“Orah, I have no idea how long you’ve been out there staring at the door, but please just come in.”

  Heat flushed across her face. He’d said he had to work, and she’d assumed that meant him leaving the manor. The door creaked as she pushed it open.

  “Hello,” she waved nervously.

  Roan was leaning back in his chair with his arms folded. His hair was tousled slightly, and his loose shirt clung to his body in all the right places. “To what do I owe this pleasure?” he asked, keeping his eyes locked on hers.

  Embarrassed by her inability to not stare at him, she replied, “I didn’t know you were home.”

  “So, you were breaking into my office while I was out?”

  “What?” she yelled, stepping back.

  His laugh echoed in the room and he slapped the top of his desk. “Orah, I’m joking. You should have seen your face. Were you wanting to use the library?”

  She turned her head to the doorway in the corner of the study. “Yes, I was hoping to dive into those books finally.”

  He motioned to the library. She had almost passed him when he brushed his hand against her arm. “There isn’t anything else I can help you with?” The touch was like a spark of electricity and the room instantly felt warm.

  Trying to avoid his gaze, she shook her head. “Uh. No. Just books.”

  He slid his hand into his pocket while he stood. “Let me show you around. I don’t have much organization set up in there.”

  She nodded in response, resisting the urge to touch where his hand had been. She walked through to the library, and every one of her senses knew just how closely he followed behind her. She paused in the middle of the room, unaware of where to go next.

  The library was as magnificent as she remembered. “I sit in here and admire it all at least once a week,” Roan said behind her. “There is almost no organization, but that area I’ve tried to keep more to our histories, whereas that area is probably more myth and legend, and that area has more fantastical stories.” She watched as he pointed out each section, completely enamored by the choices. “Take your pick.”

  He sat down on one of the large armchairs and watched as she approached a bookshelf. She kept her eyes focused on the books but sensed him following every step she took.

  “So many stories,” she whispered while she ran her hands along the rows. The books were beautiful, but she always believed any large collection of books was beautiful. Finally, she stopped and picked up a book that caught her eye, but when she saw the cover, she frowned.

  “What is it?” Roan asked.

  Holding up the book, she turned to him. “I can’t read this. I don’t know what language it’s in.” She glanced at the ring on her pinky. “Shouldn’t this ring help with that?”

  He stood. “I’m not sure. I think it may have been warded only for hearing and speaking. One second.” He crossed the room toward a desk tucked away in the back corner. The sounds of drawers opening, and their contents being shifted echoed across the room. “Ah! There we go!” He turned back to her, holding spectacles of some kind.

  Raising her brow, she cocked her head. “What’s that?”

  Roan walked back to her and held them out in front of him. “They’ll help you read any language you don’t know. My aunt gave them to me when she first noticed my love of reading. There are many old languages that don’t exist here anymore, but the books still do.”

  The spectacles were a silver color and small but had nothing to loop over the ears. “Do they just sit on my nose?” She glanced back at him, realizing he had moved closer. His legs were now pressed against hers. If she were to have stepped back, she would have bumped against his chest. She froze and turned her focus back to the book.

  He leaned forward, the heat of his chest warming her back. His smile brushed against her ear and he whispered. “Would you allow me to show you?”

  Words escaped her and she was sure she could have set the book in her hands aflame with how intently she stared at it. He pulled the spectacles up, placing each arm on either side of her head. Resting his elbows on her shoulders, he held the spectacles in her line of sight. She moved to glance back at him, but he shook his head while lowering his voice. “Don’t look at me. Stay focused on the book please.” Biting back a gasp, the hairs on her arms stood at the brush of his lips against her ear.

  “Okay,” she responded with a little squeak.

  Chuckling, he brought the spectacles closer to her face. Two thin silvery threads appeared on either side when he placed them on the bridge of her nose. The threads dangled to the side until he pulled them up and they looped around each ear. With wonder, she watched the words on the cover of the book slowly shift until she could read the title.

  Kings of Comas

  Volume 1

  She turned her head to Roan, the movement pushed her against him, and she gasped at the contact. “It’s pretty impressive, huh?” he said with a whisper, still keeping his lips close to her ear.

  She nodded. This was the kind of magic she wanted in her life. The histories she could learn; the stories she could live in; the worlds she could escape to. Clearing his throat, he stepped back. “That book, however, is not very impressive. A bunch of boring lineage talk.”

  Laughing, she set the book down. With the spectacles, she could spend every day in the library and never grow bored. She turned back to Roan, finding a smile on his face. “Please enjoy yourself today. I’m just on the other side of the wall if you need me.” Turning, he walked back to his study. She watched until he was out of her line of sight and then turned back to the books, unsure of where to begin.

  After searching for a bit, she found a book that wasn’t either some sort of estate ledger, history book, or genealogy account. Holding it to her chest, she tried to decide which seat called to her. The sun shone through the window as though welcoming her like a sleepy house cat and she smiled, picking one of the couches in the window. Pulling the large blanket draped over the couch onto her lap, she nestled in then held up the book. She pulled open the cover, ready for a day of escape.

