The Missing Piece

Keepers

Edited

22 months later

Kayden

       Though it had been nearly a year sense I'd gotten my Illyrian tattoos, I still admired them every time I looked at myself. I'd done the Blood Rite not long after I met Elena. My mate. I also still loved saying that. My mate.

       We'd visit each other, going back and forth between our worlds, close to every other day. Although, despite her letting me talk to her in her mind, I wish I could see her more.

Unfortunately, she hasn't been to Prythian in a few days. And I've been to busy helping my Family and court get ready for the Solstice in a few days so I haven't had the time to go see Elena in Erilea. Today though. Today my parents asked why they haven't seen her in a while and when I told them it took less then a hour for them to clear my day.

It was still pretty early, but I made no hesitation as I came up to my room to change to go spend the day with my mate.

After changing and grabbing some breakfast, I stepped out into Valaris and shot of into the air and headed for the cave.

I'd started timing how fast I got to the portal a months years ago and this was one of the fastest yet. I almost missed the cave entrance and would've ended up with a black eye from the impact with the stone. I'm glad none of the other Illyrians in my family were here or would never live this down.

Even my little cousin, Faren, wouldn't have let me forget it. And she's six! Though even at this age you could tell she has Aunt Nesta's short fuse and Uncle Cassian's cockiness.

I shook my head at my own thoughts as I tucked my wings behind me walked down to the other end of the cave.

Letting my eyes adjust to the darkness, I pressed my palm to the imprint in the cool stone. I waited with my hand heated slightly and that little thing reached out and into me. It trailed through my arm, skittering along my bones until it found the pit of magic at my core. But it only brushed lightly against my power before quickly retreating. The stone heated further as my print glowed a deep purple-black that spread over the runes and eventually enveloping the stone wall entirely.

       I hardly had time to pull my arm back before I stepped through. Just one step and I was in Erilea.

       I could hardly take it anymore, I wanted to see her. I waited until the portal began closing before running at full speed to the snow covered forest outside of the cave and pushing off into the cold winter air.

       It only took a moment to fly to the castle, but finding the castle and finding Elena were two very different things. I silently landed in her bedroom window but only to find she wasn't here. Closing my eyes, I let my magic unspool and weave through the castle until—

       There.

       I winnowed to directly to her to find myself surrounded by towering shelves of old books. The library. Elena was a only a few feet away with a tower of books and scanning over the top one.

         She didn't see me.

       I smirked to myself and crept up behind her on silent feet.

       I grabbed her waist and spun her, causing her to drop everything she was holding. She must have really not noticed me because she cried out. Or, at least tried to as I brought my mouth over hers.