Ryder Page 16

  I could feel my cheeks flushing at her comment— realizing she wanted what I wanted to some extent. I just needed a moment alone with her uninterrupted.

  It was hard when they could feel how she affected me, even when I tried to control it.

  "We'll be in Heila soon. I'll make sure we have alone time," I whispered.

  "Promise?"

  "Promise. Cross my heart hope to fly, poke a flower in the sky," I replied, grinning at her shocked expression.

  "How...?" she whispered.

  "What?" I asked.

  "No one knows that saying. Everyone knows the weird human saying." She frowned.

  "When you were a kid, you taught me and insisted it was the right one," I revealed.

  She blushed, glancing away. "It is the right way," she mumbled, causing me to laugh.

  I pulled her into a hug, kissing the fresh hickey I left on her neck. "I can't wait till we get some alone time," I whispered.

  "Maybe after exams, before we head to Heila?" she suggested.

  "Okay. Just you and me. No interruptions," I confirmed.

  She nodded, giving me one last kiss before she pulled away.

  "I can get to class by myself," she noted. Her aura grew a smidge stronger, but it was enough for me to notice.

  "But—" I began, but she went on her tiptoes, kissing my neck. I closed my eyes and I moaned, enjoying the sucking sensation of her small lips on my feverish skin. A minute passed before she pulled away.

  When I opened my eyes, she wasn't in front of me. I looked over to see her midway out the door.

  She looked over her shoulder— Nightmare's tails hooked around her neck as her mismatched eyes stared at me.

  "Focus, my Star Knight. The Princess can handle herself." She winked, giggling as she let the door close.

  By the time I opened the door to glance down the hall, she was already turning the corner— two professors looked astonished by the wave of power leaking off her.

  I grinned, retreating back into the room and glancing at the wall mirror— the love mark perfectly visible on my neck.

  "You're madly in love with her," Stryker pointed out.

  I could picture a huge grin on his face. I rolled my eyes, moving back to retrieve Mako's tie and blazer and my stuff.

  I had to admit, the growing attraction I had for our Princess was blossoming, but I knew I'd fallen deeply in love with her and didn't want it to stop.

  SOLACE ROTATION - VII, CYCLE 5032

  "Makoto? Sweetheart, can you hear me?” I called out.

  I anxiously watched Mako's eyes open— feelings of relief blossomed in me as I stared down at her.

  So much had happened these last two weeks. A simple exam had become a fight for our lives as we'd faced Blair Aspen in the dead land of Latelia.

  I would have never imagined the events could unfold so quickly. We'd retrieved the orb required for the exam, myself and the guys walking back to the portal when we heard a crashing sound— Makoto yards away from us fighting off the man known as "The Owner."

  It took us seconds to realize that he was indeed King Aspen, ready to try to take Makoto back into his grasp. He'd brought an army of shifters with the intention of killing us.

  From the way their eyes dulled with barely any flicker of life, the others and I knew there was no hope for them. Only death would grant them salvation from this endless cycle of violence and bloodlust.

  It didn't take us long, but as we ran toward Makoto, the unthinkable happened. A lightning arrow was aimed straight at her and from the way she struggled to move, we all knew she wouldn't be able to avoid it.

  I never thought Elias would reach her side in time, taking the lightning arrow in the chest— the pointy tip laced with Nephilim poison.

  From that moment on everything was a blur— a bunch of feelings swarmed around me as I struggled to keep up.

  Before we knew it, we were falling over the edge— Midnight's shocked expression and screams were what I'd thought would be the last I heard of her.

  I'd read in so many stories that proclaimed that in your last moment of life everything seemed to slow, the gods giving you the opportunity to see your life pass you by and the most important images flicker before you.

  As we fell, I saw all of those precious moments: when I was born, when my father had taught me how to read my first book, when my mother rocked me to sleep after all my nightmares, the first time I met Makoto and she’d given me Beary, my moments with Anya as we talked in the carriage, the times I argued with the guys to when we'd discovered Mako. It continued to when we shared our first kiss, our meditation session, the little make-outs we had in classrooms and the laughs we shared in bed when we woke up to face a new day.

