Chapter 15
Fifteen
Kai
Similar to my lips, my hands move of their own accord. One cupping the back of her neck and the other clutching on to her slim waist, gently grazing her wings.
In this moment, I want nothing more than to lift her off her nimble feet and wrap her body around mine.
Suddenly, she pulls away, staring at me with an odd mixture of sheer delight and wariness in her eyes. Taken aback for a second, I stroke her face and take great pleasure in the hint of pink spreading across her cheeks.
“I think I’ve had enough of our game for tonight.
I should head home,” she says, nodding to herself.
I may be delusional, but it appears she’s convincing herself that going home would be for the best. She takes a step back, turning toward the rooftop’s edge, presumably to launch back into the air and fly away.
“Thank you for tonight, Kai. I had fun.”
Fuck. I shouldn’t have done that. I misread her.
Puzzled, I tilt my head and realize the last thing I want is for her to leave. I catch up with her, stepping between her and the golden railing. “Wait. Stay with me.”
Her eyes beam into mine, laced with uncertainty—odd, considering the Cleo I’ve grown to know is always so self-assured. “Why?”
“Because maybe I’ve grown to like your company. With or without the kissing.”
She regards me for a moment longer, then she releases a sigh, walking to the wide railing and leaning against it. I follow her, then leap over the rail to sit atop it, legs dangling.
While sitting, I get lost in the view of the sky, the headquarters palace, and all the realm’s glimmering buildings.
“You know, for someone who doesn’t have wings, you aren’t afraid to fall,” she notes, using her wings to rise over the railing gracefully to join me.
“What’s there to be afraid of? I’m already dead. I doubt I’d even feel it.”
“Let’s not be hasty and test that theory.”
I chuckle, craning my neck to face the stars. Just beyond the dome, I can see a subtle sheen of nearly blinding golden light spreading across the sky, highlighting the Golden Realm beyond this realm.
“Do you ever wonder what the Golden Realm is really like?”
“Not particularly, no.” She answers far too quickly for my comfort.
“Why not? Don’t you want to ascend eventually? I think about the Golden Realm all the time. I think of life in the land of the living a lot, too. Honestly, I think I hate it here.”
“I’m so sorry you’re having a hard time here.
" She pauses before continuing, eyes bouncing from one building to another. "I actually have no intention of ascending anytime soon, if ever. I’m perfectly content with the routine I’ve cultivated—minus our current predicament, of course.
” She suppresses a smile and lifts her gaze from the buildings surrounding our new spot to stare blankly at the stars.
“Because you’re not fond of this place, I don’t expect you to understand. That's okay.”
“You’ve got that right,” I affirm, gazing at her and breaking into a grin. “You know, I may not understand why you’d want to stay here, but I can respect it.”
“And I can respect you wanting to leave.”
My traitorous eyes drift down to her gem-speckled silver dress. This short gown molds to her figure a little too well, accentuating her undeniably perfect breasts, waist, and legs.
I’ve had a difficult time keeping my eyes off her all damn night. Especially during our dance.
She entranced me while we danced together. Entirely immersed in the way she glided across the dance floor, I nearly bound myself to her right then. With a hundred sets of eyes on her, she could’ve easily tanked under their watchful gazes.
Instead, she didn’t give a single damn and illuminated brightly under the starry night sky.
All I could think about when I watched her was the stars. Couldn’t get them off my mind, actually.
Cleo doesn’t simply remind me of the stars.
The stars remind me of her.
She’s an enigma. I’m far too invested now not to see this through.
Pretend or not, I’m in.
“Thank you for listening.” She disrupts my inner thoughts.
I’ve got to get a handle on those. Never know when she’s listening in…
“So, tell me. Why do you miss the land below so much? This realm is much more peaceful than that one. We still get to experience day and night. We can see the sun, the moon, the stars, and the clouds. We don’t have to worry about familial obligations. ”
It almost sounds like she’s trying to convince herself that this realm is better. I scoff and shake my head. “Yeah, sure, this realm is peaceful. But it’s boring me to death. If I knew I would be working in a damn library in my afterlife, I would’ve ascended immediately upon waking up here.”
“No. You wouldn’t have,” she says matter-of-factly. “You would’ve never left her to fend for herself.”
I click my tongue and nod in defeat. “You got me there.”
“It’s admirable—the way you care for her. One of the strongest guardianships I’ve ever watched,” she admits.
“Is that why you let me get away with it?”
She glances away from the stars, peering into my eyes. She shrugs a little. “I don’t know why I didn’t intervene.”
