It was cold; the frigid temperature induced a series of shivers throughout my body, my finger tips beginning to lose feeling. I was surrounded by darkness, the only thing I could see was my body and the puffs of white air coming from my rushed breathing. I was alone; the feeling of isolation and abandonment poured into my mind. I couldn’t feel anything or hear any of my spirits. I was truly alone in this dark world; abandoned like the orphan I was. No one wanted me, I was nothing but a tool. I would suffer in this dark forsaken world, till my very last breath. Dark hands reached out from the floor below; their transparent essence clawing at my feet. I wanted to jump or kick the flood of multiple hands away, but my body was frozen like a block of ice. They continued upward, wrapping around my body; the cold darkness swallowing me slowly. I wanted to scream, to fight off the darkness, but the words wouldn’t come out; my voice trapped with no way out. The darkness consumed the rest of my body, unable to fight its purpose to absorb me. I couldn’t breathe; the suffocating feeling frightened me. I was dying within the darkness. I was going to die.
“Mako! Mako wake up!”
I felt someone shaking me, my eyes darting open as I took a deep breath. Worried gold eyes appeared before me, Daniel’s concerned face only inches away from mine.
I blinked, fresh tears fell down my cheeks as I slowly looked around the dark room as if to find the culprit of the darkness. It was just another nightmare.
I allowed my tensed shoulders to drop, my eyes beginning to feel heavy as the exhaustion from my sudden panic kicked in.
“Mako? Are you okay?” Daniel whispered, returning to his side of the bed to sit up to look down at me. It took me a moment to answer, still feeling incoherent as my mind fought the haziness.
“It was just a nightmare.” I took a breath to calm my heart, a droplet of sweat rolling down the side of my face.
I felt Daniel’s fingers move a strand of hair out of my face, before settling on my flushed cheek.
He moved my head to face him; his gold mystical eyes glowing slightly in the dark. I watched him frown, his sadness probably due to my body’s response to the dream. I wonder if Daniel hadn’t woken me up, would I have died?
“Do you want to talk about it?” His concerned filled voice was soothing; a wave of calm hitting me as I continued to stare at him.
“It was dark. I was standing there, alone. I had no one; no family or friends, even my spirits abandoned me. It was cold and my body was frozen in place. The darkness began to swallow me whole and I couldn’t do anything. I just stood there, being consumed by the darkness and I couldn’t breathe.” I closed my eyes, unable to stop the sob that escaped me.
Besides from my fear of the unknown, I was frightened of being alone in this cruel world. At least I had my spirits and Midnight back at the facility, but here, if the boys left me and my spirits suddenly vanished, I would be left alone in a place I had no understanding of. The thought scared me.
Daniel pulled me into his arms, my face nestled against his chest as I cried, quietly. I just wanted to feel warm; his embrace giving me the warmth my body craved as I listened to his heart beat. The sound was quick, thumping rapidly against his chest. It didn’t matter to me; as long as I wasn’t alone, his heartbeats acknowledging that.
“You’re safe Mako. I’ll be right here to fight off the darkness.” He whispered into my ear, his lips pressing against my cheek. I allowed my conscious to fade, his embrace enough to sooth me from the darkness that followed.
Now that it was morning, he encouraged me to eat; Karen insisted I eat every two to three hours. I found it rather ridiculous to eat so frequently, but my stomach wasn’t going to complain.
I was shuffling towards the living room when I side glanced into the mini library. I noticed Ryder’s figure in the corner, prompting me to stop in my tracks.
I quietly leaned against the doorway, shuffling in place to make some noise. The room remained silent, Ryder’s body still.
I walked into the room, taking a moment to appreciate the bundles of knowledge placed neatly on multiple bookshelves across the room. The black shelves were full, from top to bottom. I walked over to the nearest bookshelf, scanning the alphabetical titles slowly.
Books were my life saver as a child. I took every opportunity to learn how to read, Elaine assisted me whenever she got a moment during her visits. It didn’t take me long before I could read independently; spending what little free time I had between testing sessions and training, to engulf any book I could get my hands on. Such activities were one of the reasons why I felt school was unnecessary.
