Bleeding Ink

Chapter 9

Chapter 9

It had been a very, very long time since Dessa felt this calm, this at peace.  Five years to be exact.  Ever since Elys left. 

Maybe it was just being secured in his arms, her cheek pressed against his chest, breathing him in, hands gripping the muscles of his back, but she desperately missed him.  Missed his smile and laugh, missed how they could be both silly and serious with one another, even missed the way he smelled.  Sandalwood and citrus, that's what it was. 

Missing him was what made her start crying as he held her, pressing his face to her hair as if he were breathing her in, holding her even tighter as if he'd missed her just as much, too. 

Dessa whimpered and sniffled, not wanting to let go. 

"Are you crying?" Elys asked her, trying to lean back so he could look at her face, but she just hid herself before he could see. 

"No," she grumbled against him.  "I'm just tired and yet you won't let me sleep."

"I think you're lying to me, Dessa Jai."

"Never."

Elys's deep chuckle reverberated through her as his hands smoothed slowly up her back, making her shiver with warmth.  Finally, though, she allowed him to push her back enough to look at her, see her tears streaming as he wiped them away with his fingertips, give her a teasing smile even as she glared at him.

"See?" Elys said softly, eyes roaming every feature.  "You're lying to me.  I thought you knew not to lie to a Seer?"

"I thought you knew not to say too much anymore, even with those damn Seer abilities?"

He had the nerve to wink.  "Rambling is a specialty of mine, you know."

"Oh, I know.  And it gives me a headache when you do, especially when you say far too much at one time for someone to process."

"Never."

Dessa's smile stretched across her face as she brought both hands up to cover his.  "Hi, Elys."

"Hi, Dessa," Elys said to her again.  "And by the way you're still holding me, I guess you missed me a little?"

"Just a little," she laughed, wiggling closer, practically curling herself into him.  "You could have come home in these last five years, you know."

Giving her a breathtaking smile in return, Elys touched his forehead against hers for a moment before pulling back, though he kept his face close.  Gods, she missed those mismatched blue eyes.  "I missed you, too," he told her.  "You could have come with Lyv and Jai to see me, though I heard you found excuses not to."

"From visions or my parents?" 

"Both."

"That's what I get for starting university at sixteen.  Barely any social life."

"Oh, I'm definitely sure that's not true."

"Visions?"

This time, he threw his head back and laughed.  "Jai, actually.  He likes to complain about your many male suitors and tells me I need to help in keeping them away.  Of course, I agreed."

Dessa grumbled, turning her head to glare down the hallway at her parents' closed door.  "Annoying, overly protective Fae males, the both of you."

Elys laughed again as he took a step back, though his hand quickly secured around hers as he started walking them down the hallway.  Dessa wasn't going to complain about how he was pulling her away from bed and sleep, though.  She stared at him as he lifted their conjoined hands to his lips, kissing her knuckles.  The show of affection made her face flame and heart fluttered in her chest.