“Why would I—”
“Seth kills you, Layna.” She watched me as my hands fell from her arms.
I turned away from her as my whole world crashed around me. Seth. Why would he kill me? None of it made sense. He wanted to save this sector just as much as I did. And…he promised.
“This is the reason why Seth was forced to stay away from you. When he came to our Residency that night, I tried to persuade him to leave.” She continued talking, her words rushing from her lips. “But he refused. He told me he could no longer stay away from you. He had to tell you everything and wanted you to make the decision for yourself. He forced me to tell him where you were. Layna, do you hear me?” Kesi now took ahold of my shoulders, but she couldn’t resist her urge to shake me.
“Yes, I hear you.” The words came out as a soft whisper. I didn’t even recognize my own voice as I tried to put all this together.
“That’s why I asked if you were sure you wanted to do this before we went to the Cell. I wasn’t asking you if you wanted to break the Regent’s rules. I was asking if you were ready to meet Seth and put this prophecy into motion. I knew you wouldn’t be able to resist the pull. It needed to be done, and even I couldn’t prevent the war that was to come, but I wasn’t entirely ready to lose you yet. That’s why I was trying to persuade you not to go, but like him, your stubbornness overrides all of your other emotions and you wouldn’t listen to me.”
I slowly picked my head up to meet her gaze. “You knew all about this? Seth, the prophecy…my powers? I don’t understand. He told me I could bring the sector back. That together we were a powerful duo.”
“Yes, Layna.” Her arms fell to her sides and her face wrinkled as if she were in pain. “I knew everything. And you are the only one who can reunite it, and you two are a powerful duo. If…you manage to survive.”
Anger welled up inside of me, burning my cheeks. “How could you, Kesi? You are my best friend and you kept all of this from me?” I stood up and turned away from her before I did something I would regret.
“You wouldn’t have believed me, Layna. And you know it.”
“If you would have shown me you had magic instead of making me think I was the only oddball out there. Maybe, then I would have listened.” I still refused to face her as the heat coursed through my body.
“No, you wouldn’t have,” she argued. “Besides, I couldn’t risk it. My job was to hide you, Layna, not get us both found out by the council or the Regent. Do you think it was a coincidence I was chosen as your Resident mate? No, it wasn’t. I made it happen, risked my own life using my magic to make sure we were together.”
“Job?” I swung around, no longer caring if my temper got the best of me. “This entire time I was a job, not a friend?”
“No, Layna!” She shook her head. “It’s nothing like that. You’ve always been my friend. Really.”
“You betrayed me?” The fire roared inside of me, causing my arms and legs to tingle.
“Me?” She raised her brows and stood up, pushing a strand of her dark hair behind her ear. “I never once betrayed you. Our friendship was always real to me. Besides, if anyone betrayed you, it was your parents.”
Hot tears welled in my eyes when she mentioned my parents. What did they have to do with any of this, besides telling me to keep my powers a secret? A lump formed in my throat, and I attempted to swallow it, but it refused to budge.
“When my parents were killed in the attack from the council, your parents took me into the temple, raised me as if I were their own. Not only did I have to swear to secrecy, but I had to promise to keep you safe and your magic hidden from everybody, even if it cost me my life. I hated you in the beginning, Layna. Hated you with a passion. I blamed you for the death of my parents and so many other innocent Naturals. I never understood why so many people gave up their lives to protect you. One little girl. But then I saw. It wasn’t only your kindness and compassion for people, humans and witches, but it was your strength. Your determination to bring good into this world even though you were treated as an outcast. You never judged me, never judged your sister, the almighty Regent, even when she attempted to kill you. I knew she had something to do with those ravagers breaking through the boundary, and deep down, you did too. But you refused to see anything evil in this sector, in this entire world of Othala. You wouldn’t have survived that night in the oasis if Seth hadn’t found you.” Her voice dropped just below a whisper. “As much as I love who you are, I do want you to see the truth. There is evil all around us.” She paused for a moment as if she were carefully choosing her words. “And only you can stop it. Regardless whether my job is to protect you, my number one priority is to be your friend. I won’t stop loving you for who you are, and I will have no regrets when I stand in your place and take the fall.”
