Chapter 24
Revelation
"Huh?" Aspen turned to look at her uncle.
"I've sent him on an errand. He'll be back soon."
"Who?" she asked, feigning ignorance.
"Dylan. He went to get something important for me. Don't wait up, he'll be gone for a few days."
A lump formed in her throat. "Okay," she mumbled, and stood up to join her parents in the kitchen.
For the next few days, Aspen basked in her father's attention and laughed at her parents' antics. They were so obviously in love; their faces glowed with happiness. She'd never seen her mother so youthful and radiant, and her dad had said that her mother wouldn't age so quickly because her essence was tied to his again.
She'd gone to Lanta with her father every day after school and they'd worked on the house. Soon the house looked like new, and every room was painted and cleaned. The furniture in the living room was polished, and the curtains and linens smelled like newly washed laundry. Roman had worked hard to transform the front yard, and the outside of the house was neat and freshly painted.
"I wish your mother could see the house now." Roman sighed and held his daughter's hand as they stood back to admire their handiwork.
"Demothi is busy with the spell. It shouldn't take much longer."
"You're right. I guess I'll have to be patient. Let's get back to your mom, she's making fried chicken tonight."
Aspen's face lit up with delight. "Race you back!" She chuckled and grabbed her dream catcher.
Within seconds the two had reappeared in Leeman's house, and Norma shooed them out of the kitchen.
"Wash up, both of you. I don't know what you were up to at the house today, but you need to freshen up." She pretended to wrinkle her nose.
Aspen laughed. "I'm going to have a quick shower. Keep my food warm for a bit longer, please."
Once she'd washed her hair with green-apple shampoo and scrubbed her skin clean until it was rosy, she pulled out a baby-pink dress with a mid-length sleeve that was perfect for evening. She towel-dried her thick hair and then wrapped her hands around the long strands and concentrated. A tiny burst of electricity spread from her fingertips to envelop the long locks, and within seconds her hair was dry and hung straight down to her waist. Ginny's tip about using her power as a hair dryer worked well, and she'd have to thank her when she saw her friend again.
Norma had made an effort with the meal tonight, and Aspen wanted to dress for the occasion. White high-heeled slip-ons looked good when paired with the dress her dad had bought for her two days ago. He'd replaced every item of clothing in her closet with brand new, fashionable clothing, and assured her she'd never have to wear thrift-shop seconds again.
She glanced at her reflection in the mirror before she left the room. The face that stared back at her was radiant-her eyes were pure silver and her skin glowed in the light. She wondered when Dylan would come back again, and if he would ever see her as anything more than a Halfling. It would be difficult to face him, knowing that she loved him, if he didn't accept her for what she was.
Maybe things would be better once they'd had a chance to talk. He hadn't been in touch with Ruby either, she'd heard, and she wasn't sure what to think. The smell of fried chicken was stronger now, and she sighed and walked downstairs to the kitchen.
Someone knocked on the front door, and a thousand butterflies filled her stomach. Was he back?
"Answer the door please, Princess," her father's voice echoed from the kitchen.
"I'll get it."
As she reached the door, she placed a hand on the handle and pulled it open quickly. Her heart pounded in her chest and a deep breath caught in her throat.
Dylan stood on the step before her, looking so handsome in the light of dusk. The sun had just set behind him, painting the sky in shades of pink, lavender, and blue, with the bright evening star above his shoulder.
A slow smile teased his lips as his gaze roamed over Aspen from her hair to her feet, and then back up to her mouth.
"I've missed you."
His first words surprised her. In the fading light, his blue eyes seemed darker, and he stared at her intently. Slowly, he reached out to touch her hand, but this time he jerked slightly. The drugging zing of electricity snaked along her hand and tingled all the way up her back.
Dylan closed his eyes and sighed in pleasure. "Ah, that feels so good."
"Why, what do you mean?" Aspen looked at him in surprise.
Gently, he tugged her hand until she stood on the ground next to him, and then enveloped her in his arms. Dipping his head, he ran his nose along her chin.
"Did I tell you that I missed you?"
Her skin hummed. "Um, yeah, you did."
