Daris chuckled. “C’mere.” He walked behind and grabbed my hands, pulling me back against his chest until I could feel each breath he took.
“Just follow my lead,” he whispered in my ear.
He slowly guided my movements, moving my arms the same way I had been doing for the past ten hours. For fifteen minutes, we did this. He stayed planted behind me as he spoke, describing specific techniques for each part of the attack. It was just like he did last time, but something was different. He was still gentle but he didn’t treat me like I would shatter. I was also more relaxed, our bodies fitting like puzzle pieces and moving in a natural dance.
“Eventually,” he said, “you’ll be able to conjure the full force of nature in a single motion, but for now, I have to treat this, as annoying as it is, as a math problem: I have to teach you the long way first.”
“Is it the same with the other forms you’ve had me memorize?” I felt him nod and his breath skimmed my collarbone when I sagged against him in frustration. He sped up the action until we were forced to separate to avoid getting in each other’s way. My body kept moving while Daris moved towards the targets opposite me and shaped the circles into three faces. My father appeared in the one on the far left; Camille was on the far right, and in the very center, directly in my line of sight, was the mocking face of Travis smirking back at me.
The familiar energy surge pulsed through me and I felt alive. The world around me sang with life and my actions became more deliberate. My eyes narrowed and I experienced tunnel vision, seeing every detail of the target and finding the weakest spot like an animal hunting for prey. I felt powerful and deadly, but as I moved, I still felt graceful and fluid, like a tiger on the prowl. Then, I lunged.
The first blast scarred Camille’s perky smile. The second was more powerful and sliced my father in half. I stared at Travis and looked his image in the eyes. I threw a punch and watched as a perfect hole formed in the middle of the circle.
“I think we just found your training incentive,” Daris called with a low whistle.
I took a deep breath and leaped into the nearby mango tree, leaving my emotions behind and my vision returning to normal. I sat on one of the branches and leaned back against the trunk, waiting for only a heartbeat before Daris settled next to me with a peach in hand. The colors of the fuzzy fruit mimicked those of the setting sun reminding me of how long we had been training.
It was a bit chilly for it being the middle of March and I shivered when a strong breeze blew. I was so focused on the sunset that I didn’t know Daris had even left my side until he handed me my hoodie. I eagerly pulled it over my head and tucked my legs under the blanket he had brought for himself. He looked at me when my cold feet brushed the side of his leg.
“Can I help you?” He playfully smiled at me.
“I’m good, thanks.” I yawned and tilted my head back. “On second thought, you know what I could really go for, right now?”
“A cup of hot chocolate?” I nodded and nearly fell off my perch in surprise when he handed me a warm to-go cup. One sip told me it was the drink I was craving. Daris had one as well.
“It’s scary how well you know me.”
“You’re easy to learn.”
“I think you just pay too much attention to me.”
“Is that a bad thing?” Daris leaned closer to me and I hugged my drink closer to my chest.
I smiled shyly and looked down, my face brightening under the yellow hues of the setting sun. “I don’t know yet.”
Our voices weren’t above a whisper and we were so close. I cleared my throat and took another sip before turning my attention back towards the setting sun, hiding my surprise into my cup when Daris grabbed my feet and set them in his lap.
“Comfy?”
I nodded, too tired to even bother denying how relaxed I was. After practicing all day, I was exhausted; and the warmth and hot drink were quickly pulling me under.
He yawned and I chuckled lowly. “Looks like I’m not the only one ready for bed.”
“Teachers get tired too,” he defended, squeezing my feet.
“We should probably get some sleep. We have another big day of training tomorrow. You need to know how to attack if we have any chance of defeating the Acerlums.”
I placed my finger over his lips, silencing him. “Daris, sleep now, strategizing later.”
I burrowed into my hoodie and emptied my cup before getting ready to jump down. Daris was already there, though, carrying me while he flew us down to the house. I curled into him and sought the warmth he was somehow emanating wearing just a t-shirt and running shorts in the chilly night.
“Alright Sleeping Beauty, let’s get you to bed.” Daris put me down in front of my bedroom door before going into his own. “Sweet dreams, Blossom.”
“Goodnight, Daris,” I muttered drowsily. Unlike previous nights, where I always slept with my door securely shut, I left my door ajar, happy to know that Daris was close by and feeling like he was on my side again. I crawled into bed and quickly fell asleep.
When I woke up the next morning to the sound of rain hitting my window, I realized I never heard Daris’s door close. Finally getting out of bed, I walked into the hallway and smiled when I saw him sprawled out on his bed. He never looked more comfortable. I smiled and got my e-reader, content to continue reading whatever book I had paused on. Every so often, like a parent checking on her sick child, I would look up and cover my mouth to quiet the giggles.
It had probably been an hour of quiet relaxation when I looked up again and flushed red. The blanket had shifted enough to reveal his shirtless torso. Daris may have been my closest friend, but I knew I was falling for him. He trained me and supported me. He infuriated me with some of his methods, but he was sweet and caring. Him looking like he belonged on a model runway didn’t help, either.
