Shadowborn Royals - G. Bailey Page 0,8
take his hand in mine, saying softly, “You never could hurt me.”
And then I press onto my tiptoes and softly kiss him on the lips. His hand threads in my hair and he lifts me off my feet, practically molding my body to his own. His tongue spears my mouth and I lean into his arms, thankful that despite everything, I still have him and my guys. Nothing in all the realms will take either of them from me.
My growling stomach interrupts the tender moment.
“You’re hungry,” he whispers, setting me back on the ground.
I shake my head at him. “Honestly, the last thing I want to do is eat right now.”
He frowns again. “Well, even so, I’ll get you somethin’ later.”
“Okay, but for now…” My cheeks heat up as I trail off and glance longingly at the bed. All I want at this moment is to be wrapped in one of my guys’ arms and feel safe again, even if it’s only for a short while.
As if sensing my unuttered question, Luke lifts my chin and searches my gaze. “Do you want me to hold you, jaybird?”
I smile bashfully at him. “Yes, please.”
He takes my hand and guides me over to the bed. I watch him pull back the lush bedding, strip the top half of his uniform off to reveal his lean, muscular chest, and then pull me into his arms underneath the covers.
I press my ear to his chest, listening to his heartbeat lulling me to sleep, and finally, I am safe again. How I wish the moment to never end.
Like an old movie, everything around me slowly flickers to life until it’s so clear I wonder if I’m dreaming at all. I’m sitting on a wooden bench, looking over a park full of human children running around, their laughter filling my ears along with the sound of birds chirping away. The hot sun shines down on me and I swear I can feel its warmth like I’m actually here.
I know this park, it’s not just a random place. My stepdad took me and Willow here a few times, and I never knew exactly why. He made us play with the human children and then took us for ice cream before telling us the reason one day. He wanted us to see that humans are just like us. I remember my mother being so angry at him and after that day, he never took me with him and Willow on their adventures. And our relationship never grew from that point; it festered into something cold.
I suddenly flinch, lost in my thoughts when a woman sits down next to me on the bench. I turn to look at her, and I nearly jump away. I’ve seen this woman in one of my dreams not long ago, and I know in my soul I would never forget her.
She is enchantingly beautiful with her golden hair, pale skin, and curvy body wrapped in a silk white dress that clings to her body. As much as she is stunning, her eyes make me believe she is a goddess of some kind because I’ve never seen eyes like hers. It’s like looking through a kaleidoscope toy when I was a kid. Her eyes are millions of sections of light that resemble butterflies. So beautiful and otherworldly.
“I have a secret I never told you when we met last time,” she starts, and then she giggles so softly that I can’t help but laugh with her.
For some reason, being around this…whatever she is…makes me feel happy and free.
“You told me the Titans are going to be free and you are a gift to them. What does that mean?” I question her and she smiles.
“My secret is that my name is Kaelah and I am your saviour as much as you are mine,” she says and picks up my hand. Her touch feels like touching the sun, but somehow I’m not in pain, I’m not burning. “And time is running out. I want you to know I’m here throughout all this.”
“Throughout what, exactly?” I demand, but she laughs again. The anger and confusion I felt for a moment flicker away into joy and I find myself laughing with her…even though I don’t know what is funny.
“There are five keys that lock the realm of the Titans, the only cage in existence that can hold them, and I am one of the keys. When you collect the other four…which are literal keys hidden in the Enchanted Forest…you