Why waste hours sitting in a stuffy classroom talking about something you could simply read on your own time?
Books contained more knowledge than any shifter. All you had to do was devote your time and attention. In return, they would provide you answers to all the questions you could possibly compose. Magic was the same thing. All you needed was a spell book or scripture. Knowledge was the key to power and no one could tell me otherwise.
I walked up to Ryder, who was relaxed in the black, suede chair, a book in his lap in the corner. I couldn’t help but stare at his figure. His eyelids were closed; his breathing was slow and relaxed. The muscles in his face were smooth, his peaceful expression made me smile gently. The usual Ryder gave off a serious leader aura, his face usually stern or full of concentration as his brain calculated multiple things at once. Now, as he sat there asleep, he looked younger and at peace.
I sat quietly on the left armrest, continuing my assessment. I allowed my hand to gently slide through his dark black locks, his hair messy from not being styled for days. I closed my eyes, enjoying his scent as my hand continued its quest at playing with his hair.
I must have dozed off for a few minutes, my eyes opening slowly to see a pair of Tyrian purple eyes looking down on me.
“Hey, I was supposed to watch you wake up.” I complained, my voice barely a whisper. He smiled, his face still relaxed.
“You snooze, you lose.” He hummed gently. I realized I was currently sitting on his lap, his left arm around my waist as my legs relaxed on the arm rest.
“Ryder. Can you tell me more about you guys? You said you were royalty like me. If so, aren’t you supposed to rule or learn the ropes to prepare yourself to rule?” I asked, remembering their little revelation the other day. He relaxed his head back against the chair, taking a moment to stare at the ceiling above us.
“I’m the son of King Carter. He’s the ruler of Minato. Daniel is the second son of King Moore, ruler of Realm Ten, ArchAilennia. Elias is the only child of King Kingsley, ruler of Realm Nine. Marcus is the only child of King Hunt, ruler of Realm Seven and Kai is the son of King Akiyama, ruler of Realm Three. We all were separated, living in our own realms, till the Starlight gods appointed us as your star knights. Once that happened, we kind of drifted to Heila, each of us had our own reasons to be in Realm Eight at the time. We didn’t understand the details until we all gathered at a strong fortune teller, the same one who professed your awakening.” He explained slowly.
I took a moment to absorb the new information. Kingsley…wait, isn’t that EliaseAnne’s last name? But…he just said Elias was the only child.
Before I could ask, Ryder’s hand brushed against my cheek, the soft touch sending tingles down my body. I stared into his hooded eyes, biting my lip as my heart rate picked up. We were only inches away, my body cradled in his lap with his arm around my waist. I stared at his soft, moist lips, wondering how they would feel against mine. He leaned slowly towards me, his forehead resting against mine. I enjoyed his intoxicating scent, the rose aroma mixed with a hint of coffee.
“Mako…can I kiss you?” He asked quietly, his voice deep and husky, the sound made my stomach flip, my body igniting to life, craving his touch.
“Okay.” I whispered back, my heart racing with anticipation.
He leaned in slowly. I allowed my eyes to close as his lips pressed lightly against mine. His lips were smooth and moist,
the kiss was soft and inviting, but ended quickly. He pulled back slightly, allowing a second to past, waiting for me to tell him to stop.
I didn’t want him too, my mind raced with a sudden desire to feel his lips against mine, once more. And again, he pressed his lips against mine, firmer this time. His resting hand moved to cradle my head as he deepened the kiss, our lips interlocking. His taste was sensational, the rich hazelnut flavor of coffee still lingering on his lips.
My arms roved over his torso slowly, venturing over his sculpted chest, causing him to shudder. I silently cursed at the soft fabric of his shirt, as it hindered me from touching his skin. My hands continued their ascent over his chest, reaching his shoulders, wrapping around his neck. We pressed against each other; the hardness of his sculpted body pressed against mine, sending a shockwave of electricity through me.
