Kia lets go of my energy, returning it slowly to me as she walks around Jack to leave the room. Jack is left stunned, which is slightly unnerving, but I keep my eyes on him, wondering what’s going on in his head.
His mask has slipped, revealing an array of emotions. Frustration, desire, need, and a whole bunch of confusion is written over his face before he closes his eyes, pulling himself together then takes a deep calming breath. “If she continues to gain energy like that, she will be felt within a hundred-mile radius. We need to leave by first light to get to Greenland if we are to stand a chance of keeping her safe.” Jack’s words are ground out before he reopens his eyes and looks over at Seb. “Pack plenty of warm clothing for everyone,” he finishes before turning and leaving the room.
My mind flits back to Kia needing to return to her homeland. The simple answer is, where she goes, I go. It’s pretty simple really. With my mind made up, I move from the window seat to the closet and notice Seb and Matt are still standing there. They both look like their expecting me to break down or something. What’s their problem?
“What?” I ask in pure puzzlement as I step into the closet and pull down a bag from the shelf. I begin filling it with jumpers, thermal tops and extra layers. I feel the guys’ presence behind me, but I ignore them and carry on packing the bag.
“Are you okay, Rolland?” Seb’s voice sounds confused and concerned as he speaks to me from the doorway to the closet. Most likely because he feels badly for keeping shit from me, though I can hardly blame him. It’s not easy to have a conversation with a distraction like Kia in your arms, not to mention her ability to pick up on every little feeling of mine.
“Yeah, of course. Don’t worry about it, Seb. We’ve both had our minds occupied. I can hardly hold a grudge against you for not speaking sooner given the circumstances,” I say lightly as I finish putting some socks into the bag. All I have left to grab is a pair of boots and some toiletries for the road.
“Rolland. You know it’s not that easy to just leave Gaia,” Matt’s tentative voice comes from behind me.
That crawling feeling seems to resurface, making its way up through my stomach and burrowing itself somewhere deep within me. A feeling of rage comes from somewhere, though I can’t track its origin. The thought of Kia leaving and never getting to see that brilliant smile again seems to snap something inside of me. A noise from behind me plucks at my awareness, and I want to kill whatever it is that’s threatening to take her from me. Small hands pull at my face and Kia’s eyes fill my vision, but I can’t escape the need to destroy something, to rip it to pieces till the words can never be spoken again.
Lips find mine and warmth trickles down my throat, fighting the feelings that are rising within me. “Feel me, Rolland, I here with you. Put hands on me. I here,” Kia’s urgent voice pierces through my mind, taking over my own thoughts. My body relaxes, giving me control of it once more. Taking a breath, I inhale the distinct smell that is Kia - that clean crisp smell of the forest after its rained. Her tongue pushes for entrance as she tugs on my head so that I lower myself down to her, way down, to meet her tiny body. As her tongue touches mine, her unique and never changing taste explodes into my mouth like a goddamn ray of sunshine. And as she continues to pour her energy into me, I feel like I’m drinking from the Holy Grail, like life itself is working its way through my veins.
Grabbing her by the butt, I lift her up so I’m supporting her weight. “Kia. I need you.” My words are desperate as I rain kisses down her neck. Comfort, reassurance and happiness flow from her, as her hands pull at my head so that I’m looking at her. She runs her eyes over my face, looking for something, though I have no idea what. Happy with her findings, she offers me a smile before encouraging my head to her chest so she can stroke my hair. I continue to breathe her in, filling my lungs with her scent and letting it calm me.
Slowly rational thought begins to return, along with the realisation that I still need toiletries. I kiss Kia’s ear as I slide her down my body, then grab the bag I dropped on the floor. When I turn, I find Seb and Matt staring at me with a look I can’t decipher.
“What?” I ask them bewildered. What’s up with them? “Shouldn’t you guys be packing?” I suggest.
Matt turns and heads out, but Seb remains standing there, looking at me. His eyes flick over to Kia, then back to me.
