"Sure." Steps faded away.
A female voice rang like silver bells through the sky. I couldn't open my eyes, or maybe I could, I just didn't want to. The darkness gave a respite from the agony.
"Who did this?" Lux roared. I crouched at the callous tone in his voice.
"What's wrong?"
"Someone got to her. Find out who."
"Do you need me to..."
"No. Not now. But I’ll need you later. Just find out who did this," Lux silently snarled. I wanted to cover my ears, to shut out his anger, but why move when I was so comfortable? I floated among trees. Clouds surrounded me, so soft.
"I’m on it." the woman hissed, like a cornered cat. "But it might be too late."
"Don’t tell me that. Tell me she’ll live." His voice changed. It sung, hummed in my ears, like a melody I needed to sing along to.
"She’ll live."
"Get out."
The trees wrapped me into their branches. I opened my eyes, and stared at the tea cup floating in front of me. When did that get in here? I watched the floating cup, it had the cutest little honey bee sitting on the edge.
"Hello, little bee." I waved. My hand looked weird. The cup dipped, spilling tea on the bee. Ha. It rhymed. I fought to get away when the trees tried to get into my mouth.
"You're hurting her." The tea complained. The tea's too serious, always so serious.
I reached to pet the bee. Soft, and foofy. Foofy? Was that a word? Poofy, maybe. The bee didn't want to be petted, it grabbed my hands, and held them down. Stupid bee. Wow, it's a strong little sucker.
"Mira. Please. You need to throw up." The trees were rough. Their branches weren't fun anymore. "Come on, baby. I can't lose you again."
I fought, slapping at the branches. My stomach churned, and something hot bubbled through my mouth.
Chapter 31
A throbbing headache woke me to a reality I didn’t want to experience. I rolled to my side with a groan. Light blazed through open blinds, and I blinked rapidly to fight of the dryness in my eyes.
“Here. Have some water.”
I moved, cautious to not aggravate the marching band in my head. Cold slithered across my legs. My cheeks flushed. I was naked, under a t-shirt three sizes too big. I had no trouble figuring out who the bright orange piece of clothing belonged to, but since Aris wasn’t in the room, I couldn’t stop myself from wondering who’d undressed me. I blinked at the glass of water in front of me, eyes traveling up Cas’ chest. A soft smile curled his lips.
"Feeling better?"
"Yeah, kind of. Just one thing?” I rubbed the base of my nose. “Who's seen my jiggly bits, and why?" I pulled the cover to my chin, and glared at him.
"Only Rigel, and he didn't actually see anything. You're safe."
"Ah, man? That sucks. I was hoping it was you." I flashed a smile, then my eyes ran to the door. “Strange. I thought Caroli would be in here to kill me by now.” I smacked my lips a few times, the acid taste stuck to my tongue. "Where am I?" I accepted the glass and gulped down the water. The bathroom door opposite the bed was open, a slick marble floor reflected the soft light from the wall lamps. My heart fluttered at the sight of the bathtub at the back, and I grabbed Cas’ arm, eyes sparkling.
"You have a bathtub? I'm so claiming it for the next hour."
He laughed when I struggled free from the covers and made my way across the hardwood floor.
"Take it easy, okay? That was one of the most severe hangovers I’d ever seen." He called from the bedroom while I fiddled with the tap, “We had to hold you do—"
I froze as the rush of water drowned out the last of his words. I cautiously walked back to the bedroom, thoughts tumbling through my head. Cas leaned over the bed, the muscles in his back rippling under the t-shirt when he shook out the duvet. With careful hands, he brushed over the wrinkles and tucked the sides.
"What happened yesterday?" The slight tremor in my voice forced me to swallow.
He stopped, a cautious look to a box on the floor next to the dresser. My knees buckled, and heat rushed my chest. It was my clothes, and Cas' covered in vomit. I pressed a hand to my mouth, staring at him.
"I'm so sorry." The words were muffled by my hand.
"What?" The soft waves on his head swayed when he shook his head. "No. I had to make you throw up. I'm the one that should apologize."
"But I threw up on you." Heat clawed up my neck.
