by Karen DuBose
I open my eyes to see my aunt staring at me with a worried look on her face. I just smile up at her. “You were with him.” It wasn’t a question. I nod
“You need to be careful child. He can kill you there and there is nothing anyone can do.”
I just nod again. I can’t tell her yet. “I’m ready to train.”
I get up off the bed and walk over to where the book lies on the dresser. Grabbing it, I turn to my aunt. She just nods and heads out the door. I don’t know how long I can keep this secret from my loved ones.
Chapter 19
Weeks have passed. My birthday is just a few days away, and I’m scared. I have been with Drik every night. I have gotten to know him and him me. We have been thinking and talking about completing the bond on my birthday. It makes sense to both of us. Instead of worrying about telling my family what has be going on, I have been training all day every day. I have even been training with weapons. I didn’t know Jas is so good at it. I still haven’t been able to beat him, but today I have a feeling I will. Today I get to use magic while welding a weapon. My aunt has been teaching him protecting spell. I just hope I don’t hurt him. He always knows when I’m holding back, and it makes him mad.
“You hold back today, and I will never spar with you again. Give it all you got. I can protect myself.”
I face him with my weapon in hand. It’s a long sword with the goddesses’ symbols running down the blade. It’s not a thick blade. It’s only an inch wide. The handle wraps around my hand to protect it.
“I will not hold back, not today. I want to see what I can do.” It’s the truth.
He gets into his fighting stance and I do the same. Without a word he is on me swinging his sword. I block each move. Letting the magic flow into the blade, I can see it turn orange before it’s releases and heading straight for Jas. To my relief, he puts his protecting shield up moments before it hits him square in the chest.
He comes at me again and again. I push him far enough away and release more of my magic at him. This time I didn’t let up. I let it all flow from me. I hear him scream while falling to the ground. I drop my sword and rush to him. When I get there, he is barely breathing. My aunt pushes me out of the way and pulls him to her. She is chanting a healing and pain suppressant spell into him.
I stand looking at him in horror. I did this to him. How could I have been so stupid to think he could handle it? Tears fall from my eyes. My feet move closer to her, and I kneel next to him. Taking his hand into mine, the magic rushes out of me. I didn’t think. I didn’t even breath.
“You know you can’t heal everyone you almost kill, right?” His little voice is barely a whisper.
I let out a relived giggle. “I will remember that the next time.”
He looks at me with a serious look. “Thank you for not holding back.” He held his hands up before I could say a word. “If you didn’t, you wouldn’t know what you could do. Yes, I got hurt, but it could have been worse. You can’t hold back on your enemies.” I nod my head in understanding. How did he become wise, so young?
“I think training is over for the day. Why don’t we go into town and take a break?” my aunt says looking at me. I wasn’t ready to stop yet, but I’m starting to think they know I am training for more than one reason. I haven’t spent any time with anyone.
“Sounds good. Let me go shower, and I will meet you all in the kitchen.” I turn before she could say anything else. My gut clenches. I am so bad at keeping things from the ones I love. Maybe I can tell them I’m not feeling well. I shake my head at myself. This is your family, they need you just as much as you need them. Suck it up and spend the day with them. How bad can it be? If we stay busy, there shouldn’t be any problems.
I get out of the shower and get dressed. I look into the mirror taking a deep breath before heading down stairs. “Here goes nothing.”
Walking into the kitchen everyone is there waiting on me. “It’s about time you grace us with your presence,” Chase says with a smirk on his face.
Lex runs up and hugs me, which makes me almost spill everything. I hug her back just as fierce. “I’ve missed you. How is training going?”
I look down at her. “It’s going well I guess.”
“You guess?”
I shrug my shoulders. I haven’t been able to use my full magic because I’m afraid I will kill one of them. I don’t say this though. “I hurt Jas today, and I’m not ok with that. I could have killed him.”
She looks over at Jas. He just shrugs his shoulders. “She saved me, so it’s no big deal.”
I face him. My anger boiled inside me. “No big deal? I almost killed you! Do you get that?”!” I didn’t mean to yell as loud as I did, but he doesn’t get it.
He holds his hands in the air in surrender. “Ok, ok, ok. Maybe it was a big deal, but I didn’t die. You saved me in the end. Woman, I swear.” He hops of the stool he is sitting on and walks outside.
My anger vanishes just as quick as it came. I look at everyone in the room. “Give us a minute please.”
I walk outside to find him sitting in the garden. I walk over to him and sit down next to him. “I’m sorry I yelled at you. I don’t think you realize how scared I was when I saw you on the ground like that. I thought I killed you, and I almost did. I don’t like feeling helpless, and in that moment, I did. I couldn’t think or do anything. If it wasn’t for my aunt pushing me out of the way, I would have been frozen in place. I would have let you die because I couldn’t get pass the fact I just killed you. Do you understand?”
He looks at me with his sad eyes. Tears brim over the edge and fall down his face. I wrap him in my arms. I let him cry on my shoulder. Through his tears he says, “I’m sorry. I didn’t know that was the way you felt. I promise not to push you like that again.” I didn’t have the heart to tell him there wasn’t going to be a next time, not with magic.
