Chapter Forty-Two

Kal

Iris didn’t wake up until the next morning. By that time, I’d managed to debrief everyone, eat, and get some sleep myself. I was making breakfast when I heard a stampede of footsteps, and a golden tornado hit my back, hugging, punching, and yelling.

“Kallen Deacon!” Iris shouted. “What the hell is going on?”

“Good morning,” I said, twisting and facing down the angry blonde tornado. Her eyes were back to brown, but I thought I saw gold sparks lighting in them. “What’s wrong?”

“How did we get back here? What happened?”

“Eat,” I said, turning around and picking up a plate.

“Kal, I—”

“You need to eat,” I interrupted. “Beylore said you’re going to have weird energy ebbs and flows over the next few days. Most Riftborn gradually come into their gifts. You woke them all up at once, so you need to be careful.” She was scowling at me when I handed her a plate. “Go sit, and I’ll come in and tell you everything.”

Once we were both at the table, Iris listened intently as I told her everything she’d missed. It wasn’t much. We’d swept the beach, taken Versk with us to be further examined, and sent messages to warn the Greyclaw, as well as patrols with the Greyclaws who hadn’t turned against Norson, only followed him. Norson’s body was given back to the territory. Now that I knew Lind had been in his head, I felt a surge of pity and sadness for the fool. He’d never seen it coming.

All we could hope was that Lind’s poison could be checked, and the territory could be saved.

We’d also sent out patrols looking for Lind. We’d also sent runners and messages to the other territories, as well as the Tiselk.

"We also put out the word to look for Tiani," I said. "I'm sure we'll find her."

"Hm," Iris said. "I've been wondering about that." She held up Tiani's ring. "In that moment when Reagan held onto me, I got a glimpse of what might have happened, and something about it didn't strike me until now."

“Which was?”

“Lind’s hatred for Tiani—it was personal. I could feel it. There were layers of jealousy and frustration all packed down.” Her eyes met mine. “Years of them.”

“What does that mean?”

“It means I don’t know if Tiani got away or was let go.” The gold in her eyes deepened, and the brown began to splinter into blue and gold. “If she was kidnapped at all.”

“Iris,” I said gently and took her hand. “Let’s not jump to conclusions.”

“I love her like a sister, but she had her demons.”

“Who doesn’t?” I rubbed a thumb over her knuckles. “Don’t condemn her because of Lind.”

“I’m not; I’m just worried.” With a deep breath, Iris smiled at me and nodded. “You’re right. It’s probably just the shock and motion of everything over the past twenty-four hours. My body feels like I should still be running or moving. I have so much energy, I feel like I could run around all day and not get tired. Doesn’t help that all my thoughts seem too bright.”

Taking her hand, I pressed a kiss on her palm and wondered if I should leave this for another day. Iris relaxed, and her other hand skimmed my hair.

“I know,” she said.

My entire body tensed, and I blew out a breath. “About what we had to do to stop you from dying?” I asked and lifted my head, a little uncertain. I pushed my chair closer. I’d opted to sit next to her instead of across from her, and was glad I had. “Iris, I’m sorry. I wish I’d told you sooner.”

Iris had never looked so beautiful to me as she did now, tipping her head and letting the sun rush over her curls. Every honey-hued tint reaching for me. Seeing her now, knowing her, only deepened the impression and made my breath catch.

“I didn’t mean to trespass in your head,” Iris said. “But when Reagan amplified me, I was connected to you, and I saw it. Your conflicts, your regrets, and everything else. Don’t feel guilty, Kal. You saved me. In fact, you might be the reason I was able to fully realize my Riftborn abilities.” Her fingers drifted up my cheek, and she smiled. “You set me free in so many ways.”

“No, you did that yourself.”

“Fine, team effort,” she said with a laugh. “But you did keep back Lind’s darkness.”

She kissed me then, slowly and deeply. I leaned into her, inhaling her sweet caramel, her tang of salt, and that spice of magic she had to her. When I pulled back, I felt almost drunk and shook my head to clear it.

