I caressed the inside of his neck. My gesture was enough to give him a slight shiver.
"I'm happy to hear it," I said in a low voice, continuing to stare at him.
At that moment, I tried to imagine a little brown headed boy with big black eyes and a mischievous smile on the corner of his lips. For a reason that I didn't know, this pleasant image reassured me. Faïz shared his childhood memories with good humor. It was an era that was pleasing for him to share. I looked away at the landscape through the window. My breathing suddenly stopped when I saw just below us thousands of little blue, fluorescent spots that were scattered all over the sand, lighting up a beach of spectacular beauty.
"What? Are those crystals?"
"Yes, it's a natural phenomenon called bioluminescent phytoplankton."
At the moment of the descent, Faïz followed a luminous aisle, which served as a landing parking lot.
We were at the end of the island. Although the place seemed wilder than anywhere else, two women warmly welcomed us in traditional dresses. They each wore a large white apron embroidered with gold thread, with a scarves on their heads as headbands, both in the same colors. The two hostesses, with frail builds, welcomed us in the native language of the country, then put around our necks a necklace with a pretty blue translucent stone.
"Thank you, it's beautiful." I gave them a smile, holding the stone in the palm of my hand.
One woman, with a round face and smooth skin, thanked me with a polite nod and invited us to continue on our way without them. The wooden pontoon, strewn with a hundred candles, showed us the way to go. Faïz, silent, watched my reaction attentively.
"I never want to go home again," I declared, amazed by this magnificent scenery.
He gently grabbed my hand and plunged his sparkling pupils into mine.
"It doesn't matter where you decide to live. Know that it will also be where I live."
"Even in Hell?"
"The only hell I fear is life without you."
Moved by his words, I laid my head on his shoulder to get drunk on his sweet scent.
"Before I take you out to dinner, I'd like to show you something, if you don't mind."
I nodded in response.
A little cry of surprise escaped me as my feet sank into the fine white sand, lit by thousands of small bluish diamonds, seen moments earlier from the sky. Indeed, the feeling of freshness under the arch of my foot surprised me somewhat. Cut off from the world, I felt like I was somewhere else. I stared at the horizon. The sound of the waves crashing into the sand was the only thing that broke the silence. Eros hid there a real little gem, admirably well maintained. All around us, the luxuriant flora and the big giant granite boulders blended perfectly with the place, as if the decoration had been posed there by the hand of Man. Time had just stopped. My heart had, too. A light breeze then came to bristle the down on my arms, bringing me back to the present moment. I turned towards Faïz, who was picking up one of these fluorescent stones stranded on the sand at the water's edge. I joined him.
"It's magnificent," I said, observing the pebble in the palm of his hand.
"It's the same as our necklace."
Before I had time to compare it, Faïz removed the stone around my neck to put it in his pocket. Confused, I looked at him questioningly.
"I will give you back this necklace one day," he promised me, looking towards the stars.
"When?"
"When you have forgotten everything about us."
"You know that's impossible." I tried to reassure him by wrapping my arms around his chest.
"Really?" asked Faïz, who didn't seem to believe a single word I said.
His soft and unsteady voice broke my heart. At that moment, a painful anxiety took place on his magnificent face.
"How can you think that I could one day deny all these moments spent with you? I can't hate you."
He stared at me with a deep, dark look, as if he wanted to tell me something that terrified him. His fingers came to draw the outline of my face.
"If one day you decide to deny everything, think about this moment. The paradox is that I'm not the man of your life, while you will always be the only woman in mine. I could never hate you."
"This isn't true, I love you! I've loved you from the first day," I replied confidently, to better relieve my conscience.
His lips crashed into mine with such despair that it was almost scary. When Faïz moved his face away from mine, I saw that he had regained control of his emotions. With a half-smile, he asked me,
"What will make you happy once you get back to Los Angeles?"
I walked away from him and turned on myself, spreading my arms as far as possible.
"The sun! The blue sky."
Faïz laughed and put his hands in his pockets, shaking his head.
"Come on, Zoe! You can get used to everything, even that damn fog."
I hopped cheerfully as I looked at him.
"No, no, no."
"OK. Stop jumping, you'll end up hurting yourself. I had no idea that you were missing L.A.'s weather so badly."
He looked up at the starry sky again to delve into his thoughts.
"Blue."
I walked over to him.
"What are you thinking about?"
Faïz seemed to take the time to think about my question, then ended up biting his lower lip to suppress a smile before adding,
"When I was very young, I asked my mother one day why the sky was blue, and she replied that she was coloring it like this, because she knew it was my favorite color."
"It was?"
"Yes," he said, subtly placing his fingers on my eyelids. "Since I have known you, it has changed."
This touching confession left me speechless. The man standing in front of me right now had nothing to do with the man I had met a few months earlier. I tilted my head to the side, moved by his sudden statement.
"Okay, can we continue?" asked Faïz, dragging me by the hand.
"To go where?"
"I told you I wanted to show you something."
"I thought you were talking about this beautiful cove."
"No, it's a little further," replied Faïz, who had already started walking again. "I hope you like extreme sports."
