“What about you?” I ask. “Do you hate being tickled?”
A smile plays at his lips as he turns around and rests his arms on top of the counter. “Now why would I tell you when you could use the answer against me, like you just did with East?”
"Is it really that important that you win against me?" I question. "I'm not certain, but you don't really seem competitive. And you already know I'm not ticklish, so it only seems fair that I know if you are."
“That’s not completely true.” He gives me this look that makes my skin warm.
“Whatever.” I play it cool, but inside, I’m a mess.
How is it possible for just one look from him to make me feel like I’m floating?
“So are you competitive?” I ask him in an attempt to distract my thoughts from Lust Land.
He appears highly amused. “What do you think?”
“Hmm…” I thrum my fingers against my lips. “Well, when I first met you, I totally would’ve guessed you were. Now, I think you might be too sweet to be competitive.”
Amusement quirks at the corners of his lips. “You think I’m sweet?”
I lift my shoulders. “You are to me. Well, you started to be after you found out what I am.”
His amusement fizzles. “Sky, I’m sorry—”
I hold up my hand. “Fost, I’m way past that. You don’t need to apologize for it anymore.”
“I know, but I still feel bad. The way I treated you…” He shakes his head. “I was awful.”
“Maybe,” I answer truthfully. “But you’ve more than made up for it since then.”
“You may think so, but I’m still going to make it up to you… After we get out of here, I’m going to spend a lifetime making it up to you.”
A lifetime?
Like forever?
I don’t even know what to say.
He doesn’t say anything either, but the heated look in his eyes might say enough.
He means what he says.
He wants me forever.
The concept is hard to process, the idea that someone would want me forever.
“You don’t need to say anything,” he whispers to either himself or me—I can’t tell.
Then he steps back from the counter and slowly walks toward me with an intense look on his face.
But as he enters the living room, he freezes, his gaze dropping to the puddle-covered floor.
"Shit, I need to clean this up before the damn floor water-logs." He lifts a hand, and his skin begins to crackle with blue sparks of lightning.
Still feeling a bit flustered at the idea that he wants me forever, I latch onto the subject change, push to my feet, and wade over to him. “Can I help?”
He gives a wavering pause. “Let me take care of this, okay? You’ve used your powers a lot lately. In fact, I think that’s why you were having such a hard time channeling them when you were battling it out with East.”
“Maybe. But I also think it was partially because the water was making me cold.”
Without drying up the floor, he lowers his hands and inches toward me, his feet splashing in the water. “Are you feeling okay? I know you’ve been under a lot of stress lately with the nightmares and trying to sense the other power sources. And then on top of that, you’ve been using your powers a ton.”
“I’m fine,” I assure him. “I’m just a little bit tired and stressed out. But I can handle it.”
Worry crams his eyes. “What about the nightmares? Are they getting worse or better?”
I shrug. “They’re about the same.”
“You’re still having that fire dream?”
“Yeah, and it’s always the same.” I sigh. “It’s driving me crazy because it feels like there’s more to it than that yet I can’t grasp onto any more details because I never see any new details.”
"Don't push it too hard." He cups my face between his hands. "I know there's a lot of pressure on you, but you can't overdo it. If you do, your powers are going to weaken. You'll get where you need to eventually and until then, we're safe here. Easton and I won't let anything happen to you." He looks me straight in the eye. "I know everyone's been telling you how much you need to open up a secure portal and find the power sources, but I want you safe and healthy more than I want out of here."
I love that he cares about me, but… “Fost, I’m not more important than finding the power sources—”
“Yes, you are,” he interrupts me, pulling me closer to him. “You’re that important to me.”
While I don’t agree that I’m more important, his words draw my lips to his.
He kisses me back without hesitation, and I easily fall into the kiss, but a worry haunts my mind. That I’m not strong enough to do what I need to do.
Sometimes I feel so weak…
Sparks flutter across my skins and Foster pulls back.
“You’re not weak,” he says. “You’re one of the strongest creatures I know. And you need to stop thinking otherwise, baby.”
Crap, I must’ve accidentally allowed my emotions to slip down the link
“If I’m strong, it’s mostly because of you,” I tell him. “You’ve really helped me through this, Fost. Before I met you…” I shake my head. “Everything is so much better with you in my life.”
“Yeah?”
“Yeah.”
The corners of his lips kick up. “You know, I really like it when you call me that.”
My head tilts to the side. “Call you what?”
“Fost.”
“Oh, I didn’t even realize I did.”
He brushes his knuckles along my cheekbone. “I love the way it sounds leaving your lips. You should start calling me it more often.” He briefly mulls over something. “In fact, maybe it should be your nickname for me, like how I call you baby.”
I smile. “Okay, Fost.”
He smiles back. “Okay, baby.”
I shake my head, grinning like an idiot. “East was right when he said we were turning into cheesy, lovesick idiots.”
He shrugs, smiling at me. “If that the case then I think I might love being a lovesick idiot.” He laughs at himself. “I sound like an idiot. I really do.”
“But a cute idiot.” And I love it when you smile like that.