"You threw up on everyone." Chest bounced as he chuckled. "Go take a bath. I'll grab you some clothes. Aris will be here to take you down for lunch in thirty minutes. I suggest you hurry up with the bath so he doesn't drop in while your still in there."
"Isn’t the protection thing going a bit far? I don’t need to be followed everywhere."
"Yes, you do."
I snorted. "Yeah, right." The heckling smile melted from my lips when Cas’ leveled stare didn't share in my amusement. "You're serious?"
He sat down on the bed, resting his elbows on his knees, hands clasped. "I'm going to tell you something, and I want you to remain calm."
I nodded, mouth open in wonder.
"It's really hard to concentrate when you're wearing my shirt, and nothing else." He cocked an eyebrow, a tilted smile on his lips. "So. Go get ready. I need to find Altair."
I grabbed the closest thing I could find and hurled it at him, laughing when the sock fell sadly to the floor. "You're impossible."
He scooted to his feet, grinning. "So are you. Now go, before Aris gets here."
Chapter 32
"You don't have to follow me around the entire school you know," I explained to Aris, who padded next to me, arms full of my books.
"Yes, I do. I told Cas I'd keep an eye on you, so that's what I'm doing."
"But I'm fine."
He ignored me, and trailed me all the way to the cafeteria. I took the cup from Opus, which caused my nose to twitch at the sharp smell. Aris took the cup from me, and handed it back to Opus, all while balancing my books on one hand.
"What the hell?"
"Go sit down. I'll get your coffee." Aris smiled, but I glared back. Irritation clawed along my shoulders.
"What's going on?" I demanded, refusing to leave. "I'm fine. It was just a hangover."
Aris refused to look at me. "Yes, but we don't want to upset your stomach again." Finally, he looked at me. "Please, Mira. Go sit down."
"Fine." I scoffed, and joined Salma at the table.
"How are you feeling? You looked a little pale yesterday," she whispered, studying Aris who did an impressive job of balancing my cup and books while making his way to our table. "What's going on?"
"Honestly, I have no idea."
Kaito looked up from the phone as his, cheeks burned, his fluttering eyes finding Aris repeatedly. "Did you hear Bjorg's missing?"
Spikes flared through my back.
"And the witch." She leaned away when Aris put the cup in front of me.
"Vanished after the party," Kaito said, voice unsteady.
"Wait. Missing?" I rubbed my arm, slapping away Aris' hand when he tried to put a napkin in my lap. "Will you stop it?" I glared over my shoulder.
His cheeks flushed and caused his freckles to almost fade away behind the red. He put the books down next to me, and backed off.
Geez, you'd think he was a bodyguard.
I shook my head and rolled my eyes. "Okay. So, what's the gossip about the missing girls?" Not that I cared if Caroli was missing, but Bjorg... I liked her. Every little shy and nervous bit of her.
"Nothing. I saw Beid and Lux head out earlier. I'm guessing they're going to search for them."
Oh, crap.
Cas must be worried sick with Caroli missing. Why hadn’t he said anything? Poor guy. Talk about me being an idiot. Again.
Guilt licked up my selfish core, and imbedded itself into my heart. He’d been busy taking care of me and my stupid hangover, when he should’ve been out looking for them.
I kicked Kaito under the t
able to snap him out of the drooling stare he pinned over my shoulder. "And what about the party?"
He grunted, leaning down to rub his shin. "They think the girls left the party to meet someone." He glanced over my head. "That’s gonna leave a mark."
I searched my memory of Saturday, skipping the parts where I’d spied on Lux. "Last I saw Caroli, she was carried away by Tell, and I didn’t see Bjorg at the party at all."
“Well, I was busy looking at someone- I mean something else.” Kaito wiggled his brows in the direction over my shoulder.
Yeah, his intensions were clear as day, and the hushed chuckle from behind me told me Aris caught them as well.
“Oh, really?” I glanced over my shoulder, and wiggled my brows at Aris. “Do tell.”
“He doesn’t swing that way, I’m afraid.” Aris' chest vibrated in a chuckle.
