“I will always come back for you Ridley. If it took forever, I would find you. I promise my sweet kohtalo, nothing in this world or the next will ever keep us apart,” he whispers.
He brushes his soft lips lightly against mine. His eyes linger on my face for another moment before he slowly turns back around and starts the bike. I am overcome with emotion. I barely know him, but he speaks as if he would gladly die to keep me from an ounce of pain. He speaks like someone who has loved me for a lifetime, not been bonded to me for a day. I have no idea what kohtalo means but it sounds heavenly coming from his lips. The heaviness in my heart from earlier is replaced with warmth I have never experienced before. Love. I am beginning to love this perfect stranger, not because of what we are but because of who he is. I feel the truth to my core. I hear it in his voice and see it in his eyes. He loves me, truly loves me. The really crazy thing is there is a part of me that is starting to love him right back.
Twenty minutes later we pull to a stop in front of my two bedroom apartment. Tristan cuts the engine and helps me off of the bike.
“Ready?” he ask, taking my helmet.
I can’t help it. I start laughing. That’s like asking someone if they are ready for a colonoscopy. I’m not ready to be away from him. So not ready to feel the pain that I know is coming, but most of all I am not ready to lie to Ali. The corner of his mouth turns up into a smile.
“Stupid question, huh.”
I shake my head as I continue to laugh. “No. I don’t mean to laugh. It’s just that it’s better than crying. I think I have cried more in the last twenty four hours than I have in my whole life.”
“Am I really that bad?”
I stop laughing, thinking maybe I hurt his feelings. “No, you are the only good side to last night. It’s just not every day a girl runs for her life, finds out she’s not human, and then plans her own death. That’s all.” He smiles but it doesn’t reach his eyes.
“Ridley, I wish that I…”
I cut him off before he starts again. I already know that he feels guilty. He has told me repeatedly how he is responsible for the pain that I will be in when I have to say goodbye to my mom and Ali. I don’t blame him, and it’s about time that he quits blaming himself.
“It’s alright Tristan. I know that this is the only way. I am just glad that you’re here. I want you here. I need you here.” I smile and entwine our fingers. “I’m ready,” I say, as I start toward the door.
The door opens before my hand even reaches the knob. I am met with a very worried, almost manic Ali. She doesn’t even look at me before she starts yelling.
“Ridley Alexis Ross. You better have a damn good reason for…”
Her words die mid-sentence. Her eyes look past me and land on Tristan’s glorious form. I have no doubt that she is suffering major guy envy at the moment. I have seen that look before. She clears her throat and snaps back to herself. “Um… the reason?” she ask with a laugh. I return her laugh as we step inside.
`“Ali meet Tristan Hart. Tristan meet Ali White.”
Tristan is the first to speak. “It’s nice to meet you Ali.”
She smiles. “You too, but don’t you think for one second just because you happen to be Mr. tall, dark, and handsome, that you can sneak off with my friend in the middle of girl’s night out.” She turns on me and her smile disappears, “And you!” She bolts forward and grabs my face in a death grip. Her eyes lock on to mine, and I know that she has just noticed my sudden change in eye color. I speak up before she has the chance.
“Colored contacts. They’re new. You like?” She studies me closely for a moment and then smiles. “Yeah! Those are bitchin! You think they come in pink?” We all laugh, and for a moment the crisis of explaining last night has been averted. Only for a moment.
We make our way into the living room and I sit down on the hideous white sofa, pulling Tristan close to my side. He drapes his arm over my shoulder, bringing me comfort for what is about to come.
“Ridley,” Ali says. “What happened last night? I mean, I must have gotten really wasted because I don’t even remember getting home. One minute I was dancing with this hot guy, Tyler, and the next I was waking up in my bed. I was confused as all hell, and you were nowhere to be found. I swear if it wasn’t for the text you sent I would have sent out a search party. So explain.”
