Chapter 19
As the day’s late afternoon shadows grew longer, Kel walked hand in hand with Madeline along the winding path bordering the lagoon.
The air was thick with the scent of hibiscus and salt, and the hush of the water lapping against stone.
For Kel, every step felt both impossibly light and heavy, like she was floating and sinking at the same time.
Madeline’s hand was warm in hers with her thumb tracing lazy circles over Kel’s knuckles, and for a minute, Kel let herself believe the moment was forever.
That the island and its magic might follow them home.
But tomorrow, we leave, she thought. The reality was like a stone in Kel’s gut. “I can’t believe we’re really going,” she said, trying to keep her tone light. “I keep expecting someone to say there’s been a mix-up, that we get another week.”
Madeline squeezed her hand, a wistful smile on her face. “I know. It feels like we barely got here,” she said. “Like everything started making sense and now… poof. Back to reality.”
Kel forced a laugh. “Yeah, reality. LA traffic. Coffee runs. My apartment that smells like burnt toast, even though I don’t own a toaster.”
With a laugh, Madeline bumped her shoulder. “I’ve never been to your apartment, but when I do, I’ll bring you a toaster.”
Smiling, Kel’s heart hammered. She wanted to ask, wanted to blurt out the question inside her.
Is this real to you? But she held her tongue.
Time would tell if it was only the island and the fairytale lights.
Then she would know if the way Madeline looked at her here would last when they were back home, with bills and scripts and the grind of days that weren’t made of magic.
And if I wake up tomorrow and Madeline doesn’t look at me like I’m the only person in the world, she thought. Will I survive it?
Courage gathering in her chest, she opened her mouth to tell Madeline her worries, but before she said a word, a familiar silhouette appeared ahead on the path—shoulders squared and stride purposeful.
Ruthi Shay. Of course, Kel thought as she stifled a groan, but Madeline just squeezed her hand reassuringly.
Ruthi spotted them and slowed, her gaze flicking from Madeline to Kel, then settling on Kel with an intensity that made Kel’s stomach twist.
“There you are,” Ruthi said, clearly focused on business but not harsh. “I’ve been looking for you.”
Kel straightened, bracing herself. “Hey, Ruthi. Everything okay?”
Ruthi’s lips quirked into almost a smile. “More than okay. I just finished your script. Four times.” She looked at Madeline, then back at Kel. “It’s brilliant. And I don’t say that lightly. I want to direct it. I need to direct it. I haven’t felt like this about a project in a long time.”
Madeline’s eyes went wide, and Kel felt the world tilt.
She didn’t even know Ruthi had received a copy of the script.
Island magic? she wondered. Is that possible?
She cleared her throat, forcing herself to meet Ruthi’s gaze.
“That means a lot,” she said. “But there’s something you should know.
I wrote it for Madeline. She’s the only one I want to see play Victoria. No Madeline, no deal.”
Ruthi hesitated, the briefest flicker of something crossing her face.
For a second, Kel’s heart thudded, afraid Ruthi would walk away, that the dream would shatter before it even began.
Then Ruthi nodded decisively. “You drive a hard bargain, Lehman. But you’re right.
The part is Madeline’s. To be honest, after this week, I can’t imagine anyone else. She’s perfect for it.”
The relief Kel felt was so sharp it almost hurt.
Madeline let out a sound. Something like a half-laugh, half-sob, and she covered her mouth, eyes shining.
Ruthi looked between them, a rare softness in her expression.
“I’ll be in touch. We’ll make this happen.
Thank you, Kel. For trusting me with this. ”
“Thank you,” Kel whispered, still a little in shock.
“Now, if you’ll excuse me,” Ruthi said. “There’s something else I need to do tonight.
” She gave Madeline a nod, then slipped away down the path, already pulling out her phone, all business again.
As soon as she was gone, Madeline turned to Kel.
Tears spilled down her cheeks, and her whole body trembled with joy.
“Kel, I—” Overwhelmed, her words broke. “I can’t believe this is real.
I can’t believe you… I love you so much. ”
Kel pulled her close, holding her as Madeline cried, feeling happy and grateful.
This moment, this opportunity, was everything she had ever wanted to give her.
She pressed her lips to Madeline’s hair, her own eyes wet.
“It is real,” she whispered fiercely. “You’re real.
We’re real. And we’re going to do this.” The island shimmered around them, the lagoon sparkling in the sun.
For the first time, Kel let herself believe all the island’s magic might follow her home.
Nervous, Ruthi opened the door of her suite at the knock and saw Eve standing at the entrance. “Thank you for coming,” she said softly. “Please come in.” When Eve walked in, Ruthi hesitated, unsure what to do next. “Would you like a drink or something?”
As they moved further into the room, the beautiful Domme’s words halted her in her tracks. “Ruthi. I only accepted your text invitation out of courtesy, but I’m not going to stay.”
Eve’s voice was gentle but firm. Ruthi looked at her, disconcerted by the barely-disguised note of resignation she heard in her words. This is not how Eve usually sounds, Ruthi thought, but before she responded, Eve continued.
“You asked to see me one last time tonight so we can say goodbye without anyone else around, which I didn’t think was a bad idea.
