43. Raelyna #2
And when I finally found that small golden glow, visible in the darkness, I began to follow after it, flapping my wings in a rhythmic beat as I flew toward the light shining bright in the darkness.
I blocked out everything around me, telling myself I was okay; I just had to make it to the glowing ball of gold on the horizon.
That once this was done, I would never have to do it again. I just needed to keep pushing.
I repeated those words as I flew toward Aurum Quarter—to a new beginning.
The second my feet touched solid ground, I collapsed, sinking to the sand as I thanked Aeternus.
I’d survived The Rift.
I swear, at that moment, I could have kissed the ground beneath my feet.
Solid ground.
I’d made it.
I’d done it.
All on my own.
Callum squatted beside me, his forearms resting on his thighs as his boots came into view along the sand I was currently contemplating kissing. I tilted my chin up, holding his gaze.
“I am never doing that again.”
His low chuckle filled the air as he nodded, eyes twinkling with amusement.
“Welcome to Aurum Quarter, starlight.” His voice held a note of excitement as he extended his hand, helping me up so that I could take in the Quarter for the first time.
My jaw dropped as I took in my surroundings.
All around me, tall skyscrapers graced the skyline.
Their glass windows reflected the light of the two suns.
Angels flew across the sky in a carefree manner, their golden wings glinting as their feathers reflected the sunlight.
Every building seemed to be lined with gold, the Quarter itself glittering in the afternoon light.
Skybridges levitated between buildings, angels flying under the passes with ease as they soared through the sky. The sun’s glittering rays caught on the buildings as hues of gold danced across the horizon, taking my breath away.
“It’s beautiful,” I whispered as I kept looking around. In the distance, I could spot a pilaeria pitch, hovering over the Quarter—a match broadcasting from the display screens on the outer edges of the pitch. I could hear the roars and cheers even from here as fans watched the match occurring.
“Over there”—Callum gestured toward the west—“is the Aurelian Guild Headquarters. I’ll need to stop by there soon.
” He then pointed to the north. “If you fly far enough to the north, you will find the Temple of the Eternal. Then, behind that, the House of Aurum. And the pilaeria pitch is currently floating above the Sol District—the main downtown of Solis Quarter.”
“You know I’m going to forget this all pretty quickly,” I joked as I shot him a grin. “It’s a lot to take in. Not to mention, I’m still recovering from my death flight.”
He shot me a flash of a smile back. “Well then, it’s a good thing you only need to remember one place right now.”
“And that is?” I questioned, my lips pursing as I waited for an answer.
“The Lighthaven District,” he said, pointing to a section of buildings closest to us.
“Is that where my family was taken?” I asked softly, looking up to meet his eyes.
“No.” His response was straightforward. “They were taken to Guild headquarters. Elion will want to speak with everyone to help them get acquainted with Aurum Quarter. It’s going to be an adjustment for them—for all of you.”
I nodded. “When can I see them?”
He chuckled as he tilted my chin up, holding me in place. “Anytime you want, Raelyna. We may be starbound, but you are free here. You can come and go wherever, whenever. I just thought you might want to freshen up before you see your family.”
I looked down at my attire, seeing the mixture of dust and grime built up on my clothing—the smears of blood from where Lucanus had cut me—and I nodded as he extended his hand out toward me.
As I stood, I felt my muscles protest the movement, my ribs flaring slightly from where Lucanus had thrown a punch the previous night.
I let Callum guide me through the skies, the warmth of the suns warming my chilled skin as we flew over glimmering buildings, the various hues of gold sparkling in the light.
I watched on from high overhead as children ran through the streets, laughing and playing.
There was a market in the distance, vendors happily shouting as they sold their goods.
Cafés were bustling, with outdoor seating overflowing, as angels moved throughout the Quarter.
It wasn’t long before Callum was guiding me lower, and soon we were touching down on the rooftop of a towering skyscraper, the glass of the building reflecting the suns’ light in a near-blinding manner.
My feet landed on an outdoor rug as we touched down, and I slowly retracted my wings, the muscles in my back sagging in relief as I took in the space.
Small plants sat in pots along the rooftop, and a few lounge chairs were positioned there, facing the afternoon sun.
There was a grill built into one wall, with a table and chairs resting close to it.
