19. Training. Duh!
As we dropped, I braced for impact and hoped this time, I wouldn’t break my ass entirely. While I screamed like a maniac, Metice reached for me mid-fall and pulled me into him. Maybe he would turn and land with me on top of him, like they did in the movies. Metice was smarter than that. He transported us out of there.
In a blink, we went from falling through the air to laying in a soft field of wild grass. The stuff was like a big pillow, cradling our entangled bodies.
“Are you okay?” Metice rolled over to me.
I lay next to him, chest heaving and mind racing.
“Yes, I think so. Whatever she did didn’t fix my asthma, though!” I didn’t want to move, just in case there was an injury I wasn’t aware of. “What the hell happened?”
“I would say your powers are working.” Metice chuckled. “Is that what happened last time with Olian?”
“You mean the falling on my ass? Yes. Is that going to keep happening?” I groaned. “What use is this ability if it just keeps hurting me?”
“No, it won’t keep happening. At least, not after you learn to manage it.” He rolled over to his side and looked down at me. “Trust me, all of this will get a lot easier soon.”
“And you can teach me how?” I perked up. “Your ability is the same, right?”
“Let’s hope so.” Metice stood and held his hand out to me. “It’s similar, but I don’t think it’s exact.”
He pulled me to my feet, and when I looked around at the cotton candy clouds, the strange trees that looked like crazy straws, and what looked like dinosaurs walking in the distance, I realized we weren’t on Earth.
“Where are we?” I watched a small bird-like creature flying in the distance. “This isn’t my home.”
“No, it isn’t.” Metice nodded. “Think of this as a training ground.”
“Oh? I figured we would do that on Earth.”
“Yeah, mid fall, I realized it might not be the greatest idea to take you home just yet. We need to make sure you can control yourself. We can do that here. Most of the beings here are animalistic, none intelligent enough to interfere yet.”
“This is where you’ll train me to jump between worlds?”
“And other things.” Metice grinned. “We don’t know what else you’re capable of just yet. You were able to channel energy and expel it from your hands once.”
“Is there some sort of crash course to not landing on your ass every time?” I checked the dress for dirt. “If you weren’t there, I’d be laid up again, crying about my tailbone.”
“Not that I know of, but we can certainly work on it.” He laughed. “And hey, if you hurt your ass, I’ll make you feel better.”
“Why does it sound like what you have in mind wouldn’t actually help my situation?” I rolled my shoulders. “Actually, my body feels great. All the pain I had before is gone. Likosa and Floushal are amazing.”
“Yeah, they do good work, but I said I would make you feel better. I didn’t say I’d help your ass heal.” He leaned back to look behind me, and the grin spread across his face.
“What are you doing?”
“Just checking.” He winked. “Looks great.”
“Anyway,” I rolled my eyes. “What’s the plan? Do we train now?”
“You need to rest. I know you may feel good after what she did to you, but I don’t want to risk it.” He scanned the area. “Just need to find somewhere for us to set up camp.”
“Rest? Where exactly do you expect me to rest?” I waved my arms around, gesturing to the massive expanse of shelter-less nature. “I don’t see any beds around here, and you still haven’t told me what or where this place is.”
“Think of it as Earth 2.0. If you could visit your world before humans existed, this is pretty much what you’d find. It’s somewhere safe for you, but it will be hard for them to find us,” Metice explained. “Mid fall, I figured this was a better option. I’ve been here and it’s…mostly compatible with human life.”
“Mostly?” I frowned. “I don’t know about this, Metice.”
“It’s the perfect place for you to practice.” He kissed my forehead. “Trust me.”
“Do I even need to practice all that much? I’m a quick study. Just give me the Cliffs Notes and I got it. What do I do? Just focus on the location and go?”
“Did the elixir affect your memory?” He tapped my temple with his finger. “You just nearly killed us! And if it were that simple, you wouldn’t have accidentally snapped us into the middle of a freefall. Is that what you thought of?”
“Well. No. I didn’t.” I poked my lips out in thought. I couldn’t remember what had been on my mind before we fell. “You thought of all that in the span of a five second fall?”
“I’m quick on my feet, even when my feet aren’t under me,” he joked.
“Right.” My mind wandered as I thought of our situation, and within moments, I was panicking. There I was, in a prehistoric version of Earth with my new demon husband. This for a woman who decided a decade prior that marriage wasn’t the goal in life. My heart pounded in my chest, and when I looked at the man beside me, I could see Metice immediately sensed when my mood shifted.
“What is it?” He examined me and pulled my hands over my head like I was a wrinkled shirt he pulled from the closet. “Are you okay?”
