Chapter Nine
Nuriela
Strange scents filled the air as I walked with the Valdis family into what Lailah called a “county fair.” She said small towns held these little festivals filled with games, food, and these terribly dangerous looking rides.
Our people brought the mortals many things over the centuries, but this was something they invented all on their own.
We had no need for such things when we could fly.
Their bodies were so fragile, and yet they took risks.
It was curious, but then I suppose we all took risks to feel something.
I slipped my hand into Lailah’s, threading our fingers together. She didn’t turn, but I swelled with pride at the flush of her cheeks and small smile on her lips.
No one knew us here, and before all the bad things coming to us truly began, I wanted her to feel happiness.
“I want to ride that one!” Seraphina shouted, pointing at a ride of some kind made entirely of rusted metal. Of course, she would choose the one that looked the most dangerous.
A boy about the same age as Lailah and I seemed to zero in on Seraphina when she giggled with delight as she eyed the death trap of a ride. He stood out to me. His clothes were plain, and his movements were nonchalant, but there was something off about him, like he didn’t belong.
Aurora laughed at her middle child’s giddy behavior, her own smile bright and infectious, drawing my attention away from the boy. Lailah’s laugh was so similar to her mother’s, and I loved being the one to bring it out of her.
“What do you want to do, Lailah?” I squeezed her hand, gesturing to the death ride. “I know it’s not that.”
She laughed. “I don’t have the death wish my sister does. Let’s get a funnel cake. I want to see your face when you try it.”
Joseph handed Lailah some form of currency, and she pulled me into a jog away from the others.
I trailed behind her, holding her hand tightly.
My blood zipped with adrenaline that only she could provide.
Her wavy blonde hair bounced down her back, and I resisted the urge to run my fingers through it.
Lailah turned back to me, a carefree look about her that I’d never seen before.
It lit me up from the inside out, my soul completely intune with hers.
She stopped at a stand to order this funnel cake, and the smell was, I had to admit, mouthwatering. Lailah paid for the food, and we found an empty table to sit and enjoy the treat. I straddled the bench, facing her, and waited as she ripped a tiny piece of the cake-like food.
“Open,” she commanded with a cheeky grin.
“Since when are you in charge?” I smirked at her but opened my mouth.
Lailah reached out slowly and placed the cake onto my tongue. Her soft fingers brushed against my lips, and I stopped myself from licking them. My stomach curled with something more magical than butterflies, and the bond between us pulsed with need.
Sugary goodness exploded in my mouth, and an involuntary moan escaped my lips. Lailah’s eyes snapped to my mouth, and the flush of her cheeks matched the heat in my own.
“Do you like it?” she whispered, her pink tongue flicking out to lick her bottom lip.
I brushed my thumb over my mouth, powdered sugar coating it. Before I could second-guess my actions, I pressed my thumb to her plump lips. She opened for me, and I nearly lit on fire when she sucked my thumb into her mouth.
“It’s delicious,” I murmured, my voice rough. Her eyes snapped to mine just as I pulled my thumb back and gave it a slow lick, tasting her. “Almost as sweet as you.”
Lailah’s bright-blue eyes filled with tears. “I wish we had more time.”
This wouldn’t do. I shook my head fiercely. “None of that. Tonight we live fully. Save your tears for another day.”
If there was anything I could do for her, it was this. She needed to laugh, to feel joy. The weight of the world rested on her shoulders, and it killed me that I couldn’t take away her burden. So if all I could give her was this night, then it would be the best one she ever had.