Chapter 38
ERDIKOA
When Kordie said their group would do fun things every day to enjoy their time together, she wasn’t kidding.
She forced them to go to an amusement park, and when Rory told Sam, he looked put out at the prospect.
She was determined for him to have fun because she didn’t think he’d had fun a day in his life.
“What are we doing first?” Kordie asked as she snagged a map from the ticket booth. “The crazy train ride is closest.”
Sera looked over Kordie’s shoulder to read the map. “I say we start at the train and make our way around like this.” She moved her finger along the edge of the paper.
Keith dug around in Kordie’s bag and pulled out a bottle of sun guard. “Everyone lotion up.”
Dume looked up at the cloudless sky and nodded, reaching for the bottle after Keith finished rubbing Kordie and himself down.
Sera passed the bottle to Sam, who pushed it away. “I do not need any.”
She pushed it back. “You think you’re tougher than the sun?”
“I do not burn,” he replied and passed the bottle back to Kordie.
Sera ignored him and turned to Dume. “You’re riding with me. I don’t want to be smashed between him and the side of the seat.” She motioned to Sam as she spoke.
It didn’t escape Rory’s attention that Sera could have asked Rory to ride with her since she’s smaller than both Sam and Dume. Sam’s size had nothing to do with her asking Dume to be her seat buddy.
Sam frowned at Sera. “Dume is large as well.”
“And yet you are twice his size,” Sera said, looking him up and down.
Covering her mouth, Rory tried not to laugh. “I’ll ride with you, Sammy.”
He looked at the group and grunted. “You do not have a choice, and do not call me that.”
“I would’ve picked you anyway,” she told him, bumping his arm with her shoulder.
“I would like to get this over with and leave,” he griped and stalked toward the ride.
Once everyone paired up, Rory made Sam ride on the inside. “I would rather ride on the outside,” he said gruffly.
Her hair rustled as she shook her head vigorously. “You’ll smash me into a pancake. Wait and see.”
They loaded into the seats, and the ride started out slow. Sam side-eyed her. “You consider this fun?”
His thighs were large, and Rory nervously eyed the gap between her lap and the bar. “Yes.” The ride picked up speed, slanting the seats, and she shrieked as her body flew into Sam’s.
He made no sound, but his knuckles turned white around the bar. The ride spun even faster, and his face remained blank as the others screamed. She clung to his arm to keep from flying out, and looking over at her, he straightened his arm against her stomach to hold her in.
Everyone stumbled a little when they exited the ride, but not the Angel. Rory set her jaw. Challenge accepted.
Next, they did the gravity spin, a ride where you leaned against mats with no buckles, and the ride spun so fast you were glued to the wall. Still nothing.
After that, Rory pulled out her phone and handed it to Sam. “Will you take a picture of us?” She wanted to capture as many memories as she could.
He grabbed the phone, and before everyone smiled, he snapped the picture and held the phone out to her.
“Is he kidding?” Keith muttered.
“Wait until we’re in place and smiling, then count to three and take the picture after you say three,” Kordie instructed.
He sighed and held the camera up, and when the group was ready, he counted to three, snapped the picture, and handed it back.
Kordie shook her head and whispered to Rory, “Do we ask him to take a few more or leave it be?”
Dume snorted. “Leave it be.”
Rory took her phone from Sam’s outstretched hand. “Thank you.” She lifted his arm, ducked under so it was draped across her shoulders, and leaned in while holding out her phone. “Smile!”
He scowled down at her, and she snapped a picture. “Try looking at the camera this time.”
His mouth never moved as he glared at the camera. She sighed. “Good enough.”
He pulled his phone from his pocket and pulled up the camera app. “One more.”
Her heart leaped with affection. He was having a good time, she thought and leaned in with a big smile. Once the picture was taken, he hastily stuffed his phone in his pocket.
They rode a few more rides before Rory insisted on riding the biggest and fastest coaster in the park. He would be forced to show a reaction, and she couldn’t wait.
When they piled into the seats, Sam pulled the padded safety bar over his shoulders and looked at her. “Is this a joke?”
The bar wouldn’t close properly because he was so tall. “It’s still holding you down,” she said, pointing to his lap. “Plus, there’s a seat belt.” He grumbled under his breath, fastened the belt across his waist, and placed his hands on his thighs.
Rory screamed her head off during the entire ride as Sam stayed silent. His hair tie came loose, and his blonde hair whipped around his face. To her utter amazement, she saw the tiniest smile on his face when they unloaded from the car.
“How do these rides not affect you?” she asked him with wonder.
Looking down at her, he lifted a brow. “I can fly. These are nothing.”
She stared after him as he followed the group, but her agitation melted away.
She couldn’t wait to tell Caius she got him to smile at an amusement park. It was a miracle.
They spent the rest of the day playing games and stuffing themselves with fried foods from the vendors, and as Rory listened to her friends joke around, a deep sadness filled her heart.
Impossible decisions were always forced upon her, and just once, she wanted things to work out in her favor.
Rory, Sam, and her father sat at the dining table as the two men ate dinner. Rory’s stomach hurt from the park food, and the thought of eating made her want to die.
“Any luck on finding a way back to Vincula?” her father asked between bites.
Sighing, she sipped her water. “I don’t think it’s possible. Caius has to find his way here.” She glanced at Sam. “He thinks he found a way, but I’m worried about him.”
The Angel said nothing at first. Setting his fork down and placing his napkin on his plate, he turned to her. “You have seen his marks.”