  The First Queen

  This is the tale of the First Queen. Tellings have come to know her by many titles over many ages: The Great Queen, The Beloved Queen, The Lone Queen, but we will call her by her true title, a title with no embellishment. It was she that birthed Death into the world and claimed its power for her own. It was she who first ruled all of Comas. Before there was a Queendom to rule, she governed over all the living, and all the dead. Before kingdoms and The First Kings, before History, she was The First Queen . . .

  The hours quickly blurred together and Orah jumped when someone’s hand touched her shoulder. “I said your name a few times, but you were completely lost in the book,” Roan said.

  Blushing, she set the book on her lap. “It’s very interesting.”

  He leaned over. “Ah. I like that one. Imagining our world with a ruling Queen always sounded so much better than the long history of temperamental Kings we’ve had.”

  “It’s always been a King?” She sat up, adjusting her position to allow him to sit next to her. Roan motioned for the book.

  “Yes, unfortunately. I’m not sure why. It was a question I asked as a child and would pester my Father about. In response, he’d always ask me why I couldn’t just accept things as they were and why I had to always question everything.”

  Intrigued, she sat up straighter. “What else did you question?”

  “Oh everything. Why can’t I be something other than the God of Nyte or Daee? Why do my questions annoy him? Why does he send me to stay with my uncle so often?” His voice shifted to something far away, as though the memories were ones he usually preferred to ignore. “That last one would really make him angry. I think it was probably his guilt and shame that I was calling him out on it.”

  Staring at him for a moment, she cleared her throat. “I know you said that you were made the God of Night after losing the last challenge, but who was the God of Night before you?”

  “My uncle was the God of Nyte before me. It’s a bit convoluted, but when my Father’s Father died and my Father became King, my uncle became the God of Death. Every King of God’s life is bound to the God of Death. It was one of the stipulations of the challenge the Fates set. This means when the King dies, the God of Death dies, and the successor takes their place.”

  “That doesn’t answer how he was both the God of Night and God of Death. You said you only became the God of Night fifty years ago. If your Father is over one thousand years old then I assume your uncle is close in age, right?” Orah asked.

  “Yes, that’s right. To make a long story short, my Father became the King before either myself or my brother were born. When the King of Gods has no adult sons to assume the Godhoods of Daee and Nyte, the King of Gods and God of Death act as regent to the area until the sons take over. So essentially my uncle was both God of Death and Nyte and my Father was both King and God of Daee.”

  “But how does that work?”

  Roan shrugged. “Honestly, only the Fates know. My Father sent me to live with my uncle most of my childhood and well into my adult years. Until I officially came into my Godhood, my uncle preferred to live in his palace just outside of Iluna and only went to Shadus when he needed to for business.”

  She looked down at the book. “I understand difficult parental relationships.”

  Roan smacked his hands on his knees while he stood. “Well, I didn’t come in here to talk about difficult parents, I came in to see if you’re hungry.”

  Her stomach rumbled in response. “Uh, yeah. What time is it?”

  “About one o’clock.”

  She’d been in the library for hours and hadn’t realized it.

  “So, food or back to the book?” Roan asked, holding out his hand.

  His hand seemed to call to her, and something urged her to take it. Reaching up she gasped at the small zap between them when their hands touched. They both jumped.

  “Must be the blanket,” Orah said nervously.

  “Must be,” he replied as he pulled her up and off the couch.

  They walked hand in hand out of the library and through his office. The house felt empty as they walked down the hall.

  “Is Lahana gone for the day?” she asked as they walked through the kitchen doors.

  “Yes, she’ll probably be gone until after dinner. She’s taken it upon herself to help with the parts of planning my party that I don’t want to deal with.”

  Orah sat down at the table, watching as Roan moved about the kitchen gathering food. “You two are really close.” It wasn’t a question, and she knew she was prying a bit.

  “Yes, we are.” Crossing the room, Roan set a plate of food down on the table. She tensed as he slid onto the bench.

  “Why does she live with you?”

  He was quiet for a few moments before he replied, “She came to live with me when I became the God of Nyte. My Father is unbearable to live with and she prefers my company.”

  “I don’t have siblings, but from what I can see your relationship with her is what I would want if I had one.” Orah glanced over at him and found an emotion on his face she couldn’t decipher.

  He shook his head. “Yes, that is until you’ve seen her annoy me. Then you’ll feel thankful you don’t have to deal with that.”

  “Yeah, you’re probably right,” she said with a laugh.

  He handed her a sandwich, and they ate in silence. Finishing their meal, Roan stood, gathering the plates from the table. She watched him walk to the sink.

  “Roan, why do Yohan, Xade, and Clarah take most of today off?”

  A fleeting glint of sadness flashed in his eyes as he glanced around the kitchen then back at her. “It’s the anniversary of Yohan’s wife’s passing.”

  The cold companion of death brushed against her, confirming what he said. “Oh.” Breathing out, she stared down at the table, trying to push down her emotions. She hadn’t realized Clarah and Xade didn’t have a mother at home. Lost in her thoughts, warm hands gripped hers. Her eyes moved from the table to find Roan beside her once more.

