Chapter 21: Alkan - Fated to the Night King

I awoke early, the last rays of the sun still almost visible on the horizon as I made my way up to the watchtower's windows once more.

"Didn't expect you here so soon," said Danvers when I stepped inside.

"Neither did I."

"Hmm."

I glared at him. "What is that supposed to mean?"

"Just an observation." He pulled a notebook from his pocket and annotated something on the pages before stashing it away again. "More evidence is needed before I draw any conclusions."

"Speaking of conclusions, any progress to report?" I lean against the wall, my eyes trained on the twilight purple lining the clouds. It's beautiful. A sight I never expected to see. I can see why so many artists have tried to capture the experience in prose or song. Even on a canvas, it's not the same as seeing it in person.

"They're holding fast. I'm encouraged by the fact that none are worsening. Our infusions must be having some positive effect as we aren't seeing any deterioration."

"But no improvement, either?"

Danvers winced. "Not truly. I have an idea I'd like to try, but it would involve your new Source. Wasn't sure how you'd feel about that?"

"She would have to agree." I shrugged when he raised a brow in question. "I get the sense that, in the past, she's had a lot taken from her without her consent. I'd like to avoid doing that to her going forward."

"See, you do have a heart." I would've thrown something at him if I could. "Do you want to accompany me on these early rounds?"

"No. I shouldn't leave her alone for long. She's tied to the bed. I don't want her to wake up and hurt herself trying to undo the restraints."

I passed over the key, choosing to ignore his stunned look.

"Forgive me for saying this, but you actually tied her to the bed?"

"Don't get any ideas. It was for safety's sake, only." At his bemused expression, I added, as a reminder, "I told you, I confirmed she was here on Thalon's orders. I wasn't about to let her wander the castle unsupervised while I slept."

"You know what Gus would say if she heard about this."

Now it was my turn to wince. "Then don't tell her. I don't need a recitation of all the things she's done with Soren since they've met. I have to look the man in the eye when I see him."

Danvers gave a light laugh. "That is true."

I stepped closer to the window, the shadows longer with the sun's disappearance beneath the horizon. Stars had begun to appear, but the moon was already visible. I looked back toward the desolate villages where smoke had risen only a short time ago. Nothing stirred that I could sense at this distance. Even with the boost in sight and magic that the night's return gave me, I could feel those places were dead.

Home to nothing but ghosts.

"How are you feeling about it all?" The question surprised me. Even more so when he added, "Finding your Fated Soul. I thought you'd be happy. This could be a good thing for you, Alkan. For all of us."

I thought about the ghosts that waited on the other side of the border. People I'd seen face to face, had met, and they were dead because of me.

"And if she rejects that bond, Danvers? How would that be good for anyone? If she learns what we're doing here, the changes we're fighting to make, what would she do then?"

"You'll have to trust her at some point, you know. Can't keep her tied to a bed forever."

I grinned, turning back to face him.

"That is the best idea you've had in quite a while, my friend."

He held his hands up in surrender. "No. You cannot be serious."

Laughter rose between us, something we didn't get to do very often anymore. "It's promising, I have to say. It has a certain appeal when I think about it."

"Gus would kill me if she heard about this"

"I won't tell if you don't." I returned to the window, the darkness growing deeper and I felt more of its strength building within me. And with its power, I sent my focus through my castle, down the corridors I usually walked, back to my chambers, and the woman in my bed.

Still asleep.

The darkness wrapped around her like a cocoon, and she shifted under the bed coverings, as if she sensed my presence. The bond between us was fresh still, new, and not fully complete. That would be her choice to make.

But I couldn't deny the longing that pulsed within me that she might accept the connection. Welcome it, even.

'You'll have to trust her at some point, Alkan."

His voice was distant, but it was enough to pull me back to the room we stood in.

"Perhaps," I said. "For now, though, we both have jobs to do."

Then I followed the night's guidance, back to where I feared my heart already belonged.