by K. G. Reuss
When there was enough of a path for me, I pulled my sword out and darted forward, cutting through anything I could get, one goal in mind: Get to him. The squealing howl from the creatures as I sent them packing echoed around us. If I hadn't been so intent on getting to the fool who planned on sacrificing himself, I'd have been completely freaked out by the terrifying sounds encircling us in the night.
Breathless, I made it to Raiden. He did a double take when he saw me, a look of sheer disbelief on his pale, sweating face. I didn’t have time to be reprimanded by the jerk. I had to get him out of there. By the looks of him, he was knocking on death’s door. And I still needed to seal that portal.
"I thought I told you to leave! Why can't you listen?" Raiden wheezed at me, breathless. The typical scowl he had on his face whenever he was annoyed hadn't been replaced in his moment of need. Even being near-death hadn't changed him. Figured.
"And I thought I told you that you're not the boss of me. I do what I want," I shot back as I ran my sword through the chest of a carrion. It squealed and hissed before it bit the dust. Through my exhaustion, I was powerful. I had to be. I pushed through it, finding my second wind.
"I swear you're going to be the death of me, Everly Torres," Raiden growled as his sword took the head off another carrion.
"Don't worry, General. I've been told I can fix that." I grinned at him as I landed on my feet after a magnificent spinning kick which had taken down two carrion. If what everyone said was true, no one would ever stay dead around me. Unless I died. Then we might have a problem if the enigmatic Shadow decided not to show up to give me his breath of life. Judging by how the night was going, I’d say he wasn’t coming. It hurt to know, but I knew he had his reasons. I knew I needed to let go. Maybe this was how I could start.
Raiden shook his mass of silver hair at me. I could have sworn there was a smile biting his lips. It was hard to tell as he whipped around to take down three more carrion.
I had to face facts though. We were screwed. There were at least fifty carrion and rotwraiths surrounding us. And more were coming. Lots more. The rakes weren’t being gentle as they tossed the other creatures aside to get to us. Some even tore their own comrades in half as they bore down on us.
Backing up to Raiden, I swallowed hard. The static jolted to life inside my body as Raiden's hand brushed against mine. Something was happening deep within me. My insides were squirming like snakes, all writhing to get out, fighting to see which one got to go first. That instinct I’d become so accustomed to was what I focused on. It was our safety net. It had to be, or we were about to be dinner. Dropping my sword and lifting my hands, I embraced the hum. The static. The instinct.
If I didn’t do this, whatever this was, those rakes were going to make a nighttime snack of us.
The dark world around us froze. Everything, even the dew in the air, hung suspended around us. Raiden gazed around in wonder, his lips parted as he lowered his sword. His silver locks held an electrical charge like mine. The static twisted our hair, making it dance in the night, the moonlight shining down on us like we were two actors in a tragedy. That static. Everywhere. In me. Around us. With us.
The static built inside of me until my insides were jelly. But I held on until the electricity ricocheted through my body. I held on until there was room for no more within me.
Then, I let it go.
Fifty
Raiden
I watched in stupefied silence as Everly closed her eyes. I knew something big was about to happen. Her small body trembled as a blue glow surrounded her—the same glow I’d witnessed in the bedroom. Her hair clung to the air with the static charge she was putting off.
Her hands shot forward, and the still, beautiful world we’d been in erupted like shattered glass as blue fire burst from her fingertips, the creatures, the rakes, the carrion, the rotwraiths, all howling in agony as her blue flames, her blue light, circled out, incinerating everything around us. When I looked around, I realized the flames licked at us but didn’t harm us. Somehow, we were immune to them.
She collapsed against me, and I caught her, bringing us both to our knees, the woods ablaze in blue. Nothing would dare come through the flames to get us now. Not that anything survived. Something told me Everly had taken care of that.
I pushed a little healing into myself to stop the bleeding in the wide tear to my abdomen. We were both weak. Her hair hung in tangles, covering her face as her chin rested on her chest.
