Chapter 29
H
er scream was so loud that it cracked in her throat. Her arms waved as she frantically tried to stay flat and not tumble in a circle. The air in her lungs was stolen away as the sheer speed at which she was falling was far too great for her to fight against.
“Relax, he just loves the dramatics.”
“Ilkiz!! Help!!” Again, she screamed, and she swore something flew into her mouth because she began coughing immediately.
“Call to me.”
“I JUST DID!” The ground was becoming closer and closer, and in the corner of her eye, she could see water spinning as it had when they first arrived.
“Through your Spirit, girl, and hurry or else—”
The least Rah could have done was tell her how the heck to speak through her spirit. She was still getting used to having her soul back, How the hell?!
Closing her eyes, she delved into the darkness, seeking a glimmer of light that could guide her toward what she needed to do.
The freefall sent her stomach plummeting so deeply that she felt on the verge of vomiting, and her head spun out of control.
The ground loomed closer, and instinctively, she reached her hands out, as if attempting to halt her rapid descent to the ground.
It was then that she saw the palms of her hands. “Where did these come from?!”
“Place them together, now!”
Without hesitation, she clapped her hands together, and a powerful force propelled her forcefully backward, causing her to ascend instead of continuing the descent. The moment was fleeting, and as her body felt gravity pulling her back down, she spun and braced herself to resume the descent.
Her eyes locked onto Ilkiz crawling up from the ground below, shooting straight up at her. The dragon’s massive wings generated a hurricane of wind on either side, obliterating boulders and the nearest cliffside.
While Azahara continued her dive fairly straight, her arms and legs wobbled in an effort to prevent another spin.
The fear that gripped her just moments ago vanished as she witnessed her powerful protector approaching.
Now, she could discern that Ilkiz had only two feet, and her arms were integrated into her wings, which spanned beyond her own eyesight.
Ilkiz was incredible.
A smile etched on her face as she saw her reflection come into view within the Dragon’s massive red eye.
“I’ve got you, little one.”
Got her, she did. As they collided, Ilkiz enveloped her in her grasp. The handoff wasn’t painless, yet the ache in her bones didn’t feel as severe as it should have. It was as if she had been thrown against a wall and bounced off without a scratch.
Ilkiz lifted her up to her neck, a harrowing experience. This was nothing like riding a horse. When she barely straddled a few scales on her neck and found nothing to hold onto, she instinctively leaned forward, embracing the massive beast as if she were at risk of slipping away.
“It will take practice, and I won’t do anything crazy. For now.”
Trembling, she groaned, “Very reassuring.”
“I’ll slow down. Enjoy the view before we have to go back to the ground. I know I am, it has been too long since I’ve stretched my wings.”
Taking a long, deep breath, she leaned up and tightened her legs as though holding on for dear life.
When her eyes absorbed the surroundings, her breath was stolen.
The sky adorned itself with a beautiful hue of pinks and oranges, and she sensed Rah watching her take her first flight before disappearing beyond the veil.
Her heart swelled with awe and wonder as she gazed at the scenery below.
Slowly, and as promised, Ilkiz descended gently, bringing her closer to the marvelous trees that stretched across nearly the whole Isle of Ilkiz.
With lush greens on one side and the vast sea on the other, she felt embraced by the beauty that flight bestowed upon her.
She could smell the fragrances of the forest below—the scent of damp dirt, blooming flowers, and the sweet aroma of ripe fruits that grew only in this part of the world.
Even amid the rumbling of Ilkiz’s heart, she heard the wildlife below, a natural orchestra of sounds.
She wondered if it had anything to do with her newfound body.
Fire began to flicker over the forest as the sun prepared to bid goodnight, and the moon would soon illuminate their way. She felt a perfect connection between herself and Ilkiz, as if they had coexisted within each other for years rather than minutes.
“I find myself feeling a profound sense of belonging for you. It has never been this way. It is a strange sort of possession.” Ilkiz confessed, “Death spoke of your uniqueness. I do wonder if it is how you came to us, or just that you truly are the light that this realm needed.”
Azahara sighed, her head dropping as she stared down into the seams of her scales.
“I don’t know about the light part,” her voice was soft, and she feared Ilkiz wouldn’t hear her, “but I strangely feel the same with both you and Death. It may be that I welcome you as you are, with no expectation of change. It makes bonding to me easier.”
“It could be.”
Feeling a sudden drop, she lifted ever so slightly off Ilkiz, before gripping onto a scale for her life. “I’m getting you a saddle.”
“You will do no such thing.”
“Stirrups?”
“I am not a horse, little one.”
“Reigns?”
“…Possibly.”
Ilkiz slowly began to descend, and as they did, she could see a small group of people waiting not too far from where she had entered the temple just yesterday. Her eyes focused on one person above anyone else: Jayce.
“Be careful not to—” Ilkiz flapped her massive wings, sending rocks and dust billowing around them, “not to do just that.”
As they approached the ground, she started to slip from Ilkiz’s neck. Immediately regretting it, realizing she was not close at all, she desperately tried to stop. Thankfully, Ilkiz must have gone through this exercise a few times because she extended her wing, creating a makeshift slide.
Her feet felt good on solid ground, and her toes dug into the warm dirt. “How do you go back?”
“I eat you.”
She narrowed her eyes, “That doesn’t make any sense. I should eat you.”
A harmonious laugh escaped Ilkiz, and it boomed. “I am going to love you. I already know it.” That made her smile. “Just think about me returning to you, like a ball bouncing off a wall. It is the same concept, different execution.”
