The Sweet Series Box Set: Books 1-4

by Bailey Ardisone

  After parking, we admired the waves that crashed against the rocky shoreline. The carnival was set up near the water at a park on the south end of Ocean Avenue. The wind whipped around my face and briny salt-water air filled my lungs. I loved it.

  I could hear a live band playing music from a place nearby and the loud sounds of games and carnival rides as we drew closer to the entrance.

  “Whoa, I think everyone and their brother decided to come to Kennebunkport today,” Zaylie exclaimed as we made our way to the ticket counter and stood in line. “This place is packed.”

  “Welcome to the carnival,” I said laughing.

  “Look at that bloke over there,” Desmond practically shouted, pointing with his finger. “He’s wearing a Batman costume. Seriously, dude, it’s a school carnival, not a comic book convention.” We all laughed.

  “Lots of people dress up around here for the carnival. You'll find people like that all over the place…Look, over there is Darth Vader by the trashcan,” Liam commented as he jerked his chin toward the man and nudged Desmond in the side.

  “I ain’t ever seen the likes of this before,” he replied, making us all laugh again. We finally got to the window and paid for our tickets.

  “Come on, let’s go eat. I just love carnival food!” Zaylie shrieked with excitement. It was catching, and I found myself growing excited too. It felt good to be around people who were happy and playful.

  Zaylie, Desmond, and Liam all stood in line for the famous pulled pork sandwich that Desmond said smelled like heaven. Rydan and I sat at a picnic table, saving it for them. Rydan was a vegetarian, and I already ate before coming, knowing I didn’t have any money.

  “This pulled pork is the bee’s knees,” screeched Desmond.

  “What? Do bees actually have knees?” Liam asked sarcastically.

  “I don’t know, but this pork is amazing!” Zaylie chimed in.

  “It is pretty good. I guess I’m used to it. I eat these all the time,” Liam replied, inhaling the food like a hungry-hungry-hippo.

  “I want onion rings,” Zaylie blurted suddenly. “I heard that Fat Sue’s uses this amazing tempura beer batter. I have to try some!”

  “Fat Sue’s sets up shop a little ways down,” Rydan told her. “We can walk that way next.”

  Desmond sighed, and then all of a sudden looked at us with a huge grin across his face.

  “Des, no! This whole place is covered with food,” Zaylie exclaimed. She sighed at the same time Liam said “Dude!” in awe. He followed Desmond, who had already gotten up to get another sandwich.

  I laughed when both Desmond and Liam returned, shrugging as they walked back stuffing their faces. “What can we say, we’re growing boys,” Liam grinned through a mouth full of food.

  “Oh yuck! Learn some manners, dipstick,” Zaylie barked, not amused.

  “What did you call me?” he asked, offended.

  “You heard me!” she retorted, standing on her tippy toes in an effort to meet his eye-level, but couldn’t.

  “Chill out, you two! Crikey…” Desmond interjected, getting between them. I tried not to laugh, but they were so funny together. “Come on, let’s go get some fairy floss,” he tried appealing to his sister.

  “What the heck is fairy floss?” I asked.

  “That pink fluffy stuff. I saw it over there.” He pointed to a cotton candy truck.

  “You mean cotton candy,” I critiqued, laughing.

  “To you, maybe.” He winked, walking toward the truck. We followed, Zaylie moving as far away from Liam as possible. I noticed then that Liam kept glancing over at Zaylie, looking a little lustful. Hmm…

  Zaylie had gotten her onion rings next and was so full afterward that she vowed to never eat again. Ten minutes later she was eating a bag of warm cinnamon and sugar almonds. Rydan bought me a lemon shake-up as a surprise, knowing it was my must-have at carnivals.

  I promised to share an "Elephant Ear" with Zaylie later after she saw one and wanted to know what it was. Liam corralled us toward the rides and games, saying he was sick of wasting time on food. Desmond bought us all ride tickets, and Zaylie shrieked when she saw the tilt-a-whirl. We both laughed as we took the tickets and literally ran to stand in line. Zaylie bounced up and down, hardly able to contain her excitement. Liam joined us while Rydan and Desmond waited by the exit. When it was our turn, I forced Zaylie to sit in the middle, developing a hidden agenda, despite her protest of having to be near Liam. All three of us screamed, which then made us girls laugh at Liam who sounded ridiculous.