“Seriously, Seb? If you need to say something, just say it,” I bite out a little sharply. I don’t mean to be harsh to him, but he’s just standing there as though he’s waiting for something. His eyes flicker to Kia again, who’s standing to my right, holding onto my arm, still pushing comfort and reassurance through me. I wait, knowing I have to finish getting ready, but hoping he’ll spit out whatever the fuck is on his mind.
Chapter Forty-Three
Sebastian
What the hell just happened? I could feel his rage boiling and it felt like being in the same room as Kia when she snaps. Then she appeared, grabbed hold of Rolland’s face and started kissing him. Slowly he began to relax, till the bad energy left him altogether. The glare she gave Matt and me, you’d think she was going to stab us. She stared Matt down till he finally looked away, but I kept my gaze till my eyes stung and I couldn’t hold them open anymore.
As soon as I blinked, her focus had moved from me, back to Rolland. Now he’s behaving as though nothing happened. Does he seriously not remember? Or is he choosing not to acknowledge it? His eyes look entirely normal. Full of life, though slightly dopey from whatever she’s pushing on him.
Deciding to leave telling him any more till perhaps we’re on the road tomorrow, I flick my gaze to Kia, to see her eyes finally returning to some sense of calm too. It’s as if she knows I’m relenting, giving him some space. I offer a minute nod, acknowledging our truce.
“Nothing, Rolland. You’re right, I should be packing. I’ll finish dinner, then get to it,” I say to him gently. Rolland shakes his head, rolling his eyes a little. I turn and make my way out of his room and head toward the kitchen to finish dinner.
Just as I finish up dinner, Brad walks in and makes his way over to the fridge, grabbing himself a beer.
“You want one?” he offers, waving a beer in my direction. More of a red wine drinker, I decline by shaking my head.
I’m still deep in thought about Kia and Rolland and worrying about how the hell I’m ever going to get through half the information that Jack has shared. Perhaps he just won’t care, though that doesn’t mean her people won’t. The main obstacle is getting out of here alive without being sucked alive by a Gjinn or killed off by a Dragonian or whatever they’re called. Once we make it to Greenland, then perhaps getting out of here will be something worth contemplating. But how do you tell the guy she’s a virgin and never been touched by a man till us? I can feel my head begin to pound as I serve up the dinner.
“What’s up?” Brad’s baritone voice comes from the breakfast bar to my right. Shit. He knows nothing either. Though then again, he doesn’t need to know anything more than we’re all heading off tomorrow, him included.
Letting a breath of air out, I pause in what I’m doing. “Kia’s energy has already returned to max and is still increasing apparently. Jack wants to head off at first light for Greenland. The mountain there will mask her energy. Then they’re going to administer a serum to cleanse her of the infection so that she can pass into Mid Gaia,” I try to summarise. “Jack wants us all to pack suitable clothing, including you,” I say reluctantly, knowing he has commitments of his own. He frowns as he considers my words, so I continue to finish serving, then begin taking the plates over to the table.
“I’m sure I can move stuff about with my clients. How long do ya think we’ll be gone?” Brad queries lightly. Fuck. I pause in my tracks slightly and hope he doesn’t notice. How the fucking hell am I going to explain this shit to him? I’m pretty sure he’s seen Rolland and Kia together. Does he think it’s just a fling?
Rolland and Kia step through the kitchen door bef
ore I can say anymore, so I leave it for now. Is this how Jack feels? Always needing to keep a mask in place, afraid of revealing truths that could upset the balance of the house? I keep my eyes down, as I continue taking the plates over to the long solid wood table.
Turning with the last dish which just happens to be Kia’s, I find her standing in front of me, her head bowed low, so I can’t see her eyes. I flick mine up to Rolland, who’s sitting at the top of the table with his back to me, digging into his dinner already. I look back down at Kia, my eyes catching on her head of hair that shines much like my own. You would think it would be full of knots as it’s not been brushed, but it just seems to fall gently with a natural wave to it.