I look her in the eye and try to keep as much honesty to my story as possible. “Well, I’m not sure how you got home. All I know is that one minute we were dancing, and the next you were gone. I looked for you but the club was throwing me bad vibes. That’s when I bumped into Tristan and he offered to take me home. We were on the way here when I passed out before I could tell him our address. So he brought me to his house instead. We kind of hit it off, so I stayed a while. I wish I could fill in the blanks for you, but I can’t. I’m sorry Ali.”
“Ali, I think I might know how you got home.” Tristan chimes into the conversation. She looks at him with disbelief.
“How?” She demands.
“Well, Tyler is my brother. When he got home last night he said he took a girl home from the bar because she was drunk and lost her friend. He didn’t want you walking alone at night.”
Relief and confusion wash across Ali’s features before she settles on a smile. “That’s it! No- more- tequila- for- me!” We all laugh as Ali yawns. “Well, I’m hitting the sack early tonight Rid. You probably should too. We have freshman orientation at eight a.m., remember.”
I remember alright, but I do not see the point in going. There is really no need now. “Yeah, I know. I want to say good night to Tristan, and then I’m going to bed too.”
“Sure. Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do,” she says with a wink as she leaves the room.
I wait until I hear her bedroom door click shut before I turn to Tristan, “Do you really have to go? I mean, you could just stay the night.” My cheeks are burning as a blush stains my face. I have never asked a guy to stay the night with me before. I mean, he was coming back to stay anyway, but saying the words still embarrass me.
“You look cute when you blush,” he says as he runs a finger down my cheek causing my blush to deepen. “I won’t be gone long. I just have to meet Tyler in town with my bike. It will take twenty minutes tops.” Twenty minutes. How much pain can I experience only being alone for twenty minutes? “Just go to your bedroom and lock the door. Open your window and I will flash right to you. If it gets too bad before I get back just call ok. You can use the phone or you can reach me through our connection.”
I wrap my arms around his neck. “Okay. I can do this. Just promise me that you will be as fast as you can.”
“I promise love. I am pretty fast you know,” he says with a smile. I already know that he is fast. I just pray that he is fast enough. He must hear my thoughts because he leans down, touching his forehead to mine. “It will all be okay my kohtalo, I swear.” His lips find mine in a soft kiss that melts my heart, and then he vanishes.
I scan the room searching for him, but it is apparent he has left, so I stand up and start toward my room. Someone really needs to teach him that it is rude to leave without saying goodbye. I need to get inside and lock the door before the fire finds me, or Ali will know that something is wrong. I no more than turn the lock on the door when the heat engulfs me. I fall to my knees in front of the door, and will myself to crawl to the bed. The flames, even though they aren’t real, seem to consume every inch of my flesh. I lay down in the floor, giving up my quest for the bed and silently pray that it will end soon. The flames intensify with every second that passes. I want to call out to Tristan, beg him to never leave me again, but I refuse to let this pain beat me. I bite down on my bottom lip, causing blood to fill my mouth. I contemplate screaming, but if I do Ali will come charging in, locked door or not, so I keep silent. As time passes I seem to get use to the pain ravishing my body. Then I notice that I am weak. So weak that I can’t even lift my hand to wipe away my tears. Sadness fills my so
ul, causing more tears to fall. They are not tears of pain, but of emptiness. My soul is hollow without Tristan now. I close my eyes and wait for it to end.
~~***~~
Tristan
I hate to leave her, but I really have no choice. Tyler texted saying that some dark energy has been detected close to Ridley’s house, and I need to check it out. I am about two blocks from her apartment when I see the red haze that black magic always leaves behind. It isn’t the haze that concerns me, but the amount of it. Only a powerful darkling could leave this much trace. That is bad. Really bad. It means that whoever is after Ridley carries some serious weight in the underworld. I am just about to whisper a tracking spell to find this bastard when her pain and grief slam into me.
She is scared. She needs me. As much as I want to find the owner of the dark magic, I want to help her more. I reach out to her through our connection.
“Hold on baby! I am almost there!” Then I run with all my supernatural strength back to the woman I love.
