Chapter 3 Dai’Ahnah

The finished constellation of Deh’Mi and Kah’Muae twinkles above me as I absentmindedly stroke the air with my fingertips. Mah’Keht said he would be back but it’s been over a week and still no sign of his return. I’ve heard from Lu’Nah that all the Rehlms run at different speeds but this is just pure torture. The longer he stays away, the more my being aches for him. My fingertips outline the curve of his horns in stardust. That wild mane of flames falling at the edges of his strong jawline. Those eyes that lure me in like easy prey without much effort…

“Is this how you see me, Lady Dai’Ahnah?”

Mah’Keht lingers just outside my orbit as I quickly wipe the sketch away. “I didn’t notice your company.”

“To be fair, I was cloaking it for as long as possible. Didn’t want you to kick me out of Eh’Fi.”

He flies closer with a small box in his grasp, those eyes of flame tinged with something I can’t decipher. Fear? Excitement? It’s gone before I can tell. His dark fingers begin to interlace with mine but I shift into a translucent state, causing them to falter.

He traces the air around my form. “Something wrong?”

“I- You-” I huff as my frustration grows. This is stupid. Can’t I just be happy that Mah’Keht’s in front of me? But how can I just let it go? Even if he said he would be back soon, a week is not soon. It’s too long to leave someone waiting around in the ether with nothing to do but-

“A week?”

Right. Transparent thoughts. Way to play it smooth, Dai.

“Yes, a week,” I snap aloud. “More than a week, actually. Because it’s been nine days. About to be ten. And-” I hesitate to continue as the concern grows on Mah’Keht’s face and realize that my form has become nothing more than a whisper. I reform myself completely with a heavy sigh. “Never mind. It’s fine. I’m just-”

“It seems that my Rehlm moves a lot slower than Eh’Fi does,” Mah’Keht’s frown deepens as he traces the outline of my forearm with his fingertips. “I was gone for less than a full day. I wouldn’t have survived longer without you.”

I can feel the traces of heat lingering on the thin veil between us but I don’t move any closer. How can I believe what he says? What if he’s lying? I bet he went to the after-party and lost track of time after hitting it off with a different Mor’Tahl creature. One that can travel outside their Rehlm without issue. I’m sure Deh’Mi and Kah’Muae have already formed more of them given their previous antics. And the way Mah’Keht’s eyeing me with amusement is all I need to remind myself to either mentally whisper or shut up when he’s this close!

“I didn’t peg you for a jealous type,” he chuckles darkly.

“Jealous?” I scoff. “I’m just being factual.”

“On what basis?”

“On the fact that I know nothing about you.”

“Oh, we both know that’s a lie.” He trails his energy up my arm. “If memory serves, you at least know how my heat feels against your being. I recall leaving my mark on you here. And here.”

I swallow back a shiver as he moves behind me, the distance between us closing as he slides his arms around my waist and nestles his face in my neck. The warmth I’ve been pining for melts any further protest and I fully lean into his touch.

“I missed you too,” he murmurs in my ear, his lips brushing against my jaw. “Every moment we spent apart was used most productively, I assure you.”

“Well-” I stammer. “I’m happy for you but it’s not like you have to report back to me.”

“Oh, but I do,” he whispers. “I don’t know what spell you’ve placed on me, but I’m hopelessly enamored with you, Dai’Ahnah. And, if you’d allow me to, I’d like to show you something dear to me.”

Every word vibrates through my core and dizzies my soul. I’ve never felt this sensation before. Excitement and terror blend in the core of my being. I close my eyes and allow myself to melt back into his form.

“I’ll go wherever you wish,” I breathe.

“Oh, that’s precious.”

I jump at the unfamiliar voice and the Dark Moon’s protective orbit shifts into action.

“Relax, Dai,” Mah’Keht sighs with a grunt. “That’s just my sister.”

I realign my energy and she quickly appears in an angered flurry. The hot pink feathers of her wings glow against her pale skin as she zooms into my orbit and hovers uncomfortably close.

“Are you insane?” she yells in my face.

I take a step back from them both and bow. “I apologize for the misunderstanding. See, my orbit-”

“I don’t give a fuck about your orbit or whatever you two were about to get into.” She holds up a sack in between us. “You almost blew this across the Rehlm!”

Mah’Keht stands between us. “And that would be what exactly?”

“None of your business, dear brother,” she spits.

“Would it be something to help you feel less lonely in that empty Rehlm of yours?”

Her pink eyes are almost feral as she looks back at Mah’Keht but one glance at me and she smooths down her feathers.

