Ruby Rising

by Leah Cook

  Scott continued to move his fingers inside me, nibbling on my ear and kissing my neck. As I became more aroused he gently turned me back over, cupping my face he kissed me so softly, it felt like a whisper on my lips. Lifting himself to his knees he gently rolled his fingers over my sensitive clitoris. The combination had me moving against his fingers in a steady rhythm.

  “Scott…” I panted.

  “Yes, Ruby?” Bastard, I could hear the smirk on his face as he rubbed faster.

  “Please...I want…I need you!” In seconds he had pulled his fingers from me, leaving me craving his touch, I heard the crinkle of a packet and realised he was putting a condom on.

  “Ready?” Without waiting for an answer he gently pushed into me, the pain wasn’t as intense as the first time he had entered me and I began to respond to his gently thrusts, raising my hips to match his.

  “I love you Ruby De Grey, I can’t believe you are part of my life,” his whispered words shattering my nerves and setting my heart to a thunderous pace.

  As we climbed a wave of euphoria together I wondered what I had done to be so lucky to find this man. Quickening his pace, he lifted my knees and dove deeper into me. I cried out, digging my nails into his shoulders, my hips frozen with pleasure. With my climax reached so drew it out as he pumped harder and faster, his breath coming in pants and groans, until he called my name and stilled, smiling into my shoulder.

  CHAPTER 15

  I covered my face with my hands, horrified that Scott had been watching me sleep. I’d opened my heavy eyes to Scott lying on his side, his head leaning on his elbow with a smirk on his face.

  “Don’t cover up, Ruby. You’re too beautiful to cover up.” Gently he prized my hands away from my face and kissed me softly. It was a beautiful kiss, sensual, sexy without the passion and need that had consumed our love making the night before. “Plus that little bit of drool that’s been gliding down your face is such a turn on.”

  Mortified I swiped at my face as he burst into laughter at my embarrassment.

  “That. Was. So. Not. Funny. Mister!” I said as I swatted him playfully. He pulled me to him holding my arms so I couldn’t hit him anymore and kissed me hard on the mouth. I gave in and relaxed into him listening to his heart thump through his chest.

  “Was it…you know. Okay?” Tilting my chin up to meet his eyes I was worried at what I might see there.

  “Okay? Ruby it was the most amazing sex I’ve ever experienced. The most intense I’ve ever felt. I’ve never been that connected to another single person in my life.”

  He kissed me again, even more softly than before, I was grateful for the distraction from my extreme blushing.

  “Are you sore? I hope I wasn’t too rough,” he asked.

  I thought about that for a moment, about how my body was feeling, inside and out. “Actually no, I’ m not. To be honest I thought I would have trouble sitting down when I woke up this morning!”

  A small giggle erupted from Scott, I sat slightly on one side and lifted myself up. “Did you just giggle?” I asked incredulously. Scott gave me Mr Innocent eyes, but the slight reddening that had crept up his neck gave him away. “And you’re blushing! Now that is a first.”

  Scott jumped up and turned his back pulling out clothes to wear. His nakedness neither shocked me nor embarrassed me and I was quietly enjoying the view.

  “When you’re quite finished ogling me, feel free to get dressed. We need to organise the breakfast crew.” He hadn’t even turned around.

  “Fine,” I grumbled, gathering the sleeping bag doona around me and pulling my backpack towards me.

  “Really? You’re shy?” Scott smirked as he watched me struggle into my underwear whilst trying to be modest.

  “Hey, I need to leave something to the imagination.” I made a noise of celebration when I had achieved my goal of dressing behind the sleeping bag, before dropping it to do up my jeans.

  “Here, put this on,” he passed me his jacket. “Your thin one you had on last night won’t be enough for this morning.”

  I took it gratefully and we headed out into the morning freshness hand in hand.

  The breakfast routine was much like dinner, some people cooked, some organised cereal or toast and others got the clean-up job. I was on clean-up and funnily enough, so was Scott.