"Uh… No… Not at all!"
"Great," mocked Faïz. "The experience will be all the more enjoyable."
I swallowed, not reassured by his words.
After several minutes walking on the beach, we passed under a huge rocky arch that could only have been sculpted by the ocean itself, then we joined a small path that led directly to a rocky promontory overlooking part of the cove.
At the top, the landscape offered a thousand shades of colors. The Kobolds were right, this place had the power to heal souls. At the edge of the precipice, an imposing green tree stood surrounded by large lianas, almost enthroned above the ocean. Faïz invited me to follow him.
"Ready?" he asked me, placing a hand on the masterful trunk of the tree.
I raised an eyebrow, afraid of having misunderstood. He still looked at me with an amused look.
"Zoe, let's go on the swing!"
Panicked, I looked around, searching for some wooden board. Faïz then pushed a thick curtain of foliage, revealing a large seat, connected by lianas on each side, which seemed to be suspended from the much higher branches. When he had finished unrolling the traditional swing of the thick trunk, he came to stand on it, feet as close as possible to the void.
"Come on! Come," Faïz insisted, holding out his hand to me.
I crossed my arms, shaking my head.
"There's no way I'm riding this thing! I think we are flirting enough with death. Why add a challenge, more extreme and without any security, to our list of things to do? Are you really that short of adrenaline?"
"Stop being a baby," he mocked. "Sit on my lap. Don't you trust me?"
"That isn't the question!" I replied with arms crossed, looking away.
"Come here. Otherwise, I'l
l come get you by force."
I stepped back, threatening him with my eyes. No, he won't dare! Before I realized what was going on, he grabbed my waist and flipped me over his shoulder.
"Let go of me!" I yelled, trying to stifle a nervous laugh.
"Too late! You shouldn't have said no to me."
He loosened his grip slightly when he made me sit on his lap, facing him. This proximity didn't displease m; quite the contrary.
"If you're afraid, close your eyes," he murmured, wanting to be reassuring. "I'm holding you and I don't intend to let you go, even for a second."
Issei's words came to mind. Taking control of my emotions made perfect sense at the time.
"Do you trust me?"
I wrapped my arms around his neck before I answered.
"I'm not afraid anymore," I whispered, planting my gaze in his.
"Perfect! On three. One—"
Before he could say another word, the swing darted into nothingness. A cry of fear escaped from me, tearing the silence of the night. Thrown into the air at an extraordinary speed, I still decided to open my eyes slightly, then turned my head to look at the horizon behind me. At the time, I felt like a bird flying over the ocean. I released my arms from around Faïz's neck to open them wide, and leaned my head back so that I could feel the freedom of my body in the void, with the sensation of embracing immortality. The speed of the swing gradually decreased. I straightened up and my eyes dived into Faïz's. His eyes were filled with passionate tenderness and a devastating smile appeared on his lips. I then moved my face to his to take a soft kiss from him.
"And now? How are we going to get back down?" I said in a low voice so as not to disturb this magic moment.
"I have no idea."
"Seriously? We aren't going to sleep here, right?"
"There aren't thirty-six solutions. We're going to have to jump into the water."
"No!" I cried, panicked.
"What did you imagine, Zoe? I'm not going to teleport or throw webs everywhere to hang on the cliffs."
"Shit! The end of this plan is really—"
I groaned in anger as I ran my hands through my hair. It was inconceivable for me to have to throw myself into the sea, just below us. The idea, however, didn't seem to disturb the young man in front of me, who was reveling in the situation.
Barefoot, I stepped on a floating wooden pontoon which overlooked small houses on stilts above the water. The distance from the next closest one made us feel like we were alone in this unique setting. I held my shoes in my hand, while my soaked pants creaked with each movement. Faïz walked in front of me, his shirt resting on his shoulder. I took the opportunity to contemplate his back, which had absolutely perfect muscles.
"Are there really people who live here all year round?"
"No," replied Faïz, slowing down his pace. "Kobolds come here for the holidays or just for a short break. It's one of the most popular places on the island."
"I'm not surprised," I whispered to myself, turning to look at Eros, which was now a little further behind us.
Seen from this crystalline lagoon, the land with multiple reliefs seemed to be vertical. I would miss its colors and the waterfalls that came out of the imagination. The sea wind made my hair float in the air and, for the first time in weeks, I almost felt at home.
Faïz let me enter the living room first, after opening the front door of the house. As I walked through the entrance, my gaze instinctively turned toward the ceiling and I was amazed to find that it was made entirely of glass. A magnificent starry panorama offered a grand spectacle. I then looked down to quickly back away from the door. The floor was just as transparent, and overlooked the lower part of the house, which was reached by elevator. After a short moment of panic, I walked hesitantly, examining the modern decor of the place, mixed with the culture of the island that I was getting to know. In the middle of the room, a hearty dinner awaited us on a sumptuously set table. I walked silently through the living room to arrive at a pretty outdoor terrace, which gave the possibility of bathing directly in the ocean.
"It's…it's beautiful."
I turned to Faïz, who was following me discreetly for fear of disturbing this enchantment. "Thank you." I added, and advanced towards him.
