AllFreeNovel
Share Us
He looked at me skeptically before he fumbled with the word. “Dea…death.”
“You just said ‘death’.” I sat back on my heels.
Listen and you shall learn.
The memory of Kleio’s words replayed in my head over andover.
“Oh shit.” My voice was barely a whisper. I looked up at Ryker and grabbed his face before leaning forward to kiss his head, smiling when I pulled back. “I know how to translate it.”
“You mean to tell me that one of your abilities, given to you by Kleio, is being able to understand languages when they’respokento you?” Nikan rubbed the sleep from his eyes the next morning. He stood from his large bed in one of the guest suites he had been occupying just down the hall from Malina’s.
“Yes. That’s exactly what I’m saying.”
I walked over to the window and pulled back the drapes to let in the morning light, which brightened the room enough that I could see the symbolic tattoos of the Atara Nation across his back. Nikan went to the wardrobe and pulled a shirt over his head.
“Well, that’s awfully fucking convenient,” he mumbled under his breath.
“What is that supposed to mean?”
He closed his eyes and sighed deeply. I could tell he was holding back. “Nothing. Never mind. If you really think you can understand it and translate it, then I’ll take your word for it. But don’t you think it’s a bit odd that you can understand this one particular language?”
“It’s not just this one. Ryker and I tested it with other languages that I don’t know, earlier this morning, and when spoken to me I hear them as if they were spoken in the common tongue.”
“You’re an aligist? You can understand any language spoken to you?”
I nodded. “Another one of Kleio’s gifts.”
“Then I suppose our work here is done.” Nikan leaned against the wardrobe with his arms crossed.
“Who?”
“Mal and I. Our mission was to help you find the book and help you to get it translated so that you could solve the Glaev. You’ve been successful, without our help, might I add, so Mal and I will still go back to Morah.”
“But you can still stay here to help me. I haven’t solved it yet.” A pang of sadness knocked in my chest.
“We’re still Roav, Kya. We swore a life oath. I think you get a pass on it since you’re Worthy now and mate to a Lord, but that doesn’t apply to me and Mal.”
“I know that, but Ryker would let you—”
“We’re not citizens of Oryn. We’re not citizens ofanywhere. We made the oath and we will not break it. We’re going home.”
“Morah has never been home and you damn well know it.” My voice began to shake with fury and agony. The wordhomenever elicited anything other than bitterness from me.
“How can you say that? You’ve lived there practically your entire life. Your nightmares are your only memories of—”
“Do not compare the longevity of our lives there as justification. Just because you were there longer than I was doesn’t make it any less mine than it does yours—” I was yelling.
“Kya…” Malina’s voice cut in. I felt her and Ryker behind me but I ignored them. Tears began to stream down my hot cheeks.
“—or maybe you just don’t care anymore becauseyouhave no one left from there whereas Mal and I do.”
“Don’t you dare say that I don’t care! The Glaev took my entire fucking family, and I’ve had to live with that every day since. But I’ve moved on, I found a new family, a new home.Why do you think I’m so godsdamn protective of you and Mal and Eamon?”
“Enough.” Ryker’s deep voice rumbled through the room.
“Nik. Let’s take a walk,” Malina said from the doorway behind me.
We continued to hold each other’s stare until Nikan reluctantly stepped around me and walked out the door.