  The last image was of all of us in a group hug and it was a moment I wished I'd appreciated then.

  Before we could face our doom, we fell into the safety hold of strings— multiple gold and white strings that held all of us. We didn't say a word, all of us afraid to believe we'd escaped death.

  It didn't take long till we saw Midnight standing at the edge— all of us listening closely to her words.

  “You’re right. Being free does make you dumb at times. But knowledge and experiences help you grow. The happiness I’ve gained, the courage that blossoms within me, it’s far more than I could have ever asked from the gods. I promised to do good. So, I’ll do one final good deed. If I can prevent myself from becoming a tool of destruction...from killing anyone else, I shall. Farewell, my master...my creator. I’d rather stay a fool till my dying breath, than stay with the likes of you.”

  All of us gasped as she spread her arms fall backwards toward us, but we were afraid to move— frightened the strings might break with any slight movement.

  She shifted as she fell: A purple dragon manifesting from the dark glow before she spread her wings and glided toward a blind spot which we later discovered was a cave of some kind.

  Time passed; feeling the shift in magic and the absence of their auras cued us in that this was our time to escape.

  The rest was a blur of compressions and mouth to mouth resuscitation — Lexi shifting back to Mako's form and going into cardiac arrest.

  That was the hardest for me— too many emotions clung to my mind and made me sick to my stomach. Yet, I didn't dare pass out or become a burden; my fear of Makoto not surviving the strongest of all the emotions flooding my senses.

  It had been two weeks since then; Makoto was in a coma and we'd been rotating amongst ourselves in watching her.

  After my breakdown, the guys wouldn't let me stay for long periods of time— threatening to take my visiting rights away if I didn't sleep and take naps during the day.

  Everyone knew there was no way I'd be able to sleep longer than two hours, especially when I knew Mako could wake up any second— or the small fear she wouldn't make it.

  But with each day that passed her breathing improved— her strength and magic began to recover.

  Now I was lying in her hospital bed, cradling her in my arms. I knew she'd woken up when I'd accidentally fallen asleep— her body which once lay flat on her back, now held me tightly.

  Now those turquoise eyes that I had longed to see again locked on mine and I couldn't hold back my emotions— feelings of relief, happiness, and gratefulness were some of the few that made my eyes water with tears.

  Mako stretched her arms out as her eyes began to tear up.

  “Hug?” she whispered. Her voice couldn't contain the wave of desperation that leaked off her as she held back a sob.

  I wrapped my arms around her, squeezing her tightly. I knew she needed me— to feel that I was real and enjoy our joined warmth. I listened as she cried, her body trembling.

  “Everything’s okay, Mako. Don’t cry,” I consoled, cradling her in my arms.

  We laid in each other's arms for a long time, allowing Mako to cry until her sobs dimmed down to small whimpers. I would hold her until she was ready to speak and vent her feelings.

&
nbsp; She explained about her experience when she was in a coma— disclosing the darkness she faced inside her.

  “It was as if I didn’t exist. I was a part of some void where I had no body or voice. I tried so hard, but it kept consuming me as if to swallow me over and over again. I– I felt so alone, Ryder. It wasn’t like when I was at the facility and didn’t have any friends. I was truly alone, and I had no idea who I was. I wasn’t able to identify myself, I had no one to talk to, as I faded in and out. My spirits were gone; I couldn’t even sense Midnight. It was just me floating in the land of darkness, and it was cold. I could hear you guys. I heard Daniel, Marcus, and Elias talking to me, but I didn’t know it was them at the time. Your voice and I think Stryker? I knew it was your voice, but I couldn’t remember who you were. I heard Eli’s singing...it was a song my mom would sing to me,” she confessed.

  I remained silent, turning her body so she'd face me while my fingers gently played with her hair— a habit that never died.

  “You remember Catherine? Do you remember everything?” I asked.