She moved under Ilkiz, shadowed by her presence, and placed her hand onto her belly.
Come back. While she figured there was no need to ask or think of directions, it may help in the meantime.
Her massive frame slowly dissolved into smoke, which didn’t fly away in the wind which picked up her hair then, but instead came flying into the palms of her hands.
“Interesting,” she said, watching as the symbols returned to her hands.
Running her hand through her hair, she brushed it back. Sensing something different, she pulled it in front of her and realized it was significantly longer than when she entered. It now reached just to her collarbone, whereas before, it had been at her shoulders.
“Aza? Aza!” Pulling her from her random finding, she searched through dust and smoke around her.
“Jayce?!” She called out and began running down the small incline towards where the voice was echoing from.
“You must be careful.” Ilkiz warned, “You are much stronger than you were when you entered, especially when our Spirits are connected as they are right now.”
A figure was coming into view, and she picked up speed. “Slow down, he will get to you.”
Heeding her warning, she returned to a jog. Moments later, she caught sight of his face, and her eyes widened. A bright, unfiltered smile beamed across her face.
Uncertain of what to expect—perhaps a smile, a witty remark about her speed, or even a playful comment on her strength that made the journey shorter than anticipated—she approached with a mix of curiosity and anticipation.
“I will explain—but I couldn’t tell you in there, or else you would have only thought about getting back to him.” Her eyebrows furrowed in confusion.
The expression on Jayce’s face nearly knocked her out. Anxiety and pain were written all over it, prompting her to stop moving and look down at herself. She wasn’t bleeding, and she didn’t feel injured. Why was he looking at her like that?
As he reached her, she could tell he was shaking, and before she could question what was wrong, he slammed into her. His entire being engulfed her, urgently pressing himself against her. His arms tightened, as if he were searching for confirmation that she was truly there.
“Jayce…” His desperation was palpable, making her own need in her grip on him just as urgent. She clung to him as if he, too, were on the verge of disappearing.
He pulled back, both of his hands coming to her cheeks and looking into her eyes; why does it look like he is going to cry? “Jayce, you are scaring me. What’s wrong?”
His eyes were sharp, and they pierced right through her.
“You—” She felt like crying and she didn’t know why, “You were gone…” Those tears lined her lids, “for nearly three months, Aza.”
She released a single huff of air, “What?”
Day 69
Day 162
“What—?!” Azahara shook her head, her hands trembling as they came from around him. “It’s been… not even two days!” She was arguing with air.
“He is correct,” Ilkiz confirmed, causing her vision to shake, “I’m sorry. In the chamber, time works differently. For you, it was merely two days, when in reality, it was months.”
Jayce was placing kisses across her forehead, down to her cheeks, and then along her jaw before tucking his head between the curve of her neck.
His arms encompassed her once again, his shoulders trembling.
She could feel his lips pressing against her neck, the sensation hitting a particularly sensitive spot.
Her arms moved around his neck, and she held him to her.
“Jayce… I’m here…” While feeling his trepidation, she needed to calm him down; his entire being was rattling. Her words weren’t enough—he was completely lost to his fear, for the first time. The symbol of strength for her was crumbling to pieces in her arms.
She placed her hands at the sides of his neck, as he would do to her, and with her thumbs, pushed his head up. There was force needed because he was not giving up.
He lifted her off the ground, and she stared down into his eyes, “I’m here, Jayce, it’s okay.” Remembering when he had asked her to tell him something to calm him down. It had seemed to work then, and she knew him well enough to know it would work again. “I’ve always had this thing with the moon.”
Surprise lined his expression as he took a deep breath.
“There has always been something about it that has drawn me to it. It always irritated me at how mysterious it was,” a smile graced his lips as he pressed his forehead to hers, “like it had a secret it wanted me to know, but right as it was ready to tell me, the sun would come up and take the opportunity away.”
Jayce placed kisses tenderly across her face, “I never had enough time with it, but somehow,” his fingers laced between the coils of her hair, “I always fall in love with it.” Then his lips met hers passionately. Her body succumbed to his, allowing them to melt together as one.
Locked in each other’s embrace, his hand moved to cradle the back of her neck while the other lovingly wrapped around her waist, drawing her closer.
Their lips entwined in a soft and careful kiss, he had always been tender with her.
It felt like an eternity of yearning had led to this very moment, and now they were finally savoring the sweetness of their connection.
The layer of bristly hair on his face was silky, and not at all itchy as she once thought.
His lips were inviting, and as they turned their heads to deepen the kiss, she could taste him.
The taste of strawberries lingered, and she wondered briefly if he had consumed them daily while she was gone.
When his lips parted, she dared find out for herself.
Allowing herself a moment of further weakness, she slipped her tongue between his lips, tasting the sweet berry and peppermint.
Feeling him stiffen, she retreated to a gentle, innocent kiss before leaning her head back.
“I apologize; that was my influence,” Ilkiz commented, and she sounded sheepish.
It’s okay, I’m not mad.
An elongated smile crossed his lips, and its infectious nature caught her, causing her to smile just as widely.
“I’m happy to have my girl back,” His voice breathless against her lips.
“They say the heart grows fonder with distance.” She was slowly being put back down to her feet when the clatter of footsteps echoed toward them.
Jayce shook his head and brushed his hand against her cheek, “I think we have been away from each other for long enough. I don’t need distance or time to tell me of my fondness for you.”