“You sure you didn’t know we would be married?” I looked at him, hands still over my head like a ragdoll. “I mean, you’re so quick-witted. Was there no part of you that thought to keep that from me?”
“Rayna, I know I’ve hidden things from you in the past, but not this.” He dropped my hands and took a careful step back from me. “I told you everything I knew. She told me she could reinforce our bond, yes. Not that it would be anything like the marriage of souls. I didn’t know a thing like that was possible with someone who wasn’t also a demon. I promise I wouldn’t have done that without telling you, and that was honestly much more intense. That light, those threads, that doesn’t happen for us.”
“Right.” My stomach felt like I’d swallowed a sack of rocks. I never wanted to be married, never believed in it, but this was different, right? This wasn’t the barbaric practices of Earth rooted in a woman basically being sold to another family. This was something far more important than that, and a hell of a lot more intense. This man was a part of me now. I could feel him inside me, his energy, his upset, dancing through my chest.
“We don’t have to act like we’re married, if that’s what you’re worried about.” There was something new in his words. Was it the tremble of insecurity? “When we can be sure you will be safe, I’ll leave—or we can go back to just getting to know each other. Nothing about us has to change if you don’t want it to.”
“I guess this is a discussion we can have later.” I looked up into those dark eyes. “We have more important things to worry about, and it won’t matter if I poof myself into a firepit and die.”
“You can be really dark sometimes, you know that?” He reached over and tugged the bonnet that miraculously still hung on my head.
“Says the demon.” I winked.
“You need to rest. I’ll go get supplies. You stay here.” He wagged his finger in my face. “No popping off to places where I won’t be able to find you.”
“Well, what am I supposed to do until you get back?”
“Enjoy the fresh air and demon free lands.” Metice smiled, then he vanished.
With nothing else to do, I sat in the grass and watched the picturesque view. If I had my art supplies with me, I would have started sketching the scene. The animals all looked like abstract forms of the ones on Earth. Their ears and eyes were slightly misplaced, and they all had either too many or too few limbs.
Some glanced at the weird being sitting in the middle of the field, but luckily, none felt too curious. It must have been something Metice did, or at least he’d been there enough to know it was safe.
I sighed, wishing I had my phone. It wasn’t like I could make a call, but I’d be able to track the time and maybe play a game or two. I had two more hotels to complete and a garden to take care of. My virtual families were probably so worried about me.
A sweet breeze moved in, carrying what smelled like lavender and geranium. The combination always relaxed me. The soft grass felt like a pillow. I leaned back on the ground, allowing the natural cushion to cup my body. It wasn’t long before watching strange cloud formations turned into watching my eyelids.
“Rayna.” A warm hand touched my shoulder and gently shook me. “Rayna, wake up.”
“Metice?” I opened my eyes to a night sky painted the prettiest shades of purple and indigo. “Oh, wow.”
“That happy to see me?” He smiled down at me and held his hand out to help me up.
“No, the sky.” I laughed and grabbed his hand, allowing him to pull me to my feet. “But it’s nice to see you too. What happened to you?”
“I came back and you were sleep, so I figured I’d let you rest while I got things set up.” He stepped aside to let me see what he’d been working on.
Behind him was a full campsite, complete with a luxury tent and campfire. Where towering plants and ancient trees dominated the landscape, creating a prehistoric backdrop, a modern tent setup stood nestled in the clearing, surrounded by dense vegetation. The tent’s sleek, streamlined shape contrasted with the rugged beauty of the surrounding scenery, creating a visual juxtaposition that made me ache for my art supplies.
“You did all this?” My hand itched for my paintbrush. I’d have to commit the image to memory so I could recreate it later.
“Well, don’t get me wrong, you can handle yourself in most situations, but I don’t take you for the outdoors type.” He chuckled. “I couldn’t see you sleeping in a bag on the ground.”
“You’re damn right.” I laughed. “I love nature, but I really appreciate looking at it through a window.”
“You went to Earth to get all this? What about the demons? What if they caught you? Could they have followed you here?” I rattled off all the questions that raced through my mind.
“We’re safe, Rayna.” He stepped behind me and grabbed my shoulders, slowly massaging them. “I took every precaution. I chose a location far from your home and anywhere they might have searched for us. You can relax.”
“I can try.” I sighed. “I don’t know how easy that will be now that I’ve slept. My mind is already racing.”
“You’re still tired. Let’s go to bed,” he urged. “Once your head hits the pillow, you’ll sleep. We can start training tomorrow.”
We headed towards the tent when a familiar yipping sounded from inside. A moment later, Piko’s head popped out the tan door flap. He yipped again, took off running, and leaped into my arms. Piko licked my face then pouted when I grabbed his mouth.
