She nodded dumbly.
He smiled and caressed her cheek with his gentle fingers. “You have done what was thought impossible, yet again, little one.”
She blinked. “You mean—” Dare she hope? Dare she let herself believe for even one precious second that Garren was actually there, flesh and blood, alive?
“I am human, Kelly,” he said. He frowned. “Well, more or less.” He chuckled. “The wings are still a little nonhuman, as are my Lucienus powers, but I bleed. I have a heart. I have a stomach.” He grinned. “I am visible.”
She wished she could comprehend what he was saying, but it was too much for her. A thousand or more questions bottlenecked in her brain, and she couldn’t even get a thought out. “Show me,” she rasped.
He frowned thoughtfully.
“I can’t grasp this in words, Garren. If this is real, show me.”
A slow smile blossomed over his gorgeous features and he gathered her in his arms. He threaded his fingers through her hair, and she closed her eyes in bliss at his touch. He pressed his lips to hers very gently, and she was immediately drawn into a swirl of color and chaos.
Chapter Twenty-One
The Creative Realm really was dissolving. Pieces of the sky seemed to be falling, and the white clouds she had observed before now looked like a violent thunderstorm. Garren was lying on his back, weak, transparent, watching his world disappear. Beside him, a vision of her appeared, and his face contorted in sorrow. He reached out to it, but the image flickered and vanished. He cried silently and turned back, preparing for the end of it all. A strange, glowing ball of light caught his attention, and he turned his head slowly to watch it. It resembled a shooting star, streaking across the chaotic sky. He watched it for as long as he could until his eyes grew heavy, and he gave in to the inevitable.
Kelly didn’t know how long of a time lapse she was witnessing, but the sky continued to shed pieces for a long while. Garren remained unconscious, asleep, whatever he was, but his body held on. It wavered and flickered, but would not disappear. Suddenly, the ball of light he had been watching exploded. It lit up everything and bathed the entire realm in pristine, white-hot light. Garren’s eyes shot open and he screamed. His back arched, and he convulsed in obvious pain. It went on until Kelly thought she wouldn’t be able to take watching it any longer. Then, just as suddenly as it had begun, Garren fell motionless and the world was plummeted into complete darkness.
Garren switched the way Kelly viewed the next part of the memory. He had kept her as an outside observer for the first portion, no doubt wanting to shield her from the horrendous pain he had experienced, but now she was living his memory as Garren. She was seeing everything he had seen, experiencing what he had…
His eyes opened slowly, and his body felt sluggish, exhausted, heavy in an unfamiliar way. His vision blurred several times before he could focus on anything, but when his eyes cleared, he found himself staring out of a doorway. With a frown, he lifted his head just enough to come to the conclusion that he was lying on a bed, staring out the door of a cabin. Outside he could see…Lucienus! They lived. They went about their everyday lives as if nothing had ever happened.
Forgetting the foreign feeling of his own self, he sat up with a start, disoriented and confused. His heart lurched as his eyes fell on a familiar vision that came to stand in the doorway. He was smiling. He looked satisfied, almost as if he had just won a battle.
“Hello again, brother.”
Eamon.
He couldn’t wrap his mind around it. None of it made sense. He frowned as he felt something wet coming from his nose, and he brought his fingers to it. When he pulled them back and looked at them, they were bloody.
Garren broke the kiss and Kelly pulled away, looking up at him in befuddled wonder. “That pain, the pain you experienced, it was your body transforming, wasn’t it?”
He nodded, relief flashing over his features, no doubt over the fact that she had calmed and was now accepting current events. “I didn’t know that at the time, though. I thought that was the end of it all.”
“What happened? How did the Lucienus come back?”
He regarded her for a long moment with an awestruck reverence in his eyes, then reached out and took her face in his hands. “You did it, Kelly. You saved us all. You saved everything.”
She frowned. “How? I don’t understand.” She drew her breath in and met his eyes. “My book.”
He smiled. “You wrote about our world. You wrote about me. People believed. Millions of people believed. You brought back everything. Not just the Creative Realm, but my entire race. I didn’t think it could be done. Not only that, but you also saved my life and gave me one all at once.”
She stared up at him, tears of joy filling her eyes. “So, you really are…real?”
He smiled. “Yes, beloved.”
Her shock started to morph into jubilation. “And them?” She pointed to the others.
“They are still imaginary creatures, but they live because of you. We all live because of you.”
“And the Creative Realm?”
“Is stronger than ever.” She let out a yell and flung her arms around his neck. He held her and knotted his fingers in her hair. “I’m sorry it took me so much time to get back. I’m sorry I left you alone for so long.” He buried his face against her neck. “I am so sorry for causing you pain.”
She shook her head, breathed in his fragrance, and soaked up the warm strength of his embrace. “Just never leave me again. Please, never again.” She clutched at him, wanting to get as close as she could without becoming permanently attached. She rested her head against his chest and felt his heartbeat. Strong, steady. It was beating in time with hers. Part of her mind still refused to comprehend the reality of the situation, but the other part was welcoming it in ecstasy.
“Kelly, if I may, there’s something I need to address.”
