Michelle laid back on the bed and looked up at the ceiling. “It’s space themed. Glow stars, the works.” They hadn’t changed it since she was five. It was spacious, with a loft bed. The carpet was tattered from years of play, and the blue walls were smudged.
At least, that was how it was the last time she had seen it. It had been at least two years since she had been back at her parent’s house. Now that she was going to live there, she sort of hoped for an upgrade.
Maybe a queen-sized bed, something easier to get into. Climbing up a ladder every night didn’t seem so practical anymore. Oh how she had pleaded for that bed when she was little, though.
“They’ll probably give you the old guest room,” she informed him. “It’s pretty nice, and it has its own bathroom and everything.” It would be nice having him so close. He’d get his own room, as would Loviel. Though, part of her hoped he would lay with her as she fell asleep.
Ravin chuckled as he put away the last of the figurines. “So that means sneaking in every night until I get myself kicked out?” he teased with a wink. With ease, he taped all of the boxes shut as they were filled to the brim.
He stood and stretched. “They’re nice people. They wouldn’t kick me out, right?” He furrowed his brows. “Right?”
There were a lot of things that her parents would do, and kicking out was not one of them. They would be ecstatic that someone who knew about her condition was sticking around and ‘sneaking’ into her room at night.
“I mean, they might kick you out, but not for that.” Michelle laughed, though the thought of them sharing a room made her stomach tickle with butterflies. Too soon. That was probably not something you asked your boyfriend of not even a month. Then again, moving in wasn’t one of those things either. They weren’t the most conventional couple. All the better, in her opinion.
She shrugged. “Who knows? After a week you may be begging to come anyway.”
“So what would it take to get kicked out?” he called over his shoulder as he strolled into the bathroom to gather her things. It was only a few moments before he returned with two pill bottles in his hands. “When was the last time you took your medicine Michelle?” he asked with a frown.
“Damnit,” she cursed, sitting up. “I knew I was forgetting something.”
“Well, you’ve got me here to help you remember.” Ravin rattled the bottles as he returned to the bathroom. When he came back, he had a fully packed box. “That’s another thing that I am good at. I will mother-bird you these pills if I have to.”
Michelle tried to imagine Ravin trying to force feed her anything by way of mouth. The image wasn’t pretty. On the plus side, it would be good to have a friendly reminder to take her medicine. Lian tried to keep her on top of it, but if she didn’t do it that moment, then she would forget again.
Something told her the demon would be more persistent about it.
“That looks like it’s everything. Are you ready?” His tone was low with concern. “Well, I guess we… I have to carry them out, but, other than that.” He shrugged. Ravin’s dark eyes were fixed on Michelle’s face.
“Ready,” she confirmed with a nod. What was he staring at? Her brow raised.
“Let’s get this stuff out there, then.” Ravin lifted his remaining burdens with his mind and floated them out the door in front of him. Then he walked out the front door with them in tow.
The three girls followed Ravin outside to the transport. There, Loviel and Zier were arranging the last boxes in the moving transport. She recognized some of them, but the others she assumed were Ravin’s. It was crazy to think she was leaving this place.
“Thank you so much for helping out, everyone.” She was glad she had so many people willing to give her some of their time. Then again, to them, the hands of the clock meant nothing.
“Anything for Lian’s sister.” Zier bowed flashily, then gave her a smile. “I’ll be sure to bring her over as often as you want her, and probably even more than that, to be honest.”
“I’ll probably snag a ride, if I can,” Jo chimed in.
Ravin added the last of his boxes to the mix. “Who would have thought that the muscular badass was such a cutie pie? I can’t be the only one thinking it.” He jokingly glanced at the others to see if they agreed with him.
“I could always snap you like a twig, if you push it Ravin.” Zier winked.
“I believe Zier is a very attractive man.” Loviel nodded, as if he were agreeing with Ravin’s exact statement. He gave his brother a sunny and innocent smile. “Is this a reason to ‘snap like a twig’?”