“No licking in the face.” I looked back at Metice. “You went back for him?”
“I couldn’t leave him in that cave. Who knows how long the goofball would have sat there?”
“You can admit you like him. I won’t tell anyone.” I poked his shoulder. “You went back even though it was a risk. You love Piko!”
“I do not.” Metice walked ahead of me. “Just didn’t want him sitting in that cave and rotting away. You know, they’re not the smartest creatures around.”
“Right, because you love him!” I called after him.
He was right. The moment my head hit the pillow with his warm body beside me, I was out of it. When I woke the next morning. Metice wasn’t beside me, but Piko was. He snored and kicked in his sleep like he was running through his dreams.
I stepped outside the tent to find Metice cooking eggs over a fire.
“Do I want to know where you got the eggs?” I pointed at the pan.
“No,” he laughed. “But I swear, they taste just like the ones from Earth.”
“I’m sure they do.”
“I also got you some protein bars, just in case,” he laughed. “How are you feeling?”
“Better. A lot better.” The strange call of a bird rang out, and I searched the skies to find the source. There was nothing. When I looked back at Metice, he seemed unbothered.
“Good, because today, we’re going to work on your skills.” He handed me a plate. “Eat and drink. We have plenty of water. Sorry, no wine.”
Despite the weird aftertaste, the eggs were decent and filling. I thought it best to save the protein bars for later. I drank nearly 2 gallons of water and peed, squatting over a yellow bush that scurried away when I was done.
“Oh shit. Sorry!” I called out to the creature that turned and looked at me with beady eyes, like it wanted to run back and take a bite out of my leg. It wouldn’t have been anything I didn’t deserve.
“Did you just pee on that innocent creature?” Metice teased me.
“I didn’t know that thing was alive. I thought it was a bush!”
“I knew you had some strange kinks, woman, but this is too far.”
“Oh, shut up!” I threw a rock at him. “You’re supposed to be training me, not making fun of me.”
“You’re right.” He clapped his hands and looked toward the cotton clouds. “Let’s get to work.”
“And what do we do first?” I stretched my hands over my head. “Do I aim for Earth?”
“Absolutely not.” Metice pushed my arms down. “You aim for that.”
He turned and pointed to a tree with a bright orange trunk.
“The tree?” My heart sank. I thought I would be jumping worlds, and he wanted me to practice walking like a toddler. “That’s it?”
“Yes,” Metice laughed. “That’s it. Go to the tree.”
I took one step forward, but Metice grabbed my shoulder to stop me. “Not like that.”
“Then how do you expect me to get over there?”
As soon as I asked, he disappeared from my side, and a moment later, he was leaning against the tree and waving at me.
“Oh, like that.”
“Yes.” Metice reappeared by my side. “Focus on the tree, then imagine yourself next to it. You should feel your energy connecting to the spot you choose. Lean into that energy and imagine yourself crossing it like walking across a bridge.”
“That doesn’t sound that simple.” My unrealistic expectations of a five-minute training sequence that ended with me at an expert level went right out of the damn tent flap.
“I didn’t say it was simple, but we start small. Short distances, then we’ll gradually increase the range.”
“What about my other skills?” The breeze picked up and blew the dress around me.
“We’ll work on those later, but right now, this is the most important.” He stepped behind me and pinched my ass. “Unless you want to keep falling on those beautiful cheeks of yours.”
“Okay, fine.” I rolled my eyes, but my face warmed with a blush. Focus woman!
Okay, visualize. Can you see yourself next to the tree?”
I closed my eyes. “Yes. I’m standing there, right next to it.”
“Open your eyes, Rayna. We don’t need your imagination taking over and landing you somewhere dangerous.”
I opened my eyes and focused on the spot near the tree. Just as Metice said, the energy connected like a thread through my heart and pulled me to the spot. It opened like a path between myself and the place I wanted to be. I imagined myself walking across the path, then I felt myself moving. Bit by bit, I flowed like rolling on skates across the track.
The next thing I felt was my face slamming against the tree.
“Ow!” I cried out and held my nose.
“Ha ha ha ha!” Metice laughed, doubled over, and smacked his knee.
“Are you seriously laughing at me?” I turned, still holding my throbbing nose. “What kind of husband are you?”
“Now you want me to be the doting husband?” He laughed even harder. “I’m sorry, but that was funny. You should have seen yourself!”
“Jerk.”
“Okay, I’m sorry.” He held his hands up. “I couldn’t help it.”
“Screw this.” I stomped off toward the tent.
“Come on, Rayna, you can’t give up that easily.” Metice called out. “Maybe I’ll go back and tell Keri what you’re doing here.”