“Come on, let’s go have some fun in town. Everyone is waiting on us.”
We stand and walk back to the house. Everyone is outside waiting for us to return. Mom sees us first and smiles at us. “You two ready to go?” Everyone turns to watch us. I look down at Jas and smile.
Looking back to the others, I nod. “I think we are.”
We all pile up into two vehicles. Mom, Lex, Chase, Jolena, Jas, Zoey and I are in the van. Layla and Rachel are in the car following us. Lex is sitting behind me with Chase, Mom is sitting with me and Jas is in the front while Zoey is driving.
“You know they don’t have a shop here.” Mom says bringing my attention to her.
“What happened to the one we visited the first day we got here?”
“They closed it down because the lady who ran it retired.”
“Are you saying what I think you are saying?” My excitement burst through me.
“I’ve talked to the lady. Her name is Sara and she said it’s up for sale. I gave her an offer and she accepted it.” I jump out of my seat and hug her. Then reality hit me. Will I even be able to run a store once the bond is complete? Will I be allowed to stay here? Will they even let him in?
My mom noticed my reaction. “What’s wrong?”
I lean back into my seat and look at her. “Just thinking is all.” I look out the window. She knows I’m not ready to talk about my problems, and she leaves it alone for now.
Lex touches my shoulder. “I’m so excited for you.”
I turn and smile at her. “Thank you. I just hope I will be here to run it.”
“What do you mean?” Her sad eyes almost broke me.
“I will be twenty-one in just a few days. We don’t know what will happen.”
A tear slid down her cheek while she smiles at me. “You got this. I believe in you and I will stand right there next to you through it all.”
I sure hope her words are true when they find out the truth.
“Thanks.” I pat her hand, turning back to the window. So much is going to change.
We make our way into town and pull up to
the town square. I haven’t been back here since the first day. I’ve been avoiding everyone since Caireen spoke with me.
“What do you want to do first?” Layla asks as she walks up to me.
I look around the town. “Let’s go visit the shop. I need to know what she left behind.” I’m trying hard to get into this. I just can’t help the feelings that are going through me.
We walk up to the shop. The windows have been covered with brown paper, so no one can see inside. Mom comes up next to me and hands me a set of keys. I grab them out of her hands. My excitement returns. Running up the few steps, I reach the door. Putting the key into the key hole, I turn it. With a click, the door opens. I step in and take the biggest breath I can. The smell of herbs is still strong. Exhaling, I take another deep breath as I walk all the way in. Spinning around in circles, I take everything in. Sara didn’t take anything. Everything is right were its always been.
“What do you think? Will this do?” I spin around to face my mom, the smile that graces her face makes my heart melt. She did this all of this for me, to make me happy.
“I love it just the way it is. We may have to tidy up a little, but it’s perfect.”
Lex jumps up and down in excitement. “I can’t believe you’re the owner of your own shop. You know if you need me to run things while you are away for any reason, I will be happy to run it for you.”
My heart sank with her words. I try to not let them see it, but Lex saw it. “Skye, I didn’t mean anything by it. I was thinking about when you travel the world to search for rare herbs and talismans.”
“I know, Lex. It’s just hard to think past my birthday that’s all.”
Chase brings his arm around my shoulder. “You know you’re going to take him out. You’re too stubborn to let him win.”
If he only knew how my stubbornness got Drik. “Ok, enough of the sadness. This is a celebration. Let’s go shop. We have a lot to get to bring our personal touches on this place.”
We shop all day picking out little things to take to the shop. We eat at the diner then headed back to the house. I’m exhausted from trying to be happy and enjoying the day. Once we got back I went to my room, showered and went to bed.
Chapter 20
“Did you have a good day?”
Opening my eyes to see his black ones staring at me. “Yes and no.”
“Oh, do tell.”
I sit up scooting into his lap. “I almost killed Jas with my magic while we were sparing. My mom bought the shop I’ve always wanted, and I don’t even know if I will be able to run it with her. There is so many things we don’t know what will happen.”
Bringing me closer to him, he says, “If you want to run the shop run it. Even if I’m not allowed there, you don’t have to live there. You can come home to me after you close the shop.”
“What if they don’t even want me there anymore after they all know the truth?”
“Then we will get you a different shop. We will figure this all out. Have I told you how beautiful you are?”
I smile at him. “Not today.”
“Skye, you’re the most beautiful person I know inside and out, and I love you.”
Shock rocks my body. He has never said he has loved me. I search his face for a sign he is being sincere. I find my answer in his eyes. I bring him to me and kiss him with all the love I have for him.
He chuckles against my lips. “With that kiss, I take it you love me too.” I nod my head with a goofy grin on my face.
“I’m glad. Now let’s talk about your birthday. I would like to take you some place special.”
“Do you mean physically?”
“Yes, that is what I am asking.”
“How? If I leave, they will freak out.”
“I can bring you to me in the real world. We can sneak off and have a great time.”
