"What do you mean, I can't come with you?" Kaya demands, her voice laced with desperation, trailing Nico out of the hut.
Sawyer and Zander were standing by the door with pack bags slung over their shoulder. Seeming to sense the tension between them, they took a couple of steps away, their faces etched with concern.
They weaved in and out of crowds of people who were already going about their day. She could smell fresh beads, flowery perfume, and something she couldn't quite place her finger on.
The sun was high up in the clear blue sky, not a cloud in sight. The trees rustled around them as though they were talking to each other in the slight breeze.
"Nico!"
"Because it'd be too dangerous," Nico replied, voice filled with worry, shifting the bag onto his back. "We're going to have a meeting with your father. I know who kidnapped Eli." his grip tightened around a golden staff.
"My father got injured! I want to see him," Kaya insisted. "I want to know how my siblings are doing."
Nico grabbed her wrist and pulled her distance from Sawyer and Zander, his grip firm and urgent.
"Listen. I met my grandfather." Nico swallowed. "He gave me this staff and explained that I'm going to be the next Guardian of this place. He warned me that if I take you with me, you'd get hurt."
Kaya blinked. "Your..grandfather?"
"He's dead, but I can see him whenever he shows up. I know it sounds crazy...but I don't want anything to happen to you." he places a hand on her stomach.
"But Guardians haven't been around for a decade!" Kaya spluttered. "How can we trust what he says?"
"Because he was there when my family died. He told me that he tried to warn my father but he didn't listen. My dad could control storms and was supposed to be the next Guardian but..." he trailed off. "Why would he lie about that?"
Kaya swallowed the lump in her throat as she took in his broken expression. She took his hands in hers and sighed. "I'm sorry."
Nico pressed their foreheads together.
"Alright. If it'll put your mind at ease, I'll stay here." Kaya kissed his cheek. "Can I ask what my father did to your family?"
Kaya regretted the question when she felt him tense against her. His breathing quickened and he squeezed his eyes shut.
"He..."
"You don't have to talk about it." Kaya whispered.
"I want to." Nico pulled back slightly, his eyes wide and glassy. "My parents were killed when the guards started slicing at everyone. But my sister..he snapped her neck. Right in front of me." he gripped the staff so tight that his knuckles were white.
Kaya covered her mouth. "Oh, my gosh. I'm so sorry. Great mother. I'm sorry."
"I-I couldn't do anything." a tear slipped down his cheek and he quickly wiped it away.
"I know it doesn't mean much or change anything but I'm sorry for what my father did." Kaya cupped his face in her hands and licked her lips. "I'll do research while you're gone."
Nico raised a brow. "Research?"
"On who kidnapped Eli and attacked the palace." Kaya cocked her head, her gaze lingering on his mouth.
"It was the Scavengers," he whispered.
Her gaze widened and she felt her knees go weak. The Scavengers were the reason she took a self-defense class.
The reason she never got too close to anyone. Until Nico.
When she'd been seven, the Scavengers had attacked them, and kidnapped hundreds of women and girls, killing thousands in their wake, including her childhood best friends.
They were an unpredictable bunch and very violent. They were the real animals, not the elves. Compared to them, the elves were gentle creatures.
Nico frowned. "You look like you've seen a ghost. Are you alright?"
"Yeah." Kaya let her hands slip from his face and drop to her sides. "You'd better get going then."
Nico pulled her not him planting a soft kiss on her lips. "I love you."
"I love you too. Please stay safe."
Nico gave her another peck and then went toward Sawyer and Zander. A dragon landed beside them and they climbed on, when they took off, Kaya watched them until they were a dot in the distance.
If the Scavengers were truly back, she needed a new trainer.