After, quietly, we cleaned up, and Iris went to go check on the book in the study. I followed her, leaning on the door and watching as the pages ruffled in greeting as she walked over.

“Orion tried to erase this,” she said quietly. “He didn’t want Riftborn like me to learn. All along, I wanted those answers, and they were hidden from me. From everyone.” Her shoulders set. “Now I need to work on getting them back. I wonder if there’s more.”

“You’ll figure it out. And I’ll help,” I said.

“I suppose I can believe you this time,” Iris said, and I came up behind her, grabbing her waist, making her laugh as I spun her around and lifted her to sit on the table. “I—”

Iris didn’t get to finish, as I captured her lips with mine. At first, it was playful, but it became desperate as my mind flickered back to the knife’s edge we’d walked yesterday, the way my chest had buckled with anguish when I’d thought I’d never see her again, and the uncertainty of it all. We’d walked away relatively unscathed, but it had still been too close. A shudder went through me.

“Kal.” Iris broke away, and her eyes were troubled. One hand slipped up and touched my face. “May I…?” I nodded, though not without slight trepidation. “Close your eyes.”

Memories rose up. The metallic tang of fear and pain that was lost in an upswing of relief and fluttering nerves. I saw Iris and myself, the first time we met, but experienced her tumble of feelings. Her immediate sense of the world having been righted, her amusement and embarrassment, her hope.

And her love, shining in her eyes, not yet recognized.

It grew and expanded, as we traveled together, especially that stormy night. She’d had no fear at all in snuggling up to me. I’d thought she had, but it was only nerves and excitement.

There were more images and impressions. Her appreciation for the study, her joy at spending time with me and stumbling into the depths of her feelings at the barn. More and more, her love growing and growing. Until I came back to myself, heart and eyes full.

“In case you didn’t know,” Iris said, and her voice shook, her own eyes full. “I love you, Kallen Deacon. I love you more every day. And I don’t care if I never stop falling, harder and harder. In fact, I hope I do.”

“You wouldn’t be alone,” I said in a ragged voice. “God, I love you, Iris.”

I kissed her again and again, murmuring it between them. Iris did, too.

We were getting lost in each other when Iris pushed me back a little and made a face.

“I need to take a shower.” I glanced down at her, and her smile curved up.

A brush of her fingers against mine sent a jolt of heat and delirious, nerve-snapping images through me.

"You can do that, too?" I asked, raising an eyebrow and trying not to lose it right there.

“Maybe,” Iris said slyly. “We should probably establish some rules about my gifts. I promise I won’t ever poke around or read you without permission. It might happen accidentally, though.”

“Don’t worry about it,” I said and kissed her. “Although surprises might be hard.”

“You were planning on surprising me?” Iris asked.

“Now I am,” I said and swung her into my arms.

“Where are we going?” she asked, and I glanced down at her, smirking. I wanted to test out a little theory of mine, and so I thought about what I’d do when I joined her in the shower upstairs. Those high cheeks flooded with a satisfying shade right on cue, and she made a choking, laughing sound as I left the study. “Kal!”

“Did you say you had energy to burn off?” I asked.

Iris leaned up, looping her arms around my neck and kissing me. When she pulled back, her eyes were bright and happy. Then they glinted with amusement. “Why did you stop?”

And with Iris laughing in my arms, I took the steps two at a time, the weight of the world finally beginning to lift from my shoulders.

If Orion came back, we would deal with him. We would find a way. And he should be scared of us, because he didn't have what we had—the connections, the family, and the love, strengthened by our shared past and our hopes for the future.

A future to look forward to. I’d learned to stop looking at the world from a great and impossible distance, to stop cutting myself off from it in order to save it. Any further, and I’d risk losing why it deserved to be saved in the first place.

Besides, my future was right here in my arms, laughing and chattering at me. Iris. She lit up each day and savored each moment. Open-hearted and present, deserving my undivided attention.

 

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