Please, stop! I believe you.
Lucian zipped over to me and as he reached out his arms, the room faded away. A bright clear sky filled my vision. My heart beat hard in my chest, and I tried to take deep breaths to steady myself and return to my own reality.
Eli now stood in between Anna and I, his warm hands grasped the sides of my face.
“She’s telling the truth. We have to help her,” I gasped.
“What did you see?”
I shook my head and fought back the tears that tried to overwhelm me. It was way too personal to share. That memory was something I could never unsee. It was horrifying.
“We’ll see what we can do,” Eli said to Anna.
“Thank you.”
Eli and Anna picked up Mithras’s limp body and dragged it back to the house. Anna said she’d only stunned him and that he’d be awake any minute. When he did, she said she’d be able to convince him it was only a dream. I stayed in the rundown courtyard where I trained. I couldn’t shake the images of Anna’s memory. It felt so real, how was she able to place me there? Would it work for good memories, too? I thought about the possibility of reliving a memory with my mother. Seeing her smile and feeling her hugs would be amazing. I really needed something like that right now.
I picked up a wooden stake from the ground and slammed it into the dummy.
“You still suck,” I said. I turned my back to the dummy. I’d try again tomorrow.
So Close, Yet So Far
After a week, my body stopped hating me. My muscles grew tougher, and my stamina increased. For the next three weeks, I trained and I trained hard. I still got my ass handed to me by Eli when we did defensive or offensive techniques but not quite as badly as I used to, which was something. It took me longer to break a sweat. When I trained with Eli, I was able to hurt him, and when I was really in the mood, I was able to pin him. Either I was indeed getting stronger or Eli just enjoyed letting me take charge. All I knew was nothing made him prouder than to see me try and improve, becoming more and more able to handle my own. After the day Mithras attacked me, I no longer needed his help. With his tips I was able to control my sun power with ease. As for my elements? Well, I can move large bodies of water and make it do whatever I want. I can fling fire balls and turn a small candle flame into a large bush fire. I can heal plants and make them grow, and lastly, I could move the air. Controlling the air wasn’t much, but it would come in handy if I needed to incapacitate someone temporarily. All of this I learned on my own, with the help of Eli and Anna, of course. Sometimes If I was really stuck I’d even ask Hunter for help and he had given me loads of good tips.
Hunter and I had gotten close again during the last few weeks. On more than one occasion (with Eli’s permission) we went out under the oak trees and hung out. During that time it felt like we were just two normal people. Although we started getting on better, it was still nothing like it used to be, but I was comfortable enough around him to have fun and joke around.
Today was the day before we left for Gerald Harbor. As usual, I was waiting for Eli to collect me for training. The early starts still sucked but at least I got to go back to sleep afterwards until nightfall.
Sure enough, three soft knocks landed on my door. I pulled it open and his gorgeous smiling face greeted me.
“Are you ready for one last training session?”
“More than ready.”
We warmed up, we ran, and then went into our usual defense and offense techniques. Eli and I crouched before each other. I could tell by his eyes that he was going to go all out on me. It was my last training session; he needed to see if I was ready. He lunged at me and I dove out of the way. With a tumble roll I managed to find my footing immediately and I was facing him again. His face was tense but his eyes watched me with pride.
He dove at me again and I was too busy admiring him admiring me to react in time. As I tried to side step him he caught my arm.
The double arm grab. I knew exactly what to do. He pulled me toward him but I bent my elbow, using his strength and momentum against him. I dropped my rear shoulder, giving me extra strength in my legs. Before Eli had a chance to regain his balance, I kicked his knee. I didn’t kick it hard enough to displace it but hard enough to know I meant business. As his knee gave out from under him, he bent over in pain and I pulled the stake from my back pocket, pressing against his back and above his heart.
Eli stood up, neither of us panting hard enough for his liking. “Not bad.”
“Another one,” I demanded.
“Someone is keen.”
I took twenty paces away from Eli and returned to my crouching stance. “This time, I’ll attack you.”