“Ah. I see what you did there.” I pointed finger guns at him, and turned back to Kaito. It felt good to know my friends were being looked after, and it was even better that Kaito and Aris hit it off, but I didn’t like that Aris was gonna hang around me all day. I needed time to myself, there’d been too much people around me lately, stealing from my time to breathe and recharge. Nervous energy piled on my chest, and demanded freedom. The bath had given me some respite, but I needed more.
Chapter 33
A few hours later, I managed to convince Aris to get on with his day, and leave me alone. He, of course, checked with Cas before agreeing, but I counted it as a small victory. Students passing me on my way to my room bubbled with the news of Bjorg and Caroli’s disappearance. Curiosity peeked, I gathered myself and called for Aym. Time to find out about that portal. Between being watched, and being hungover, there hadn’t been much time to check in with him. No more than three minutes later, a slight pressure on my shoulder told me he’d heard me.
“What’s going on? You in trouble?” The hushed whisper rushed my ear, and tickled the fine hairs of my neck.
“Take me to the portal.”
Not even a sigh in protest. “Okay. Let’s go.” He fluttered off my shoulder and took the lead, guiding me through the school halls, passing unknowing students with only inches to spare. The humid air fell like a blanket around me, filtering pine and moss through my nose.
“Have you thought about my suggestion?” he asked when we broke from the trail and fought our way through the bushes lining the road. Okay. I fought, Aym just flew over everything. The bastard.
“No. So much’s been happening. I don’t know. It’s mom, but I barely remember her.”
It was the closest I’d come to explaining it, even to myself. Yes, it was my mom, but I couldn’t force myself to care. She was dead, and had been for most of my life, what reason could I have for wanting her back?
“I understand. But if you get the chance to do it all over again, why not do it?”
I chewed on his words, and remembered Lux’s thoughts about it. “Maybe Daniel was right.”
I hit the breaks to not run into Aym, who’d stopped midair.
“What? Why are you bringing him into this?”
“I’m not. It’s just. When we broke up he said I was coldhearted.”
“How would he know?” Aym continued his flight. “He’s just a human.”
“Well. So am I. Maybe he’s right. I don’t feel a need to bring mom back, but when I saw her… I felt something. I didn’t want to let her go. And now, it’s like that feeling never existed.”
“You worry too much.”
“Duh!? I told you that before, didn’t I. And if I’m not mistaken I had someone tell me to worry more.”
“Tsk. Tsk. That was a long time ago.”
“Uh huh. That was less than a week ago.”
“Shhh. Someone’s here.” Aym pointed with his tail between the trees. The clearing blossomed with dandelions, creating a yellow carpet around the well in the middle. Silence laid thick around us. I edged forward, my confidence wavering at the sight of Lux. A delirious state of confusion tickled my senses. I watched him in silent reverie. The graceful motion of his body as he brought the sword over his head. Every movement, slow, and calculated. His blonde hair tussled in the gentle wind. His bare chest glistened with sweat, despite the cool winds. Once again, I was floored by how gorgeous he was. Damn it.
Chapter 34
“Do you know how to handle a sword?”
I jumped at his question. Focus unbroken, he swung the sword in an arc through the air.
I twiddled out of my hiding spot, cheeks flushed. “How’d you know?”
“That you were watching?” He stopped, and glanced at me through the corner of his eyes. “You’re hard to miss.” He turned his head and laced velvet blues around me. “Want to give it a try?”
“Uhm. Sure.” I padded carefully over the blossoms, and joined him. Heat raced through my veins when he stepped behind me, arms around my body. He guided my hands to the hilt of the sword, and closed his hands over mine.
“Relax your fingers and shoulders.” He swept the sword to the side, and I swayed along with his movement. My breath caught in my throat.
“The sword is an extension of you, not a tool. You need to relax.” His fingers caressed my shoulders, travelling down the length of my arms. My skin prickled at his touch. “Breathe. I’m not hurting you.” He exhaled. Like pouring gasoline on a fire.