“E-Ever,” I breathed out, taking her delicate face in my hands and tilting her head up so I could see her. “Everly.”
Her face was dotted with sweat, her dark hair clinging to her sticky skin. Her green eyes opened tiredly, that glassy look in them, a smile touching her lips.
“The rule of five applies. Breathe into me, my love, as I die. My end is near. Never believe what you hear. I am more than a Cipher queen. And you, Shadow, are the creature who remains unseen.”
I stared at her, my throat tight, hating the words which had tumbled from her mouth.
“Raiden,” she whimpered, coming to. My name on her lips sent a flurry of warmth through me.
“Are you OK?” The fire was still burning around us, the crackles and pops from the blazing forest echoing throughout.
She shook her head, her body trembling in my arms. My breath hitched in my chest as she leaned forward and pressed her lips to mine in a white-hot kiss that touched the darkest parts of my soul. I was frozen beneath her lips, every emotion within me warring for victory.
“I-I’m sorry,” she stammered, pulling away when I failed to kiss her back.
Finally, one of my emotions won. I let go. I needed to taste victory. My lips crashed into hers again, silencing her except for the moan she emitted. I swallowed it down like a man starving.
I breathed her in, sharing a breath, tasting everything she had to offer me. My fingers tangled in her hair as her body pressed against mine. I lost myself in her, our tongues dancing against one another’s in a sweet waltz only we knew.
“Never be sorry,” I growled against her soft lips when I finally came up for air. She stared up at me, so many emotions flitting over her face. “I’m certainly not.”
Her cheeks flushed pink before she rested her head against my chest.
“You’re weak. Tired.” I ran my fingers through her hair. “We both need to rest. We’ll be safe here.”
She nodded against me, sniffling. I wasted no time tilting her head up, so I could look into her eyes.
“Talk to me. What’s wrong?”
“H-he didn’t come. Shadow didn’t come.” Fat tears leaked from her eyes. There was so much torment on her face as realization set in that he had to be gone. I hated myself as I stared down at her, not even attempting to tell her I’d never leave her. That I’d been there the whole time.
“I’m here, Ever. Me and you. OK?”
She nodded, sniffling once more. I wiped the tears from her cheeks before resting my forehead against hers.
“You don’t need him anymore. You have me. I swear it.”
We held one another in those brilliant blue flames for what felt like forever before I planted a tender kiss on her forehead.
“Let’s rest. I’ll be by your side the whole time.”
She nodded tiredly, allowing me to bring her to the ground and into my arms. I held onto her for all I was worth, her head on my chest, her fingers clenching my shirt like she thought I’d disappear if she let go. In moments, her breathing became deep and even. I lay in the blue flames, her words echoing in my mind, the taste of her on my lips.
Cipher queen.
I ground my teeth tight as I cradled her, not wanting to ever let her go as the fire burned around us. My body was weak. Shaking. There was no way I could get us back tonight. Not when we were both so worn down. I glanced down at her in my arms, the flames casting an eerie glow on her pale skin.
We’d be safe for the night. That fire wasn’t going to die down anytime soon. Someth
ing told me it had more to do with what we were together than anything else. Despite her latest prediction, the only thought that kept creeping in my mind was the one I’d cling to forever.
She came back for me.
The fire still burned around us when I opened my eyes. The light from the fall sun shone on us. Looking down, I saw Everly was still tucked safely at my side, her long, dark lashes resting peacefully on her cheeks. I took a moment to enjoy how good it felt to have her beside me, her hand resting low on my abdomen, causing a heat like none I’d ever felt before to course through me.
I wanted to kiss her again. I wanted to touch her. To tell her I was head over heels in love with her. I wanted to take this girl into my arms and run as fast and as far away from everything as I could, keeping her all to myself.
