Ryder Read online

  "For now, let's settle her in my room back in Knightwood. I'm worried if we bring her to the medical center she'll freak out. We don't know how bad of a reaction she'll have in a medical environment, especially with all the experiments she most likely experienced," I suggested.

  Elias nodded. "She'd be more comfortable in a cozy environment," he stressed.

  I knew he'd agree with my suggestion— knowing firsthand how it felt to wake up in an unknown place that had too many similarities to your dark past.

  "Sounds like a plan," Marcus agreed.

  "I'll keep her stabilized till Karen can work on her. She can clean her up and get her into something comfortable and less revealing," Daniel commented.

  We noticed the slim brown dress that must have been a lighter color previously. I glanced at her bare legs, noticing a hint of some type of design, but it was impossible to make out.

  "Does she have markings?" I asked. Daniel followed my gaze to her legs.

  "She does, but she must be using a spell to keep them hidden. She must have perfected it for her to maintain it even though she's unconscious," Daniel noted.

  "She looks like she had a hard fucking life and accepted it," Marcus whispered.

  We all nodded, agreeing as we glanced back at her. I sighed, pulling off my coat— laying it over Rosalina.

  "Let's hope we can change that," I whispered, brushing my hand against her cheek.

  My Rosalina...welcome back.

  “My lovely Star Knights. Oh strong, kind and forgiving. May the Starlight gods grant you strength for the journey before us. Vanquish your fears, leave hopelessness behind, and replace calamity with feelings of hope. Be strong, my dear Star Knights, for we shall conquer all who oppose our forward march toward salvation. I, your Princess, shall stand not behind, but with you, as we protect our lands, restore peace and unite all shifters alike.”

  I didn't understand what was happening- my body was in some type of trance as I knelt before Makoto, who was truly Rosalina Mackenzie Heart— daughter and Heir candidate of Heila. She had mentioned how she’d preferred Makoto over her real name, still being apprehensive at the news of her true identity.

  After resting for ten hours straight, Makoto looked much better than when we'd found her back on Latelia in the gruesome dungeon. She had no recollection of her past— just as Marcus had expected.

  We'd just revealed to her that she indeed was Rosalina Heart, the stolen Princess of Heila, but she thought we were talking gibberish.

  We'd asked her to give us a shot to prove the truth to our words; to test if she really was the Princess— the oath instilled by the Starlight gods the day we'd met.

  It was when Elias had recovered and we sat in a room with Saikikku that the words entered our minds. Now after cycles of saying the oath over and over in our heads, it was time to put it to use.

  We didn't think it would actually work. Now, we were knelt down before Makoto— our left hands on our chest as we obeyed the power that took over as Makoto said her end of the oath.

  Makoto raised her left arm, her hand signaling a stop as she continued.

  “I entrust this duty upon thee, to protect and serve me, as long as I see fit. May the Starlight gods bless our bonding, for everlasting love and trust. I proclaim, the gods as my witness.”

  “In stars, we trust,” we all said in unison.

  I watched as my left hand was engulfed in a dark purple— the same color as my eyes; multiple colors engulfed Makoto's hand.

  When the light dimmed, a new mark was left on the back of my hand— the Celtic knot work was in purple, making a symbol like a crescent with different vines with what looked like a rose in the middle.

  No one said a word; the room fell silent as we tried to absorb what had just transpired. We didn't move— no, we couldn't move.

  We were all in awe of finally finding our Princess and I felt my heart swell with happiness at the sheer reality that Makoto Heart was Rosalina— my first crush and love that I'd spent sixteen cycles searching far and wide.

  “I’m royalty,” she whispered, her voice barely audible.

  We nodded in confirmation; the various emotions of the knights hit me: happiness, admiration, compassion, anxiety, and fear.

  Happiness at finally succeeding in our mission.

  Admiration toward the woman before us who was now our leader.

  Compassion to show her just how loved she was.

  Anxiety with the understanding that our mission didn't end here.