I love you…
That thought strikes me out of nowhere, but I hastily shove it aside before it can flow down the link.
Love?
I don’t even know what love is. And I’ve only known Foster for a little over a month for hell’s sake! That’s not enough time to fall in love…
Is it?
I’m not sure.
I’m not sure about anything anymore.
Except maybe him. And who I am with him.
“You’re the most beautiful and strongest creature I’ve ever met, baby,” he continues on, grinning like a dork. But then he grows serious. “And that’s not because of me. You’re the one who’s going through all of this shit. And you’ve been handling it so well.”
“I’m only handling it well because of you.”
"We've been over this," he pretends to scold me. "You need to start being more confident and accepting that you're badass. In fact, I want you to say it."
I arch my brow. “Why? Are you going to tickle me again if I don’t?”
“No, you liked that way too much,” he says with a smirk. “This time, I’ll punish you by making you help East cook tomorrow.”
I crinkle my nose. While I don’t mind cooking, cooking with East is a pain in the ass because he can’t cook for shit and ends up burning half the food. “Fine, what do you want me to say?”
His lips quirk. “That you’re a badass.”
“But I’m not—”
He skims his thumb along my lips, silencing me. “It’s okay to say good things about yourself, so just say it. Say, I’m a freakin’ badass or else it’s babysitting dinner duty for you.”
I give him a dirty look, but he just smiles and waits.
I si
gh, knowing what he's asking me to do isn't that big of a deal, but for some reason, it's hard to get the words to leave my lips. Maybe it's all those years of people saying mean stuff about me. Or maybe there's something wrong with me. I'm not sure, but maybe Foster is right. Perhaps I do need to start saying better stuff about myself.
“Fine. I’m a badass,” I finally manage to get out.
His lips stretch into a smile. “Now say it with more confidence.”
I square my shoulders and clear my throat. “I’m a badass elemental enchanter. I freakin’ rock.”
“And you’re beautiful and smart and strong,” he adds with the most adorable half smile ever.
I resist an eye roll. “Whatever—”
His lips brush mine and sparks hum across my flesh as I moan. He does the same, deepening the kiss, his hands sliding to my waist. I kiss him back, our tongues tangling, and heat blasts through my body, sharp yet wonderful.
He groans, his hand pressing against the small of my back, urging me closer. I clutch onto him, my powers flowing into him. When he lets out a soft gasp, I start to pull back, worried I've hurt him. But then his lips slam against mine again, and he kisses me intensely as he backs me toward the couch, lies me down, and covers his body over mine. We kiss, a heat of passion, our hands wandering all over each other.
“We should probably slow down, right?” He pulls back slightly, panting for air, his lips swollen, his hair a mess.
I shake my head. “Not yet.” Not when kissing him makes me feel so at peace. But then I get a bit self-conscious. “Unless you want to stop.”
He laughs huskily. “Trust me. Stopping is the last thing I want to do.” He pushes up on his arms and looks down at me. “But with everything you’re dealing with, the last thing you need right now is to worry about being pressured into things you’re not ready for.”
“You never pressure me to do anything.” My cheeks warm as I think about all the ways I’ve let him touch me.
We haven’t done everything yet, but we’ve done some stuff. I don’t know why I’m blushing, though.
Badass or not, I’m such a spazz sometimes.
He strokes my cheek with his knuckles. “I love it when you blush.”
I roll my eyes. "I'm glad you do because I find it annoying."
He chuckles then lowers his lips toward mine. “When you’re ready to stop, just say so, okay?” He waits for me to nod then crashes his lips against mine.
I kiss him back, my legs hitching around his waist, every part of me desperate to get closer to him. He groans from the contact, his body trembling as he rocks his hips against mine.
A whimper escapes me, and my hands travel to the hem of his shirt. I'm not even sure what I'm doing. All I know is I crave more.
He must sense what I want because he pushes back and tugs his shirt off. Then his lips return to mine. My heart thunders in my chest as I trace the lines of his muscles, feel the softness of his skin.
He starts to feel me too, his hands traveling across my body until his fingers find the hem of my shirt.
He slightly pulls back. “Is this okay?” he asks.
Even though I'm a bundle of nerves, I nod.
Holding my gaze, he carefully peels off my shirt. Then he swallows audibly as his gaze drinks me in.
“You’re so beautiful,” he whispers.
I want to roll my eyes. The idea of someone seeing me as beautiful seems so implausible, but the way he’s looking at me, I can tell he really believes I am.
“So are you,” I whisper, my body shaking from my nerves.
Sweeping strands of my hair out of my eyes, he dips his lips to mine and kisses me again. He kisses me until I'm breathless until I can barely think about anything else other than his lips, our powers entangling, his hands traveling across my body.
Eventually, his hand dips into the waistband of my jeans.
“I can stop,” he says through ragged breaths.
I’m beyond nervous, but I’m also excited.
I want this.
I want him.
I draw his lips to mine. “Don’t stop.”
He groans, his fingers drifting lower.
Moments later, I can’t think straight. Can barely breathe. My heart is a mess inside my chest. And yet somehow, it might be the most at peace I’ve ever felt.