But that wasn’t the reality we lived in. All I had was the hope that when her eyes opened, she’d want me. I was prepared to throw everything away to be with her. Everything I’d struggled against had led me to that moment of realization. I was nothing without her. I needed her. I’d burn the entire world if it meant keeping her at my side. Nothing would separate me from her. Not now. Not ever.
Would she still want me when she opened her eyes, though?
She came back.
That meant something. It had to.
I gave her a tender squeeze. She let out the sweetest, softest sigh as she snuggled against my neck, her warm breath sending a storm of butterflies through my heart. This was killing me. To hell with the future. We’d live in the now, just me and her.
“My Everly,” I murmured, brushing her hair gently away from her face with shaky fingers. Squinting my eyes, I looked up at the sun again. It had to be around noon. We needed to get back. Everyone was probably going nuts worrying about us. Hating having to do it, I gave her another gentle squeeze.
“Everly. Hey.” I shook her slightly. A moment later, I was met with the prettiest set of green eyes peering sleepily at me. Those serene eyes quickly turned to frightened as she realized where she was and who she was with. My heart plummeted.
No. No. No!
She scrambled away from me, the flush painting her face a brilliant shade of red.
“I-I’m sorry, General—”
“Raiden. Call me Raiden.” I reached for her. To hell with thinking. She didn’t move away from me. Instead, she stared up at me with large, luminous eyes, her lips parted. I cradled her face and stared down at her. I had to know. I had to know if her kissing me was a fluke. If it was, I’d let it go. If it wasn’t…
I leaned in and pressed my lips to hers. She came to life in my arms, her fingers threading through my hair, her soft moan vibrating against my lips. The embers which smoldered within me for her turned into a raging wildfire, roaring through me and turning my concerns to ash.
“Everly.” I breathed her name against her lips as we both stopped for breath. Her eyes were locked on mine, so many questions flashing through them. She’d come back for me. Knowing she could very well die, she still came back for me. I’d made my choice. She needed to be aware of it.
“I want you,” I murmured, staring into her eyes. They widened at my words.
“I-I want you too,” she whispered back after a moment, her eyes darting to my mouth. “But how?”
“It doesn’t matter. We’ll figure it out.” I thumbed her bottom lip, excitement at her finally being mine coursing through me. “Trust me?”
She nodded her head. “Yes.”
My heart soared. I pressed my lips to hers again, this time in a softer, gentler kiss. Her fingers tightened around my shirt as she clung to me, her worries becoming part of me.
“Relax.” I offered her my most sincere smile as we broke apart. She returned it with a shaky one, but it was better than nothing. “You put on quite a show last night.”
“You know me,” she said in a throaty whisper. “All sparkles and fireworks.”
I chuckled and got to my feet, wincing. I’d forgotten about the wound on my side. Her eyes zeroed in on it right away as I stumbled. Instead of healing myself when I woke earlier, I’d pushed it toward her. With reflexes I didn’t know she possessed, she was on her feet, her shoulder under my arm, helping me to stand.
“Can you heal?”
“Not so much.” I grimaced. I was pretty much spent. Her eyes traveled to the fire still burning around us.
“You started a fire,” I grunted. “I hope you know how to put it out.”
“Not really,” she murmured, her voice wavering. “I don’t even really remember doing it. Or at least, not how. I just knew I could, so I did.”
“Well, I feel confident that it’s a lot like that candle we worked on earlier in the year,” I wheezed as my side gave a tremendous throb. “Just want to do it, and you’ll do it.”
“Right,” she muttered, but her green eyes narrowed as she focused on the flames. A moment later, she shuddered beneath my weight, the flames lowering. We clung to one another, both of us weak. We were one hell of a pair.
“Wow.” I surveyed the damage. Everything was gone. A pile of smoldering ash now graced the blackened ground where the house once stood. The trees of the forest were now just charred stumps. She’d leveled everything within a quarter mile radius, at least. If my crew had come back looking for us, they’d have been greeted with the fire and not anything else. They probably thought we were dead. I swallowed hard at the thought. If that was the case, we needed to get back. Fast. They were probably already planning my wake.
