The Sweet Series Box Set: Books 1-4

by Bailey Ardisone

  Thunder boomed loudly again, startling me for the third time. I sighed. I had to get a grip. I walked out of Mycah’s room, ready to go home. I heard voices coming from one of the front sitting rooms so I followed it.

  I slowed my steps as I came upon Mycah and Marie—the B&B manager—chatting back and forth. I stayed hidden behind the wall, listening.

  “What?! A good-looking thing like you? How is it possible you don’t have anyone special in your life?” Marie teased, sounding very motherly. She was a kind, hardworking woman in her early fifties. Mycah laughed in return, and the sound was absolutely beautiful. It was a real laugh—a good, genuine hearty laugh—and I would die happy if it were the last thing I heard.

  “I know, right? You’d think I’d be able to get anybody. There must be something else wrong with me.” I could hear the humor in his voice and the gentle way he spoke to her. She laughed at his joke just as hard as he had at hers. It was obvious they both enjoyed speaking to each other and that this definitely wasn’t the first time.

  “It really is such a shame you didn’t get to go to any dances while you were in high school. Well, since you are past the age to be going to the Homecoming Dance here, you at least will go to the carnival, yeah? The whole town will be there.” Did she say past the age? How old was he? I figured we were both seventeen.

  “Perhaps. We shall see when the time comes.” The floor creaked, sounding like he stood up. I quickly turned around and started back to his room, not wanting him to catch me eavesdropping.

  “Oh, I do just love your accent!” I faintly heard Marie say just before I turned a corner and entered his room.

  A few minutes later, Mycah knocked on the door. I opened it, fidgeting and feeling guilty for listening in on their conversation. Pull it together, Nari…

  “You set to go home, darling?” Mycah asked in his sexy voice as he entered. He walked over to the dresser and grabbed a few things.

  “Mhm, yes, ready,” I said too sweetly. “What’s with all the fancy terms of endearment, by the way?” I tried to turn the attention on him, hoping to mask my nervousness. He looked at me with furrowed eyebrows for a second.

  “Oh, sorry, just out of habit really. I guess it’s a British thing,” he explained light heartedly. “Alright then, let’s go.” He walked toward the door and opened it for me.

  “When will Ray be back?” I dreaded the moment but knew it was coming sooner or later. I walked past him, heading for his car.

  “Sunday evening. He’ll be returning to work that next morning. I’m sorry, love.” He sounded sincere. I kept walking, not wanting to dwell too much on the fact I only had two and a half more days 'til Ray was back.

  “Hey um…can I ask how old you are?” This was a more interesting topic.

  “How come you want to know?” I couldn’t see his face since he was behind me, but he sounded skeptical.

  “Because…I don’t know, I just do.” Did I need a reason?

  “I’m nineteen,” he said as he walked past, never failing to open a door for me, leading to the outside. Chivalry was not dead after all. It was still storming, so he enveloped us in his protective shield.

  “I see. I had been thinking we were the same age. I’m seventeen.” I felt silly for thinking he was a high school student and expecting to still be under his parents' care.

  “You’ll be eighteen soon, won’t you?” It didn’t really sound like a question the way he said it, but I answered anyway.

  “Yes, October 24th, but how did you know that?” Was he psychic?

  “Lucky guess.” He smirked as he opened the car door for me. I got in and waited for him to get in too. He started the car and began driving.

  “Why did you come here to Kennebunkport?” There wasn’t much to see, and I couldn’t imagine this being an actual vacation for him.

  “What do you mean? Miss out on seeing all the lovely lighthouses? It’s a charming place really. It isn’t Chicago of course, but the character here is quite captivating, don’t you think?” He turned to me, and again his accent accompanied by his whole foreign demeanor made me lost on whether he was truly asking or being sarcastic.

  “Well yes, but that’s all you came here for? To see lighthouses and small town charm?” I found it hard to believe that a person who could travel anywhere in the world chose Kennebunkport, Maine as their destination.

  “Perhaps you’re just a cynic,” he joked, smirking.