Zier chuckled. “It is not. You’re more respectful than Ravin, though.”
“He tends to be,” Ravin admitted with a shrug. He glanced over at Michelle. “So, when are your parents getting here? I’m excited to meet them.”
Just as the words left his lips, Michelle noticed a familiar familial transport as it pulled into the lot. Michelle knew the machine well, and the ones driving it. She sucked in a breath. They were here. It was go time. Suddenly she felt overwhelmingly unprepared to deal with them.
“They're here,” she said and gestured to the transport as it pulled into a spot.
Collin and Marie burst out and were immediately embracing their daughters. Marie held Lian tightly and Collin placed a kiss on Michelle’s head.
“We’re so happy to see you guys.” Collin grinned. “And is this Ravin?” He looked up with kind brown eyes “It’s a pleasure to meet you.” Instead of the typical handshake, Collin pulled Ravin into a hug.
“Oh, he is the handsome one, Mischa,” Marie gushed. “Pictures don't do him justice.”
“Careful,” Michelle warned. “If you inflate his ego much more, he might not fit through the front door.”
Ravin laughed and hugged Collin back. “It’s a pleasure to meet you too.” He looked so proud to have the attention. “Thank you so very much.”
Zier stepped forward and bowed to both of the newcomers. “Mrs. and Mr. Nielson, it is truly an honor to meet the both of you. I am Zier.” His vividly pink eyes darted between the two of them.
“Well, look at this tall drink of water.” Marie nudged her husband with her elbow. “Lian has told us all about you. And we cannot thank you enough.” She seemed more than pleased with the friends her daughters had made, and that they were all exceptional examples of fine men. Yes, her daughters were doing well for themselves.
Not only was she proud of them, but their father was as well. Collin shook Zier’s hand gently, with a kind grin on his face, chuckling. “I approve.”
Zier gave a firm handshake, “I am glad you do, sir.” He smiled at Marie. “It is the least I could do. Lian is an amazing woman.”
The blush on Lian’s cheeks sparked to life with a pink glow. She complained quietly with a single flustered sound. Sheepishly, she looked up at Zier and said a quiet, “Thank you.”
“We’re missing someone.” Marie was looking around. She had heard many stories about this boy named Kazun who played hockey and guitar. None of the men standing around matched his description, though.
“Where is Kazun?” she asked Lian. “Will he be going out to dinner with us?”
“I-I think he’s at hockey practice, s-so I don't know.” Lian bit her lip.
Michelle leaned on Ravin. She was suddenly grateful her parents had locked onto her little sister. They must have figured since Lian was staying behind, they would have less time to mess with their older daughter, at least for now.
“The practice is going to be going on for a while, but I can pick him up as soon as he’s done.” Zier glanced over at Lian. “If you want me to.”
“We would love that,” Marie chimed in. “We want to meet all of these new people we’ve heard so much about.”
Ravin bobbed his head, then tilted his head down. “Are you feeling up for dinner?” he whispered to her. “I know packing up took a lot out of you. If it’s too much, I think we should relax with a nice warm drink.”
&
nbsp; “I’ll be fine.” Michelle nodded, took a step and immediately regretted it. Her ankle gave out as it twisted and she was on her way down to meeting the ground on a very personal level. She didn’t fear hitting it though. There were three super-beings; one of them she trusted had to catch her.
Before she could make it far, Ravin scooped Michelle into his arms. “I think we might have to skip dinner.”
Michelle leaned on him for support. “Want to go check out where you’ll be moving? Mom and Dad can drive back. I doubt they’ll care. I think they’re looking forward to messing with Lian.”
“I’d love to.” Ravin smiled. “Let’s go.”
Images of a rustic-looking home filled Michelle’s mind. She sent these pictures, feelings, and thoughts to Ravin, giving him the best idea of the location as she possibly could. Her hand slipped into his, and when she opened her eyes, she was gazing into Ravin’s.
She smiled back. “Let’s.”
