gradually die in a manner not unlike starvation.
Sevrrn’s lair, more specifically, the lake within his lair, was situated over a soft spot, a place where the fabric between the worlds thinned. It not only facilitated travel between the two realms, but also made it so that he could siphon enough aether to comfortably sustain himself.
“So you were just going to leave me…for a whole month?”
Madja’s question brought his wandering mind back to reality. A strange feeling stirred in his chest as he looked upon her dejected expression. Why was she looking at him like that?
“Do not worry. There will be a barrier in the lair. No one will be able to penetrate it. You will be safe.” When that didn’t seem to cheer her up, he added, “I will also make sure you have plenty of food before I go.”
Madja opened her mouth, looking as though she were about to say something. Then, she bit down on her lip and gave a small nod before rolling over. Sevrrn stared at her back, the feeling in his chest expanding and intensifying.
Would you die for me?
No .
That was where this had all begun. Since that day, two weeks ago, Madja hadn’t been the same.
What had she expected him to say? Had she wanted him to lie to her?
He had known Madja for less than half a year. Somehow, she was already the biggest part of his life, yet she was just that—a part of his life. As she had said herself, she was only twenty-five. There were gods, true gods , that were younger than him. In terms of logic alone, her existence was wholly insignificant when stacked against his own. How could she possibly expect him to give his life up for hers?
If anyone should be angry, it should be him.
But he wasn’t.
He was something else.
The feeling inside of him spread further still, weighing him down like a blanket of lead.
Sadness? Too vague.
Depression? Too deep.
Melancholy …
Yes, perhaps that was the one.
2
Chapter Two
M adja dreamed of chicken soup . She lay in her four-poster bed, propped up by a half-dozen pillows, as her father carefully spooned the soup into her waiting mouth. The broth was just as she liked it: extra pepper, but easy on the salt. The onions were finely chopped so as not to compete with the chunks of juicy, succulent chicken. She could still smell the delicious soup long after she’d awoken and hauled herself out of bed.
It was the first time since she’d known him that Sevrrn had allowed her to sleep in. Judging by the position of the sun, which she could just barely see through the hole in the top of the mountain, it was some time after noon. She wanted to believe that oversleeping had made her lethargic, but her stuffy nose and scratchy throat heralded a cold.
She found Sevrrn waiting patiently for her, not too far from the lake. There were a few random objects arrayed in front of him, presumably awaiting her appraisal.
There was something off about the snags in his white-gold hair, which was usually groomed with meticulous precision. She also noticed that his scaled robe was slightly uneven, exposing a large section of his muscular chest. Madja was glad that she wasn’t feeling well, thus making it easier to keep up the pretense that she wasn’t impossibly attracted to him.
“You shouldn’t have let me sleep so late,” she said, coming to sit beside him.
Sevrrn’s gaze swept over her, his mouth curling with evident disapproval. “I tried to wake you. Twice. The second time, you slapped me.”
He pointed to his cheek, presumably where she had struck him, but any evidence that would implicate her had long since faded. Madja pressed her lips together so as not to grin.
“I don’t remember that at all.” Her words were quickly followed by a sneeze that sent a bolt of discomfort racing up her skull.
“Are you ill?” he asked.
“It’s nothing,” Madja said with a small wave of her hand. “Just a little cold. I must have picked it up when we went to town.”
His eyes widened. “Where?
Sevrrn’s lair, more specifically, the lake within his lair, was situated over a soft spot, a place where the fabric between the worlds thinned. It not only facilitated travel between the two realms, but also made it so that he could siphon enough aether to comfortably sustain himself.
“So you were just going to leave me…for a whole month?”
Madja’s question brought his wandering mind back to reality. A strange feeling stirred in his chest as he looked upon her dejected expression. Why was she looking at him like that?
“Do not worry. There will be a barrier in the lair. No one will be able to penetrate it. You will be safe.” When that didn’t seem to cheer her up, he added, “I will also make sure you have plenty of food before I go.”
Madja opened her mouth, looking as though she were about to say something. Then, she bit down on her lip and gave a small nod before rolling over. Sevrrn stared at her back, the feeling in his chest expanding and intensifying.
Would you die for me?
No .
That was where this had all begun. Since that day, two weeks ago, Madja hadn’t been the same.
What had she expected him to say? Had she wanted him to lie to her?
He had known Madja for less than half a year. Somehow, she was already the biggest part of his life, yet she was just that—a part of his life. As she had said herself, she was only twenty-five. There were gods, true gods , that were younger than him. In terms of logic alone, her existence was wholly insignificant when stacked against his own. How could she possibly expect him to give his life up for hers?
If anyone should be angry, it should be him.
But he wasn’t.
He was something else.
The feeling inside of him spread further still, weighing him down like a blanket of lead.
Sadness? Too vague.
Depression? Too deep.
Melancholy …
Yes, perhaps that was the one.
2
Chapter Two
M adja dreamed of chicken soup . She lay in her four-poster bed, propped up by a half-dozen pillows, as her father carefully spooned the soup into her waiting mouth. The broth was just as she liked it: extra pepper, but easy on the salt. The onions were finely chopped so as not to compete with the chunks of juicy, succulent chicken. She could still smell the delicious soup long after she’d awoken and hauled herself out of bed.
It was the first time since she’d known him that Sevrrn had allowed her to sleep in. Judging by the position of the sun, which she could just barely see through the hole in the top of the mountain, it was some time after noon. She wanted to believe that oversleeping had made her lethargic, but her stuffy nose and scratchy throat heralded a cold.
She found Sevrrn waiting patiently for her, not too far from the lake. There were a few random objects arrayed in front of him, presumably awaiting her appraisal.
There was something off about the snags in his white-gold hair, which was usually groomed with meticulous precision. She also noticed that his scaled robe was slightly uneven, exposing a large section of his muscular chest. Madja was glad that she wasn’t feeling well, thus making it easier to keep up the pretense that she wasn’t impossibly attracted to him.
“You shouldn’t have let me sleep so late,” she said, coming to sit beside him.
Sevrrn’s gaze swept over her, his mouth curling with evident disapproval. “I tried to wake you. Twice. The second time, you slapped me.”
He pointed to his cheek, presumably where she had struck him, but any evidence that would implicate her had long since faded. Madja pressed her lips together so as not to grin.
“I don’t remember that at all.” Her words were quickly followed by a sneeze that sent a bolt of discomfort racing up her skull.
“Are you ill?” he asked.
“It’s nothing,” Madja said with a small wave of her hand. “Just a little cold. I must have picked it up when we went to town.”
His eyes widened. “Where?
Similar Books