“And I’m just learning this. Why haven’t you told me before? We could have already gone somewhere.”
“Because of my father. He can’t reach you here. I have a plan to buy us a few hours of peace. My best friend Eli is going to keep my father busy. I don’t know what he plans. I don’t want to know.”
“Are you sure it’s going to be safe?”
“After we complete the bond, there is nothing going to stop us. Not even my father.”
I just stare at him. “You would kill your father?”
He didn’t hesitate to answer. “Yes.”
I shake my head at this. There is no way I could kill my mom, but then again, I don’t think she would try to kill him.
“Are you ok with this?” I look back up into his black eyes. I notice their depth isn’t as deep as it used to be. Before, it looked like an endless pit of blackness.
“No and yes. I know you will do anything to protect me, and I will do the same. I just don’t like the thought that you would even have to kill your father. It makes me sad he would even try to kill either of us.”
He laughs, but it wasn’t a happy laugh. “My father is just as evil as I am if not worse now that your birthday is getting even closer. He has been looking for you in full force these last couple of weeks. He can’t believe I haven’t been able to find you, and I think he knows I have. He just can’t prove it.”
I shudder in his arms. “He will never get close to you, I promise.” He leans down kissing me. I get lost in him. The world outside this place doesn’t even exist. The need in me is driving me crazy.
I pull back to get some air into my lungs. “I don’t want to wait until my birthday. I want to bound you now. I need you and want you. Please give me what I want.”
His hooded eyes look at me. “Are you sure you are ready?”
“I’ve been ready for a while now.”
He nods his head and lays me on the soft grass. He isn’t rushing it, and it drives me even more mad. When he looks at me, he rips the front of my shirt. Surprising me in the act, I let out a little yelp. He stares at my breast taking one in his large hands and rubbing the nipple as it grows hard for him. Letting out a little moan, he leans down and take my other breast into his mouth. The moan that escapes from me echoes. He plants kisses down my stomach until he reaches my pants. He takes his time to unbutton them and pull them off me. He stares at all of me. I can see just how much he wants me. He doesn’t wait any longer. He rips my panties off and tosses them. He gets undress in a flash. He lays on top of me. My breathing is coming out ragged.
“Are you sure this is what you want?”
I growl at him. “Yes!”
He spreads my legs apart and settles in between them. He places himself at my entrance. The need for him pulses through me, so strong I lift myself to him, making him enter. The moment he does he slides all the way in making me almost lose my insanity. He rocks slow at first then he goes harder and faster, causing me to go over the edge in pure bliss. He doesn’t stop until I’m completely over it. He joins me not long after.
The light that burst from me and engulfs him as his darkness surrounds me. I knew the bond is complete when I could hear his thoughts in mine head.
“I don’t deserve her. I don’t deserve any of this.”
“You do and more. You are not the man your father wants you to be. This is your chance to be the man you want to be. Not the man that you are expected to be.”
He speaks out loud. “I just can’t believe this is real. I was ready to be the person my father wanted me to be. You have saved me from it, and I can’t thank you enough.”
“I may have to kill him sooner than I expected. He will sense the change in me as soon as he sees me.”
My heart breaks for him. “I’m sorry. Is there any other way for him to see this is what the goddesses wants for you?”
He lets out a sigh. “He can careless about the goddesses. He thinks they are all weak and cowards to not come down here and do their own bidding.”
My anger peeks at this. “Your father has no idea what he is talking about. If they came down here, he would not be standing.”
“Skye, you and I both know that. He doesn’t want to know. All he cares about is causing evil to defy them. He hates them more than anything in this world, including you. He only wants to kill you to prove to them he can do whatever he wants, and there is nothing they can do about it.”
Everything makes sense now. They didn’t want Drik to be like his father because he is blinded by his rage and hatred. What did the goddesses do to him to make him like that?
“We took the one person he loved more than the world.” I jump at Caireen’s voice. I try to cover myself from her.
Drik growls at her. “Who the hell are you and why are you here? How did you even get here?”
“Calm down, Adrik. I am the Goddess Caireen.”
I dress both myself and Drik with my magic. “What do you mean you took the one person he loved more than the world?”
“She begged us after Adrik was born to take her away from him. She could see the evil building in his soul, and she didn’t want to turn evil. We told her what would happen, but she didn’t care. She said it would make things worse if she stayed.”
“My mother is at the castle with my father. What are you talking about?”
“She isn’t your real mother. She is just a play thing your father married. He doesn’t love her or you for that matter. He is just making you evil to defy us.”
I could see everything click in his head. “I wondered why neither of them ever loved me.”
“I never stopped loving you, my son.” We all turn to the new voice and saw a woman who looks just like Drik.
He fell to his knees with his head hanging down as the emotions rack him.
“Why?” Is all he says.
She kneels in front of him, lifting his face, so she could see him. “I didn’t want to leave you. The goddesses wouldn’t let me take you. They said you needed to grow up the way you did for a reason. I still don’t understand why. I never really left you son. I’ve been by your side the whole time, trying to guide you in the right path.” She sobs.
