Chapter Eight
Lailah
My mother waited for us within the castle, ready to whisk us away to a new world.
Nuriela had never been to Earth before, and the shock of going from a world with endless power to one with suppressed magic would be jarring.
It was for me, the first time. I also had a speech ready to beg my mother to allow Nuri to come, but she simply smiled and grabbed both our hands.
The Sight came so easily to her, of course, with so many years of practice. For me it was a kaleidoscope of faces, places and emotions. Trying to focus was a near impossible task, but when I let the power flow through me without forcing it, like my mother suggested, it was easier.
I was not prepared for the sight that greeted me when we got to Earth.
My sisters were suddenly several years older.
I was frozen to the floor when Seraphina came bouncing into the living room of Joseph’s house and leapt into my arms several years older than the last time I saw her.
Michaela followed her, only a couple years younger by the looks of her.
My eyeballs nearly jumped out of their sockets.
After they went to bed, my mother sat us down on the couch, her eyes soft. She masked her emotions well, but I could see her exhaustion in the slump of her shoulders.
“Thank you, my love,” Aurora murmured as Joseph placed a steaming cup of tea in front of her.
He returned to the kitchen and came back with two hot chocolates for Nuriela and I. It was early spring here, and a cool breeze blew through the house.
Joseph lived in the state of Michigan, close to some massive body of water I couldn’t remember the name of. The last time I visited, it was late summer and my sisters and I ran amok between the rows and rows of cherry trees. It was quite beautiful here, for something created entirely without magic.
Aurora cleared her throat, pulling me from my memories. “I know it’s strange, and I will ask forgiveness for stealing away some of their childhood, but their minds won’t remember the loss. Not for some time.”
“But you had to?” I asked, sipping the creamy hot cocoa.
Aurora nodded, and Joseph squeezed her hand.
Her bright-blue eyes were clouded with emotions I was still too young to fully understand.
“Yes. Belial is in league with a cult called The Obscuritas. And while you might think humans are weaker than us, they are no less dangerous. The Kings of this cult have acquired immeasurable power.”
“And we can’t defeat them?” Nuri cut in, fierce as ever.
Aurora sighed. “No, we cannot. Our world is divided, and there are not enough of us to win this battle. The Kings will come for Lailah and I in two nights. They will take us all, except you, Nuriela.”
I nodded. “I saw that, too. She can’t be with us.”
Nuri’s gaze snapped to mine. I could tell she wanted to protest, but I squeezed her hand, silently begging her to trust me. The vision of her death at the hands of this cult was too much. As long as she stayed away, it wouldn’t come to pass.
Joseph, having been silent while my mother laid out the plan, reached over and squeezed my arm. His wolf-like brown eyes caught mine. “Thank you, Lailah.”
My eyes drifted to my mother and back. I was unsure what he meant. “For what?”
“This is only possible because of you. Our worlds will have a chance to survive this, because of you. Thank you. Thank you for giving Michaela that chance.”
My eyes welled with emotion, and a vision of Michaela and Seraphina laughing together passed through my mind. “I would do anything for her. For my family.”
“As would I.” He nodded, a darkness passing over his eyes. “As will we all, before the end.”
The conversation ended on a heavier note, and my body felt like it weighed a million pounds. The heaviness in my heart was difficult to bear.
“Hey.” Nuri interrupted my dark thoughts, threading my arm through hers. “Let’s go for a walk.”
I smiled up at her. She was a whole two inches taller. “That sounds nice.”
We left the house and wandered toward the cliffs overlooking the tumultuous waters below.
The sky was overcast, rain threatening to spoil our walk, but we continued on in silence.
Nuri paused as the nearly full moon peaked out from the clouds.
She dropped to the grass and pulled me down beside her.
We lay there, staring up at the dark sky.
Her slim fingers brushed against my palm.
Heat pooled within me at her gentle touch.
I closed my eyes and let this moment imprint on my mind.
Nuri turned her head toward mine. “What do you think we would have been, if we lived to be a century old? Where would we be?” she whispered, her lips mere centimeters from my ear. The warmth of her breath tingled against my neck.
My eyes opened slowly, and I rolled onto my side, facing her, never letting go of her hand.
“We would be the most fearsome warriors. Our combined power would be nearly unmatched. We’d roam the worlds, seeking out adventures, taking out bad guys and making a name for ourselves throughout the galaxies. ”
Nuri smiled. “Yes. And we’d be mated. Finally bound and eternally together.”
Her lips nearly brushed mine as she spoke. The thread of light leading me to her pulsed with love and sweet desire. Warmth flooded my limbs, and I leaned in, pressing my lips firmly to hers. Nuri’s soft lips parted, and I tasted the fire within her. Her desire matched my own in every way.
She pulled away first, our breaths heavy and gazes hooded with need for the other. Our love was a bright, brilliant thing, never to fully be unleashed. “I will find you in the stars, Lailah Valdis.”
“Vi et animo.” I spoke the words of our people. The words two lovers spoke when declaring themselves to each other in a formal ceremony. This wasn’t formal, and no contract or consummated bond held us, but I felt it all the same.
“Vi et animo,” Nuri whispered back, leaning in and kissing me lightly. She flinched at the exact moment I did, tiny splashes hitting our cheeks.
We turned in unison as the sky opened up and rain fell from the clouds.
Either one of us could’ve used power to keep us dry, keep the rain away.
But neither of us did. Our bond pulsed with life, and I sucked in a breath.
Nuri wanted to feel fully alive and in this moment as much as I did.
Her fierce love washed through me as the mate bond solidified.
In my soul, I could feel our threads of silver and gold braiding together.
This was unheard of, a mate bond forming when we were both so young and newly awakened.
Nuri squeezed my hand, her chest heaving. “Do you feel it?”
I squeezed hers in return. “I feel you.”
We smiled at each other, our hearts filled with awe and a love so brilliant and pure. It was everything I knew it would be. We lay there in silence, feeling this new connection and reveling in this moment of happiness the stars blessed us with.
I embraced the rain, begging the element my mate connected with most to wash away my fears and doubts, leaving only my love for Nuriela behind. The summer storm melted the last of my stubborn refusal of this fate and let it sink away into the earth.
“I surrender,” I whispered to the stars, letting them know I was ready. I could do this. For my family. For my mate.