  The mood was sombre as people woke early after a late night, most still groggy and wearing their bed hair. I notice the partner swap girls from the bonfire the night before were both smiling to themselves as they worked. Both had numerous hickeys of varying sizes on their necks. I wondered which guy they had been with, or if they’d continued on the partner swapping trend further into the night.

  Mikayla appeared for the first time that morning freshly showered, her dark hair cascading down her back, perfectly sleek and shiny. She looked like she’d just stepped out of salon, not a tent.

  She walked over to one of the girls from the partner swapping couple who had beautiful blonde curls that framed her face perfectly, her green eyes practically popping off her face. She looked to be the younger of the two. Mikayla put her hand into her curls and pulled her in for a kiss, not a soft kiss but a passionate, ‘I want to devour you kiss’.

  “Good morning Skye,” Mikayla said as she not so gently or subtly squeezed Skye’s breast. “I hope you had fun last night, I certainly did.” Mikayla gave the crimson Skye another kiss and sauntered off. I was standing there my mouth gaping, trying to look busy standing in the middle of the bonfire area. I caught Scott’s eye and he was smirking a little, his eyes held a wicked spark as he gauged my reaction. I smiled at him then shrugged my shoulders and headed off to the shower block. I was still blushing from what I had seen Mikayla do when I turned the water on.

  Everyone gathered at the bonfire at ten and we were giving instructions for a unique hiking trip. The main rule was there was to be absolutely no talking. We were all given a small slip of paper picked from a hat, some were blank and others had instructions for tasks they needed to perform whilst we hiked. There was also no physical contact unless it was necessary for a task to be completed. Everyone needed to either participate or watch each task, so we would have to find a way to signal to the people in front without speaking. We were not to return back to camp until each task was finished. Mikayla said it was a lesson in unspoken communication and to learn to trust each other. I checked my slip which simply said, ‘remain calm, no matter what happens, one shall be chosen for Him’. I tucked it into my pocket, feeling a little uneasy. Another rule was no mobile phones or any watches that had GPS capabilities, a tub went around and everyone threw in their phones and watches.

  Once the tub was secured we stood in a circle, everyone looking to Mikayla for further instructions. Mikayla held my left hand and Scott my right.

  Mikayla bowed her head and closed her eyes, everyone in the group did the same. I waited until everyone had closed their eyes and at the last minute left mine open. I wanted to see what happened next, after all, I was the only one in the group that I knew of that hadn’t ever been on a youth group camping trip.

  Everyone remained still and silent for a few minutes, I watched Mikayla intently, she didn’t move, except for her mouth moving slightly, like she was mumbling something. Suddenly I felt a surge of energy run through my left hand, through my body and into Scott through my right hand, and I watched as it rippled throughout the circle.

  What the hell was that? I thought to myself. I turned to look at Scott who was looking at me with such intensity I didn’t know how to interpret it. I didn’t like the feeling that was within me, it felt like someone else was in my head. I whispered to Scott asking him what had just happened. My mouth moved but nothing came out. Scott eyes pleaded with me to calm down and he gave my hand a reassuring squeeze. I still didn’t like the feeling that I had, a sense of dread was growing. Had I made a mistake coming here this weekend knowing that there would be no adult supervision? He pointed towards the others who had dispersed from the circl
e and were walking in single file down a narrow bush track. Mikayla stood back from the others eyeing Scott and I warily and I wanted to punch the small smirk that she wore off her face.

  Reluctantly I followed, my heart thumping in my chest and I wondered what I had gotten myself into. I wished I’d asked more questions before I’d agreed to come.

  As we walked my mind whirled with possible scenarios. I managed to keep up despite that storm that was raging in my head. I thought about Mikayla, who could do much more than control fire. My thoughts returned to Mikayla possibly being a witch. Did they really exist? How could I really answer that knowing I could move water, was that witch craft? Even if it wasn’t I was starting to accept the fact that there was elemental magic all around me and something much more. Something that didn’t feel calm. Something that I couldn’t quite put my finger on.