  “Perhaps.” There really wasn’t much I actually understood about Mycah. I tried not to let it be obvious, but he was so mysterious. I couldn’t help thinking he wasn’t being entirely honest with me. ‘Stay away from that guy. I don’t trust him.’ Rydan’s words echoed in my mind. A feeling of foreboding came over me, and I gripped the sides of my seat as we sped, way too fast for my comfort, through the storming rain and wet streets leading to my house.

  When we arrived, I was supposed to say goodbye, get out of the car, and walk inside. But after he parked in the driveway and I touched the door handle, unexplainable panic came over me. I didn’t want to say goodbye. Why couldn’t I say goodbye?

  Mycah turned off the engine and came to my side of the car to open the door for me. I eventually got out, with him shielding us from the storm and me not knowing what to say. We stood there next to each other in silence, and I dared not look at him. The wind and rain swirled around us, but it couldn’t touch us. He wouldn’t let it. I could feel his eyes on me, beseeching me to match his gaze. But I knew if I did, I would break.

  The thought of him leaving hurt like nothing I’d felt before, and it terrified me. Perhaps he waited for me to say goodbye, I wasn’t sure, because I couldn’t bring myself to say anything.

  He slowly, hesitantly, reached up and caressed my cheek with his thumb, sending shivers down my spine. My eyes went to his then, and the look I found staring back at me left me breathless. My skin lit on fire the moment his ocean eyes dropped to my lips, and if I didn’t know any better I would have thought I was having a heart attack.

  My heart was threatening to burst from its cavity as he stepped closer and licked his lips. ‘Stay away from that guy.’ I heard Rydan’s words again. And that did it. That woke me up and broke my trance. What was I doing? This wasn’t me…I wasn’t easily seduced by men. I stepped back, breaking the tension. But the thought of him leaving, maybe for good, was still too much.

  “Please don’t go,” I beckoned through deep breaths, my mouth acting on its own accord, betraying the logical resolve I knew I should hold to. I knew I should stay away, but there was something there, begging me to explore it. In the back of my mind, a part of me hoped to prove Rydan wrong.

  “As you wish,” he whispered, and a mixture of disappointment and relief crossed his face.

  I stepped into my darkened room and closed the door while Mycah waited out in the hallway for me to change into more comfortable clothes. I had about a million butterflies in my stomach all doing nose-dives.

  I turned my back to the door and slowly slid down to the floor, putting my head in my hands. I didn’t want to feel this way. I couldn’t feel this way. Maybe no one else felt strange things about Mycah at school, but I did and Rydan did. He was dark and mysterious, with men resembling Secret Agents looking for him for reasons unbeknownst to me. Rydan said to stay away and not to trust him. I trusted Rydan with all my heart, and if he felt like something was wrong with Mycah then who was I to disagree? He would kill me if he knew I was letting Mycah stay here. And then he’d bring me back just to kill me all over again when he found out I asked him to stay here.

  What was wrong with me? All the signs pointed for me to stay away.

  But then…

  Why couldn’t I bring myself to do it? Why did I feel so drawn to him? The thought of staying away made my chest ache. He did save my life on several occasions. He couldn’t be that bad. Right? In fact, he was proving to be quite the reliable person. Always watching out for me and taking care of me. I didn’t know why he gave off such s
cary vibes, but I at least could stay friends with him until I was given a reason otherwise. Or again, until he left…

  Standing up, I grabbed my clothes and quickly changed. I sent a text to Rydan with ‘Are you still mad at me?’ I wouldn’t be able to sleep if things weren’t okay with us. We didn’t get to talk for long before he had to leave. A few minutes later he replied.

  ‘No’ was all he said. I sighed…then sent back, ‘Go to the Homecoming Carnival with me this Saturday?’ He replied with ‘k.’ I smiled, biting my lip, feeling excited.

  ‘Is Thunder okay?’ I sent back.

  ‘Yes’ was his reply. Phew...thank goodness.

  I opened my bedroom door to let Mycah in. He wasn’t standing there like he usually was.