Chapter 12
The home that stood proudly before them was made to look like a majestic log cabin. It was two stories tall with embellished woodwork at the entrance. Grand windows opened up at the top, their slanted patterns appeared like sun rays as they let in a fair amount of natural light. The stairs up to the porch were clean and freshly varnished. A walkway of stone led from the driveway up to the entrance.
Surrounding the house on all sides were thick woods. Sounds of nature played a gentle melody. It was peaceful.
“Welcome to our not-so-humble abode.” Michelle gestured grandly. It was quite clear from the extravagance, Michelle’s parents had a fair amount of money. Of course, her mother was one of the most sought after Osteologists and her father was a renowned writer; they had never been strapped for cash.
“Would you like a grand tour?” She smiled and started hobbling up the stairs to the front porch.
Ravin hopped up a few steps to keep pace with her. “I would love one,” he grinned as he admired the unique architecture. It was a perfect fit for the mountainous surroundings. If it hadn’t been so extravagant, he would have thought that he’d stepped back in time. The view was spectacular.
“I had no idea you lived in a place like this.” He let out an awed breath. He’d known Michelle was well off, but he had no idea that it was this well off. In hindsight, he realized he probably should have done a little more asking, or at least some covert research.
He supposed she was similar to Jo, in that she didn’t like to broadcast her wealth.
“They had it built before I was born,” Michelle explained. “They both wanted somewhere they could get away.” She went up to the large double doors and pulled one open with ease. They had state-of-the-art security systems. It recognized Michelle as a resident and thus let her in without use of any key. They would have to get Ravin registered, since the wards would keep him from popping directly inside the house until he was.
Michelle grabbed out her phone and messaged her parents that they had arrived at home.
She motioned to the living room just beyond the door. “This is the for-show living area. Not much goes on here. You can see the back porch, complete with hot tub, through those windows.” She gestured to an open bar area; just beyond was a modern chic kitchen. It was an open space with quartz countertops, complete with an island.
“That’s the place where Dad makes food stuff,” she explained. “There are generally some drinks in the fridge. Not sure about hard stuff, since Mom wouldn’t let me drink it last time I was home, but I was under age.” She shrugged. “Might be able to get away with a drink or two.” She winked.
It was hard for Ravin to pick his jaw up off the floor. “This place is seriously nice. Wow.” He couldn’t believe what he was seeing. Everything was gorgeous, like it had jumped off the pages of a magazine and magicked itself to life. Yet, somehow it still felt like a place where someone would live. Most of the time when he saw things this nice it felt manufactured and false.
The Nielsons had made it a home. “I’m sure I can smuggle some in too. That wouldn’t get me kicked out, will it?” He was trying to compile the list of boundaries. Sure, Michelle said they were relaxed about everything, but he prefered to judge people through his own experiences.
After all, she was biased.
“Well, I mean, you’re probably older than them,” she laughed. “So, I doubt they would have a problem with it. As long as you did it responsibly.” Then she thought about it. “I mean, plus you work at a bar so…” She slipped her hand into his and continued on with the tour, showing him the bathroom, the library, and the dining room.
She pulled him back towards the entrance where there was a stairwell going down and up.
“Do you want to see the upstairs first, or the Inspiration Cave?” she asked.
“Inspiration Cave?” Ravin tilted his head and tried to conjure up an image in his mind, but nothing was popping up. “I think the thing that sounds the most interesting comes first.” He winked at her. There was the added benefit from being able to end close to her room, which meant it would be easier for her to rest after she was done. He could feel the active wards, so teleportation wasn’t an option, so he couldn’t cheat. “What the heck is an Inspiration Cave?”
Michelle swung open the door leading downstairs. “Well sir, let me show you.” She pulled her boyfriend down and into the Inspiration Cave, as her father had lovingly named it. The huge room that waited below was a nerd paradise.
A huge 80-inch holoscreen was perched on the wall. A sectional wrapped around the adjacent wall; the edges were comfortable recliners set with drink holders. Michelle walked onto the plush carpet. First edition movie posters of books her father had written were displayed with pride.