His arms curled lovingly around me when my head rested against his chest.
"Before dinner, I suggest you go change. You'll feel more comfortable in dry clothes."
Without saying a word, I nodded.
Nervous, I tried as best I could to calm the sudden growing anxiety by taking a deep breath. Come on, Zoe! You've been dreaming of this moment for months. In the bathroom mirror was reflected the Italian marble that sublimated the room. From the outside, this house on stilts didn't give the impression of having such a decor, let alone with cutting-edge technology. My hands were holding the sink firmly as I tried to focus on my breathing to slow down my heartbeat. I hesitated to put on my tank top with the shorts that I had brought with me for my overnight wear, but I couldn't see myself going out of here in my underwear, either. I tugged at the roots of my hair and cursed myself for being so modest. Bodies. Faïz had touched dozens before me. This night wasn't going to seem exceptional to him. I imagined him upstairs, munching on the candlelit dinner that had been prepared, eager to see me arrive so we could actually start it. Determined, I took a deep breath and turned to open the door.
I walked with an uncertain step on the soft carpet of the room to stop in the middle of it. The dim lights gave the room an intimate and romantic atmosphere. Opposite the large four-poster bed, with light silk sheets, stood a huge window, directly in contact with the seabed where flora and fauna and all the marine species living in the ocean rubbed shoulders. The view under the sea was soothing and managed to calm the intense stress that paralyzed me. Little by little, tranquility settled inside me and I realized how lucky I was to be there, in that idyllic place.
I looked up at the glass ceilings, the first of which hung more than ten yards above me. Outside, the celestial spectacle offered by the starry firmament was breathtaking. However, I couldn't choose which one, the sky or the sea, was the most beautiful to contemplate at this precise moment. I approached the large window with the impression of being immersed in a huge aquarium and then put my fingertips on the thick cold wall, directly in contact with the ocean. Suddenly, without hearing him or even seeing him, I knew he was there, right behind me. Indeed, I was able to recognize his smell among a thousand others. The air immediately became more electric when his hand brushed against my shoulder to go up to my neck. Then I felt his lips settle in the hollow of it. I closed my eyes, absorbed by the voluptuousness that gripped my whole body.
"It's by far the most romantic place on Earth," I whispered, short of breath.
Faïz's arms gently turned me around. Close to him, I saw he was dressed in nothing but sweatpants. His charm, so intimidating, made me lose all my means again. Despite this, I forced myself to look at him. I wanted to engrave in my memory even the smallest details of his face, his gestures, each of these seconds that time would never give me back, so that this fleeting moment will be eternally etched deep within me.
"You're so beautiful," he said, contemplating me. "How can I touch you without feeling my hands shake?"
His words destabilized me.
"If it's not you, then it won't be anyone else!" I confided to him, confident.
At that moment, a luminous glare crossed his eyes. Then he came as close as possible to me, leaving me barely enough room to breathe. His lips welded to mine without restraint, almost painfully. Our breaths, more and more noisy, prevented me from thinking. My belly contracted when I felt his fingers on the top of my thighs. His body, comparable to stone, still pressed me against the glass behind me. His lips parted from mine and then went down along my neck. When his hands found the bottom of my tank top and started to slip under it, I managed to regain some of my senses.
"Faïz… Wait!" I stopped him, out of breath.
&
nbsp; He looked at me anxious and drew back hurriedly, terrified at the idea of having hurt me.
"Is everything okay?" he hastened to ask me, worried.
Cheeks on fire, I tried as best I could to catch my breath.
"Yes, just go slowly. I never… Well—"
Relief was instantly seen on his face and his smile returned. He allowed himself to come back against me.
"I know," he whispered in my ear. "I will never force you to do something you don't want. You are free to ask me to stop whenever you want."
"I don't want you to stop. Kiss me."
He did so, pressing against me, and I immediately liquefied. His hands caressed the dip of my waist before closing forcefully on my hips. Then he delicately removed my top while not loosening his grip for a moment. The contact of his skin against mine was enough to make me lose ground. A little cry escaped from me. Everything seemed to explode inside my body. When his hands brushed against my lower abdomen, just at the edge of my shorts, he seemed to hesitate. I pulled my face back to tear myself away from our passionate kisses, and I looked into his eyes to beg him to continue. His eyes turned away from mine and he slid my shorts along my thighs, then pulled back slightly to contemplate me for a few seconds. Dressed only in my underwear, I felt embarrassed in front of him. He was still dressed. Without expecting it, Faïz effortlessly lifted me up to stick me against the glass pane behind me. I crossed my legs around his chest before he swiveled around to carry me towards the bed.
FAÏZ
Sitting in an armchair in front of the bed, Faïz studied the face of the young woman who seemed to sleep serenely. Despite the magic of the past few hours, there was no inner peace, no feeling of fullness either; quite the contrary. This peaceful moment was in fact only bellicose, ruined by the presence that had already followed him for several days. Faïz knew he had no choice. He had to put an end to this ghost of darkness.
DARK FAÏZ Book 2: Nothing will ever be the same again Page 16