredly, sighing sharply through his nose before glaring back up at Kajeel and opening his own wings slightly.

"I am the leader. Regardless of how tired I am, I have to lead."

This time Kajeel snarled, a fierce expression crossing his features as the sound ripped from his throat, grating on Ryuu's ears.

"No, you don't. That is why you assigned a second in command, Ryuu. Go to sleep. It's just until we leave in two hours. You can't lead if you can't walk straight or even get off the ground."

Ryuu stared at his second in command, looking at the friend who had helped him for over a decade and knew he was right. Kajeel only wanted what was best for both him and the rebellion, he always had. He looked to his left around the wall to where Kaida sat with Valik, her gaze on them with wide eyes before he looked back to Kajeel with serious eyes and sighed.

"Keep my people safe." He growled out. "Do not make me regret this."

He saw the hurt flicker through his friend's eyes but blocked it out as he whirled around and ascended back up the stairs towards his room, shutting the door sharply behind him. He blew out the light and navigated by the dim light of the dawn into his bed, pulling the covers over him and laying on his side facing the wall, his wings stretched out over the rest of the bed comfortably.

He took a deep breath and blinked in surprise at the smell of wildflowers and snow that greeted his senses; fresh, beautiful, and crisp. His breathing eased immediately and his heart thundered when he realized that it was Kaida's scent from earlier, one he hadn't sensed on her until now. A smile filtered across his face silently as his eyes slid closed and he fell asleep breathing in the scent of his soulmate.