My lips pressed firmly against his, letting him know I wanted more – I needed more and he delivered accordingly.
I moaned against his mouth as I felt his hand stroke my bare thigh, sending shivers down my spine. The moan rumbled out of him, a deep release between our lips, making my nipples harden as I continued to press against him.
I moved my lips along his neck, feeling the warmth of his flesh. He let out another groan as I sucked slowly, biting gently. He grabbed hold of my chin, as he brought my head back up. The tips of his fingers caressed my neck; the roughness of his hands caused my body to shudder from arousal.
His lips trailed down my neck, the softness following the roughness of his fingertips. Each kiss left a lingering heat as he reached my collarbone. I squeezed my legs together, attempting to calm my arousal as he continued to mark me.
His hand roamed down to my waist, slipping under my shirt as he brought his lips back to mine; his tongue brushing against my lips. We pulled apart, barely leaving enough space between us, as we stared into each other’s eyes, trying to gain control over our breathing.
No words could express the amount of love and passion in his eyes. All I wanted to do was please him, demonstrate how much I cared for him. We pressed our foreheads together as we tried to catch our breaths.
We stared at each other for a long time, his arms still cradling me against his body as my arms rested on his shoulders.
I never imagined myself to experience my first kiss in such loving arms; unable to picture what it would be like to have a man hold me the way Ryder does or the magnitude of feelings I had for him. I never expected to care for someone so deeply again; the loss of Lily and the fear of losing someone dear to me stopping me from imagining a life filled with such happiness.
He leaned forward again, ready to kiss me as his hand roamed upward pulling up my shirt when a knock came from the doorway.
“As much as I would love to continue watching your make out session, food is ready.” Elias announced, amusement filled his deep voice. I felt my cheeks burn with embarrassment as a wicked smile formed on Ryder’s swollen lips.
“Yup, we’ll be there.” He replied.
“I should get a sign now that says no kissing in the library…” I heard Elias mumbled, his voice sounding further away as the sound of his footsteps faded away. I put my forehead against Ryder’s chest in defeat. SO Embarrassing!
Ryder chuckled lightly, his chest vibrating.
“He was there for a while actually.” He admitted quietly. I snapped my head back up, my eyes widened in shock. No way!
“How long?” I questioned, my heart not ready to hear his answer. He continued to grin, the mischievous expression only made me dread the answer that would escape him.
“When I asked if I could kiss you.” He confessed.
“RYDER!” I shrieked, my mouth wide in absolute shock.
He merely shrugged his shoulders, clearly not caring at the obvious fact that Elias just witnessed a full, who knows how long, make out session.
“He would have known regardless. He’s the only one awake in the house. With our knight bond, we can sense each other’s feelings. It’s not strong like our communication capabilities, but he would have probably added one and one together.” Ryder explained.
I simply stared at him, no words coming out of my open mouth. My Starlight…wait does that means if we would have went further and actually had sex…
“Yes. If any of us have sex and the remainder of us are close in proximity, we would know and feel a bit of what they feel.” He confessed.
I blinked, attempting to find the words to the new revelation when his lips pressed against mine, silencing my protest. It was a quick kiss, which caused me to lose my train of thought, yet again.
“You get distracted easily.” He pointed out, followed by a laugh. I groaned, removing my arms to cross them around my chest to pout.
“I do not…and it’s your bloody fault. Demons and their ulterior motives.” I mumbled.
He shook his head in response, before wrapping his arms under my legs and arms, lifting me up princess bride style. I shrieked, flicking my arms around his neck in urgency.
“C’mon, Princess. Breakfast is served.” He proclaimed, striding out of the library cradling me in his strong hold.
I entered the huge auditorium; Elias tugs me along, my hand in his.
Ever since last night, he boldly held my hand as we stalked through the crowded halls. Students would glance and whisper amongst themselves, but Elias with his stoic expression didn’t seem phased by the gossip. I bet he couldn’t care less about anything anyone had to say.