All the island guests are heading back to their regular lives in the morning, including us.
” Eve smiled wryly. “Given your particular fantasy, I assumed it would be far more comfortable for you and me to exchange last words in private and outside of my dungeon.”
Clearing her throat, Ruthi gathered her courage.
“You need to know how much I appreciate what you did for me,” Ruthi stammered.
“To help me understand I’m not…not…abnormal or weak.
That wanting to be a submissive is natural for some people and there’s nothing wrong with it.
That’s…that’s really all I had to say.” She twisted her fingers in front of her, wishing she were better at conversations like this.
“Thank you, from the bottom of my heart. For everything. Maybe…maybe someday—” Her voice trailed off.
Eve shook her head slightly, clearly understanding where Ruthi was heading.
“To be frank, coming to my dungeon on the mainland would be ill-advised, Ruthi, as much as I enjoyed our experience together. When you find your Domme, and I have no doubt you will,” Eve said with that odd note of resignation still in her voice, “you can use everything you learned under my instruction as a foundation for your service to her. You are well on your way to becoming an excellent submissive, but only if you are committed to embracing that part of yourself freely.” She took a deep breath.
“My best wishes for you always, Ruthi. I leave you with one thought before we part ways.”
Ruthi nodded, unable to prevent the tears prickling behind her eyes, her heart hurting. “I’ll listen,” she said.
“Trust, little one,” Eve whispered, moving closer to her.
“Trust in the Domme who is honored to earn your submission. That precious gift you give to her, that belief and faith in her and her ability to teach you, to keep you safe, to cherish everything you are…trust in the magic the two of you will create together.”
Crying now, Ruthi stared into Eve’s brilliant green gaze, shocked to see a damp glimmer in the Domme’s eyes.
Leaning forward, Eve kissed Ruthi’s forehead softly.
“Goodbye, little sub,” she whispered as she raised her hand and stroked Ruthi’s cheek briefly.
“Be well. Be happy.” And then she was gone.
Frozen, Ruthi stared at the closed door, feeling as though her world had ended.
The Mistress cared for her, she knew, even loved her.
But, based on Eve’s actions tonight, Ruthi’s previous hopes shriveled on the vine, her thoughts grabbing her with sharp claws.
What would someone like Mistress Eve Mondragon—a very visible part of the kink community on the mainland and a professional Domme with an almost legendary reputation—want with a brand new submissive who had barely admitted what she was to herself, let alone shown she was ready to kneel proudly in front of anyone else?
Eve didn’t do commitments. But even if she did, any submissive at her feet who belonged to her would be unapologetically visible to others in the community, unashamed of who and what she was in every way possible.
Someone as different from Ruthi Shay as it was possible to get.
Is it possible to die from a broken heart?
Ruthi wondered. Will I be able to survive being permanently separated from the Mistress I know is everything I always wanted and needed?
Taking a deep breath through her tears, however, Ruthi suddenly clenched her jaw, determination firing through her.
She belonged to Eve, in ALL ways. Her Mistress deserved a sub who felt no hesitation, no holding back, no indecision.
But can I do that? Can I show the world I don’t give a fuck what they think? For Eve?
Moving down the hallway, ready to go back to her small cottage where she could hide for the rest of the night, Eve kept wiping her streaming eyes, keeping her head down the few times she encountered one of the staff in the corridors.
Stupid. I am so STUPID, she thought. I never get involved with my submissives.
Part of being a professional Domme was having the ability to keep her personal self detached from her professional self.
I blew that one in spades, though, didn’t I?
Ruthi had wormed into Eve’s heart before she knew it.
Everything Ruthi was called to Eve’s soul in a way no other submissive ever had before.
While Eve had had personal submissives before, nothing had ever worked out for the long term.
The core of her heart had always remained untouched.
Eve had genuinely cared for them and took care of their needs, but whenever she and one of her submissives parted ways, there hadn’t been a tremendous sense of loss on her side.
Figuring she was simply incapable of giving her whole heart and soul to a sub, which wasn’t fair to them, Eve kept her interactions strictly professional, convinced that it was the better course of action in the long run.
Ruthi, however, smashed through every barrier Eve had.
Everything about the woman Ruthi was called to Eve’s soul, as though she had been made for the Domme.
The problem, though, lay in Ruthi’s inability to be open about who and what she was, something that could have no place in Eve’s life.
A challenge that had no solution on either side of the fence.
As Eve went out into the cool air, awash in rising moonlight and the scent of the tropical flowers that bloomed everywhere, the doors to her heart slammed shut even as she sent an entreaty aloft that Ruthi would find peace and love no matter where she went or who she belonged to.
Some lucky Domme would find her, train her, then keep her as she realized her submissive was a one-of-a-kind light that every good Dominant in existence prayed for.
The blessings of the Divine go with you always, beloved, she prayed through a fresh bout of salty tears as she disappeared into the darkness.
I will always love you, even though we weren’t meant to be.
Neither will I ever forget you. I hope all your dreams have come true, that the Isle of Dreams has brought you everything you ever wished for.
Because no woman deserves it more than you do.