  “Mycah?” I walked out to find him when I didn’t hear a response. The house was dark, empty, and very silent as I padded through. My scalp prickled and goosebumps morphed onto my arms, but I tried not to be scared. I knew I had to get used to the darkness again. I couldn’t rely on Mycah forever.

  I looked out the back door and found him standing in the yard. Even though there was still lightning and thunder in the distance, it had stopped raining. I grabbed my coat and boots before joining him.

  We stood in silence next to each other, lost in our own thoughts. My skin burned at the memory of the way he looked at me just moments ago. I couldn’t ever let that happen again. My resolve continued to crumble, and I was determined to get it back to normal. I would get it back to normal. I knew Mycah didn’t feel anything serious about me either. He was leaving, and I was sure I was nothing but a nuisance to him. He was just being an English Gentlemen like they say by staying.

  That moment was just a stupid fluke.

  Eventually, he bent down and picked up a leaf that had blown off our tree. I watched as he turned the leaf from brown to green, then to red and orange. Right after turning blue, it shifted from a leaf to a small white piece of paper. He handed it to me, and I numbly took it, staring with unconcealed shock.

  “What the...what the heck are you?” I didn’t wait for a response, the shock fueling my suspicions. “I don’t know why you’re here or why people are after you, but I know there is a reason. I know there has to be something that brought you to Kennebunkport, and don’t feed me that crap about lighthouses. You’re hiding something. I can feel it in my bones you’re hiding something, and I don’t understand why. Please, just tell me. I want to know. I want to know more about you.” I turned to him, pleading, willing for him to give in.

  “I can’t,” was all he said as he ran a hand through his dark hair, staring out at the lightning strikes far in the sky.

  “Are you really...human? I mean, you can’t be—” I knew the question was silly the second it left my lips, but deep in my heart I could feel that he wasn’t. He had never felt...human. I hated thinking it and didn’t want to admit it, but from the very first moment I laid eyes on him I could feel he was different. I stared at him for a few moments, hoping he’d change his mind and tell me the truth. But he didn’t. He stayed silent, not looking at me. “Fine. Lie to me. But there’s no way you—” I cut myself off. I couldn’t finish the words out loud. I couldn’t handle saying he wasn’t human.

  I turned around and walked back toward the house. I faintly heard him whisper behind me, “I never said I was.” My chest tightened at his words, but I kept on walking without stopping or turning around. I was angry now. And disappointed, frustrated, anxious; all of the above. I couldn’t take it anymore. I closed my eyes and slowly exhaled as I made my way back into my room. I didn’t want to care anymore. I didn’t want to feel angry or wonder what he was and what he had done to have made strange men kidnap me and interrogate me. I couldn’t wrap my head around his "special abilities," or not so special according to him, and I was sick of trying.

  If he wasn’t going to let me in, then fine. I wasn’t going to let him in either. I was done with all of it.

  I jumped into my bed and made myself forget those things. At least temporarily, I was numb. All I wanted to do now was sleep. Lose myself in blissful slumber, like drowning into sweet oblivion.

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  ~Naminé~

  “Naminé, hurry! You must hurry, child,” my father shouted.

  I was stopped in the middle of the lower courtyard taking in the sight of the burning building before me. I could not seem to tear my eyes away from the monstrous flame that consumed the stables. There were at least twenty knights scattered around trying to get the horses and griffins out of the burning structure.

  My father and several men were in the back rounding the horses into the outside fence, and along the side of the stable I could see that many of the griffins were injured.

  “Naminé, you must focus,” my mother said to me. “You must go and bring back Falla.”

  All I could think of was Calen. If she had been caged here, as some of the Fëa were—no, I couldn’t stand to think that way. She was safe, safe in the forest. I could still feel her anguish and torment, but she was safe. That was all that mattered.

  I turned to look at my mother as the words set in. I nodded and ran through the courtyard, past the great hall and up the stairs to the corner tower. I needed to find Falla who was the animal healer. She and her Fëa could aid the injured griffins. I ran as fast as I could up the tall winding stairs.