“Botany,” she says, opening her bag. “Father made me an infinity sack so I could collect a few specimens to compare to the ones in Skah’L.”

Mah’Keht’s eyebrows shoot up in surprise. “The ones I made? They’re still alive after all this time? Wow, sis. I never pegged you as the sentimental type.”

“Enough,” she snaps, shutting the bag before Mah’Keht can fully stick his hand inside. “I really should be going and let you two get back to…Well- Whatever that was.”

“Ta-ta, Serah’Finah,” Mah’Keht waves her away and soon enough her nauseating pink glow is nothing but a dot in the distance.

“Is she really your sister?” I ask.

“According to my father, we were brought into Kri’Aeshon simultaneously—one from his left palm and one from his right. But from that moment on, she has been a domineering thorn in my side.”

“That’s awful.”

Mah’Keht tucks his wings down his back, his aura easing slowly. “Meh. We’ve both hurt each other. One day she’ll thank me for the deliberate pain I’ve caused her.”

“What kind of pain?”

He moves in closer and traces my bottom lip with my thumb. “Do you really want to sit here and talk about my sister? Or would you rather get back to the surprise I have planned?”

“I-” I search those guarded embers, knowing the wrong words could make those walls only grow. My being leans into him and I trace the curve of his jaw with my fingertips. “I leave the choice in your hands.”

“Rightfully so,” he chuckles, lips kissing my palm before retreating.

Lingering stardust billows around us as he plops down on the Dark Moon’s surface. His hands caress the uneven crevices with tender precision, and I swallow away a gasp. The feeling of his touch is dizzying. He traces every curve that my surface has to offer without shame. I fly over to him and snatch his hand, a deep flush covering my body as I hover above him.

“D-Don’t get carried away,” I stammer. His energy at this distance is intoxicating. I lean into him and Mah’Keht’s hands grip my forearms, his devious smile growing.

“Let’s not get ahead of ourselves, Lady Dai’Ahnah.” His voice rumbles, low and thick with gravel.

“Glad we've agreed on the matter,” I huff, flying away from him. My energy is a wreck and I take a deep breath before facing him again. Mah’Keht sits crossed-legged, his hands in his lap as he studies me.

“How can I make you feel safe?” he asks.

“I-” What do I even say to that? I was born to protect an entire Rehlm. How could someone possibly make me feel safe? Mah’Keht stares expectantly and I offer a lame shrug. “I don’t know.”

The hurt in his eyes is evident but that doesn’t stop him from ushering me forward. I move close enough to feel the edges of his energy but not a step closer. Mah’Keht purses his lips in disappointment and I’m surprised when he doesn’t force the issue. He doesn’t even acknowledge the distance. He just puts his fingertips together and closes his eyes. Waves of color ripple off of him in a steady rhythm. Soon the familiar ether melts away to soft grass and the sound of birds. Sunlight is warm on my skin but it’s different than Eh’Fi. Gentler. I wiggle my toes in the grass and look at Mah’Keht as he stands up with a smug grin.

“Where are we?” I ask.

“Seh’Fahrait. My adopted homeland, I guess you could call it.”

His embers are soft. Reserved in a way that doesn’t scream a being of pure flame. Is it because of me? If so, I refuse to let my petty fears get in the way of Mah’Keht behaving as the being of darkness I’ve craved.

I run over and interlace my fingers with his. “Care to show me around?”

His form flares with power. “It would be my honor.”

The air around us glitters in a different way than stardust does. I float beside him and admire the bright-colored flowers that litter the path. Trees that cluster into a canopy cover as far as I can see.

“I’m terrified to say the wrong thing that will send you away,” he says softly.

“You seem the picture of ease to me,” I mumble.

“I’m a master of energies, my Lady. But I still feel it in my core.” He guides my hands to his chest and I feel an uneven rhythm tap against my fingertips.

“Your core beats are irregular. Is that normal?”

“Only when I’m around you,” he engulfs my hand. “Dai, I don’t know what I need to do to make you feel safe around me, but I swear I’ll figure it out.”

“Start by showing me around first,” I prompt again.

Mah’Keht nods, our interlaced fingers falling by his side. “The rest of Seh’Fahrait awaits.”

He continues forward, prattling on about flower species and other details of the Rehlm. All I can focus on is the overwhelming fact that, safely or not, I’d happily follow this being anywhere in the Universe. And that terrifies me more than anything. It goes against everything I was designed to do. But the longer our fingers stay intertwined, the more I don’t care about what Empress Ahtah’Bae expects of me. I only care about him. Is this what it means to fall in love?