  Fear that this was all some type of dream and we'd wake up from it.

  Before I could ponder on their emotions any further— fear spiked, taking over my senses as I watched Makoto's eyes glaze over while her knees buckled.

  SHIT!

  Daniel was up and moving before we could even register what just happened— Makoto now cradled in his arms.

  By the time we crowded around him, Azriel had taken over, his eyes scanning her body. A minute passed— Azriel retreated and Daniel took over. He sighed.

  “Is she okay, Daniel?” Elias questioned, panic laced his words.

  “She just fainted. The bond drained her significantly. The revelation we just dropped on her didn’t help either,” Daniel commented, holding her carefully in his arms before rising up.

  "Let's take her to Karen," I insisted, jumping to my feet.

  Marcus and Elias followed suit.

  "Let's go," Daniel ordered, walking to the door.

  It didn't take us long before we were in Karen's private office. Her emerald eyes grew wide as we entered, dropping the files on her desk as she rushed to stand up.

  "What happened?" she questioned.

  "She initiated the knight bond," I revealed, watching Daniel lay her on the medical bed.

  I lifted my left hand to show the newly formed marking. Her eyes lingered on it— feelings of awe leaked off her before she turned her attention back to Makoto.

  "Can you guys give me a few minutes? I want to do another scan on her. I need to ensure her magic levels are balanced," Karen stressed.

  We all nodded, taking a final look at Makoto before exiting her office.

  Thirty minutes had passed and I was trying to ignore my anxiety which continued to rise with each second. I stared at my right hand, watching it tremble even when I moved it around.

  "Ryder, relax. She's okay." Daniel sat down next to me, taking my right hand to examine it.

  He knew how my anxiety worked, my right hand trembling was an obvious sign. I didn't get why it was so specific, but Marcus experienced something similar, however it affected his left hand.

  "Sorry. I'm trying to wrap my mind around this. After all these cycles, we finally found her. I just hope she's okay and healthy. Look at the environment she was living in. There was fucking mold in the cell and don't get me started on the oversized file that is dedicated just for her," I vented.

  "You have to take into account that the file is sixteen cycles worth of information, Ryder," Elias pointed out, sitting opposite of me with Marcus, who nodded in agreement.

  I could see the tremble of his left hand; I gave him a worried glance.

  "Relax. I won't shift," he confirmed.

  The other two noticed his trembling hand, but didn't question him. Marcus knew his limits and we all were aware that if he really couldn't resist the urge to shift, he'd leave.

  The door opened; we all rose to our feet at once. Karen smiled, closing the door softly before facing us.

  "She's stable. Her magic will take a few days to level out, but she has a large threshold so she should function just fine. She may have a few fainting spells here and there if she uses too much magic at once, but overall, she's healthy. I know you were concerned about her living conditions, but she has no abnormalities or diseases. She's a tad underweight, but if you can ensure she eats frequently, that too will be solved," Karen explained.

  We all sighed in relief. Thank you, Starlight gods.

  "How about Rose?" Stryker asked. />
  "What about her spirits?" I asked.

  The others glanced to Karen who was in deep thought.

  "She has four..."

  "WHAT?!" we exclaimed.

  She placed her finger on her lip, cueing us to lower our voices.

  "Sorry," we all mumbled our apologies.

  We didn't want to wake Makoto up— the walls on this side of Knightwood were a lot thinner. We’d been told that when Makoto reached adulthood, she’d have four spirits. However, we’d never truly thought it would be possible. Having three was hard enough and a rarity. Makoto would be the first to be recorded with four spirits if Karen confirmed their different energies.

  "Roseline and Hopefilinia are present. But there's two more. I can't put my finger on it for sure without doing a detailed scan, but one feels like a phoenix and the other has similar vibes to Marcus, which I'm assuming for now is a dragon," she disclosed.

  "Is that even possible?" Marcus asked.

  "And doesn't having more than three spirits have severe complications?" Elias asked.

  "She was talking to herself in the dungeon. Does that have something to do with it?" Daniel asked.