  “Not everything. Just her singing when we were walking in the garden. She told me that the light would always guide me home; its guidance would lead me to salvation. When I heard Eli’s singing, I finally remembered. That’s when I started to peel the sludge away, finally able to free myself and run toward the light,” she explained.

  I nodded in response. We relaxed in our embrace. I could sense a sudden change— fear and a hint of nervousness. I glanced down to see her biting her lip, an indication she was worried about something since I knew she wasn't aroused.

  I raised my hand to brush my thumb along her bottom lip, cueing her to lift her teeth.

  “They’re all fine. Elias is getting treatment for the lingering poison from the arrow. Aspen apparently coated the edge; the poison was probably his insurance if the arrow didn’t do enough damage. Lucky for Elias, fairies can survive any type of poison. He was still affected, but it didn’t kill him. Daniel is resting, and Marcus is out on a run to keep his own anxiety down," I explained.

  We were all a mess and Kai didn't want me informing Mako of his presence— wanting her to adapt to everything once she'd awakened before he'd introduce himself.

  She sighed in relief—the tension in her body left as she relaxed in my arms.

  "Everyone is okay...but how?" she mumbled, another inner to outer dialogue.

  I explained how Midnight saved us, giving her the rundown from when she'd blacked out till now.

  “Two weeks, huh? I guess we failed the exam,” she pondered.

  "We passed. Professor Sepherant was none other than the Jeffrey person you mentioned. By the time Matthew received the information from his resources, we’d already entered the exam. Now, Jeffrey is nowhere to be found, sending an untraceable resignation letter. The headmaster is facing some major backlash; the details of the event were forwarded straight to Heila. They’re sending someone back to escort all of us home. We got that information three days ago, so it shouldn’t be long,” I admitted.

  “So, we get to keep playing students...” She sighed before yawning.

  I could see the exhaustion on her face. “Well, we’ve been granted time off, seeing as we’re still technically students here and it's summer break. Till Karen gives the approval for you to use magic, we have to stick with our alibi. You pushed your body beyond your magic threshold which puts you at risk,” I ordered.

  I knew we'd briefly talked about magic limits in class and had discussed it with Makoto, but I needed her to understand how risky it would be for her to use any sort of magic. We couldn't afford her using magic and risking falling back into a coma.

  I didn't know what this "darkness" was and the reason behind her experiencing it. Regardless, I didn't think any of us could risk her getting hurt because of negligence.

  “What about my spirits?” she asked quietly.

  I opened my mouth to answer, but watched her flinch looking lost in her thoughts— relief oozed off of her. I smiled. “I guess they answered that question,” I confirmed.

  She nodded, allowing her head to rest on my chest. She looked beyond exhausted, but I wanted to feel her lips against mine. Yet, I was scared of hurting her.

  My hand stroked her cheek— the motion caused her to open her eyes to stare up at me. My gaze lingered on her lips before I involuntarily leaned forward, unable to ignore the urge any longer as I kissed her softly.

  This kiss was different from the many we'd shared the last two rotations. We weren't eager to deepen it or show our affection with our hands roaming all over one another.

  I helped us change positions— Mako laying against the bed as I hovered over her. I didn't want her exerting herself, but needed just a moment to taste and feel the waves of affection that always consumed me when we kissed.

  I continued giving small kisses, my hesitation and fear prevented me from kissing her deeply. I pulled away, placing a tender kiss on her forehead before facing her.

  “Makoto, you know what this means?” I asked.

  She frowned at my question, tilting her head to the side in confusion. "I don’t know...we get an overdue vacation,” she mumbled.

  “No Firefly, though we do need a long-ass vacation after the shit we just went through,” I chuckled at her comment.

  “We’re ghosts, Mako. Blair Aspen thinks were dead, all of us. It’s the perfect opportunity for us to return to Heila undetected and without risking your safety. Everything falls into place,” I explained.

  I could feel her happiness, making my smile widen as I watched her fall deep in thought— most likely talking with her spirits.