There was even a TV mounted to the wall beside the grill, with a waterproof cover to protect it from the elements.
It was idyllic and serene, a sort of peaceful reprieve in the midst of the bustle of the Quarter.
“What is the place?” I asked.
“You like it?” Cal’s voice rumbled as he walked toward the glass door, sliding his finger across the entry lock.
I watched as a device slid from the doorway, scanning his fingerprints, before he entered a code into the keypad.
I heard a faint click, the button unlocking for him as the glass doorway slid open, and we walked into an elevator.
Callum pressed the next button, the button labeled PH, and then he held his finger against a scanner, waiting until the device read his prints once again. The machine whirled, lowering one level before the doors slid open and a voice echoed in the space.
“Welcome home, Callum Blackwood.”
A huff of air slipped from my lips as I stared, stunned into disbelief for a moment before I hurriedly exited the elevator, following after Callum as he walked into a living room.
Large windows spanned one side of the room, the evening light streaming in, casting a golden glow. From the floor-to-ceiling windows, I could see angels flying in the distance, my eyes tracking over numerous buildings decorating the horizon.
“It’s beautiful,” I murmured as I followed him into the building. My eyes caught on the dark furniture decorating the space—deep shades of wood and black. I caught sight of a large couch resting in the living room, with a hint of green color speckled throughout.
A few pilaeria posters were signed and framed on one wall, and I recognized the team—the Aurelite Guards—from Callum’s shirt I’d worn the other night. A gun safe lined the other wall, an assortment of firearms lining the space.
“This is your place.” The words fell softly from my lips as I finished taking in the area.
“Yes.” He nodded, a hint of nervousness seeping through our starbound mark, the emotion flooding over me, and a soft smile graced my lips.
He was nervous . . . about what I’d think of the place.
“You live in a penthouse?” I asked in disbelief.
“I do,” he admitted as he twirled a blade between his fingers while he walked into the space.
“The top floor of this building . . . it’s all yours?” I asked, still in shock.
He huffed a slight laugh. “It is.”
“I like it,” I admitted, a soft smile creeping up my lips as I turned around once more, watching the way the afternoon light reflected off the walls.
“But I’d like a shower more,” I added, gesturing to my battle-worn attire.
The mix of dust and blood had me wrinkling my nose in disgust at my own appearance.
His eyes darkened as his gaze raked over me with an intensity that told me it didn’t matter to him whether I was covered in a layer of desert sand and ash, and I huffed a laugh. “A shower . . . alone.”
Callum’s eyes narrowed further, a hint of playful annoyance visible among the flecks of gold in his eyes, but he slowly pushed off the doorway of his living room and began leading the way toward the shower.
I followed after him, a wince slipping from my lips that had Callum stopping, his eyes running over me in concern as I watched him catalog every injury on my body. I knew there were no major wounds—nothing that would scar, that wouldn’t heal in the next week.
Yet, his assessment had him backtracking, opening a panel hidden on a side wall, and pressing a button on the display.
“What are you doing?” I asked, watching as his fingers swiped across the screen a few more times.
“Calling for pain relief until I can get someone from the Guild’s medical unit here to look you over.”
I nearly huffed in disbelief before I realized he was serious. “Um . . . thank you?” I said, still in disbelief at the way he lived. “Shower?” I prompted once again as he moved away from the panel, leading me back in the direction we’d previously been going.
Stepping out of the bedroom, wringing out the water from my curls, I ran straight into Callum, his towering form blocking the doorway, hand raised to knock on the door I’d just swung open.
A shriek of surprise nearly slipped my lips, my hand raising to cover my mouth at the noise that escaped my lips as the towel I’d been using to dry my hair fell from my grasp.
“I didn’t expect you to be there!” The words fell from my lips in shock as I stared at Callum. His hand lowered, arms folding over a very bare chest as his eyes twinkled with amusement.
“You know . . .” His voice was a low drawl as his eyes raked over me, standing there, in only his shirt. “You’d think it would be less surprising to find me in my own home.”
“Ha. Ha.” I leveled him with a glare before my eyes traveled lower, taking in the bare expanse of finely-honed muscle before my gaze trailed down to the hem of gray sweatpants, hanging low on his hips.