  Karen made her way to the bench that Daniel and I were previously sitting on. She sank onto the soft black cushion, crossing her legs as she rested her back against the wall.

  She pulled off her glasses— a habit we knew meant she needed a moment to think.

  "If she was talking to herself, chances are it's a coping mechanism. Having multiple spirits in your mind is extremely difficult to balance. Especially if the spirits don't work well together. Her talking out loud could be her trying to talk to her multiple spirits. Maybe to her, she thinks she’s having an inner monologue, but in reality she's speaking out loud. I can't be one-hundred percent sure until I do that detailed scan and get her input," she explained.

  "It was cute," Marcus admitted.

  We all glanced at him.

  He shrugged. "It was. She has character. As long as it has no harmful effect on her, I don't think it's a big problem," Marcus suggested.

  We glanced back at Karen who nodded.

  "If it's a coping mechanism, we'll leave it as is. But if she starts having random fainting spells with no warning or switching between her spirits, that's a problem and you have to notify me," she stressed.

  "Yes, ma'am," we agreed.

  "I need to talk with Matthew. I'm assuming you all need to talk with him as well regarding the mission and what else was discovered," she suggested.

  I frowned, noticing the others’ disappointed looks. I bet we could all agree we didn't want to leave her alone.

  "Daniel. Stay with Makoto. She may wake up feeling groggy or with a headache. Just help with what she may need and you can call us if she's fully alert," Karen ordered.

  "Alright." Daniel nodded.

  "If you don't tell us she's awake, we're hiding your body," Marcus pointed out.

  "You're so extra." Elias rolled his eyes, but turned to face Daniel. "But seriously. Let us know if she's awake or we'll have to hide the evidence of your death," he stressed.

  I snickered, shaking my head.

  "You guys are too much. C'mon. The sooner we talk to Matthew, the faster we can get back here." I ushered them to move forward, leaving me and Daniel behind.

  "Make sure she's okay or—"

  "Or you'll kill me yourself and hide my body in some bush or something." Daniel grinned.

  "I was going to say flush your ashes down the toilet, but sure." I shrugged.

  "I know we're joking, but that's just scary. And I'm your best friend. At least put me in an urn or something," he huffed.

  I laughed. "Okay, okay. Urn for sure. Now go in there and watch our Princess. If Matthew has anything important that needs your acknowledgment I'll share it on the bond," I reassured him.

  He nodded. "Alright."

  He turned to open the door, but stilled.

  "Ryder."

  I stopped mid-stride, turning my head to face him.

  "I'm glad you didn't give up," he whispered, giving me a small smile before entering and closing the door behind him.

  I smiled, noticing Marcus and Elias waiting for me at the end of the hall.

  "Me too."

  I felt something press against me, squeezing my waist. It wasn't tight enough to make me jump from my sleep, but it was enough to make me realize I wasn't alone.

  I struggled to open my eyes, wondering what was laying on top of me. After a few attempts, I was finally able to open my eyes— long brunette hair lay neatly on one side of her face.

  I lifted my eyebrow, blinking my eyes as I tried to clear my vision. I must be hallucinating. This can't be who I think it is?

  "It's Makoto and you're not hallucinating," Stryker confirmed.

  I grinned, remembering all the times she'd sleepwalk into my bed and curl up on my chest.

  After all these cycles, that habit was still present. It made me really happy, though I didn't know how she’d react when she woke up and realized she'd somehow got into my room that I kept locked.

  It was a habit to lock our doors thanks to training and going on different expeditions that required us to sleep in random hotels or guest rooms.

  She inhaled deeply as her arms tightened around me.

  "Nonsense. This is the best pillow in all of Starlight. You just want to take it away from me. Leave me and my pillow alone,” she mumbled, clearly talking to one of her spirits who was probably trying to inform her of their current predicament.

  "I claimed it now, so it's mine," she huffed.

  I figured her last comment was supposed to be inner-monologue, causing me to chuckle.