After Foster and I are done making out and touching each other, I fall asleep in his arms, feeling so content. But the instant I close my eyes, that contentment goes poof as I sink into a nightmare of darkness and flames.
“Help me,” someone whispers as fire, smoke, and tendrils of darkness circle the air. “I can’t get the darkness out of my head. Please.”
She sounds like she’s in so much pain, so broken, so tortured.
I want to help her, but I don’t know how, especially when I can’t see anything—
“Sky.”
My eyelids pop open, and I blink up at Foster.
He’s leaning over me with a worried look on his face.
“You were whimpering in your sleep,” he says. “Were you having that fire nightmare again?”
I nod, my eyes pooling with tears as I remember the pain in her voice. "Only this time I was myself, and a girl was there with me. She asked me to help her, but I couldn't… She sounded like she was in pain." A tear slips from my eye and drips down my cheek.
He swipes it away with his fingertip. “I wish I could keep you from having these dreams. I don’t like seeing you upset.”
“It’s fine… I’m fine…” But I’m not sure if I am. “I just wish I could figure out what the nightmare means…” I trail off as an idea suddenly smacks me across the face. “You don’t think there’s any way the girl in the nightmare could be the elemental goddess of fire’s power source, do you? You said I could be connected to these power sources so maybe somehow I’m getting into her nightmares. And maybe her power is fire, and that's why I always see fire."
Foster frowns, his eyes widening. “If you are then we really need to figure out where she is, especially if she’s asking for help.”
Fear crushes my chest. He's right, which means I really need to push seeing this nightmare to the end. "I haven't been able to see past the fire and darkness yet. Maybe if I push a bit harder… find a way to stay asleep for longer, I can."
He sweeps a strand of my hair out of my eyes. “You need to give it time and let it come naturally. You’ve already been pushing your powers, mind, and body way harder than I ever did when I was training. And you’ve been so exhausted lately… It has me worried.” His frown deepens. “Promise me you won’t push the nightmare, okay?”
I nod, but deep down I’m worried.
What if I never am able to see it unless I push?
What if the god of darkness gets to the fire power source before we do?
Chapter 18
Over the next several days, nightmares of darkness and fire continue to haunt me. Every time I close my eyes, all I see are smoke and flames, and all I can hear are the painful cries from the girl. It’s become my motivation to do better, to become powerful enough to take over the dream.
I will become stronger, I vow to myself every day.
But doubt always weighs in my mind. What if I’m not good enough? Part of me believes that I am while the other part, the one connected to my past, doesn’t.
But I think that the optimistic part of me might be connected to Foster, who’s become my lifeline in this. He’s the reason I’ve stayed sane, why I’ve gotten so strong.
“Are you sure you’re not getting worn out yet?” he asks me as we stand in the flowery field outside of the house.
Raindrops shower down on us, and we have our hands pressed together as we practice controlling our power to create a portal. East was out here for a bit but went inside to cook dinner, which really means he's going to binge on junk food until we come inside and cook for him.
My hair and clothes are soaking wet, and Foster is drenched, his T-shirt sticking to his ch
est and making him look so sexy it's distracting.
“How about one more time, and then we go in?” I suggest. “East is probably wanting to have dinner soon, and you know how whiny he can get when he’s hungry.”
“Don’t worry about East or me.” He threads his fingers through mine. “Only stop if you’re ready to. I want you to feel in control.”
I nod. “Okay.”
Raindrops drip across his face. “I mean it, Sky. You’re in control of this.”
I nod. "I'm in control."
“Good. Now say it louder.”
“I’m in control!” I shout, my voice echoing across the land.
Bolts of lightning zap from the sky, and the ground cracks apart, the dirt splintering with fragments of ice.
He smiles proudly. “See, badass.”
My lips pull into a smile. "Okay, I'll agree with you on that. That was pretty badass." I pause, measuring how tired I feel and realizing I feel more energized than I usually do. But I can feel Foster's exhaustion flowing through the link, so I say, "How about one more time, and then we're done for the day?"
A drop of relief eases through the link, but his expression remains composed as he nods then focuses on channeling his power. I do the same and, as our powers connect, lightning hisses between our palms and shoots all over our bodies. I know if we release our energy now, a portal may form, but I'm not confident it'll be secure, so I hold back. So does Foster, always giving me the lead. And that holding back sends energy zipping through our bodies.
“That was … intense this time,” Foster breathes out with his eyes closed, raindrops dripping off his lips.
I nod, my legs feeling as shaky as his voice sounds. “It was … But in a good way.”
He bobs his head up and down then opens his eyes. When our gazes connect, lightning flashes between us along with something else. I feel more of that invisible wall crumble between us, my heart slamming against my chest as intense emotions pour through me. It’s frightening yet amazing. Everything with him is amazing.
Cupping the back of my head, he pulls me in for a kiss. We’re all jacked up on energy and each other. As we kiss, licking the raindrops off each other’s lips, he starts to back us toward the house.
Enchanted Chaos Series: Sky & Foster's Complete Novel Page 33