  He smiled, gently brushing his thumb across the top of her hand. “It used to be a really sad day here. Mila was loved and brought a light and joy to Yohan that’s only been reappearing in recent years. I had to be the one to force him to take the day off each year and spend time with his children. He would have just worked straight through the day if I hadn’t insisted.” Sighing, he let go of her hands. “Now it’s a bittersweet day of remembrance for everyone.”

  Orah tried to imagine Yohan as anyone other than the warm, smiling man she was coming to know. For a moment she let her emotions wave over her. While death had been this quiet companion, she’d done her best to avoid giving it too much of her time, while also avoiding her own grief as long as she could. Several quiet moments passed before she decided she’d sat with her heavy emotions for long enough and she stood. Roan appeared startled by her sudden movement but followed close behind as she walked out of the kitchen and back to the library.

  She spent the rest of the afternoon reading her book. The sun shining through the window was comforting and warm and she wondered if she ever really wanted to leave her pocket of safety. Eventually, Roan joined her with his own book and sat on the opposite side of the couch. They read together and his company provided her with an additional layer of warmth and comfort. When the sun finally set and the lights in the room twinkled on, she yawned and set down her book. “I think I’m going to head to bed now.”

  Roan’s head popped up from his own book. “That’s probably not a bad idea.” Stretching as well, he placed his book beside him.

  For a moment their eyes locked, and they stared at each other. Her chest felt warm and the pull to him tugged on her like some invisible string being pulled beyond her control. She didn’t understand what it was she felt around him. Physically, he was attractive—she would have had to be blind not to see that—but what she felt was more than attraction. Like a chemical reaction inside of herself building every day. Her cheeks flushed as she remembered she was staring at him and he smiled wide.

  “Everything okay, love?” His eyes twinkled.

  Swinging her legs off the couch she stood. “Yes, everything is fine, Roan, and I thought I told you I’m not your ‘love’.” Meeting his gaze, she smiled.

  Two can play that game.

  She approached him, never breaking eye contact, noticing how his chest slowly rose up and down the closer she drew. Leaning over him, so close her chest brushed against his, she picked up his book and whispered, “Just gotta make sure we put this back where it belongs.”

  She was sure he stopped breathing as she rose and turned her back to him. Suppressing her laugh, she glanced around the library, not actually knowing where his book went. She walked away as confidently as she could when a rush of air shot past her, and she walked directly into his chest.

  She certainly stopped breathing as she made eye contact with him. He had a wide grin on his face and the lights in the library dimmed. His freckles glowed in the dimness and his eyes lit so brightly she could see her own reflection in them. He brushed his hand down her arm that held his book.

  Leaning so close his lips were right against her ear, he whispered, “I don’t believe you know where that goes.”

  He was so close now that her chest bumped against his with every breath she took. “Goodnight, Orah,” he whispered again, brushing the hair behind her ear. The air rushed around her again and she blinked, finding herself standing in the library, all alone.

  “Holy shit,” she panted. Her skin felt as though it was on fire, and the arm he touched felt ten times hotter than the rest of her. She stared up at the ceiling, unsure of what to do next.

  Pulling her eyes from the ceiling, she allowed herself to look in the direction of his study. She wondered if he was still in there, or if he had retired to his room for the night. The room next to hers...

  She held her hand against her chest and shook her head. Whatever attraction they felt was only biological, she didn’t need to act on it. Acting on it would make things messy, and she did not want messy while she tried to figure out how to get home.

  She walked out of the library, peeking her head into his study to ensure it was empty. The only light in the room was coming from the lamp on the corner of the desk and she found no one in the chair. Letting out a breath of relief she rushed out the door, not entirely sure what she would have done if Roan had been in there.

  Turning the door handle to her room, she stopped for a moment and looked toward his. She thought she saw his door open a crack but shook her head before pushing hers open and closing it behind her.

  Her heart pounded. She couldn't hear him on the other side of the wall, but she could feel him. As though he was this overpowering energy trying to break down the wall between their rooms, making hers feel warm and suffocating. She made her way to the bathroom, hoping a cool bath would help. Turning on the tap, she let it run until it was the perfect balance between warm but cool enough to bring her temperature down.

  She stripped off her clothes and sunk into the tub. A loud sigh escaped her while her body was enveloped until only her face was exposed. She sank further, appreciating the depth of the tub.

  She knew she had to make sure nothing happened between her and Roan. She didn’t believe she could keep it casual like she normally did. She usually avoided relationships. No emotions, no closeness, no falling for someone and letting herself become blinded by love.

  But she knew it would be different with Roan. Every time he looked at her, her skin felt hot. Every brush of his hand against hers made her feel as though she would explode. Something inside of her jolted as though she’d been stuck with electricity when he was near, and she had to do everything she could to avoid going further with him. Despite how desperately she wanted more.

  She stared up at the ceiling, trying to convince herself of her willpower.

  Cocking her head to the side, she watched the ceiling light up, but not from anything that was above her—from what she could see. The light was warm, reminding her of a candle in a dark room. She gasped and water flung over the edge while she sat up, realizing the light was coming from her. Her entire body was lit with a dim light. The ripples of water around her glowed as though they were playing in the light, beckoning it to shine brighter.

 

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54