~~***~~
Ridley
I don’t know how long I lay there crying silent tears, but it seems like forever. Just as I am about to give up and beg God to end this hell I have found myself in the flames recede. The emptiness I felt only moments ago is replaced with a fullness that warms my entire body. I can hear Tristan in my head, “Almost there, my love. Just hang on.” Less than a minute later I am scooped up from the floor and in his arms. Weakness overcomes me as his sweet face floats into focus. I try not to, but I pass out.
I wake sometime in the middle of the night to find Tristan beside me. He is sleeping, so I take the opportunity to study him without him in my head. It amazes me how much his features soften in his sleep. He looks younger and more relaxed. If possible, he is even more beautiful. Bed head is very sexy on him. I try to analyze my feelings for this stunning man. I have only known him for a short while, but I am falling for him; fast. He is sexy, sweet, and caring. I have no doubt that even under different circumstances I would feel the same attraction for him that I feel now. I just wish I could tell if he would still like me without fate forcing us together. I stretch, working out the soreness in my muscles. My throat is so dry. I really need some water. I sit up in the bed, but quickly lay back down as dizziness assaults me. I am still so weak. The recent events have taken a lot out of me. I hear Tristan stir and his eyes snap open.
“You’re awake,” he says in a sleepy voice. “How do you feel?”
“Like death,” I think to myself.
“I’m fine. Just thirsty and a little dizzy.”
“You need blood. The fire burned away the blood we shared earlier.” As much as I want to drink from him I know that he was in pain earlier too, and I don’t want to weaken him. I am about to tell him that before he laughs, “Rid, it doesn’t affect me as much as it does you. I feel the emptiness you feel, but the flames are more like sunburn to me.”
Well, this is news to me. “I thought you said we were bonded and would both be in pain if we were apart? So, why do I have to feel like I’ve been tossed into the pits of hell, and you get to feel like you fell asleep on the beach? That isn’t fair.” I pout. Ok, So I am being a little childish but who cares. The truth is the truth.
He pulls me closer to him under the covers. “Well, I didn’t have any human DNA when we bonded so the physical bond is weaker for me, but not the emotional bond. It’s the same. Just for the record, you look really sexy when you pout like that. ”
That makes sense I guess, but it still stinks. I make a pouty face at him, poking out my bottom lip. He must like it, because he catches my lip in his mouth and sucks it gently; biting it as he lets go. Damn, that’s hot. I pull him back to me and put all my desire into the kiss. The need for him, all of him, fills me. I take my mouth from his, trailing kisses down his jaw, until I reach his neck. I straddle his waist, feeling him grow beneath me, as I sink my teeth into his flesh. I moan as his blood hits my tongue; the taste of strawberries and sex filling my mouth. I drink greedily for a few minutes before I hear his voice in my head. “Ridley, you need to stop now.” Oh no! Was I hurting him? Did I take too much? I quickly dislodge my mouth from his neck and watch as the wound magically disappears. Tristan’s eyes hold mine, the brilliant blue orbs bringing me back to reality.
“I’m so sorry! You taste so good. I didn’t mean to take so much!”
He pulls my body closer to his, and I notice that his usually tan skin looks slightly pale. “I know baby. It’s ok. You didn’t hurt me. I am just a little tired. Let’s sleep ok. Tomorrow is a big day. It is your first day of college.”
I can tell that he is lying for my benefit, but I am too embarrassed to call him on it. I rest my head on his chest, his heartbeat singing me to sleep.
“Yeah, first and last,” I mumble as I close my eyes and let sleep take me.
~~***~~
Tristan
I hold her close to my side as she drifts off into a deep sleep. I should probably sleep too but I can’t get my mind to turn off. Whoever is looking for her is more powerful than any of the other dark I have encountered. She is in danger, but what I cannot figure out is why such a powerful darkling would be getting his hands dirty. They almost always delegate killing us to lower level demons.