He ran a hand through his dark messy hair and laughed. “Give it your best shot.” He stood waiting for me, his eyes narrowed, waiting to see my next move. I ran at him and he braced himself for impact. As I got closer, I threw a punch and he blocked it. From there, there was a series of punches, blocks, ducking and diving. He hadn’t thrown a single punch in this session. When I thought about it, he hadn’t thrown a single punch in any of our sessions. He was taking it easy on me.
This frustrated me. I thought I was improving, but how could I if my teacher insisted on going easy on me. With a growl, I landed a punch to his chest. He flinched slightly but managed to block my second punch. He had me by both my hands.
“Unh,” I gasped as he shoved me against a wall of the courtyard.
“You’re angry, why?” He didn’t drop my hands.
“Because it took me this long to figure out you’re going easy on me.”
“Of course I’m going easy on you. You’ve only trained for three weeks … I’ll hurt you.”
“Hurt me.”
“I can’t risk that.” He smiled. “Maybe after all of this is over.”
“Do you promise?”
“Yes. I promise to beat you up when all of this is over.” He laughed.
I pressed my mouth to his, cutting off his laugh. One of his arms wrapped around my waist and the other entangled in my hair. Gently he pulled on my lip with his teeth and tugged on my hair, forcing my head backwards. He trailed hard kisses from my mouth, across my jaw line and down my neck. I shuddered under his touch and a weird knot formed in my stomach. He met my mouth again, only this time his kiss was loving and intimate — apologetic, even.
“I don’t want to stop,” I pouted as he pulled away.
“I know.”
Our foreheads were resting against each other’s.
“Do we go back to training now?”
“No. It’s your last session, I’ll let you off. Besides, there’s nothing more I can teach you here.” His full lips pressed against my forehead and he turned away from me.
“You didn’t want to see how I go with a stake?” I asked.
Eli hadn’t taught me how to use a stake properly. He didn’t want me to get close enough to a vampire to stake it. It was sweet, he wanted to protect me. Little did he know that I had mastered the technique for staking a vampire.
“You won’t need to use one. Stick with your powers, leave everything else to me and the rest of the guardians.”
I stalked over to the dummy and pulled the stake from my back pocket. I slammed it into the dummy with every ounce of strength I had. Eli turned around and saw that the stake had went in far enough to kill a vampire.
“How did you —”
“Uh-uh, a magician never tells her secrets.”
“How is it possible?” His eyes glazed over in awe and wonderment.
“How is what possible?”
“How is it possible that you manage to impress me more and more every day?”
I smiled, our passionate kiss was still fresh on my lips and they tingled when I moved them. “C’mon. Let’s get some rest and then pack some things. We leave as soon as the sun goes down.”
Eli walked me back to my room. It was still early morning and my body was very much awake, especially after training.
“So I’ll —”
I threw my hands around his neck and closed the distance between our lips. The wonderful, indescribable taste of his lips pressed eagerly onto mine.
“Stop,” he said in between kisses. I knew better, if he really wanted me to stop, he wouldn’t kiss me back.
“You stop first.” I giggled.
He suddenly moved forward, coming into my room, and kissed me hard. I kissed him back, possibly even harder. I didn’t know where this might end but I knew where I wanted it to go. Who knew if we’d survive tomorrow night? I wanted to be with him romantically, to be physically intimate, and this might be my last chance. A nervous feeling began to trump the excitement that knotted in my stomach.
His forearm wrapped around my waist and he lifted me up so my legs wrapped around him. He carried me towards the bed, our lips still pressed together. I was afraid if we stopped kissing he’d change his mind. Gently he laid me down and he climbed on top of me, kissing me even more urgently. I needed air but refused to break away from him. I was too desperate for his taste. So much desire, need, want, passion, all raged in that kiss. Nothing else existed but us.
Oh my god. This is really happening. How could anybody think that this was wrong? We we’re so perfect together.