A never-ending waterfall trickled down a intricately placed stonework wall into a basin at the base, filling the room with the noise of running water. Decorations from the most popular sci-fi and fantasy shows were in perfect order on glass shelves. Games and movies of all kinds waited to be used or viewed. There was a minibar and fridge along with a container filled with snacks of all kinds.
She walked into the middle of the room and put her hand on a singular floating orb. It began to glow at the contact. She flicked it, so it began to spin, and stars covered the walls and ceiling so it looked like they were floating in space.
“My Dad’s a writer, so he had this room made so he could always find some sort of inspiration.” She laughed. “That’s what he told Mom anyway. I think he just likes geek culture.”
For the longest time, Ravin was speechless. He gaped at the sheer majesty of the room he’d been introduced to. If it was possible, he would have moved into that room in a heartbeat and never left. “Is this heaven?” he asked in sheer awe. “Because I think I must have ended up there by mistake. This place is just…” As he searched for the words he scrubbed a hand over his stubble, then raked his other through his blonde hair.
If Kazun had come with him, the boy probably would have died. Or at the very least fallen into a dead faint. It was just up his alley. If Ravin was stunned, Kaz wouldn’t have been able to handle any of it.
After a few moments of silence, he finally came to his conclusion. “Perfect.” He turned to Michelle with a twinkle in his eyes. “I think this may have spoiled the rest of the tour, because usually you save the best for last.” In the back of his mind, he reminded himself that the true ‘best’ would be her room.
Walking back over to her boyfriend, Michelle looked up at him with a smug grin. “What can I say? My Dad is spoiled rotten.” She was happy to know he was going to at least enjoy staying with them. Though he had volunteered himself, she still had the fear he would resent her taking him away from his new place with Kaz.
“Well whenever you’re ready to step down from cloud nine, I can show you the upstairs.” She winked. “Unless I need to resuscitate you.”
Ravin touched her cheek and smiled down at her. “I’d like some resuscitation.” He stole a kiss and cupped the back of her head. H
is fingers twined into her short dark hair. Pure delight filled him as her petal-soft lips parted.
“I think I’m ready to see the upstairs,” he murmured against her.
Michelle let out a breath; her heart fluttered. Every time they kissed, it felt more magical than the last. Like two circuits connecting, it made electricity flow through her. “Right this way, Romeo.” She smiled and gave him one more peck before heading upstairs.
One negative about her parents’ home? Lots and lots of stairs.
When they got up to the very top, there was a long hallway. To the right of the stairwell was a medium-sized room colored in a leafy green. There were lots of stuffed animals and the floor was hardwood.
“That’s Lian’s room,” Michelle explained and moved down the hall. She pointed out her parents’ room, which was the first door on the right. The door on the left was her mother’s office. The next room to the left was the guest room. At the end of the hall, there was a set of three stairs that went directly into another hallway
She pushed open the door to another bedroom. It was dark blue with glow-in-the-dark stars plastered to all the walls. The old loft bed had been replaced since she had last been there with a queen-sized one. The rest of the furnishings were sensible. A nice desk, a walk-in closet; there was a small holoscreen hanging on the wall and an old gaming system. There were worn stuffed dinosaurs pushed into the corner.
Waiting on the pillow was a small gift box. She moved to the bedside and sat down. The mattress frame sagged slightly under her weight. She picked up the box and examined it. The little bow read: “With love, Mommy and Daddy. Welcome home.”
Carefully she opened the box. Inside, was a small ring inlaid with a dark stone. She inspected it: there were small gleaming starlike flecks. On the inside of the band it read, “Love always.” A bright smile appeared on her face.
“Those two are just big cheese balls.” She laughed, but she could feel tears wanting to escape. There was no way to explain how much she loved her parents, even if they had forced her back home. After rubbing her eyes, and slipping the ring onto her pinky, she looked up at Ravin. “I know. Not as cool as the Inspiration Cave.”
Syndrome of Mortality (Break of Breath Book 2) Page 11