She pulled back from his hold and looked into his eyes. His gaze was steady and he ran long fingers down her spine. Around them, the trills and chirps of crickets became louder in the evening air, almost drowning out the loud thud of her heartbeat.
"Did you know I feel the same way you do when you touch me?" he whispered against her ear.
Gooseflesh ran down her arms, and her eyes widened as his words sank in. "Um, no. You didn't tell me."
Dylan tucked her completely against his warm body, and she shivered at the charge that ran across their skin. "I couldn't. I didn't want you to know how you affect me."
"But I thought, you and Ruby .?.?." Her sentence hung in the air.
Dylan shook his head. "Ruby is just a friend."
"A friend with benefits." It was difficult to keep her voice low. "It's obvious that she wants you, and you don't seem to mind."
"Ruby is trying to make Caden notice her. We've been friends for years-she's like my little sister."
"If that's what a little sister acts like, then you've got family issues. You might think she doesn't want you, but you haven't seen the way she looks at you."
Dylan's lips quirked. "Are you jealous?" He brushed his mouth against her jaw, and she inhaled sharply.
"She called me a Halfling."
He stiffened. "I was mad at her when she said that, and I told her to apologize. She knows she went too far. Her brother likes you, and she thought you were playing me against Ray. All Fire Walkers have short fuses, and her temper took over."
"Ray? No, I've never liked him the way I .?.?." With a mental kick, she clamped her mouth shut.
"The way you what?" Dylan smiled and his expression softened.
"Nothing."
A light switched on in the living room, bathing the front yard in a balmy yellow glow. Tiny insects immediately circled the illuminated area.
"Ah, Aspen." Sighing, Dylan pulled her back into his warmth. She stood still while he rocked her back and forth gently.
Scared that he would stop holding her, she asked quietly, "Where did you go?"
"Demothi needed an ingredient for his spell. I traveled to the city of Muda with Caden to get what he needed. He's finally completed the spell, and your mother will be able to come back with us."
Pushing away from his chest, she cried, "Are you serious?"
"Yes, we can tell your parents in a second." He threaded his fingers through her long tresses and held her head in the palm of his hands.
"I want to tell you something before we go back to Lanta." The burning look he gave her caused the blood to pound in her veins. "I think you're amazing."
She blinked. Her voice was a whisper. "Really?"
"Yes, I wanted to tell you that you are beautiful and that you drive me crazy. Crazy for you." He brought his lips in line with hers and pressed a tiny kiss against them. "I think about you," he kissed her again, "all the time." He left his mouth next to hers as he spoke, and her lips curved into a smile next to his.
She could feel soft stubble on his chin, and she breathed in his clean, soapy scent that combined with the fragrance of the evening air.
"I want to know if you feel the same."
It took a second for her to understand him, and she didn't respond right away
. Dylan tilted his head to kiss along her jaw. "It's okay, I can wait," he said in a tight voice.
She reached up to touch his cheek and saw the wounded look in his eyes. "I do. I mean, I feel the same," she answered finally.
With a groan, his face lit up, and he squeezed her against him tightly, then lifted her in the air and spun her around. Aspen let out a shaky laugh, and her heart flipped over in her chest.
Once she was on the ground, he looked at her tenderly. "Will you be my girlfriend? I want everyone to know you're mine."
This time she was absolutely speechless, and the zinging feeling in her muscles threatened to overwhelm her.
"I don't want to share you with anyone," he went on. "I want people like Ray and anyone else to know that you're taken."
Without being told, Aspen knew her eyes had turned silver. Her skin raced with electricity from the emotions that swirled in her chest, and she felt as if she'd fly up into the air at any moment.
Dylan seemed to sense that and held on to her tightly. "Will you?" he repeated.
"Yes, I will."
He dropped his head and his lips met hers tenderly. With fingers splayed around his neck, she kissed him back and melted into his chest. After a second, he deepened the kiss, and every nerve in her body sang with excitement.
At the sound of someone clearing his throat behind them, and Dylan released her abruptly.
Holding a hand over her reddened mouth, Aspen turned around. Her dad stood in the doorway with a stern look on his face.