  I realised that I hadn’t asked my mother nearly enough questions when she had come to me to explain her earth element ability. She most likely could do a lot more than make things grow. I also hadn’t wanted her to know about my water ability and I now realised what a bad idea holding back that information had been. Maybe if I’d confided in her she might have felt able to confide more in me.

  I sighed, although no sound came out, just the whoosh of air.

  I looked up and saw that I’d managed to fall behind a little so I jogged ahead to catch up. We hiked for another thirty minutes the only sound our footsteps crunching through the dry bush. We had been banking up a steep gradient and I’d over taken a few of them as we reached a flat clearing filled with boulders and large rocks. I looked around for Scott as people passed around water bottles.

  He wasn’t anywhere. I went back to where the path had come into the small clearing to see if I could see or hear him coming up the path. I didn’t remember passing him at all, I was too preoccupied with my thoughts to notice much of anything.

  I ran to the next section of the path and took off away from the group. I heard them clamouring after me. Desperately I searched for Scott and eventually I stopped, gasping for air. A few minutes later the group caught up with me, Mikayla in the lead as usual.

  She raised one eye brow at me and smirked and it finally dawned on me that she had another reason for befriending me. Her obvious contempt for me oozing out of her with just the one look, I wondered how I had not seen it before now.

  I stared right back at her, refusing to look away when I noticed Scott pushing past people to get to the front. He looked from me to Mikayla and back to me again, his brow furrowed.

  I raised my arms in a questioning gesture and pointed to my eye then back to him. He interpreted fast, immediately understanding what I was trying to tell him. He pointed into the bushes and then made a gesture like he was holding a hose…in front of his pants.

  I smiled, and wanted to laugh, he’d gone to pee in the bush. I visibly relaxed and I would have laughed at the absurdity of the situation if I had been able to. I gave Mikayla a death stare and resumed my place in the back of the line.

  When I could talk again I wanted to know what her problem with me was.

  I watched as Scott stood in front of Mikayla and they stared at each other. It looked like they were deep in conversation. Their facial expressions changing but their mouths remained still. Scott took off in front of Mikayla and stomped into the bush, the path had narrowed out and you had to keep up with the group to make sure you could see where you were going.

  I was still reeling at the thought that Mikayla really disliked me, and knew that our entire ‘friendship’ had been manufactured. I wondered if she knew that I could move water before I had. I wondered why it would even matter to her. I questioned the reason we moved here, my father had been offered the job here not applied for it. We’d still be in the city waiting for what little time with him we could get. Maybe it was a little convenient that Mikayla’s Uncle was his boss. For a second I questioned the motive behind Scott’s intentions as well, but dismissed them before the fear sitting in the pit of my stomach could grow.

  A commotion in front of me brought me thumping back to reality as I walked into the back of curly blonde haired girl. I apologised before remembering that I couldn’t speak. I looked around her to see her raven haired friend fighting with another girl.

  I’d never seen two girls fight before, for a few moments I watched in silent awe as they fought in a frenzy of weird quiet and vicious punches and slaps. Coming to my senses I pushed past everyone who was just as stupefied as I had been and tried pull them apart. Raven Hair turned on me and punched me square in the stomach. I landed on my backside, all the air gone from my lungs. My anger flared and I stood up again and grabbed her by her hair, pulling her off another girl I recognised but didn’t know her name. I pulled her hair until it entwined in my fingers and her face contorted with pain. I put my face against hers and willed her to calm down. I felt my familiar heat burning in me, and knowing there was no water in sight, I didn’t know what type of energy I was desperately trying to control. I was punched in the stomach with such viciousness I lost what little control I had. Her eyes widened with fear as she felt the pulses of energy reach in to her from me. Her face went white, her eyes rolling in the back of her head and she slumped to the ground in front of me, my hand still entwined in hair. I pulled back in shock. I only wanted her to calm down, but my anger had triggered another reaction inside me.

