Arise (After the Reign Book 1)

by CK Dawn

  “Why? I miss an etiquette class or something?” He mocked. “Kidding.”

  She didn’t respond.

  “I had something to do. Conor didn’t. That’s all. Thought you two could get to know each other without me in the way. You come all the way down here to thank me?”

  “No.

  “Oh?”

  “I, uh, I do have a coffee date, though.”

  “See, it's official.” He seemed to be making an effort to be supportive, but there was something else laced in his voice. “Right?”

  “Yeah, can you believe it?” To Mira, it felt as though he wanted her to choose.

  “Congratulations.” He barely hid the disdain he held for Conor.

  Ignoring his sarcasm, Mira looked around the open space. It was a vast two-story room that looked like a catch-all on top of being a shop for working on vehicles, small machinery, and the like. Storage boxes were stacked precariously high next to two sets of lockers. Workbenches and utility bins were everywhere. And alongside a motorcycle lift housing Sawyer’s bike was a wheeled toolbox and small refrigerator. What really drew Mira’s attention was the make-shift bed tucked into its own sad little corner. “You sleep here?”

  “Temporarily, until I get my bike fixed without having to use magic.” He held up the borrowed coin. “I’m nearly there. Tell Laszlo thanks for me, would ya?” He tossed her the coin.

  “It’s a warehouse.” She said, putting the little piece of magic in her pocket for safe-keeping alongside her newly acquired golden rings.

  “It’s four walls and a dry floor, more than some places, less than others.” He admitted, possibly giving Mira a glimpse of what his life was like outside the Hollow.

  It gave her an idea. With a swirl of her hand, she pictured cozy walls and a doorway enclosing his bed. With just a thought, she glamoured it into being, creating a private space for him to sleep. “It’s not real, but--” She shrugged.

  “You’re not actually worried about me are you, Princess?” His smirk was so annoying.

  “Now wouldn’t that be silly?” She still regretted not taking him up on his deal to stop calling her Princess. “I think you’re right about one thing, though.”

  “Oh?”

  “You and I know two very different Mordecais.”

  “Mm.” For once, he agreed.

  “He could have at least given you a proper bedroom for all you do.”

  “I manage.”

  “I mean, you’re tasked with guarding his obnoxious and exasperating niece, after all.”

  “Oh I don’t know, she’s actually not so bad. Might even say she kind of grows on you.”

  “Like mold?”

  He gave a hearty full-throated laugh. “I wouldn’t go that far. More like,” he walked over and closed his toolbox. “Sunlight filling a forgotten space you didn’t know was missing such a thing.”

  What?! Her heart started pounding. Where the hell did that come from?

  “Okay, spill it, stalker.” He met her dumbfounded gawk with a cunning smile. As he crossed his arms over his chest, he leaned back against his workbench. “Why’d you need to find me anyway?”

  “Oh, uh,” she stalled. She wasn’t ready to ask him for the embarrassing favor yet. “I stood up to Finn today.”

  “Now that is worth celebrating!” Sawyer reached into the small refrigerator, pulled out two dark amber-colored glass bottles, and handed her one.

  “What is it?” Skeptical, she scrunched her nose.

  “Relax, it only looks like beer but it’s not. It’s root beer,” he shrugged. “Just non-alcoholic. Can’t get it anymore but a friend of mine still makes the stuff sometimes.” He took a sip and exhaled slowly, savoring the taste. “Try it. It’s bubbly and sweet. I think you’ll like it. I don’t share this stash with just anyone.” He started to raise the bottle to his lips but thought better of it. “Oh, here.” Tipping his bottle’s neck towards her’s, he clinked them together. “Cheers and congratulations on putting the Keebler Elf in his place.”

  With her free hand, she fiddled with the gold rings in her pocket as though they were good luck charms.

  He took a long greedy swallow. “Well? How did it feel?”

  Mira sniffed her bottle. A pleasant blend of sweet and spicy vapors hit her nose. “Well, actually, it felt,” she dared to take a sip and exhaled. “Good!” She drew out the word referring not only to the root beer but her courage with Finn as well.

  “Told you. But the elf isn’t why you’re here either, is he? You look like you’re on a mission.” Sawyer crossed his arms again and looked at her suspiciously. “You definitely have something to say, other than telling me your exciting Conor news.” He mocked.

  “You’re right, I do. I, uh, I need your help with that.” She took a long swig as if the root beer were liquid courage.

  “Ohhkaay.” He drew the word out, wary of her request.

  “My coffee date, you know at the end of the night, in case things um. Before I go, I’d like to know what it’s like, to, uh--”

  He tsked. “C’mon. Out with it or leave, stalker.”

  Before she lost her nerve, she held her breath, and blurted it out. “I’ve never been kissed!”