I shook my head clear and snuck into his room. I smelled the scent of pine he always carried with him. The walls were painted blue and the room had dark wood furniture. The window was covered with wooden blinds. Very carefully, I tiptoed across the room and covered Daris with the blanket and brushed his hair out of his eyes, hoping he didn’t wake up.
I walked back to the door and looked back, surprised to notice that he now slept with a small smile on his face. He shifted and sank into the mattress, nuzzling into the pillow, before stilling.
I collapsed onto the sofa and rested my head on the back of the sofa, reaching for the still-warm mug of hot chocolate I had made, sighing when the warm liquid trickled down my throat. It was nice to feel this calm, but weird, considering the fact that I was being hunted. I turned back to my book. My body curled, my legs hidden beneath my very large hoodie, the fabric barely covering my toes.
I looked back towards Daris and jumped when I saw sleepy blue eyes watching me while their owner leaned against the door, arms crossed over a bare chest. I cleared my throat and looked back to my e-reader. How long had he been there?
“Good morning.” My voice was low and raspy, my throat dry.
“Morning.”
Help me, Mother Earth! Dare I use this word to describe Daris in the morning, but the man in front of me was downright sexy. It wasn’t helping that he was shirtless. His hair stuck up everywhere and his voice was deep and scratchy with sleep. If that wasn’t enough, his eyes were dark and hooded, but they still showed the same affection he always had.
“There’s some hot chocolate left on the stove if you want some.”
He sent me a tired smile and went to fill a mug. I looked into my own cup and watched as a pair of marshmallows plopped into it, their deliverer copying their example and landing next to me with a grunt.
“This is how we should start every morning.” He sighed, and I giggled slightly.
“So, what’s for training today?”
“Initially, I was going to keep teaching you how to do the hurricane, but seeing as you figured that out yesterday, that isn’t much of an issue anymore. I was going to teach
you the tornado today, but it’s raining.”
“So, are we skipping to the tsunami?”
“Nope, that comes later. Today is our day off.”
“Really? No training?”
“Nope. The day is yours.”
“Sweet!” I jumped from the sofa and ran to the kitchen.
“You’re going to cook on your free day?”
“Yep.”
I grabbed the tomato sauce, some flour, some spices, and a variety of other ingredients with a smile on my face. When Daris had gone shopping, I didn’t realize he had bought the entire store.
“What are you making?”
“Dinner.”
“But it’s barely noon.”
“It’s never too early to start cooking. Now get up. It’s your turn to be trained.”
He laughed from behind me and the sound filled the room. He moved next to me and reached for the dough I was kneading.
I slapped his hand. “Go put a shirt on, first. We’re making pasta and cooking meat; you don’t want any hot water or oil to hit you.” And I can’t think when you’re standing next to me, shirtless. I can barely think straight on a normal day when I’m around you.
“Learned from experience?” He poked my side and I jumped.
“The oil has hit my arms too many times for me to deny it. Now go.”
He left and I began separating the dough into sections.
“There, I’m clothed.,” he came up beside me and watched my movements. “Tell me what we’re making.”
“You are making lasagna while I start baking dessert.”
He looked very confused looking down on the ingredients I had laid out for him. I didn’t look at him as I began spouting off directions. “Start by rolling out the pasta. I got you started already. Start the roller, which is set up right next to you, on the lowest setting. After each pass, fold the dough. After every few, increase the setting until you have a good-sized piece of pasta. Cut each one to the length of the pan.”
He got started and I began working with my own ball of dough, working it into much smaller balls. Out of the corner of my eye, I watched him fight with the pasta roller as the handle kept coming off every few rotations.
“You love this, don’t you?” he growled, making me giggle while he tried to put the handle back on.
“I’m allowed to laugh; the same thing happened to me when I first learned how to make homemade pasta. Be thankful I gave you the easy dish.” I bumped his side and he stumbled.
That was our entire day. I taught him how to make lasagna and he watched with complete fascination as I made cream puffs and éclairs. When he took a bite, his face mirrored what I’m sure mine looked like when I ate fresh fruit.
“How is it that you can cook like this regularly?”
I smiled as I grabbed one for myself. “This was how I bonded with my mom. She taught me how to cook until I started messing with her recipes. We taught each other.” I looked down at my plate, remembering flour explosions, laughter, burnt food, and the two of us dancing around our kitchen to whatever music I played.
“You aren’t going to get all maternal, are you?”
I shot him a look and we just laughed. It wasn’t much to do on a day off, but just relaxing with Daris and a good meal was enough for me.
We stayed inside the entire day and listened to the rain falling steadily against the window. When the sun went down a couple hours after dinner, I curled back up on the sofa after a bath.
“Hey, Blossom!” Daris came out of his room shirtless and wearing loose pajama pants. He had a towel wrapped around his shoulders and his hair slick with water. I swallowed. “You up for another movie night?”
I smiled and ran to the kitchen. “You grab the movies; I grab the snacks,” I answered.
I returned quickly with a bowl of popcorn and a fruit salad. Daris was bringing pillows and blankets from our rooms. Having already cleared away the small table that separated the sofa from the television, Daris made two small bundles. I went into the kitchen and made two mugs of hot chocolate, sneaking a few marshmallows before heading back out.
