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Even though they were not outdoors anymore, Rayla could not help but shiver every time she attempted to take her cloak off. Callum had noticed but couldn’t do anything as they were standing in front of Kosmos and Astrid. The two celestial elves explain the precarious balance of the world and how giving them the Nova Blade and the Quasar Dimons without them proving to be worthy, would break it. Because of course, they seemed more dangerous than an ancestral evil archmage. Rayla absolutely understood it.
“Tomorrow you will get the chance to prove you’re worthy,” said Astrid, stopping in front of a door.
“For now, you may rest, I guess you’ve traveled long distances to get here” Kosmos opened the door and let them in.
The room had glimmery walls, a big window with a view to the clouds, two individual-sized beds suspended in some kind of magic web, and a door that Rayla supposed was the bathroom.
“We thought you would be fine with just one room, but we can always give you another” added Astrid.
Rayla and Callum exchanged a look. The mage cleared his throat “It’s okay” he said “We both can stay here”
With an almost imperceptible nod, the elves left them alone.
Rayla sighed and left the bag she was carrying along with Stella and the baitling on the bed.
“Are you okay, Rayla?”
She sat on the bed, hugging herself “Yes, it’s just a little cold here”
Callum sat next to her and passed one arm around her shoulders, pulling her closer.
“The spell must have worn off by now” he muttered. His mind traveled to Finnegrin’s ship and Rayla’s agonizing screams as her blood was frozen. What a shame the heat on his blood couldn’t be transmitted to her.
“Calidum cutis” Callum chanted as his fingers traced a small rune.
Instantly Rayla release a relieved sigh.
“Thank you, Callum,” she said, a small smile on her lips.
“Of course. Tell me when you need it again”
It had been hours since they went to bed and Callum couldn’t stop tossing around in his small bed, Rayla wondered how he hadn’t fallen off yet. She thought he didn’t know she was awake too, otherwise he would’ve addressed by now, wouldn’t he? Surely he didn’t want to wake her with whatever was happening in his mind.
Callum grunted and kicked the single bedsheet protecting him from the cold. Rayla’s brow furrowed. In all the nights they’d spent prior on the way here he hadn’t been like this, even with all the nightmares, he woke up breathless and sometimes screaming, but he was the one who always fell asleep peacefully.
“Callum?” She called him “Are you okay?”
His grunting and kicking stopped, though he didn't turn in her direction.
“Yeah, of course,” his voice trembled.
Without a second thought, Rayla stood up from her bed and went to his side. His face was red like he was restraining himself from crying. Callum turned her back on her. Rayla huffed.
“Callum, what’s happening?”
“Nothing” his voice was muffled by the pillow “I was just thinking about the proof of the celestial elves”
“Oh, Callum.” Her eyes softened, and she rested a hand on his shoulder “I’m sure everything will go fine. Our intentions are true and pure, you’ve nothing to worry about.”
He tossed around again, giving her a quick glance before looking to the ceiling. Callum took her hand off his shoulder and instead intertwined their fingers. His skin was warm against hers.
“I need to tell you something” he stated “I need to do it before you find out”
Rayla’s eyes narrowed. Her mind recalled the last two months, what was Callum talking about? She squeezed his hand, comforting him.
Callum exhaled “In Finnegrin’s ship…”
A chill went down her spine at the very memory.
He closed his eyes and let his head plunge on the thin pillow “I used dark magic again, Rayla” he confessed.
Now the nightmares made more sense, Aaravos could get to him more easily.
“I-“ he cried “I know it’s not an excuse, but, he threatened to kill you! I couldn’t… I can’t lose you again, Rayla, you mean too much to me.”
Rayla shook him gently, urging him to sit down, but he did not follow.
“I’m so sorry, I really am” His chest was moving up and down fast “I don’t deserve you, I will understand if you…”
Before he could finish Rayla leaned down and kissed his lips gently. He tried to follow, but she pulled away too quickly, leaving his lips parted and abandoned. Callum couldn’t help but look into her lavender eyes. He was thrilled when in them there was nothing more than love and concern, instead of rage and hate.
“Why?” He managed to ask, sitting up.
Rayla chuckled “Isn’t it obvious? I love you, Callum, I love you, so, so much” she whispered.
Callum’s eyes softened “I love you too” He made space so she could sit next to him.
“I don’t care if you did dark magic,” Rayla said after a moment “I trust you, Callum”
“Are you sure you’re not mad? I will understand”
“No. I’m not mad at all, Callum”
It was true, she wasn’t mad at him, she was mad at herself because she was the one who put him in that position, but right now she wouldn’t admit that.
“Do you think the celestial elves can sense the darkness in me like Sol Regem”
Rayla rolled her eyes “There’s no darkness in you, Callum” She squeezed his hand “Everything you do is for the right reasons, to protect the ones you love”
“I don’t know if the elves will know that”
“We are gonna explain it to them, they seem more reasonable than Sol Regem”
Callum’s lips leaned upward and the tension left his body when Rayla rested her head on his shoulder, careful not to scratch his cheek with her horn.
Suddenly, a little yawn escaped Callum, his vision becoming blurry and his eyes feeling heavy. He felt Rayla tucking him into bed.
“Callum?” His eyes fluttered open. She was standing again, a small smile on her soft lips, she gave him a forehead kiss “For the record, you do deserve me, you deserve everything.”
Even when the heat of her body at his side fainted, the feeling Rayla evoked with her words kept him warm the rest of the night.