  "Casper the friendly ghost, the friendliest ghost you know!” she sang, giggling at my expression.

  I sighed. “Babe, you always know how to ruin a moment. I’m banning you from chilling in Marcus’ room. All he’s doing is converting you into a shifter of Earthala,” I groaned.

  I allowed my urges to take over— pinning Makoto on the bed which cut her giggles short as she stared up at me wide-eyed.

  Her desire for me made it hard for me to think straight, wanting to indulge in her, but again the fear of hurting her worried me.

  “Makoto?” I whispered, leaning forward— our lips brushed.

  “Yes, Ryder?” she whispered back, biting her lip.

  I knew she wanted to kiss me, prompting me to smile as I pressed my forehead against hers. “I love you,” I confessed, kissing her softly.

  I'd lost count of how many times I'd played this moment in my head— to confessing my love to her after watching her for hours in this bed, the life support machine humming in the quiet room.

  I needed her to know that she was my world and I loved her wholeheartedly. Her hands wrapped around my neck, pressing herself against me.

  “I love you too, Ryder Carter,” she whispered, kissing me back.

  We kissed and relaxed until about three o'clock till Makoto struggled to stay awake.

  I held her close as she asked if we could return home. I reassured her I'd get everything set up and we'd be back in our little home in Knightwood.

  “It’s not little and okay. Just don’t leave me, okay?” I didn't like the fear in her voice.

  “I’ll hold you in my arms the whole way if I must, my princess,” I declared.

  She looked up to stare at me. "Hmm...you look like you just survived two weeks of living on an island with only the primary essentials of food and water," she pointed out unintentionally.

  I smiled, lowering my head to claim her lips again.

  “I feel like I was left on an island with only the fear of losing my true love that was miles away,” I admitted, struggling to hide the pain in my voice, but smirked at her outspoken thoughts.

  “Sorry,” she whispered, pressing those luscious lips against my neck, causing me to moan.

  “I’ve missed your kisses,” I whispered, enjoying her vanilla scent as I kissed her flesh.

  “I’ve missed you, too,”
she whispered. Her left hand slipped from beneath me to caress my beard. I noticed a change in her expression.

  “You don’t like it?” I questioned with a smirk, knowing from her aura she didn't like it.

  “I never said that,” she argued, her thumb continued to rub against the fine hairs.

  “You don’t need to with your facial expression,” I pointed out. We all knew if Mako didn't like something, it showed on her face.

  “Hmm...well, if I have to be honest...you do need a trim,” she admitted.

  “A trim or a shave, sweetheart?” I questioned further.

  “A trim...that rids all of this hair hindering me from feeling your smooth skin,” she confirmed.

  I chuckled, closing my eyes while I shook my head. “Whatever you like, Firefly,” I commented.

  She pressed her free hand gently against my chest, my back pressing against the mattress as she moved her body to lie on top of me; her hand brushed through her long brown locks.

  “Ryder."

  My eyes locked on hers; I could see her desire— the need for more— before they lowered to the thin white t-shirt that draped her body. I could see a glimpse of her neon pink bra— the shirt unable to keep it hidden.

  I returned my gaze to her face, noticing how she bit her lip and those pair of blue jewels lingered on my lips.

  “Mako...you should be resting,” I encouraged, yet my gaze stayed locked on hers, returning to her bitten lip yet again. I tried to ignore how my erect cock pressed against my pants; Mako's underwear was the only barrier I'd need to surpass if I wanted to get a taste of her...to feel her wetness and my ultimate wish to feel my cock slide into her.

  “Kiss me, Ryder...properly. Kiss me like this would be our last moment together...please?” she whispered, begging for my love.

  I closed my eyes, struggling between my body’s urges and being reasonable. I sucked at making those decisions, my urges just too strong and I was truly tired of this building sexual tension between us. I wanted her so bad and I couldn't let her think otherwise.

  My arm wrapped around her waist, pulling her down on me and smashing my lips against hers in immense greed.