Using the hand that’s free, I tilt her face up, so I can see her eyes, but she keeps them shut while chewing on her lip. How frustrating must it be not being able to talk? With the only means of communicating being through someone else, giving you no privacy or independence? Her eyes flash open at me, showing me her deep blue sapphire eyes, that pulse once again remaining steady, continuing to swirl like they always do. Shit. Can she hear me? She blinks once. Then pulls her face away, taking her plate from my hand, before reaching up on her toes and kissing me on the lips. Stunned as to what the hell just happened, I stand there, watching her make her way back to the table to sit beside Rolland on his left. What the fuck?
The kitchen door opens again and Matt walks through. I turn to him but catch Brad watching in my peripheral vision. Matt still seems a little shaken from Kia’s stare down earlier, as he rubs the back of his neck, flicking his eyes over to her and then to me.
“You’re okay, Matt. I think she feels bad for it. And I’m confident she was just protecting Rolland. Again,” I try to explain. Matt takes a visible breath, then heads over to his place at the table which is to the right of Rolland. I turn my gaze to Brad, who’s looking at me with incredibly raised eyebrows. Why? Why me? Why do I get left with the heavy shit to explain? This is definitely a conversation that needs to be spoken aloud, not one done through thought, at the dinner table.
“Later,” I say to him. He nods before making his way over to sit on the other side of Matt, while I take my seat to Kia’s left.
The table is surrounded in a heavy silence as I take my seat and I do a quick assessment of everyone. Rolland looks more or less back to his usual self, with just a ghost of a shadow under his eyes. Matt has his head down, focusing his attention solely on his dinner. Poor guy must feel entirely out of his depth with how to handle Kia’s mood. Kia’s leg brushes up against mine, but no energy flows from it, so I ignore it and continue studying everyone. Brad looks as relaxed as Rolland, though his gaze keeps flicking up to Kia a little more than the usual. But then again, it’s Kia.
I turn my attention to her, watching as she picks at her food, not seeming to be as keen as she was earlier today. She lets out a breath, slouching a bit then leans into me, so her head is resting on my right bicep. I glance up to Rolland who polishes off his food but skates his eyes up to Kia before resuming his focus on his now empty plate. He stretches his muscles out before standing to take his dish to the sink and begins clearing up. I move my arm carefully around Kia’s back, tentatively placing it over her as I watch Rolland’s movements. As my arm rests down on her back, he pauses, seeming to compose himself, then carries on with the dishes. Kia turns into me further, sliding her arms around my body. I finally feel her energy working its way up through my veins and a part of me feels like I’m taking a breath for the first time in hours. Using my free hand, I continue to eat my dinner.
Matt peeks up at us and I know he wants to be doing the same with her. Brad finishes his dinner next, even though he had a double size portion of everything. He takes his plate over to Rolland and begins helping him tidy up the kitchen.
“Come sit with us once you’re done, Matt,” I say to him. His eyes flick over her, then up to me before giving me a nod. I watch Rolland to see if I can get a read on him, but his focus is on the dishes, though his shoulders appear tense from behind.
Matt finally finishes, brings his plate to Rolland to rinse, then comes back. He sits on Kia’s right side, taking Rolland’s seat, looking incredibly awkward and unsure of what to do. All he wants to do is pull her into his arms, but he won’t, as he’s too afraid of hurting or upsetting her.
Kia eases herself from me slowly, then turns to Matt, her head still low. Matt creeps his arm back in invitation, yet still unsure of what to do. Kia seems to decide for him, as she shifts herself so she’s sitting sideways on his lap, with her back to me, tucking her head into his neck before taking a deep breath and relaxing as though falling asleep. I see Rolland relax completely, as he looks up at the ceiling as though he’s thanking the heavens. He puts down the cloth in his hand and walks over to us with a content look on his face, before placing a kiss on Kia’s crown, then turns and heads out of the kitchen.
“Seb’s room, Matt, when you’re ready for bed,” Rolland calls before closing the door after him.
Brad frowns, confused, as he stands at the kitchen door, obviously not understanding any of this, then raises his brow at me in the hope of getting some kind of explanation.