I imagined the look on my father’s face as he got the news that his only son and heir had perished with the Mancer. “We need to go.”
“How are we going to get there?” Ever replied as we trudged through the forest, holding one another up. I flexed my fingers. Weakness greeted me.
“If you promise to keep your eyes closed, I can try to meld us back.”
“You’re too weak,” she interjected. But there wasn’t much fight in her. I knew how tired she was. I stopped our stumbling march.
“Wrap your arms around my neck,” I instructed, turning to her.
“Raiden, you’re hurt. W-what if—” She looked like she might get sick on my shoes. I knew she was worried I’d die. Or worse, she’d not be able to bring me back after.
“Please don’t fight me on this, Ever. I need your body connected to mine, so I can draw some energy from you.”
“But what if—” she started again, worry in her eyes. I smiled down at her, trying not to wince through the searing pain in my guts from the deep wound.
“No what-ifs. I’ll be fine if we can get there. Brandon and Madam Ann can heal me.”
“Raiden, I don’t want to hurt you by holding too tight—”
“You must hold tight. What if I lose you somewhere along the way? I’d never forgive myself. Not after you came back and saved me. So hold me tight, Everly. Never let go.” My words held more than one meaning. Please never let go. Not now. Not when I’ve finally accepted everything.
She nodded, her eyes sweeping over my face in worry, before stepping forward and wrapping her arms around my neck, her body firmly pressed up against my own. With shaking hands, I pulled her as close as I could possibly get her.
“Close your eyes,” I murmured. “Don't open them. No matter what.”
“OK.”
I smiled as she buried her head in my chest, her body trembling against mine. With as much energy as we both possessed, I ripped a hole through the shadows, bringing us tumbling back to Dementon.
Fifty-One
Everly
Hitching a ride attached to Raiden left me feeling woozy. And it wasn’t just from the zipping through the world at breakneck speeds with my eyes tightly shut and my head buried in his shirt as I clung to him. It was from how it felt to be held by him.
I knew I shouldn’t let any feeling in relation to him affect me, but it did on levels I couldn't comprehend. The guy had heartbreak written all over him. He was a Conexus General. He wasn’t allowed to be wit
h me. Yet, he said we could be. My heartrate kicked up in my chest. And I’d kissed him. We’d kissed. More than once. Exhausted or not, I’d tasted him on my lips. Then waking up next to him had all but stopped my heart. It hadn’t been a dream. It was real. And I’d never slept so peacefully before.
I had to give myself a good mental shake. He was Raiden Hawthorne, not some normal teenage guy. He was a freaking prince. A general. And so out of my league for more than one reason.Then there was Shadow. He hadn’t come to save me this time. My heart broke when I realized it was over.
Raiden had seen it and picked up the pieces without hesitating, making promises perhaps neither of us had the ability of keeping. But damnit, I wanted it. God help me, I did.
I didn’t want to let go of him when the air returned to my lungs, but the shouts from Conexus made me realize the ride was over.
He was torn from my arms as Amara pulled him to her, weeping big tears of joy. I stumbled away, Eric catching me and pulling me into a tight embrace.
“I thought you were dead,” he breathed out fiercely. “We went back for you, but everything was on fire. I’ve never been so sick in my entire life.”
I met Raiden’s eyes over Eric’s shoulder. His face was pale, his mouth turned down into a deep grimace. He looked sick. And like he was hurting.
“Can’t get rid of me that easy, Craft.” I forced a smile on my face, but I wasn’t feeling it. Not when Amara stood pawing all over Raiden. I remembered what he’d said when I’d asked at training about him not being with her anymore… but still. It made an ugly jealous beast inside me raise its head in annoyance.
“You call that easy?” Damien grinned, giving me a bear hug. “We thought you two were toast. We couldn’t even reach Raiden with our telepathy.”