“I saw that.”
“What?” I asked, hiding the handful of toppings and smiling sheepishly when I turned to face him.
He smirked and reached behind me, grabbing my wrist and gently forced my hand open. He looked at me. “Really?”
“Don’t judge. Marshmallows make everything better.”
He took one from my hand and popped it in his mouth. “I will never deny that.” He grabbed the rest of the bag and another new one before heading back out. I dropped the rest of the sweets in the two drinks, topped them with whipped cream, and drizzled them with chocolate syrup.
I followed him and laughed when I saw what he had prepared. Daris had two piles of pillows and blankets sitting in front of the couch. Now, they had merged and been combined with other quilts and the sofa cushions. The funny part of it was that he was still building.
“Having fun?”
He looked back at me and smiled. “Is that hot chocolate?”
“I asked you first.” I bumped him with my hip.
“I asked you second.” He poked my side.
We glared at each other before grinning and laughing like the five-year-olds we were acting like.
I put the drinks with the snacks and watched as Daris continued with his construction. Our comforters lined the floor on top of our mattresses and the sofa cushions. The pillows were lined against the back of the sofa and the two armchairs barricaded the sides. On top of the beds, there was a third blanket wrapped around in a figure eight shape about a third of the way down the structure. Daris reached past me and grabbed the snack bowls, fitting them perfectly into the slots of the quilt.
“I think you’re putting too much thought into this.”
He ignored me and kept building. He stared at the structure thoughtfully before moving to the other side of the sofa and moving two small tables into the corners created by the sofa and armchair. He came up to me and took the drinks from me, gesturing me to sit. He joined me and handed me my hot chocolate before pressing play.
“This is how we should end every day.” I sighed.
“We would run out of movies.”
“And food,” I added.
As the movie continued playing, I found myself bobbing my head to the classic tunes, humming and sometimes singing along. Every so often, to my amusement, Daris would join in, singing the male and sometimes the female songs. Halfway through the first movie, I was leaning against Daris’s shoulder with an empty mug of hot chocolate, half full snack bowls, and a smile on my face as he sang along to some of the songs with all the theatrics he could manage.
Sometime during the night, I must have decided that Daris made a much more comfortable pillow and a warmer heat source than the blanket because, when I woke up before him, I was lying almost completely on top of him. My back rested comfortably against his chest and our legs were tangled in front of us. One of his arms was wrapped tightly but comfortably around my waist and his breath tickled the top of my head. I didn’t move, content where I was.
The television was dark and the snack bowls were empty and resting on the tables beside the empty mugs. The blanket holder Daris had built was now wrapped around Daris’s and my shoulders.
I stretched my legs and groaned quietly as the morning aches subsided. I shrank back into my cozy crevice with a sigh. As I listened to Daris’s soft breaths and the silence of the morning, I thought about everything that had, and was going to, happen; and Daris had been helping me through it all.
I didn’t need Camille or Melanie screaming to tell me that Daris was undeniably attractive. With piercing eyes and a strong body, he was what every girl dreamed about. His protective nature was fierce and aggressive to those on the receiving end; but to those he was defending, he was loyal and sweet. When we were alone, Daris was creative and strict in training, but extremely playful in other settings. I couldn’t imagine a better person to
have as a friend; yet as I lay curled up against him, I knew that this was far from friendly.
On the table next to Daris, a phone rang loudly, a sharp sound in the serene morning. He stirred, stretching to grab the phone. His other arm stayed securely around my waist and rubbed small soothing circles just above my hipbone. I found myself being lulled back to sleep.
“Hello?” Daris whispered, probably not knowing I was awake. I heard someone talking rapidly on the other end of the line. “Yes, I found her.” More talking. “Yes, yes, and no.” The voice got louder and I winced. “No, Mom. That’s not happening.” His voice was a harsh whisper. His arm tensed against my side. He sighed. “Yes, Mom. I’ll get online now.” He hung up the phone and muttered a curse before shaking my shoulder.
“Come on, Blossom. Time to get up.”
I ignored him.
“Let’s go, Sky.”
I smiled into his chest.
“She’s going to kill me,” he whispered to himself.
I giggled.
He pushed me away from his chest and looked at me, his eyes dancing. “Are you seriously awake right now?”
I looked up at him and smiled. He just started tickling my sides until I was shrieking. Another phone call came in and Daris cursed again before helping me out of the nest-like structure. He pulled me to his room.
“What are we doing?”
“You are about to learn a bit more about Luxators.”
“Liar. What else?”
He logged into Skype and started a video chat. The woman on the screen had brown hair cut into a longer version of a bob and light blue eyes. She looked like the kind of person to be kind and caring only to later turn around and snap at another person.
“Sky, meet my mom-- one of the leaders of the Luxators.” The woman’s formal smile that she had when looking at Daris shifted into one of analysis and later into disappointment. She turned to her son.
“Daris, how far along is she in her training?” Daris straightened and spoke like a soldier giving a status report.
Marked by Time (The Mark Series Book 1) Page 15