“She kinda… grows attached to you. Then there’s the small part where she doesn’t have any understanding of the male species,” I offer, flicking my eyes to Kia’s back for a beat. “She may have glared a little at Matt earlier and now they’re making up. Rolland’s just content because she’s finally at peace, though I’m pretty sure she’s not sleeping,” I explain. Brad’s eyebrows go up to his hairline and then drop into a deep furrow, as he tries to process everything I just said.
“So, how long am I rescheduling for?” he asks simply, as he puts away the last few pans. Shit. I think it’s about time I start telling him stuff.
Taking a deep breath, I try to keep it as simple as possible. “Jack says his people have built a craft, strong enough to get through the storms that circle Gaia. It’s due to be completed within the next few weeks. It’s in the same mountain that we’re heading to at first light,” I say, keeping my tone as neutral as possible, folding my arms over one another as I lean on the table.
Brad raises an eyebrow at me again. “And he just told you this today?” he clarifies, before heading over to the fridge.
“No, last night before he left to speak with the Atlantians, just after I spoke to you,” I justify, knowing he won’t be pleased that he didn't hear this sooner. “He went to see if they would cleanse Kia so that she can pass through to Mid Gaia,” I tell him, hoping he understands what I’m trying to say, without saying it.
He moves back over toward the table. “And?” he questions.
“He hasn’t said. The conversation went off course slightly when he wouldn’t answer my question regarding Kia and Rolland becoming more attached.” My tone turns a little sharp at the end.
Brad’s eyes flicker over to Kia, then back to me. His eyes soften as a thought occurs to him. He takes the lid off the beer, then takes a long swig before placing it down on the table in front of him, leaning his weight forward. “From what I’ve seen, I’d say she has become attached to not just Rolland, but you and Matt as well. So why the extreme worry over him and not all of you?” he asks curiously, as his eyes deepen slightly, giving me the sense of safety in his presence.
“Kia has become far more attached with Rolland than she has with us. Jack says they’re sharing energy as their souls recognise each other. But he doesn’t know what would happen if they’re separated,” I tell him heavily. “I’ve never seen anything like the way he looks at her, and her him. You have to see it to know what I mean. Then there’s her rage that she slips into when one of us is being threatened, and I’m pretty sure I saw Rolland go into that same kind of rage earlier, but Kia seemed to pull him out before he lost himself to it,” I try explaining. “I have feelings for her myself, though there’s not an ounce of jealousy toward Rolland or Matt when I see them touching her. My sole focus just seems to fi
xate on making her smile. The rest becomes inconsequential.”
His gaze that has been steadily on me now moves to Kia. He takes another pull of his beer before speaking. “So, is this a case of playing it by ear? Or do I need to start wrapping stuff up in preparation for the possibility of leaving Gaia?” His deep voice sounds rational, as though we’re discussing what mode of transport to take on holiday. He must read my thoughts on my face as he continues to talk.
“It’s pretty clear to see, Seb. It’s always been just a matter of time. We know we don’t belong here, though I never thought I’d ever get off this forsaken plane. Yes, I have commitments, but they’re there to fill a void. Just like you can’t explain much of what you see happening around ya with Kia, I can’t explain why I need to get out of here. It’s always been a matter of time, Sebastian. That’s all.” His words carry so much meaning, even though his tone remains steady as does the look in his deep amber eyes.
And just like that, I feel a weight lift from my shoulders, and I lean back in my chair, finally able to relax somewhat.
“I would say that once we reach Greenland and we know if Kia can be cleansed, we can then talk time frame of how long we have left here. Though I guess that once we get there, internet and phone reception is going to be poor, so I would advise you to wrap up as much stuff up as possible with the expectation it will be at least several weeks.” My words feel right as I say them, and I pull my gaze away from Brad to look at Kia’s back.
Her breathing is completely even, as though she’s sleeping. Knowing I still need to pack, I stand and conclude my conversation with Brad. “I’m going to pack a bag, so I’m ready in the morning, though I just realised Jack never said if we’re taking the chopper or what.”
Brad stands and begins making his way to the door with me. “It would make sense to take the chopper as it’s faster. Which mountain did he say we’re going to?” he asks before taking another swig of his beer.
In Pursuit of Light Page 29