“How could I not?” She scoffed. “They cover his entire upper body, and I saw them grow when he was angry.”
His nostrils flared slightly. “They cover him?” She nodded, and he cursed under his breath. “He is going to kill himself.”
“Turney and my mother both saw this happen,” she whispered. “It’s fueled by his anger, maybe more, but he won’t stop.”
“I will speak with him when I return,” Sam assured her.
“He won’t listen, but I made him promise to try another way,” Rory replied. “I asked him to call on overwhelmingly happy emotions.” She grimaced. “I pulled it out of my ass, but I couldn’t think of anything else.”
“That was surprisingly good advice.” Sam stood with his plate, and she glared at him.
Surprisingly? “Thanks for the vote of confidence,” she snipped.
“You know nothing of the old magic, but you are correct,” he returned. “It is controlled by emotion.”
“Why didn’t you tell him that?” She moved her chair back and grabbed her father’s plate along with hers.
“I did not think he possessed the ability to use that much power,” Sam admitted. “It was a fool’s dream, yet he has done it.”
“There’s something I’ve been wondering.” She placed the dishes in the washer. “You know a lot about the magic of the realms, but not all of it. How?”
He smirked. “It does not differ from knowledge of anything else. You know how to make drinks, serve them, where they come from, possibly even the ingredients in the liquor and mixers, but do you know precisely how that liquor is made?”
“Point taken.” There was another thing she’d been wondering. “Are you a Seraph?”
He stepped into the dining room, and his wings shot out of his back, fluttering as he tucked them tightly against his body. “How many sets of wings do you see?”
She huffed. “You don’t have to be a smartass. It was just a question.” Seraphim had three sets of wings, but if Sam could shift his away, who’s to say he wasn’t keeping the others hidden? It was a logical question.
Rory’s father eyed Sam’s wings and shook his head. “I’ll never get used to that.” Patrick kissed Rory goodbye and waved to Sam as he left for work.
Once he was gone, Rory and Sam settled in on the couch and watched an arrowball game.
He surprised her by yelling at the ES when the red and gold team made an error.
The game reminded her of the time she and Caius played, and she wished he were here.
Would he and Sam root for the same team, or would they argue the entire time?
Yawning, she stretched and stood. “I’m heading to bed.”
“Goodnight,” he said distractedly, leaning around her to look at the game.
When she reached her room and started to undress, she felt something warm between her legs and paused before rushing to the bathroom. Much to her dismay, she'd started her period.
Tomorrow she would pick one up, but it wouldn’t stop her current bleeding, only prevent it in the future. She searched the cabinets for something to absorb the blood, finding nothing.
“Great.” After stuffing toilet paper into her panties, shuffling to her dresser to grab a fresh pair, and going back to switch them out, she begrudgingly went downstairs. “Can you take me to the store?” she asked as she entered the living room.
Sam never took his eyes off the ES. “We will go in the morning.”
Moving her body between him and the game, she rested her hands on her hips. “I need period supplies.”
She expected him to flinch or grow uncomfortable, but he did neither. Instead, he turned off the ES and rose to his feet. “List what products you need.” He went to the door and pulled on his boots. “The brand, type, and size.”
“What? I can run in to get them,” she insisted.
He walked into the office, returning with a notepad and pen. “You have nothing on now?” he asked.
“I put toilet paper in my underwear to hold me over.” She pulled on her shoes as well and waited by the door.
“That cannot be comfortable, nor is it secure,” he informed her as though she wasn’t the one with a wad of paper smashed in her underwear.
“I will grab them while you stay in the vehicle,” he continued.
“Unless you want me to purchase the entire feminine aisle, I need you to write down your preferences.”
Touched, she grabbed the pen and paper from him, writing quickly. “Thank you. I always knew you were a softy.”
“Being a decent person does not make me soft,” he replied and walked outside.
Sam held Rory’s items in his left hand and approached the checkout line. The woman in front of him seemed familiar, and when she turned to the side, his entire body imploded with an unfamiliar emotion.
“Anastasia,” he murmured before he could stop himself.
She glanced behind her with no recognition on her face. Something within him plummeted. Unless they were in The Capital, she would have no memory of him.
“Do I know you?” she asked in a polite tone.
He cleared his throat and placed Rory’s items on the checkout conveyer belt. “We met once.”
Twisting her mouth to the side, she scanned his face. “You would think I would remember someone like you.” Her neck turned red with her admission, and he couldn’t help but smile.
“Why is that?” he asked, trying not to stare at the blush creeping into her face.
“Next!” the man behind the counter called out.
Flustered, Anastasia hurried forward without answering his question. She studiously ignored him as she checked out, and he wanted her to look at him. Turn around, Anastasia.
Gathering her two bags, she stepped away but stopped and turned back, making his heart thump harder. “I didn’t get your name.” The nervousness in her voice made it clear she didn’t speak to strangers often.
He held out his hand for her to shake. “Sam.”
She hesitantly stuck her hand in his, and his skin warmed where it touched hers. “It’s nice to meet you.”
“We’ve met,” he reminded her, and her blush deepened. Aether, he loved that.
“Right. It was good to see you again.” She left in a hurry, and he stared after her, wanting to call her back inside.
Glancing through the window, she looked at him, and he winked. Her eyes widened before she walked away, and laughing lightly to himself, he wondered where she was going. Her shift at the palace would have already started by now, and he assumed she was off tonight.
“Sir?” the clerk said loudly, drawing his attention.
Sam paid, grabbed his bag from the man, and left with nothing but Anastasia on his mind.