“I can’t.” I tumbled forward, nerves frayed and jittery. “Thank you.” Heat skipped in my body, my senses set ablaze at the azure sky hidden behind lowered lashes. I swallowed and bit my lip. Lux’s lips parted, chest heaving in air. No matter how hard I tried, my eyes wouldn’t move from his lips. God, I wanted to taste those lips. Have them explore my body. Be the girl he pressed up against a wall, and plea—
Lux swallowed the distance between us in two steps. His hands cupped my face and his lips found mine. My heart pounded loudly in my chest. I moaned against him. The sword fell from my hand. He tasted like salt and desire. My hands laced around his neck. I stretched to my toes, urging him closer. Heat swirled around my thighs, pulling on the muscles in my gut. I wanted to devour him. My hands slipped from his neck, and pulled in desperation at his t-shirt. His lips released me, my trembling breath mixed with his. Like an icy slap across my face he stepped back and pushed my hands away. “Stop.”
He lowered his gaze to the ground and turned his back to me. His shoulders rose and fell with each deep breath.
“What’s wrong?” My hands were frozen, but they still reached for him.
“Nothing. I need to get back.” He swung around and stalked to the sword. With the tip of his shoe he kicked it into the air, and caught it by the hilt. “I’ll let Cas know to send someone out here. You can’t be alone this close to the portal.” With that- he left me.
I was shattered. Confusion chiseled at the shadows along my mind. What just happened? Had I missed something?
“Aym? You still here?” Tears stung behind my eyes. I inhaled and held my breath for a few seconds.
“I’m here.” The pity in his voice cut like knives across my skin. “That wasn’t very nice of him.”
“Eh. It was just a kiss.” I shrugged. “If he doesn’t want more than that, it’s fine.”
My body didn’t agree, but I decided it wouldn’t get a vote on this subject.
“So. This is the portal?” I examined the well, shoving my hurt feelings into a bag and tossing them in a river. Fingers bumped along rugged stone. Darkness met me when I leaned in, but the rapid knocking brought a frown to my face. “What’s that noise?”
“Demons. Trying to break through.”
“Why doesn’t the Devil use the portal?” I slid along the well and sat back, leaning against it. I picked a dandelion and ripped it apart. Its revenge shone yellow on the pads of my thumb and index finger.
“Cause he’s stuck behind the gates.”
Mind jumbled by the searing pain in my pride, I just nodded. The hot and cold thing was getting to me. Wish he’d make up his mind.
“You should get back.” Beid stepped into the clearing, and what was left of the yellow flower got scrunched into a ball, before I tossed it to the side.
“Typical. He had to send you.”
“It’s not like I volunteered for this mission.” He clasped his hands over his crotch, and glared at Aym. “Will the imp be leaving soon? I rather avoid certain kinds of company.”
“I’ll talk to you later, Aym.” Using the well as leverage I hoisted myself up to my feet.
“Be careful,” he whispered, and tapped my nose gently with the tip of his tail. “I don’t like him.”
“No one does.”
Chapter 35
What’s the point of trying? I leaned heavily against the pillow, unable to wrap my head around everything that happened lately. Ignoring Beid’s sulking figure in the chair, I stared unseeing into the book resting in my lap. Pretending to read would keep him from trying to talk to me at least. Not that I thought he would, but to be safe. Four days had passed since the incident by the portal. Lux had avoided me like the plague, Cas was occupied searching for his missing girlfriend. Aris and Kaito had put some serious time into flirting, and only had eyes for each other. I smiled at the thought, and ignored the small sting of jealousy in my heart.
“Can you even read in the dark?”
“Shut up.”
I missed my friends. The book hit the nightstand with a thump, and I tossed myself on the side. Duvet to my chin, I fought the loneliness sneaking up my spine. Salma didn’t like being alone either, so she’d asked Elize to move into her room. Visions of post-its stapled along the walls, and notebooks scattered across every surface, travelled through my mind. I shook my head at the thought. If those two put their heads together, they’d probably rule the world one day. Unless the demons got a hold of the key, and the world ended, that is. My fingers laced around the key.
“Why aren’t you sleeping yet?”
“Shut up.”
I’d narrowed my replies down to two things with Beid. Shut up, and fuck off, hoping it would get him to give up, and stop guarding me. No such luck. Loyal to Cas, and the mission that would be the key, he hung in there, like a tick on a furry animal.
Before Limbo (After Life Book 1) Page 12