She pulled back and frowned at him. He cocked an eyebrow and placed his hand against her stomach. She giggled. “Oh!” She laughed and beamed up at him. “You’re going to be a father, Garren. Surprise!”
He blinked and shook his head, astonishment and wonder written all over his face. “I…didn’t think that was possible.”
“None of this is supposed to be possible.” She laughed.
“Anything is possible in dreams,” Eamon said.
Kelly’s eyes widened and she shot her gaze to him. He smirked, and she gave him a questioning look. He shrugged, and she decided not to pursue the subject. He had found some way to communicate with her in her subconscious. That dream had been real. Maybe her belief and Rachel’s belief had given him enough power to do that. She didn’t know. She didn’t care. It didn’t matter anymore. All that mattered was that Garren had come back to her. He had come home. And all of the others had come home as well.
“When are you due?” Garren asked, still marveling over her pregnancy.
“Two months.” She turned her attention back to him and cradled her stomach. “I’m going to name her Hope.” Garren lifted his eyes to hers, and she shivered at the intense, unconditional love she saw reflected in their violet depths. She opened her mouth to speak, but he silenced any words she might have said by taking her in his arms and plundering her mouth. She held on, welcomed the onslaught, and felt the shattered pieces of her heart fit back together. He was real. He was home. He was hers. And she would die before she ever let him go again.
“Kelly, are you up here?”
Kelly broke the kiss to glance over at the door to the roof. Rachel emerged, looking around. “Kel—” She shrieked as her eyes fell on Kelly and Garren, and her jaw all but hit the ground. “Garren!” Her voice was so high-pitched that it was almost a squeak. She shook her head. “How—”
“Hello, Rachel.”
She almost jumped out of her skin and turned to look at Eamon, who had sidled up next to her. She screamed again.
There was a collective wince.
“H-How-I-Wha—” she st
ammered. She pointed at Eamon as he continued to stand there and exude confidence, grinning. “Eamon.” His name left her in a wheeze, and she fainted.
Kelly flinched.
“Must run in the family,” Garren commented.
She scowled up at him.
He chuckled and toyed with a piece of her hair. His eyes filled with affection. “Can we go inside, beloved? I’m cold.” He grinned as he said it.
Warmth filled her and chased every single dark shadow and cold spot away. She slipped her arm around his waist and held him close. “Of course.” She looked over at Eamon, who was hauling Rachel up into his arms. “And all your friends are welcome as well. It’s been a long time since I was able to hang out with the boys.” She shared a grin with all of them.
Garren’s arm tightened around her. “You’d better call Chad.”
She laughed. “He might faint too.”
“Better make sure he’s sitting down first then.” He chuckled and turned her in his arms so he was staring down at her. “I missed you, Kelly.”
His voice was filled with emotion, and it tugged at her heart. “I missed you so much, Garren. It was the worst pain I’ve ever experienced. Having you back with me now…” She shook her head, her mind still reeling. “I keep thinking I’m going to wake up alone again.”
He took her face in his hands. “Never again. I’m here, little one. I’m here to stay. You are my home now.”
She raised her lips to his and kissed him hard, pouring her love into it. Life... He was alive. They were going to bring a life into the world. They had a life. Together. Always. It was real.
“Kelly,” he murmured against her lips. “May I please have what you’re wearing around your neck?”
She looked down. She had forgotten that she wore his wedding band on a chain. She wore it every day. It had become part of her. Her breath hitched and she looked up at him with tears in her eyes.
He smiled. “It is a symbol. It is mine. Please.”
She grinned and yanked the chain off. She slipped the ring off it and slid it onto his finger. The last missing piece fell into place.
* * * *
It must have been strange to suddenly know what mortality was, what hunger was, what cold was. She imagined it would take Garren a while to get used to his new body. He slept beside her. All of the others were piled in the living room.
It had been an insane night full of reminiscing, stories, and laughter after all the shock and confusion had worn off. The Guardians did not want to return to their world yet, and Kelly could understand why. Therefore, there were bodies decorating her apartment floor.
All she could do was stare. She was exhausted, but she couldn’t sleep. She didn’t dare close her eyes for fear he might disappear. It was a miracle that he was with her. More than a miracle. It was…magic. Magic could last forever, if one believed hard enough. She had believed. She had poured that belief into her writing. She had believed so hard that she had made others believe. Because of that belief, they all lived.
Garren’s eyes fluttered open as if he felt her watching him, and he frowned. “Little one,” he whispered. “Are you all right?”
She nodded, keeping her eyes on his face.
He reached out and touched her cheek. “You should sleep. It’s late. You need your rest.”
She felt the familiar sting of tears. “I can’t.”
He frowned. “Why?”
She swallowed hard. “I’m afraid.”
He lifted his head and moved closer to her. “Afraid?”
She nodded. “The last time I fell asleep with you, you…” She swallowed again. “When I woke up you were…” Her bottom lip trembled as she recalled the most horrendous day of her life. One tear escaped.
“Kelly,” he murmured. He reached out and pulled her into his arms. “Shhh.” He smoothed her hair and pressed a kiss to the top of her head. “Listen to me now. I’m not going anywhere. I promise.”