“You’ve already come up with a plan for this.” The anger faded away, leaving me with an icy chill.
“Yes, I did.” She shifted her small frame in front of me. “When this war happens, I will not leave you. If I have to, I will put myself in between you and Seth. I will fight him, Layna. And I will protect you until I take my last breath.”
“I refuse to discuss this anymore.” I shrugged my shoulders, fighting back the hot tears screaming to be let lose. Turning around, I headed back to the village of tents a short distance away without saying another word.
All of these people were crazy. The Naturals, the stupid prophecy. Why would they believe something that hadn’t happened yet? Seth would never harm me. Ever. I knew that for a fact.
And as far as Kesi telling me I saw no evil in the world. She was wrong. I definitely knew it was here. And it was everywhere.
Chapter 25
It took me forever to locate the tent I had been put in when I first arrived. All of them looked the same to me. When I’d finally found it, I went straight to my cot and curled up into a ball, letting the tears fall freely down my face.
With Seth, my life was supposed to get better, not worse. I had finally found someone I cared deeply for, may have even loved, and as far as I knew, he seemed to feel the same about me. But now, my life had been tossed off balance. It was as if I had one foot hanging off the side of a cliff. All I needed was for the wind to pick up and cause me to fall over.
We went through so much trying to reach a place that would be safe for both of us. In turn, we were rejected by our own people, including his father. As if things couldn’t get worse, my best friend had revealed she not only knew everything about me, my deepest secret, but my parents had made her watch over me as if I were a child. I didn’t need a babysitter. I needed a friend who I could rely on, a place where I would feel safe, and someone who would love me for me, not because I was special or part of some stupid, fucking prophecy.
Soft footsteps entered the tent, but I didn’t bother to look up. Kesi probably followed me back, and I sure didn’t feel like talking to her right now. I buried my face into my arms, hoping she would think I was asleep and go away. Instead, I heard shuffling in the room. The cot sunk down and a warm arm slid around my waist.
Seth. His scent was undeniable, like the grass in the oasis after blessed with rain, or the fresh smell of a cool waterfall. I swallowed hard and closed my eyes, letting his warm energy absorb into my skin. He brushed his lips against my shoulder, kissing me tenderly as his fingers traced a circle around my naval.
Unable to resist his affection, I twisted around to meet him. “Why didn’t you tell me?” The question had been bugging me since Kesi had revealed everything to me.
“Tell you what?” His blue eyes sparkled as he watched my face. His hand now roaming my lower back, fingers tracing the curve of my backside.
I lifted my arms and placed them around his neck. “The part of the prophecy you left out.”
“Layna, I don’t want to talk about the prophecy right now.” He leaned toward me and gently bit my lip. “What I want is to spend some time with you. We haven’t had a chance since we left the oasis. So
, let’s put all our worries behind us and just live in this moment.” His warm breath blew across my skin as he exhaled.
“But after that?”
“We’ll be too exhausted to talk.” His silent laughter shook the cot.
Before I could say another word, Seth’s lips captured mine. He hoisted my leg up and placed it over his thigh as his tongue parted my lips, seeking mine. It was only then I realized he had stripped from his shorts. He pulled me closer, pressing his hips between my legs, sending my head spinning from his warmth and my desire to be taken. Our kiss deepened. My body awakening to his touch. And everything around us disappeared. The only thing that existed besides myself, was Seth.
He pulled the bottom of my shirt up, his lips never leaving mine, and took my breast in his hand, his thumb rubbing my nipple. Breaking away from our kiss, he dipped his head down, replacing his thumb with his mouth. I lifted my head and closed my eyes as he worked his mouth over my breast. My fingers became entangled in his dark hair as he licked and tasted, teased and sucked, making my body scream for more. I could no longer hold back the soft moans or whispered gasps as they escaped my lips.