“Excuse me?” I turned on my heel to face him. “Are you threatening me now?”
“She doesn’t seem like the type to let you live it down. Keri is a go getter. What would she think of her best friend giving up after one minor slip up?”
“That is low!” I rolled my eyes. Not that I cared that much what anyone thought of me, but he was right: if Keri knew, she’d never let me live it down. I couldn’t imagine having both of them making fun of me for it. “Fine!”
I stomped back over to him.
“Good. Let’s try again.”
“If you laugh at me again, I’m going to hurt you.”
“I’m sure you will.” He pointed to the tree. “Take your time, visualize.”
“Yeah, yeah, yeah.” I waved him off with confidence, but inside, I felt shaken. I really didn’t want to hit the tree again.
It took ten more tries before I landed safely next to the tree without busting my face or landing on my ass. The third time, I ended up tangled in the rainbow branches, and Metice had to cut me down. He didn’t laugh, at least not to my face. After each failed attempt, the demon popped away. I was sure he went somewhere to laugh in safety.
After that, Metice had me try to go a little further each time, and it worked, most of the time. Sometimes, when aiming for a tree, I’d land in a lake. But he was right there—if something went wrong, Metice was there to catch me.
By the end of the fourth day, I was a pro at the short jumps.
“Hey!” I called out to Metice as he stacked wood next to the fire pit.
I was freshly washed from the bucket of water we’d designated for freshening up, and it had me feeling fresh in more ways than one.
“Yes?” He turned around and, in a flash, I was in his arms. “You’re really getting a hang of this, aren’t you?”
“Better than you thought I’d be, aren’t I? I told you I’m a quick study.” I wrapped my arms around his neck as he lifted me from the ground.
“That’s good, because tomorrow, your lessons get tougher.” Metice carried me toward the tent. “Tonight, I’ll be gentle.”
It was the first time we did more than sleep since our unexpected marriage ceremony. It wasn’t that I didn’t want to, but it felt different. Metice was no longer just a sexy demon man I was having dangerous fun with. He was my soulmate, my lifeline, my husband. And though I’d decided I didn’t want that level of commitment, I felt the weight of what it meant. Being together, in that way, there would be no turning back.
Suddenly, I didn’t care about that. I didn’t want to turn back. I wanted life with this man, this patient, caring, protective man. And, well, I was also really fucking horny. That’s how it always was. The closer I got to my period, the more I wanted to bang.
He carried me to bed and lay with me. His hungry kisses consumed me while his hands peeled the dress from my body. I couldn’t explain it, but the way he looked at me had me nervous, like this was the first time he’d ever seen me naked, kissed my flesh, or held me in his arms.
His warm tongue ran across my nipple as his fingers slipped between my legs. He slowly massaged my clit, coaxing me closer to orgasm. I gripped his arm as I prepared to explode, but he stopped just before I hit the peak.
“Why?” I groaned.
“Let me take my time with you.” Metice kissed his way from my breast, past my tummy, to my pussy. He kissed my lips, laying gentle pecks between my legs.
His warm breath blew over my clit, and I thought I would lose it. I lifted my hips, thrusting my pussy closer to his face, but he didn’t give me want I wanted. Instead, his lips moved to my inner thigh, kissing me until he turned me over onto my stomach.
“On your knees,” he said, and I did what he wanted.
Then, he gave me what I wanted.
With my ass up, face down, Metice had his favorite meal. I moaned into the pillow and gripped the sheets as he finally allowed my first release. Even after I came, he continued drinking every drop of my orgasm before I turned to him.
He laid on the bed, and I climbed on top. It was in my nature to go fast, but Metice wanted a different speed. When I moved my hips, rocking quickly and racing to the next orgasm, he grabbed me. His hands gripped my hips, and he slowed me down.
“Rayna, please, let me enjoy you.” Metice controlled my pace, restricting me until I fell into the sensual flow he desired. His dick pulsed inside me while he looked into my eyes. “You’re mine, and I want to take my time with what’s mine. I want to savor you, learn you, be everything you need me to be. Please, let me take my time with you.”
He reached up, grabbed the back of my neck, and pulled me to kiss him.
“Fuck, I’m gonna come.” Metice gritted his teeth to fight the orgasm before he flipped me on my back and took control. “Not yet. Damn, you feel so good.”
He remained on top, kissed me softly, and slow-stroked my soul away until we both hit the limit.
Sweat glistened on his skin as he cried out in orgasm and bit down onto my shoulder. I held his head, pressing his face into me. The pain felt so damn good, and each time that night, when our bodies tangled in passion, he did it the same, slow and steady, enjoying every single moment.