  Rydan and Desmond looked to really hit it off. I could hear them talking about guitars as we made our way toward them and was surprised to find Desmond so into that. I had no idea. Liam fit in the conversation effortlessly since he also was into playing music. As we walked to the next attraction, I learned that Desmond and Liam started a band and wanted Rydan to join them. He said he’d think about it as he put an arm around me after seeing me shiver from the cold wind.

  It was turning dusk, which Zaylie said was the perfect time to go on the Ferris wheel. I, however, had sworn to never go on one again after riding one by myself last year. It had completely freaked me out stopping at the top, swinging back and forth, as people got off and got back on. I had realized then that heights were not my thing.

  Rydan offered to sit with Zaylie while Desmond and Liam begrudgingly sat together, worried that girls would get the wrong idea and ruin their reputation.

  I stood at the bottom, watching with amusement as Zaylie laughed at something Rydan must have said as they moved closer to the top.

  “Don’t you look cute.”

  My breath caught in my throat, heart doing complete somersaults, at the sound of Mycah’s velvety accented voice. I whirled around, not believing my ears.

  Chapter Twenty-Nine

  ~Naminé~

  It took Falla and Halta three hours to complete healing the baby griffin. He was very close to death, and I sat beside them the entire time praying that he would live. After about an hour, he had stopped moaning, and I was afraid he had died, but I could see his stomach rise and fall and knew that he was still breathing, if not barely.

  I gasped as suddenly I could sense in this baby griffin that he was a Fëa. Falla must have noticed along the way as well because she and Halta had been laboring for hours to heal him. I dared not give anything away, because only a Maite’Ona could sense when an un-bonded animal without a Maite’Ona was Fëa.

  The Fëa were creatures of nature, different species of the animal kingdom, and were always linked with a Maite’Ona. Once one became aware of their gift and became a Maite’Ona, they would embark on a sacred journey, or our Maranwe. Maranwe was an extraordinary exploration to find our Fëa essence: an extension of one’s being, forever linked together.

  My heart constricted as I thought of my Maranwe—my exploration to find Calen. It took three intense days to journey and find my Fëa essence. When I finally found her, it was a rare memory I would never forget. What a horrid affair it was trying to explain my absence, and though I had been punished severely when I returned, it was imperative that I kept it secret.

  I looked down at the baby griffin and realized that a future someone would embark on his or her own Maranwe to find this Fëa. The poor soul had to survive. I would do everything in my power to save this youngling so that one day it would bond with his Maite’Ona.

  Baby griffins were uncommon in this part of the Kingdom. There were not too many griffins left at all. The fact that one had gotten pregnant while in the stables was a miracle. The King had started to acquire all the griffins in the land, and he paid a hefty price for the capture of them. No one quite knew why, but it was thought the King hoped they would help our side win the war. I hated to see these animals in captivity, but at least I knew that my father would care for them.

  Now that I knew this one was a Fëa, I wondered how many others were in captivity. The Fëa were not born to be captives. They were to be free to enjoy life and
bond with their Maite’Ona. That was the way of our people.

  When they were done, Falla looked exhausted and went to lie down in the grass and instantly fell asleep with Halta hidden in her vest once again. It had taken a lot out of them both to heal. I watched them and the baby griffin sleep all night long. I couldn’t keep my gaze away from him as it labored to breathe.

  I jumped as I saw him move. He hadn’t moved all night. He was trying to get up, so I went to put my hand on his head to comfort him. He snuggled his head in the palm of my hand and licked my wrist. I smiled, as I knew he wanted to be comforted, loved. I didn’t know where his mother was, but as I went to pick up the baby, he tried to crawl in my arms. He settled on my lap, wrapped his wings around his body, and laid his head on my arm. He cooed a strange sound, then instantly went back to sleep.

  I picked up a sense of contentment, and perhaps a little envy coming from Calen, and I couldn’t help but smile. I longed to be with her, too.