  I heard loud noises coming from above and had to quickly move out of the way of about forty armed knights as they came dashing down the stairs. They didn’t spare me a glance as I hung to the wall, my body pressed close against the cool stone as they made their way around me.

  When I thought they had all passed, I stepped back out and immediately collided with a very large knight who lagged behind the others. He forced me aside in his haste to continue on his way, and as he pushed, I stumbled over a step. The next thing I knew as my head hit the stone floor was that my vision blurred, and then it turned to complete and utter darkness.

  Chapter Twenty-Six

  ~Nari~

  I stayed in bed Friday morning just staring at the ceiling. The bumps and ridges of the popcorn texture were interesting to look at. I would imagine they looked like—I jumped at the sound of my cell ringing. Seeing that it was Zaylie, I answered immediately.

  “Hello?”

  “Hey, it’s me. Since we only had a half-day of school today, some of us were going to hang out before the football game and then we’ll just all go to it together. Are you sick again? Please tell me you’re not. I really want you to be there,” she whined since I wasn’t at school this morning.

  “Ugh, yes. I’m really not feeling good. I think I just need a little more time to get over it. And I wasn’t planning on going to the football game, I’m sorry. But I’ll definitely be at the carnival tomorrow.” I actually didn’t feel like going to that either but didn’t want to disappoint my new friend twice.

  The truth was, I didn’t feel up to pretending like I didn’t just get abducted and tortured a few days ago, not to mention almost strangled to death by my foster father, then healed by a mysterious boy I was developing unexplainable "feelings" for, who caused the abduction and rescued me from it. I didn’t know what I was thinking by going back to school so soon yesterday. I had tried to ignore everything, not wanting to be thought of as weak, and for a second I almost believed none of it even happened. But this morning I woke up sobbing, and as Mycah held me from behind, I knew I hadn’t fully recovered yet. I was an emotional wreck.

  “Um, and the Homecoming Dance too, I hope,” she said with worry.

  “Oh right, yes, of course. I’ll be there.” I almost forgot...again. I ground my teeth and held back a sigh, regretting my decision to go. I get to have a whole night surrounded by lovesick couples without a date...yay me.

  “Okay, I can’t complain then. It’s just a dumb football game. I understand. What’s most important is you get better! Get some rest. I’ll see you tomorrow and tell you all about tonight.” I could hear the disap
pointment in her voice but also the concern.

  “Thanks, Zales. See you tomorrow.” I truly was grateful for her friendship. I hated disappointing her. I hung up, tossed my phone across the room, then threw my arm over my eyes and sighed. Life sucked.

  “You’re going to break the thing if you do that,” Mycah quipped as he walked in carrying food.

  “I don’t care,” I mumbled.

  “You will later when you go to use it. Here, eat.” He handed me a tray of food that smelled awfully good. He spoiled me already, explaining earlier I needed to build my strength. I looked down at the tray—Belgium waffle, eggs, and bacon. Seriously? I didn’t even know we had a waffle iron.

  “Are you a magician? There’s no way you made all this.” I refused to believe he could do everything.

  “That hurts.” He grabbed his heart. “Of course I made it. You don’t have to eat it if you don’t like it.” He looked down like a puppy dog, and I knew that couldn’t be further from the truth. But after taking a bite, he didn’t have to worry. It was absolutely delicious.

  “It’s delicious! Mmmm.” I didn’t want to stop. I was famished. I looked up as I chewed and found the sexy smirk he usually wore. He was proud of himself and didn’t dare hide it. Any anger I felt last night was completely forgotten the instant I looked into his piercing blue eyes. Plus him holding me while I cried might have helped a bit.

  “I didn’t know we had a waffle iron.” Was this another one of his tricks?

  “You didn’t, but you do now. I went to the supermarket. There wasn’t much in the refrigerator, so I had no other choice,” he explained plainly as he walked over to my window, something I noticed he did a lot.

  “Well, thank you very much. I’ve never had anyone cook for me before. Except…” I thought of my mother before she died. She would cook all the time, every meal.