I looked down at him as he glanced up at me from underneath his dark lashes, hunger dancing in his blue eyes as he held my nipple in between his teeth, fingers grasping the waistband of my shorts, pulling them down. I lifted my body slightly off the cot, bringing my leg up and letting him slip them off.
He worked his hand up my leg, causing goosebumps to invade my skin, and stopped when he reached my waist. Seth turned over, bringing me with him, until my legs straddled his hips, my dark hair falling past my shoulders. Even though he was more than ready to answer the pleas of my body and the fire burning within, he held back, tracing the outline of my figure with the tips of his fingers. His soft caress scorched my skin, the touch of him causing me to shiver with anticipation as he roamed over every bump, every curve, every indentation, until he reached my thighs.
He brought his fingers back up slowly and lifted my arms in the air.
Just do it already, my mind shouted, but I was unable to say the words. Take me. Take me now! All of me.
I shifted my hips, my desire and need for him leaving a trail of wetness over his curly, dark hair as he slipped my shirt off and tossed it to the floor. I was fully aware of the hardness pressing against my backside, as was he. He swallowed hard, his muscle pulsing in anticipation.
“You are so beautiful.” He spoke to me as if I were a goddess. Only I wasn’t. Just someone who desired him as much as he did me.
“Seth.” I reached out and placed my hands flat on his chest, my palms resting on his small patch of dark hair. “Please don’t make me wait any longer.”
He looked at me, waves of blue churning in the stormy ocean, as if he had been awaiting this confirmation all along. He wasn’t waiting anymore. His inner beast was coming out to play, and I was more than ready.
His hands slid underneath me, cupping my buttocks and lifting me up. My body trembled. Waves of passion coming in and spilling out as I reacted to his abrupt movements. I drew in a deep breath as he grasped my bottom and opened the doorway to my soul, wanting him, needing him in ways I had never needed anyone before.
A strange sound, one I didn’t even recognize, escaped from my lips as he slid into my wetness and my walls closed in around him. He took me fast. He took me hard. Fingers digging into my flesh as he slammed my body down onto his. Eyes daring not to leave my face no matter how many times I closed and opened my eyes. He was always there, meeting me with lust and the same urgent need that was coursing through my insides.
I arched my back, my hands gripping his knees with so much force the tips of my fingers burned, bringing him deeper and deeper inside my womb. With every thrust of his hips, more moisture released from inside of me, spreading over him like a wildfire, fast and furious, bringing his throaty growls to the surface.
“Seth. Seth.” I called his name over and over again in between gasps and moans of pleasure, wanting even more and more of him as the energy around us increased, arousing me to my core.
As if he picked up on the same magical elements surrounding me, surrounding us, he hooked one arm around my waist, pulling me closer and rolling over, pressing his weight down on me without interruption. He reached under, locking my body in his strong arms as I squirmed beneath him, another wave of moisture exploding inside me.
The fabric of the cot was suddenly replaced by cool, hard ground, but even then we continued to get lost in one another. I bit his shoulder as he grew harder, wider, inside of me, expanding my walls even more. His thrusts became more urgent as he held me tighter, our hunger and madness for one another spinning out of control with every ragged breath until I couldn’t hold it in any longer. I pushed my face into his shoulder, muffling my screams of pleasure, hands gripping his arms. My body convulsed under his, my walls closing in around him as he gave one final push, plunging himself deep inside my core.
“Layna,” he whispered breathlessly as he pulsed inside me as I made my release. “Layna,” he said again.
I closed my eyes, savoring his warmness flowing through me.
He leaned his head against mine, his skin clammy, and took a long, deep breath, loosening his hold on me. “You are amazing.”
“We should probably discuss this after you take us back.” I tightened my lips to suppress a giggle.
“You’re right.” He lifted his head, finally realizing we were no longer inside the walls of the tent. We were somewhere outside the makeshift village, but thankfully, still under the protection of the shield.