"Dylan, good to see you back here, son. Do you have any news?"
As though protecting her, Dylan threaded his fingers through hers. He pulled her behind his back and stepped forward. "Yes, sir. Demothi has completed the spell and says you can try it out when you're ready."
Roman smiled broadly. "Excellent. That's the best news ever. Come on in, son. There's enough supper for all of us."
"Thank you, sir. But if you don't mind, we'll be there in a minute." Dylan ran a hand through his hair nervously.
Roman stared at the two of them. "Don't be long then. We'll be taking Norma to her new home straight after dinner."
"Yes, sir." Dylan nodded his head and as soon as Roman had turned his back, he pulled Aspen into his arms again.
"My pretty princess, you've made me so happy. I love you. Do you know that?"
She stared at him in wonder and then buried her face against his neck. It was so good to be in his arms, and he made a deep sound in the back of his throat that made her shiver in delight.
"I love you too," she whispered. "I'm so happy that you're here. I don't think my life can get any better than this."
Dylan smiled down at her. "I think I fell for you the moment that I saw you in class. You looked so pretty, and I wanted to keep you all to myself. I couldn't handle the way that Ray was touching you. I've been planning something bad for him for a while already."
"Hah! You have no clue how close I came to letting Ruby drown. I couldn't stand it when she wrapped herself around you." Aspen punched his shoulder lightly.
Dylan lifted her chin and ran a thumb over her bottom lip. "Maybe we should go inside and eat before your dad comes to get us." He smiled. "I belong to you now, and no one is going to come between us ever again."
After pressing one more kiss against the side of her mouth, he wrapped an arm around her waist and they walked into the house together.
THE END
Acknowledgments
A huge thank-you to my husband for his support and for putting up with all the hours I've spent in front of the computer. I'd also like to thank my amazing son, Jared, for sharing my interest in the written word and for being my inspiration in life.
A special thanks to Pam Berehulke of Bulletproof Editing. I was so lucky to find someone with such sage advice and thorough editing skills.
Thank you to my niece, Aspen Swart. She asked me to write a book for young adults, and I created the world of Lanta for her. The letter she wrote was the catalyst I'd been waiting for, and I named the main character after her. In fact, a big thank-you to all my friends and relatives, whose names have been used as characters in my stories. But most of all, thank you to all those who have taken the time to read my book. I really hope you enjoyed it.
Also by Caroline Swart
Liquid Gold
Dream Walkers series:
Aspen and the Dream Walkers
Ruby and the Fire Walkers (coming Fall 2014)
About the Author
Caroline Swart spent three years as a professional singer in a band touring South Africa before studying to be a computer programmer. She is an avid reader, and wrote her first book for friends in middle school.
After living in Atlanta and New Jersey and touring parts of Europe, she moved back to her hometown of Port Elizabeth in South Africa, where she runs a software development company with her husband.
She has a passion for writing, art, music, and programming, and her son, Jared, is following in his mother's footsteps with plans to publish his own work shortly.
Visit her website at:
www.carolineswart.com
Or follow her on Facebook:
Caroline Swart Author
Table of Contents
Chapter 1 - Aspen's Dream
Chapter 2 - Meeting Dylan
Chapter 3 - Entering Lanta
Chapter 4 - Miriam's Revenge
Chapter 5 - First Bolt
Chapter 6 - Time to Explain
Chapter 7 - Birthday Girl
Chapter 8 - Dream Catchers
Chapter 9 - Roman
Chapter 10 - Strength
Chapter 11 - Chancellors
Chapter 12 - Practice Makes Perfect
Chapter 13 - Ruby Red
Chapter 14 - Witches and Lions
Chapter 15 - First Move
Chapter 16 - Leeman's Solution
Chapter 17 - Second Move
Chapter 18 - No School
Chapter 19 - Clean House
Chapter 20 - Trouble at School
Chapter 21 - Making a Stand
Chapter 22 - Dungeons and Castles
Chapter 23 - Bolt from the Blue
Chapter 24 -?Revelation
Acknowledgments
Also by Caroline Swart
About the Author
Aspen and the Dream Walkers Page 24
