I smiled. “I think you’ve earned the honor.”
“The real honor is being with you, Wild Girl,” he said as he leaned down to kiss me.
“What happens now, Rusk?” I asked looking out at the world beyond and linking my hands with his.
“Now we discover a new world together. A world we built, but that we’re not done creating yet.”
He seemed so much more ... whole … than I ever remembered him, like his soul had grown.
“We’re not done?”
“It won’t be complete until it’s been fully enjoyed,” he said with a smile.
“Can we start on that tomorrow?” I asked, coyly.
“Tomorrow?” his smirk told me this wasn’t the first time he’d seen that expression on my face.
“We must have a cabin somewhere on this ship,” I said. “And I need you to help me remember a few things.”
“Like this?” he asked, caressing my face with his thumb and then teasing a kiss from me.
I laughed.
“I can’t believe this is all real,” I said in wonder.
“Believe it, Wild Girl.”
And there was a promise in his eyes of a love that would last for many lifetimes to come.
~
I ran up the hill, laughing as I went. At the peak I stopped, looking down over the verdant plains and the string of elephants that walked across the earth. I couldn’t feel Ra’shara anymore, although whenever I turned my head I thought I could almost see the threads that made the world in the corners of my eyes. I reached, unconsciously, to feel them and met a blank wall again. It was hard not to be disappointed when that happened every single time. Was An’alepp right? Had our magic just been in our minds as we recreated the world? If she was, it was lost to us forever.
Rusk climbed the last few steps and stood beside me, his gaze roving over cloud upon cloud that stacked up to fill the blue horizon.
“Still sad that the world has lost its magic, Wild Girl?”
“I miss it.” I had been a part of me for so long that I almost thought I wasn’t me without it, but all it took was one glance into his eyes to remember why all this was worth it. “And it aches where it used to be, but I wouldn’t trade my life with you now to get it back.”
He smiled and kissed me, the kind of kiss that you share when you’re almost one person. When we broke apart, he tilted his head to the side and a flock of tiny yellow birds descended like a cloud and landed on his head and shoulders.
I gasped.
“I’ve still got it,” he said with a wink and pulled me into a bear hug. “Don’t give up on your magic yet, Wild Girl. Our life here is only just beginning.”
THE END
MORE BY SARAH K. L. WILSON
THE MATSUMOTO TRILOGY – Young Adult Science Fiction
Not many sixteen-year olds have to stand up against an Empire . Not many would be so good at it.
THE EX-PACIFIST – Book One
Vera and her bodyguard, Roman, are connected by the computers in their heads. They can silently co-ordinate and comment on the world around them. The downside? They’re on an impossible mission set by a vengeful emperor who would prefer to see them both dead. Not many sixteen-year-olds have to fight an entire empire for survival – and not many would be so good at it.
A young adult science fiction thriller with epic themes of family, duty, and conscience, a diverse cast, non-stop action and romantic subplots that echo the work of S. J. Kincaid’s “The Diabolic” or Suzanne Collins’ “The Hunger Games.”
THE SPLITTING – Book Two
Vera is no longer a passive, brain-washed teen. Now she’s on a prison planet filled with shadowy aliens and ‘allies’ who want her dead. There’s only one thing she wants: escape. But to get it, she’ll have to become bolder than she ever dreamed was possible.
A young adult science fiction thriller with epic themes of family, duty, and conscience, a diverse cast, non-stop action and romantic sub-plots that echo the work of S. J. Kincaid’s “The Diabolic” or Suzanne Collins’ “Hunger Games.”
THE MATSUMOTO – Book Three
Vera and Roman are reunited, but as things get worse for the Blackwatch Empire there’s only one way Vera’s path can take her: to the throne or to her death. Will the allies she’s made be enough to help her seize the empire? Will her unique abilities, enhanced by her implant, give her the resources she needs to fight an interplanetary army? And will Roman still stick with her now that her path is leading where neither of them wanted to go?
A young adult science fiction thriller with epic themes of family, duty, and conscience, a diverse cast, non-stop action and romantic sub-plots that echo the work of S. J. Kincaid’s “The Diabolic” or Suzanne Collins’ “The Hunger Games.”
ROMAN ADRIFT – Short Story Prequel (Always Free of Charge)
Roman Aldrin wasn’t always a deadly bodyguard and space marine. At one time, he was just a boy living in his parents’ decrepit spaceship. Until everything changed…
THE UNWEAVING CHRONICLES – Young Adult Fantasy
I’m destroying everything I love and I need to stop.
TEETH OF THE GODS – Book One
My world is unraveling and it’s all my fault.
I’m alone in the world, my magic won’t surface, my mother is dead, and everything I do just seems to make things worse. My father is planning to chain me to an enemy he defeated – literally. What should I do? I refuse to just give up my freedom! Is it really too much to ask that someone be on my side and that I get to have just a little bit of fun before my life ends?
Searching for the perfect princess-turned-kick-ass heroine? Looking for an epic fantasy tale like nothing you’ve ever read before? This one won’t disappoint you. Teeth of the Gods combines the epic fantasy storyline of Robert Jordan’s “Eye of the World” with the immediate in-person awe of Stephanie Garber’s “Caraval.” Plus, the ending is an absolute game-changer! Expect a thrilling ride.
LIGHTNING STRIKES TWICE – Book Two
They say ‘lightning never strikes twice,’ but they’ve never met me.
Somehow I’m the one who has to save the world before I accidentally destroy it. Is that crazy, or what? I guess I’ll just have to figure it out and try my best not to accidentally kill anyone else by accident along the way. I managed it last time, but they say that ‘lightning never strikes twice.’ Maybe I can change that. I’m sure going to try.
Searching for the perfect princess-turned-kick-ass heroine? Looking for an epic fantasy tale like nothing you’ve ever read before? This one won’t disappoint you. “Lightning Strikes Twice” combines the epic fantasy storyline of Robert Jordan’s “Eye of the World” with the immediate in-person awe of Stephanie Garber’s “Caraval.” Plus, the ending is an absolute game-changer! Expect a thrilling ride.
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR: SARAH K. L. WILSON
DAYDREAMING IS WHAT I DO best. When I was a kid, my family took long road trips and I spent a lot of time looking out the window and daydreaming stories to entertain myself. Now I write them down and entertain other people. I find run-of-the-mill stories boring and I love philosophy, so if you want something different and with a mind-bending twist then look no further.
I maintain a robust fan base. Join us.
www.sarahklwilson.com
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
MANY THANKS TO CURT CROWE for his amazing beta reading that brings my work up a notch every single time. Thanks to Sarah Brown for her hard work proofreading. My beloved husband Cale deserves my wholehearted thanks for his constant support and faith in me. Thanks, baby! And thanks to my children, Nev & Leif for reminding me that there is more than the story worlds in my head.
Thunder Rattles High (Unweaving Chronicles Book 3) Page 20