“Of course you do,” I say nonchalantly. “You’re a big softie, and we both know it. No use in hiding it.”
“I'm absolutely not a ‘softie.’” She narrows her eyes and scowls, her eyes burning holes into mine.
“Sure thing, sweetheart. Keep telling yourself that,” I tease her, nudging her and whispering, “Your secret’s safe with me.”
“You’re relentless.” She rolls her eyes and pinches the bridge of her nose. “And I didn’t miss your deflection. You never answered my question.”
“What question?” I ask innocently, knowing damn well what, but wanting her to talk more just to listen to the sound of her voice.
She groans and exhales a breath of frustration. “What do you miss most about the land below?”
“Ah. Easy. I miss scenic mountain drives. I miss trying new foods. I miss coaching baseball. I miss annoying my family. I miss my people.” I zone out.
As images of loved ones cross my mind, my chest physically aches.
It’s too much. “I miss it all. Even the bad times. I’d give anything to be given another chance to live down there. ”
A beat of silence passes between us. “It gets lighter over time.”
“What does?”
“The weight of it all. Eventually, you won’t feel it much at all,” she murmurs.
“What if I want to feel it?”
“Why would you want to feel that?”
“Because the depth of my longing correlates with the vitality of those bonds. My pain is a constant reminder of the strength of my love.”
Her lips part for a moment before pressing into a firm line. Then, she knits her brows as if trying to solve a jigsaw puzzle. Seconds later, she swings her legs around to the other side of the railing and begins pacing back and forth on the roof, arms crossed.
“What’s going on in that head of yours?” I ask, turning then rising to stand on the rooftop, watching her.
“You did a favor for me tonight. It may not have seemed like much to you, but it meant a lot to me,” she says aloud reluctantly as if she’s confessing her darkest secret. “Consequently, I’ll do you a favor to—in your words—‘even the playing field.’ But I need you to promise me something in return.”
“You’re speaking in riddles. You don’t owe me anything.”
“Promise me first,” she says, holding out her hand to shake mine.
I eye her hand skeptically, not knowing what the hell is going on.
“Blind promises aren’t really my thing…” I say, pushing my hands into my pockets and shrugging.
“You’re impossible. So damn impossible.” She sighs, then grits her teeth. “Promise me I can trust you.”
“Oh, that’s the promise? Easy-peasy. You can trust me.
” I smirk, reaching out to shake her hand.
Immediately after shaking my hand, she pulls on my finger, attempting to…
tug my ring off. After a moment of aggressive tugging, I shrug my shoulders.
“Not sure what your goal is here, but I’ve already tried prying this off. It’s no use, angel.”
“It should work. It has to work. A trace of my magic is embedded in this ring. I don’t understand…” She stares at the band, calculating her next move. Her eyes brighten for a second, then darken before she shuts them tight. “You’ve got to be kidding me.”
“What? What is it?” Concern laces my tone.
“Here goes nothing,” she grumbles, lifting my pointer finger to her face and planting a gentle kiss on the ring, her eyes shut. In an instant, my knees feel wobbly.
Weak knees over a kiss on my finger? Who am I?
I may be imagining this, but the longer her lips rest on the ring, the more it seems to loosen.
What on earth is she doing?
Why am I in a constant state of confusion in my afterlife?
“Cleo, stop. I don’t want you to get in trouble—”
She holds up a finger against my lips, shushing me.
After another moment, she breaks away from the ring, gently pulling it off my finger and placing it in my pants’ pocket.
“What’s done is done, Kai. I’m giving you a free pass to visit the land below, but you need to keep this ring in your pocket at all times.
You promised me I could trust you. Please don’t make me regret this. ”
Too stunned to speak, I nod in disbelief, lips parted. “Why would you do this for me?”
She shrugs. “Don’t overthink it.”
I gulp, overcome with an emotion I can’t fully decipher. “I promise I’ll come back in time for work tomorrow.”
“You better.” She smirks in that too-cool way of hers, then nods her chin at the sky. “Now, get going before I come to my senses and change my mind.”
Before I slip away, I lift her hand to meet my lips. Pretty chivalrous, I know, but she’s older than me. I figured this would be the best way to show her my appreciation at the moment.
“And Cleo,” I call out, heart thumping. “Words can’t describe how ethereal you look tonight.”
Her lips part again. She raises a hand to her lips to cover a soft smile before nodding her chin.
“Get out of here and enjoy a sunrise from down below for me.”
With that, I take a deep breath and teleport to my real home, starlight consuming my thoughts the entire journey there.