  “I have to confess, you’re the first female to rank my chest as the best pillow in Starlight. Guess I’ll take it as a compliment. Though, I’m quite curious as to how you got into my room, Mako,” I whispered, smiling.

  She lifted her head— those turquoise eyes that I had dearly missed locked onto mine. I didn't think she understood how beautiful she was— her bed hair didn't dampen her attraction, tempting me as I glanced at her pink lips.

  Her eyes lowered to my exposed chest, noticing my marking on my left shoulder. I usually kept it hidden, but when I slept I didn't see the point and it would be a waste of energy.

  Her eyes lowered to my six-pack, staring at it for a few seconds before she must have realized she was plastered on my body— her face growing red.

  I didn't mind of course, but it was getting hard for me to calm my attraction— my length growing hard. Just watching her analyze my features turned me on.

  She pushed herself off me, scrambling to her feet before she stood there, looking around the dark room.

  She still looked disoriented, but she turned to face me.

  “Um, I’ll just go away. You saw nothing, go back to sleep. I’m merely a figment of your imagination,” she cooed, waving her hands as if I'd think this was a dream.

  My smile grew as I placed my hands behind my head.

  “My imagination is doing a fine job then if I get to see such perfection before me,” I replied, my voice still thick with sleep.

  I noticed her shiver, her arms wrapping around her body. She looked deep in thought for a moment— an indication she was having a conversation with one of her four spirits. She glanced down, realizing she was only wearing a pink lace bra and underwear.

  I tried to force my eyes away, but I couldn't help but appreciate her body— from her curves to the light lines of her six-pack. She was definitely fit, having had no choice with all the activities and fighting she must have experienced in the facility.

  She groaned, putting her head in her hands. I frowned as I watched her fidget in embarrassment; her body shivered. I quietly raised off the bed, grabbing the black silk sheets.

  I wrapped their soft material around her, covering her before I pulled her into a hug. I knew it was a risky move— Makoto had no memories of me and here I was, hugging her in nothing but boxers, but I could
n’t help myself after seeing her in such a vulnerable state.

  She was rigid at first, both of us frozen in place. I tried to ignore my frantic heart that beat against my chest— knowing she'd hear it too as I tried to control my breathing. Eventually, her arms wrapped around me, returning my embrace.

  I didn't know how bad the facility was, but what I knew from the stories Marcus had shared with us and knowledge gained from other survivors that it was a hard, unloving environment.

  I wondered if she'd ever hugged anyone during her time there. If she'd experienced any sense of love or companionship. Regardless, I needed her to know that I was here for her. Even if she didn't remember our past — or my love for her.

  She pulled away slightly, enough to peer into my eyes. I could see multiple emotions flicker in her eyes, but more importantly, I could feel all of them as I held her in my arms.

  Fear — Sadness— Shame— Resolve.

  I realized she didn't want to appear weak— her eyes blinking back the tears that pooled in them. The words left me before I could realize.

  “Don’t ever feel embarrassed in my presence, Mako. I know you don’t remember me, that I’m a stranger to you, but I understand and accept you. When we were kids, I would come and visit every rotation. I’d help your mom tuck you in bed, only to wake up to you cuddling next to me. Or those times you’d be taking a nap in your room one minute, only to be sitting on the kitchen floor, holding a glass of milk in your little hands the next. I never judged you then, Mako. I won’t start now.”

  “How can you accept me so easily? This sleepwalking business is nothing but a curse. How would you feel to be chained to a wall every night? Or pretend to be deaf so my sensitive ears ignored the multiple insults directed my way; the lunatic shifter, the Owner’s favorite. How can you accept my moments of embarrassment and my deflections with humor as an attempt to present myself as a normal, happy go lucky shifter, who’s lived a decent life?” she snapped back, a wave of anger hit me as she glared.

  I knew she wasn't angry at me. She was trying to find a way to push me away. To not accept the fact that I, a stranger in her eyes, would want to accept her— regardless of her flaws.