Professor Oxwell had asked one of the boys to bring me over to the auditorium so I could choose my familiar before the weekend began.
The boys argued amongst themselves, attempting to expand on how they were best suited to escort me. In the end, it came down to a good old game of rock-paper-scissors. To think a group of grown men pounding their fist in the air before allowing fate to decide their path. Elias ended up winning, Ryder and Marcus revealing scissors as his hand remained in rock position. I broke out laughing at their disappointed expressions.
Daniel was still in coma land, sleeping the day away. The poor guy would miss out on all the fun and good food.
Elias kept his promise to feed me every two to three hours, making me snacks to nibble on. I had just finished a homemade chocolate chip cookie, the gooey, rich chocolate having melted in my mouth with each bite, made me moan in delight. Elias looked over his shoulder, smirking at my open display of satisfaction. Whoever didn’t like chocolate chip cookies would have a vendetta with me.
Professor Oxwell emerged from the side exit door opposite of us. He smiled at me, relief blossoming on his face as his eyes softened. I smiled back, lifting my unoccupied hand to wave.
“Glad to see you’re well, Makoto. How are you feeling?” He questioned as he approached us.
“Much better, thank you for your concern Professor Oxwell.” I said bowing lightly. He chuckled, waving his hand in a dismissive gesture.
“Nonsense. We all care about you Makoto, and please, call me Matthew. I only go by the Professor alias during school hours or when we're not alone.” He admitted.
“Then you can call me Mako and don’t bow. No need for such formalities.” I quickly exclaimed sternly. Elias snickered, shaking his head.
“Wait till you –” Matthew started, but I cut him off.
“Nope. I’m making it a new law. No bowing. I don’t care. I can do that right?” I interjected.
My declaration was met with laughter. I’m serious.
“Yes, your highness, whatever you say.” Elias acknowledged.
“Let me show you the familiars we have.” Matthew announced, turning around to walk back through the exit door, myself and Elias following his lead.
We walked into an average sized room, the lights set at dim. Matthew walked over to the black wall on our left, flipping a switch, the lights reaching their maximum output.
I looked around the room, to see a variety of animals. From dogs, to cats, horses and miniature bunnies.
I
walked forward, tugging Elias’ hand to follow, taking a closer inspection of each holding unit.
A familiar was an animal who would be appointed to an individual, either by the gods or temporarily for training purposes. They could morph into different weapons with the usage of magic, having their own sets of skills and magic within them. Choosing the proper familiar was important because the animal would assist you during the semester, particularly during examinations. If you choose badly, your performance in battle would be in jeopardy, should your familiar refuse to participate.
The difference in species intrigued me, some animals being of one breed such as a puppy or parrot while others were a mixture of two or more.
I stared at the hamster with long bunny ears. Its blue eyes stared at me in wonder, hopping closer to inspect the finger I was poking through the small opening. I felt Elias press against me, pulling my hand back, away from the bunny hamster’s reach. I tilted my head upward to glare at him, confused by the sudden withdraw.
“I wouldn’t want you to lose a finger now. Ryder would murder me and I still have a long bucket list to complete.” He cautioned. I stared back at the little being and watched as Matthew poked a carrot through the sliding door.
The bunny, I appointed it the breed name of bamster, turned towards the carrot’s direction, hopping directly before the orange coloured vegetable. It opened its mouth wide, razor sharp teeth coming into view before it consumed the carrot like it was air to breath. I stared at the creature in disbelief, staring back down to inspect my finger. Shit. Didn’t see that coming.
“Walk around and see which familiar you would like. You should feel some type of pull towards him or her. The pull sensation will notify you that you are compatible.” Matthew explained, relaxing against a desk near the door. I nodded, taking my time to view each housing area, Elias close behind.
After five minutes, I hadn’t felt this so-called pull Matthew suggested. The animals all varied in power and abilities, but nothing stood out to me.
Dark Wish (The Starlight Gods Series Book 1) Page 17
