The Son of Thunder

Chapter Fifteen

FYI, there are some mature parts in this chapter.

"Son," Rhysya cried out. "Lightening!"

Lightening halted when she called him this. He'd told her his name ages ago. He thought she'd forgotten. Or hadn't been listening at all. Breakfast was being cleared and the others had already departed for their duties. They hadn't spoken all morning, but only they noticed.

"Do you prefer Lightening?"

"It's what I'm called."

She must have heard the others address him this way.

"Lightening, will you go for a walk with me?"

"That's not a good idea." He headed for his office. He had piles of scrolls to go through, but Shawna repeatedly reminded him that Rhysya's safety was his first priority. She gave him leave to be lax in his duties to attend to her.

Rhysya grabbed his arm. "You've been avoiding me."

"Rhysya," he said, trying to be delicate, "our relationship has turned in an unexpected direction and it would be best if we spent time apart until we're able to place ourselves on a more suitable path."

"You kissed me. It is all I can think about, but now you ignore me. If you didn't want our relationship to be on this path, you shouldn't have kissed me."

Lightening shifted his eyes. Guards were busy with other duties and weren't lingering in the hall. His cheeks darkened and the scant torches only made him more frightening. "I didn't mean to do that." Again, he checked that no one listened. "If you insist on continually spending time with me, I may touch you in ways I don't intend—ways you won't like."

"I'm not asking for you to touch me. I'm asking you to talk to me."

Lightening sighed, a growl under his breath. He dragged her by the arm. Rhysya's face scrunched up as she jerked from him.

"I can walk without assistance. Be kind to me. I've done you no harm."

Lightening stared at her, his eyes dull and his expression blank. He could have spent days disputing that claim. Rhysya imagined him glaring at her. She pictured him with tawny eyes with a hint of green mixed through, like Shawna's.

"You may lead, since you abhor being led," he said. She would choose the path to Crystal Lake. It was the only way she knew.

Rhysya shook the anger from the center of her body to her fingertips. They were well beyond Thundonia when she pestered, "Why are you being cross with me?"

Lightening was numb and it was pointless to explain it.

"What have I done?" She exposed her desperation and stupidity. Lightening stopped his ears against Yuanshi's words. "I asked you to walk with me because I wished to talk with you. Will you please speak with me?"

"You wanted to talk to me. You did not ask me to respond."

"Women are not psychic by sex," she said. "Women have developed intuition because men like you won't talk to us."

"Like me?" He turned to her, his mouth dangling. "You ignore me. I may as well talk to myself."

Rhysya pulled her lower lip into her mouth, chewed on it. "I didn't realize—"

"You don't listen."

The trees grew high around them, leaves green and grass and weeds at their feet. Shrubbery was thick. The forest around Crystal Lake wasn't wild as some, but a tender wood with small creatures making sweet sounds and the sun dimly lighting the area.