  Chapter Thirty

  ~Nari~

  “Mycah,” I breathed. “What are you doing here?” Somebody pinch me please…

  “I’m sorry to disappoint,” he quipped. “Here, I won this for you.” He handed me a brown teddy bear with purple eyes. I stared at the bear, then to Mycah, then back to the bear, stunned.

  He walked closer and pulled me into his arms, burying his face into my neck. His skin was hot against the coldness of mine. Warmth poured through me, and this strange sensation radiated from the top of my head to the tips of my toes. I felt…whole again. Like that missing piece of my soul had been returned to its rightful place, and an unexplainable deep satiation now wholly consumed me.

  “I couldn’t do it. I couldn’t leave.” His lips grazed my skin as he whispered into my neck, making me tremble.

  “I’m glad,” I admitted shakily. I couldn’t wrap my head around what was happening or what I was actually feeling, but I knew I was more than glad—I was ecstatic. I practically soared. Someone please tie a string around my finger before I got too high and was lost forever...

  “The bear reminded me of you.” He pulled away and softly stroked the bear’s head. “It matches your silky chocolate hair and beautiful violet eyes.” He looked at me from under his lashes and chuckled. His British accent clicked over each word, reminding me how sexy it was. I didn’t know what to say. I was so shocked that he was actually standing before me, and then when I looked to the bear I was overcome with memories of Teddy. They didn’t look exactly the same, but they were very similar.

  “If only you matched his size so I could put you in my backpack,” he chuckled again. He was obviously in a great mood, dressed in dark jeans and black leather jacket with the collar turned up. I had the urge to call him James Dean.

  “Thank you. She’s wonderful.” I finally found my words but desperate to hold back the unshed tears. The bear looked like a girl and could never replace Teddy in my heart, but I now loved this one too for different reasons.

  “What are you doing here?” Rydan snarled from behind. My scalp prickled from anticipation and my hands started to sweat as I turned around to face him. I guessed this wasn’t a dream after all.

  “Ry, please don’t cause a scene,” I pleaded in a half whisper. Zaylie, Desmond, and Liam all looked at Rydan with confusion before greeting Mycah, who returned the gesture with a smile and nod of his head.

  “I didn’t need to bring an invitation to join did I? I’m afraid mine got lost in the mail,” Mycah joked, looking Rydan straight in the eye. Rydan took a step closer, challenging him.

  “I’ve got your invitation right here,” Rydan mimicked his British accent perfectly and a lot better than I was able to do as he pulled out a pen from his pocket and wrote something in his tiny pad of paper he always kept with him for writing down music notes. He ripped out the piece of paper a second later and handed it to Mycah.

  “I formally invite you to please leave,” Mycah read the note aloud, amused. He laughed, a good hearty laugh.

  “Wait, what’s going on here? Do you two hate each other or something?” Liam interjected. “Is this about Nari? Because believe me, getting that girl is hopeless,” he teased.

  “Liam!” I shrieked. “Will you just…shhh! You’re not helping!” I gritted my teeth, embarrassed at his accusation.

  “I don’t hate Rydan,” Mycah scoffed. “I didn’t have a problem with the bloke until he punched me in the mouth,” he said to Zaylie, pointing to his lip and pouting, milking it. She turned to Rydan, shocked.

  “What?! Why did you do that?” she asked him, but Rydan kept his cool, calm gaze on Mycah. Desmond and Liam held fists to their mouths, trying not to laugh, but were pleasantly surprised. They both patted Rydan on the back, as if to say "Well done."

  “Okay, time-out. It doesn’t matter why he did it. Can we just all be civil, please?” I demanded with exasperation. I’d die if they found out the reason Rydan punched Mycah was because he was lying in bed with me after I’d been missing for days.

  I looked back and forth between Rydan and Mycah. They both stayed silent, staring each other down. Rydan walked over to me and put an arm around my shoulders, never taking his eyes off Mycah’s. He started pulling me away from the group and bent down to whisper in my ear.

  “You didn’t tell me he was coming,” he accused.