  Mikayla stepped forward, pushing me aside, although when she felt to see if the young girl was alive, she looked at me her eyes dark, but nodded once. I figured that meant she was alive, I didn’t even know what I had done to her. I knew I felt a similar energy that I did when I moved water, but it was different too, far more intense and wild. I hadn’t been able to control it.

  Scott came forward and picked up the unconscious girl and began to carry her down the path. He didn’t look at me or even try to reassure me and I felt my eyes prickle as I held back tears. I moved to go with him but Mikayla held me back, digging her fingers painfully into my arm. I desperately tried to rip my arm free from her grasp before she slapped me hard across the face. I fell to the ground and reached up and rubbed my cheek. I held her stare and got up quickly ready to fight. Looking around I noticed that everyone had moved in closer to us. Looking into their faces I knew I didn’t stand a chance in a fight with Mikayla, especially not with her minions read to back her up.

  I looked towards the path that Scott had taken, desperate to be with him and find out what the hell was going on. Instead I fell into line behind Mikayla when she gestured me to do so. She obviously didn’t trust me not to run off to Scott if I was at the back of the line and she was right not to.

  Tears threatened to spill down my face, I was so confused at this whole situation. I had no idea what the hell was going on. I kept my eyes to the ground, I was not going to give Mikayla the sick satisfaction of watching my silent tears fall. I knew now she much she would enjoy them.

  She didn’t just dislike me, she hated me. Loathing radiated off her in palpable waves. I shook my head wondering how I could have been so blind to it. Things started to add up in my head, so many coincidences and her just happening to show up at the right time and then seemingly disappear for days on end.

  I wondered if she had managed to arrange my class timetable to keep an eye on me. If only I knew what she was looking for, what she wanted from me. I wished I’d listened to what Krystal had been trying to tell me when she had tried to talk to me at the lake. Although with the influence of Mikayla I probably wouldn’t have listened anyway. Now it looks like that was her plan the entire time, after all she had managed to keep me from finding out what Krystal had so desperately wanted to tell me.

  CHAPTER 16

  An hour later everyone was puffing and sweating, most of us had large sweat patches down our backs. We hadn’t stopped, not even for a breather, Mikayla was trying to push us all to our limits. I was grateful that I had kept up my running but I knew I would be still be sore tomorrow.

&n
bsp; We reached the top of the hill and the ground levelled out. Mikayla stood at the edge of a massive boulder looking down into the valley below. The view was absolutely breathtaking and if I hadn’t of been so wound up I would have appreciated it so much more. Primfield was in the distance, surrounded by bushland and farming country. I wish I’d brought my camera with me.

  Mikayla raised her hands dramatically and everyone knelt forming a circle around her. Everyone except for me. Mikayla came and stood in front of me, her green eyes glowing and her long black hair falling over her face in the gentle breeze. I stood eye to eye with her and again she slapped me across the face, this time I managed to stay on my feet.

  “Are you sure you’re strong enough to take more?” she asked with a smarmy grin on her face.

  I looked around, hoping that someone would help me. I was no longer here willingly and Mikayla knew it. Again I stared her down my whole body tensed for another slap. Instead she reached her hand behind my head and pulled me close to her by my hair, so that her mouth was next to my ear.

  “He doesn’t love you, you know. No matter what he said to get you into bed. He can’t love anymore.” Then she punched me in the stomach doubling me over and making me retch. I was bent over and still struggling to catch my breath when she pulled me down to my knees by my hair. “You will watch.”

  As much as I wanted to stand up to her and not kneel before her I didn’t try and get up again. I hated myself for it; for not having the power or the courage to stand up to her. But I also knew I was nowhere near a match for her or anything she could possibly do. Thinking of the saying that my mother had always told me, ‘keep your friends close and your enemies closer’ I backed down and went into self-preservation mode.