She wrapped her arms tight around him and closed her eyes as she soaked in the heat of his smooth skin, the beat of his heart, the way his chest moved with his breath. “Never let me go,” she pleaded.
“Never.” His voice was a sinful caress. He lifted her lips to his. “Never.” He kissed her. “Never.” His lips descended again. “Never.”
Epilogue
Eight years later
Kelly hummed happily to herself as she headed into the kitchen for another cup of coffee. She had a new Lucienus book due into the editor in a few weeks, and she had been pulling all-nighters left and right to get it done on time. She didn’t mind, really. She loved escaping into their world.
She wandered past her daughter’s bedroom and frowned as she heard voices coming from inside. Her daughter’s and another, unmistakably female. “Hope?” she called. “Who are you talking to?” She swung the door open and started as her eyes fell on a tall, regal-looking cat-woman. She shook her head and tried again. All right, it was definitely half-cat, half-woman. Body of a woman, beautiful face, but definitely feline. She had pointed ears protruding out of a mass of dark blonde hair that fell down past her waist. She was wearing a red gown and walking upright. All Kelly could really do was stare.
“Mom!”
Kelly jumped and came out of her stupor. She turned her attention to her eight-year-old.
“You can’t just barge in like that!” Hope scolded. “You scared Katrina to death!” She put her hands on her hips and looked seriously affronted as her mane of black hair flew in every direction.
Kelly slid her gaze back to the cat-woman, who really appeared anything but frightened. She cleared her throat and looked back down at Hope. “Well, I’m sorry. I didn’t know you were entertaining guests.” She squared her shoulders and approached the enormous feline. “It’s nice to meet you, Katrina. I’m Hope’s mom.”
Katrina smiled, and instead of taking Kelly’s outstretched hand, she put her hand over her heart and bowed at the waist.
Hope’s eyebrows shot up. “You can see her, Mom?”
Kelly gave her daughter a mischievous smile. “Of course I can.”
“It is a great honor to meet you, Mrs. Luce,” Katrina said.
Hope looked back and forth between Kelly and Katrina. “You know my mom?” she squeaked.
Katrina looked down at Hope with affection. “Everyone in my world knows your mother, Hope. She is very famous.”
Hope’s mouth formed into an O, and she looked up at Kelly. “Really?” she whispered.
Katrina nodded. “She saved our whole world once. None of us would exist without her. She is legendary.”
Kelly felt her cheeks turn pink. Okay, so the cat-lady was all right.
“Wow,” Hope murmured. She stared up at Kelly with wonder. “That is so cool, Mom.”
Kelly grinned and touched her daughter’s head affectionately. “One day, when you’re a little older, I’ll let you read all about it in my books.”
Hope’s face lit up. “Okay!”
Kelly smiled up at Katrina. “All right, you two have fun now.” She turned and felt pride fill her as Katrina bowed again. She closed Hope’s door and sighed, shaking her head.
“Beloved, what are you doing away from your computer?” Garren teased.
Kelly looked over at him. He leaned nonchalantly against the doorframe at the end of the hall, holding a steaming cup of coffee. She rolled her eyes in bliss. “Oh, you are a god!” she exclaimed. She took the coffee from him, leaned into him, and pressed a kiss to his lips.
Garren grinned and fingered one of her red pigtails. “The hairdo of the working woman.”
She giggled. “Least I’m out of my PJ’s.”
He glanced down at her. “And in sweat pants. Yes, that is a marked improvement.”
She gave a playful scowl and smacked him on the chest halfheartedly.
He chuckled. “I was going to go get some hoagies for lunch. You want anything?”
She rolled her eyes. “Seriously, Garren. You’ve been eating hoag
ies for lunch every single day for eight years. Why not deviate?”
He shrugged. “Why mess with a good thing?”
She sighed and shook her head. Some things never changed. And she was grateful for that.
“What’s Hope up to?”
Kelly sipped her coffee and snuggled into her husband’s arms. “Playing with a giant cat-woman.”
He raised an eyebrow. “Cat-woman?”
Kelly nodded. “Named Katrina. She seemed nice.”
Garren shrugged. “The cat people are decent enough. It’s the shark people you have to worry about. I don’t know. There’s just something fishy about them.”
She rolled her eyes up to his, and his grin was silly and boyish. “Ugh.” She sighed. “You have been hanging out with Chad entirely too much.”
He chuckled. “So, now that Hope has a Creative Realm friend of her own, when are we going to tell her that her father used to be imaginary and that all of his friends are invisible?”
Laughter bubbled up inside of her. “When she’s a little older and knows not to tell her human friends. We don’t need them thinking she’s insane this early in life. It’ll come soon enough anyway.”
Garren moved away from the doorframe and pulled Kelly into the living room. “We ever going to tell her about these?” He slowly unfurled his gorgeous wings. “Or do you plan on keeping those all to yourself?” He flashed her a wicked smile.
She grinned and set her coffee down. She went to him and wrapped her arms around his neck, fitting her body perfectly against his. “Mmm, I don’t know. I like having them be my secret fantasy.”
Beyond Wild Imaginings Page 19