The only thing that I can think of is that they must want her because she is royalty. I watch her as she sleeps; so beautiful, so peaceful. Her eyes flutter every few seconds, and she moves her lips like she is about to speak. As I watch, her fear washes over me. The vividness of her terror pulling me into her head. She is dreaming, except she isn’t. It is more than that. For some strange reason I cannot see what she is seeing. I can feel it though, every second of it. Suddenly my throat closes off, like someone is squeezing it. I can’t breathe which means that she can’t breathe. “You are not supposed to be able to acquire physical harm in a dream. That means…. damnit! Someone has pulled her into a dreamscape! How in the hell did that happen?”
A Dreamscape is a powerful form of old magic; so powerful that they were outlawed by the council years ago. They are like an alternative reality. Whatever happens to you there, happens to you here. So I guess you can see why my sudden lack of oxygen is such a problem. Someone is killing her.
I use the last of my strength to push my light into her. I can tell the moment that the darkling loses his hold on her mind. When she is finally safe I give into the darkness that exhausting my magic had caused.
~~***~~
Ridley
The sun shining through the blinds wakes me. The nightmare had returned last night, but strangely I only had it once. Thank God for small favors. I glance over at the alarm clock. “Crap! It’s 7 a.m.” I bolt from the bed. I am going to be late for my first-last day of school. Not cool. I know that I technically don’t have to go to orientation since becoming a card carrying member of the supernatural world, but I need to go. I have waited years to go to the University. If today is all that I can have I am going to enjoy it. I hear Tristan chuckle behind me as I search frantically for something to wear. We had worked out all the details of today two nights ago, so I know that he will stay close all day. My eyes drink in his sleepy appearance, and I am a little worried by what I see. He looks tired. Dark circles have set up camp under his eyes. He is still a little pale, and I wonder just how much blood I actually took from him last night. I quickly push the worry away. I am so late!
“Stay put.” I yell at him over my shoulder as I run for the shower.
~~***~~
Tristan
I try to push my worry aside as Ridley showers. It took a lot of my magic to bring her out of the dreamscape last night. Whoever put her under that spell is more powerful than anyone I have ever faced. It doesn’t matter how powerful he is though. He will never touch her. Anger floods my system at the thought of anyone harming her. I push it aside. Now is not the time. I have every intention of asking her about her dream and if she has ever had it before, but not today. She has enough on her mind today. Today
she will have to give up her life for me. I am not about to add anything else to her plate. I will figure this out. I just hope that when I do it isn’t too late. Magic that strong will be hard to defeat. I’m not worried though. I would defeat Satan himself for her.
I whisper a small vanity spell, and smirk in satisfaction as new clothes appear out of thin air. I could have done the same for Ridley this morning, but she is just so cute when she is frustrated. I have a feeling she will master her powers quickly. Soon I will teach her that and so much more. I change quickly as I try to push the dizziness away. Still weak from last night, I lay back on her bed and wait for her to finish her shower.
~~~**~~
Ridley
I shower quickly, washing away the events of the last two days. When I come back into my room Tristan is sitting on the edge of my bed looking fresh as ever. He has changed into a baby blue polo shirt that makes his eyes sparkle like diamonds in the sun. He wears a pair of khaki shorts and new balance’s. This is a really good look on him, but I prefer the dark and dangerous look more.
“I’ll remember that,” he says with a grin.
I laugh and head for the outfit that I had laid out prior to my shower. “Do you mind?” I ask playfully as I pick up my clothes.
“Not at all,” he says leaning back on the bed, and continuing to stare at my towel clad body. Well, two can play at this game. I turn my back to him as I let the towel slide to the floor, revealing my backside for his viewing pleasure. His breath hitches as I slowly bend down and put my black lace panties on. I turn my head and look at him over my shoulder as I slide into the matching bra. He is watching my every move with a look of pure lust on his face. I love that look. I smile and turn back around, quite enjoying playing the tease. I step into my black mini skirt and peep-toe sandals next before finally pulling my red silk top over my head. I glance in the mirror, pleased with my appearance, before turning to face Tristan. He is next to me in a flash.
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