Before I knew it, we were back on the cot. Seth rolled off me and took me in his arms, the heat of our passion radiating off his skin. His heartbeat had calmed, his breathing steady.
There was no denying I was in love with this man, and as I lay my head on his chest and closed my eyes, I knew in my heart and soul this man would never harm me. Ever.
Chapter 26
It barely rained in the desert, but as I packed up a few supplies for our journey to god knew where, a shower had passed over my tent. I wasn’t sure if this was an omen or a blessing. We were forced to abandon the village, the Naturals and their leader deeming me a threat to their survival while I remained with Seth.
He had told me he finally got his father to agree to let me stay, but in turn, he would have to go and avoid all further contact with me. Seth knew I would never allow myself to be separated from him, so he wasn’t surprised when I refused the offer. He didn’t even argue over the subject.
He had left me alone while he went to go bid farewell to his father. Even though his father had rejected us both, cast us out into a dangerous world with blood sucking beasts who preyed on blood every night, he still cared deeply for him. I wanted no part of it. The Re I knew and loved from the past was long gone, he had disappeared the day the council attacked us. The attack that left his wife dead and me without the memory of that day for a very long time. The man who had replaced him was a coward, letting some prophecy revolve around the remaining years of his life. He would never stand up and fight for not only his freedom, but the freedom of all the other Naturals confined under this dome.
After I dressed, I left the tent and wandered out into the village. It was still fairly early, so it didn’t surprise me the area was deserted. But that was a good thing. I didn’t have to deal with the unwelcomed stares. Since the Naturals and their leader clearly wanted me away from here, I decided to head out to the isolated part of the shield. To the place where Seth teleported us last night.
I found a nice cozy spot underneath one of the trees and sat down, relaxing to the sound of birds chirping above me. Still drained from my lack of sleep last night, I closed my eyes, waiting for Seth to arrive. I’d have to ask him about his teleporting when I got a chance. He’d told me before, before we entered the oasis that day, that he had no control over it. But he had seemed to control it twice in my presence. Once after Amun attacked me, and then last night
when I told him to take me back to our tent.
“Layna, right?” a soft voice broke into my thoughts.
My eyes flashed open and a startled gasp escaped my lips. A dark haired girl, possibly in her lower teens stood in front of me, her wide, brown eyes gazing down at me with an overabundance of curiosity. The long white gown she wore draped down to her ankles, the edge of it dirty and tattered.
“That is your name, right?” she spoke again, her eyes not leaving my face.
“Yes.” I glanced around, still in a slight daze, realizing the girl was alone. “Who are you?”
The girl smiled shyly and fumbled with her hands, which were folded neatly in front of her. “My name’s Zinna. I’m a seer, but my momma says my powers aren’t fully developed yet so I can’t always trust what I see. But my momma is wrong.”
“What can I do for you, Zinna?” I sat up straight, surprised this girl’s parents even let her near me. Unless, they had no clue she was here.
“They don’t hate you.” She sat down on the ground in front of me, her long hair flowing past her shoulders. “They’re afraid of you.”
I reacted with a sound in between a gasp and a laugh. “Afraid of me?” These people didn’t know me. They were well aware who my sister was, but I wasn’t anything like her. They had no reason to fear me.
She nodded and swallowed. “Don’t you see, if you fail, and you die, there will be no future here. Everyone in Sector Twelve will die with you. The Sector will cease to exist.”
“Well, I’m not sure if you heard, but according to a prophecy, I am supposed to die. So what good is fighting to save a Sector that has no chance of survival? It will be a lost cause.”
“No.” She shook her head. “It wouldn’t be a lost cause. I’ve seen the vision, and my mother had told me what the other seer saw. I’m not sure if you die. You just—” She paused as confusion swept over her features “—disappear.” She said the last word slowly, sounding out each syllable.
Forbidden: an Adult Paranormal Witch Romance: Othala Witch Collection (Sector 12) Page 11