I ran my fingers up and down the back of his neck. I rubbed his shoulder blades and then his arms as we kissed. His body was so firm and masculine. He pulled his lips from mine and my breath hitched.
“This isn’t a good idea,” he growled seductively.
“So? We’re probably going to die, anyway.”
His face flinched and he rolled off me.
“What’s wrong?”
He lay on his back, staring up at the ceiling. “I don’t want you to do this because you think you’re going to die tomorrow. I thought you wanted to do it because you care.”
I caressed his chest.
“I do care.”
His green eyes met mine and he genuinely looked hurt. My chest ached, I’d never seen him so vulnerable. I grasped his face.
“I love you.”
His lips twitched a little as the words fell from my lips. He definitely wasn’t expecting that. He didn’t have to say it back, not right now. I assumed he would take time to process it. I knew he felt the same, I could see it in his eyes. They glowed with love and passion.
He traced a finger along my cheek, down my neck, and across my chest just above my breasts, igniting my blood. He pulled me against him and our lips were reunited in blissful pleasure. His hand slid up my shirt, sending goosebumps all over me. Somehow he managed to get my shirt off. I was nervous and tried hard not to feel insecure in front of him. In seconds we were kneeling against each other and his shirt was off. It was all happening so quickly. I pulled my lips away and took in his entire body. I had never seen him with his shirt off before. He’d always kept a tank top on, even when we were training, but now, I was exposed to his manly chest and thick muscles. More clothes littered the floor and soon we were both naked and under the silk sheets. He paused and his eyes surveyed me as his hands roamed all over. It was obvious he liked what he saw, and I secretly enjoyed the effect I was having on him.
“You’re not going to believe this.”
“What?”
“I don’t have a —”
“You’ve got to be kidding me.”
He shook his head.
“I thought boys carry one around in their wallets all the time.”
“I’m not in high school, Ruby. I don’t carry one around, hoping I have sex …”
“What do we do?”
“We aren’t going to risk it.”
“You don’t have any in your room?”
He laughed. “We were coming to live with vampires and the higher power, who, by the way, made it illegal for goddesses or gods and guardian angels to have relationships. The last thing on my mind were condoms.”
I tried to hide my disappointment. “Okay, so now what do we do?”
“We get dressed, we pack a bag, we rest, and then we get up at night time and travel to Gerald Harbor.”
“Oh.”
“And,” he continued, drawing small circles around my belly button. “We continue this when we’re free from all this ridiculousness.”
“Promise?”
He bit his swollen bottom lip, fighting a tantalizing smile.
“I promise.”
The Parting Surprise
I opened my eyes as the last portion of the sun lowered beneath the horizon. I had gone back to bed once Eli left my room and I packed a bag of absolute necessities. Things like a few tank tops and fresh underwear, a hairbrush, a photo of my mother and I, and a toothbrush. Underneath it all was a few short wooden stakes. I was willing to part with the rest of my stuff, it was clothes mostly.
“Time to go,” I groaned to myself. I climbed out of bed, raising my arms above my head and stretching. I grabbed my bag from the end of my bed and headed down to the sitting room. That’s where Lucian said to meet up.
When I entered the sitting room the atmosphere was dark and tense. There were low, inaudible conversations taking place in the room and my stomach twisted. I couldn’t shake the feeling that somehow they knew what Eli and I had almost done.
I searched the room for Eli and I found him by a wall to the left side of the room. Our eyes made contact. Briefly his were reminiscent of what had taken place this morning, and then they returned to their normal guardian angel intense gaze.
“Well, well, well.” Lucian entered the room. “What a beautiful night.”
The smile he wore sent chills down my spine. It seemed so threatening and almost psychopathic. Hunter and Anna strolled sheepishly behind him. Something wasn’t right. I glanced at Eli, and judging by his expression, he was thinking the same thing. Lucian’s gaze fell on me. It wasn’t filled with his usual sarcastic, fake happiness. He was angry and somehow his eyes had grown darker than their usual shade of black.