  “I didn’t know he was! I swear,” I defended myself, matching his whisper.

  “He’ll listen to you if you ask him to leave.” His voice was stern, but hopeful.

  “I…I’m not sure I want to…” Actually, I knew I didn’t want to, but it was really hard explaining that to him right now. I couldn’t understand what fueled Rydan’s distaste for Mycah, and in order to change his mind about him I had to play a careful game. It wasn't that Rydan would be jealous—that was the least of my worries. But I first had to figure out what the problem was so I could proceed accordingly.

  “Come on, Rydan. It was just a spat.” Mycah caught up to us, interrupting our discussion. “I’m sure we can find a way to be friends. Or maybe even more than that.” Rydan stopped walking, eyebrows raised in question toward Mycah.

  “I didn’t know you were gay. Unfortunately for you, I don’t swing that way.” Rydan winked, then resumed walking with me still under his arm. Mycah laughed, walking with us.

  “I meant, maybe like brothers,” he clarified, sounding serious. I looked at Mycah, wondering if he was being sarcastic, because that seemed about as realistic as time traveling. You could suggest it, but didn’t mean it was gonna happen. Rydan laughed, shaking his head.

  “You’ve got to be kidding me,” he replied, not believing for a second that would ever happen.

  “We shall see, won’t we?” Mycah narrowed his eyes as he grabbed my arm and pulled me away from Rydan. He kept steering me away from the group as he walked backward, staring into my eyes.

  “Where are you going?” Zaylie called out as they all stopped walking to watch us.

  A few feet away, Mycah eventually came to a stop and bent down to whisper to me. “I have to go. They’re here.” He spoke with urgency, but kept his voice extremely low that I had a hard time hearing him.

  “Who? Secret Agents??” I asked, matching his volume. I knew if I could see myself in this moment, I’d look whiter than a ghost.

  “I don’t have time to explain. I don’t want there to be a scene. I’ll see you later, I promise.” He kissed my head then walked away, not even acknowledging anyone else.

  “Where is he going?” Desmond asked with his Aussie accent strong once I got closer to them. I couldn’t get over feeling completely dazed and confused.

  “He…” I tried to think of a good excuse. “He um…just…had something to do.” There. That should be good enough.

  “Will he be back? Should we wait for him?” Zaylie questioned, looping her arm with mine.

  “Oh, no, no. I don’t think so. Let’s keep going.” I tried to sound cheerful. I still wasn’t over my shock, feeling like I was stuck in
a dream and not able to wake up.

  “What a shame…” I heard Rydan say sarcastically under his breath. I chose to ignore him.

  “Hey, so tell me about the game last night,” I said quietly to Zaylie once we started walking again with our arms still linked together, desperate to distract my racing mind.

  “Oh right!” She beamed with excitement.

  She then went on to tell me all about her night and the fun she had at the first home game of the school’s football season, which our team won. Next she told me how Seth finally asked her to the dance, which she was extremely excited about, and what she planned on wearing. I noticed every now and then Liam rolled his eyes, then clenched and unclenched his fists, making me wonder if he could be jealous. It made me smile, and a new idea I had of playing matchmaker planted firmer in my mind.

  I listened attentively and laughed and responded at all the right places, but I couldn’t keep my thoughts from drifting back to Mycah every few seconds.

  We stayed until the carnival closed up shop. They dropped Rydan and me off back at my house, calling it a night.

  “See you at the Willow Monday?” Rydan asked as I hugged him goodbye. I stared over his shoulder at my dark house. Ray wouldn’t be back until tomorrow, and it gave me the creeps thinking about having to go inside alone. I thought to ask Rydan to stay but knew he couldn’t. His parents enforced a strict curfew.

  “Yep,” I answered, not wanting to let go. This would be the first time being by myself while it was dark without Mycah. Last night didn’t count because I fell asleep early and didn’t wake up until morning. Now I actually had to be brave. I hated the dark.

  “What is it?” Rydan asked, sensing my reluctance.

  “Nothing, don’t worry about it. I’m fine. Go home before you get in trouble and won’t be able to see me later.” I could be brave. I had to be.