Chapter 26
She woke up with her wings wrapped around someone. It didn’t take her long to realize who it was, nor did it take her long to snuggle closer to his warmth. If she could, she would happily stay here for the rest of her life, curled up in the protection of her now black wings with Aidirian next to her. Reaching her hand out, she brushed his hair from his face with a smile. When was the last time the man had a haircut? She knew he preferred his hair short, but to her, he could have no hair and he would still be handsome. His eyes were the one thing that she hoped he would never change. The bright blue color sent her heart fluttering. It was corny, even to her own mind, but it was true.
Just as she thought of them, they opened. His eyes were cloudy at first, but soon cleared as awareness returned to them. A smile turned the corner of his mouth, a mouth she could not stop staring at. “How was your nap?” he whispered in their little cocoon.
“Good,” she whispered, her eyes still on his lips. When the smile that she had witnessed disappeared, she looked up. His eyes were closed, but his breathing was deep, almost as if he had fallen asleep once more. “What’s wrong?”
He opened his eyes and stared into hers. “I was afraid you would look different after, you know.”
“Do I?” she asked, holding her breath as she waited for his answer.
“Yes,” he mumbled, closing his eyes again. “It’s worse.”
Her wings snapped back into her back as she pulled away from him. The only problem was that he didn’t let her move very far. His arms wrapped around her like steel bands that would never release her. Even while she hurt inside, she had to admit that she enjoyed the sensation, enjoyed being wrapped in his arms. “Let me go,” she hissed, trying to pull away.
He chuckled at her as he flipped her to her back. His body hovered above hers, not touching but so close. “You did not let me finish.”
“I don’t need you to finish,” she said, bucking in attempt to free herself.
Pressing his body into hers more, he smiled. “You’re more beautiful than before.”
She froze, a frown still on her face. “Why would that be worse?”
“How am I going to keep you if you look like this to others?”
Warmth spread through her, causing her cheeks to flame red. Another chuckle escaped him, making her embarrassment disappear and anger take place. “Lucky you,” she said with a smirk, “you and I are one of the very few who can see true forms.”
A frown formed on his face, and she had to bite the inside of her cheek to stop herself from asking him what was wrong. He looked genuinely worried, but she still did not open her mouth. Letting out a sigh, she shifted beneath him. “Let me go?”
The demand that she meant to make came out as more of a question. That must have been the reason why his grip slackened on her and he rolled away. It wasn’t because what she had said worried him; it wasn’t because he was mad at her for acting so immaturely. Maybe, if she kept telling herself that, she wouldn’t feel so rejected. It was her turn to frown at her thoughts. This wasn’t like her; she didn’t doubt herself.
Rising from the bed, she walked towards the bathroom, ready to prepare herself for whatever hardships the day had to offer. “Celeste,” Aidirian called out, making her stop in the doorway. “You really are beautiful.” She turned, ready to give in and apologize, but when she did, he was nowhere to be seen. “Damn Jinn,” she grunted under her breath as she turned to the bathroom.
Minutes later, she found herself standing at her doorway, feeling refreshed after cleaning herself up a little bit. She pushed at her door and glared when it didn’t budge. Letting out a grunt, she put all her force behind it. Still, it did not move a centimeter. Taking a deep breath, she closed her eyes, ready to transport herself out of the room. When she did, a force knocked her back, sending her flying towards the bed. She laid there, complete anger masking her features. This had to be Aidirian’s doing. Who else would go through the trouble of making sure she landed safely when she tried to leave?
“Aidirian!” she shouted at the ceiling, getting no answer in return. A growl sounded under her breath. “Let me out now, Aidirian!”
Still, only silence met her shouts. Grabbing the pillow next to her head, she threw it over her face and let out a long, frustrated scream. The man was really starting to get on her nerves. She didn’t know what he thought he was doing, but she wanted to pull her weight. She wanted to prove to the others that she was just as strong as they were. How was she going to do that when Aidirian held her captive in her own room?
Throwing the pillow to the side, she glanced around. It would be simple to bring the walls down around her, but that would not guarantee her escape. He didn’t have to use his magic on the wall; he could have simply charged the air with it. What would be the use of destroying her home more when there was a chance that it would simply do more harm than good?
“Aidirian,” she said in a lower voice, “I don’t even know if you can hear me, but I want out. Whatever it is that you think you’re protecting me from, I want to face it. Please?” The last word was said in a whisper, but still he did not transport into her room. She had another choice; she could call to her Uncle Luc, make him free her from her imprisonment. For some reason, she didn’t want to call to her uncle. She didn’t want him to be in the middle of the small fight her and Aidirian were having.
Sighing, she turned to her side and closed her eyes. If Aidirian was not going to come anytime soon, she might as well go back to sleep. She was still tired from earlier, and she wasn’t hungry enough to cook herself something to eat. Letting the silence calm her, she was just about to fall asleep when something sounded in her room. Her eyes snapped open as she jerked upright in her bed.
Standing at the foot of her bed, Aidirian smiled at her. The only problem was that his smile was a little bloody. “What happened?” she shouted as she crawled towards him.
He tried moving back from her when she reached a hand out to touch his bloody lip, but she grabbed his arm with her other, effectively stopping any motion he would have made. He looked down at the arm, a slight smile crossing his face. “You could have pushed me off if you wanted.”
“What?” she asked, her attention solely on the cut on his lip. If she had thought she was angry before, seeing Aidirian’s blood made her furious. Who did this? Who would want to do this?
He pulled on his arm, but didn’t release himself from her grip. “You’re just as strong as I am, you could have put up more of a fight.”
“Is that what you want to talk about?” she asked with a sigh. Seeing him nod, she knew that she would not get her answers until she answered his questions. “I may have been able to find a way to escape, but it was pointless.”
“Why?”
“Aidirian…”
She tried looking away from him, but he reached his own hand out to keep her face still. “Tell me why, Celeste.”
“I didn’t want you to let me go,” she admitted, her face turning red once more.
A large smile flew onto his face. He winced slightly, and the smile slipped from his face. “That’s all I need to know.”
“Now tell me what happened,” she demanded, ignoring his last words.
He pulled away from her, and this time, she loosened her grip, allowing him to leave. “Later,” he said, as he opened her dresser and began pulling clothes out. “Right now, we have to leave.”
“Why?”
He stopped for a moment before turning to look at her with a resigned expression. “It’s not safe for me here. If you want to stay, I understand.”
“I’ll go,” she blurted as she jumped to her feet and began helping him back a couple changes of clothing. “Why isn’t it safe for you?”
A sigh escaped his lips as he threw another shirt into her bag. “I asked questions,” he answered. When she opened her mouth, he shook his head. “Later. I’ll tell you everything later, but we have to leave now.”
She nodded. Grabbing the bag, she held her hand out for him to take. He gripped it with a smile, making her smile back at him. “Take me where you wish.”
Inclining his head, he closed his eyes. She closed hers with him, knowing that no matter where they went, she would be safe with him by her side.