  Mira was humiliated. Class was moving monotonously slow, only adding to her torment. And Finn’s new and unusual silence was like waiting for the other shoe to drop.

  Spending her last agonizing minutes of school looking anywhere but toward the open window, she avoided Sawyer’s gaze. She couldn’t bring herself to look at him. Not after she’d run out on him last night before he could reject her ridiculous request. She had even slipped into the Spree that morning without him knowing. I’ve never been kissed. Show me what to expect? God! How embarrassing. I’m ridiculous!

  After what seemed like ten-thousand torturous hours, Professor Bradbury finally dismissed them for the day.

  Mira couldn’t escape fast enough. Gathering her books, she barely gave a moment’s thought to how nice it was that Finn wasn’t trying to trip her anymore. She fled toward the Mirror, not waiting for her escort.

  “Hey, slow down.” Sawyer ran after her, breaking the silence that had been lingering between them all day. He must have been mad that she was trying to ditch him again.

  Mira stumbled on a cobblestone sticking up higher than the rest in the street and lost her balance a couple of steps before returning to a brisk walk.

  In the distance, Finn and a few others hid their amusement and chuckled. Even though he left her alone after she’d stood up to him it appeared he was going to resort to torturing her from afar. He glared at her behind the laughter he encouraged from others at her expense, which was worse.

  She clung to the books against her chest even tighter. The pressure from the hard bindings pressing into her skin acted as a shield from their ridicule.

  “Mira, would you wait?” Sawyer pleaded with her.

  “Just don’t, Sawyer.” At the Mirror’s edge, she finally did stop and faced him. “No sarcastic remarks. Please, not today. I’m already mortified about what I said to you. I don’t need you rubbing it in.”

  “I, I wasn’t going to--” His soft demeanor turned to a cold stare as he noticed Finn and the others watching and whispering.

  Mira couldn’t bear the embarrassment or all the attention anymore. “I just can’t.” She turned to step through the Mirror but Sawyer was there to block her path.

  He held onto her forearms. “Mira, just...stop.” As soon as Sawyer touched her his steely glare turned to a look of desire. He brushed a rogue strand of hair off her face and pulled her close. Leaning in against her cheek he whispered, knowing the curious fae would still hear. “Yes.” His lips lingered on her skin and he squeezed her arms gently. “That’s all I was going to say last night, was yes.”

  Mira’s throat let out a small gasp. Their intimate body language was electric. She lifted her eyes to look at him. There was no sarcasm or cruel intentions when he looked back at her. He was being sincere and giv
ing the cruel crowd a good show, something to be jealous of, to envy. In that moment, he made them want her and want to be her. Jolts fired all through her body. She welcomed the sensation. Her fever soared. That, she attempted to bury deep inside, visualizing it as a small sphere of energy that she controlled and could choose to harness or ignore.

  Just then, she faced her hecklers with the same fierce Horseman glare as before. Finn’s smug expression turned to something that resembled fear and the others looked away as if caught watching something private.

  Keeping his body between her and the Mirror, Sawyer took the books from her still clenched fists and held her hands. Waiting until her hands relaxed, he never took his eyes from her. He wasn’t afraid. Once her grip loosened he stepped backward into the portal. “C’mon, these bastards don’t deserve any more of your attention.”

  “This was stupid. I’m stupid. I don’t know what I was thinking.” Mira started pacing the machine shop. Time was running out.

  “This was your idea. Remember?” Sawyer smirked at her nervous habit. “Hey, at least your fever’s gone, right?” He tried to reassure her.

  But she knew her fever wasn’t gone. She didn’t know how to explain that all the heat and turmoil had somehow bundled into a ball of energy and was in the core of her being, growing stronger, and waiting like the calm before the storm. It was only a matter of time before it blew.

  She stopped pacing and tried to breathe.

  “Mira, we don’t have to do this.” He pulled her from her thoughts and fears.

  “No, I know,” she took a deep breath, trying to focus on simple things instead of the fire slumbering inside her. C’mon. It’s just a kiss. A simple, little, kiss. She told herself. “Okay, I’m ready. Try again.”

  He took her hands and put them on his shoulders before placing his hands on her hips.

  She didn’t know what to do. Every movement of her body felt awkward and forced. She giggled uncontrollably again.

  He rolled his eyes and threw his hands in the air, giving up.

  “Nope, you’re right. This isn’t working. I can’t learn this way.” She was embarrassed and her heart was racing for some reason. “This is like trying to read instructions upside down and backwards. I’m a react-in-the-moment kind of girl. Instinctual. But with this, I have no instincts.”

  He scoffed, almost as if he didn’t believe her.

  “It’s hopeless. I’m hopeless!” She started to ramble and made excuses to stop. Uncontrollable tingles were firing up and down her body. “Everyone’s first real kiss is supposed to be awkward anyway right? Well, I’ve got that down. I don’t know why I wanted mine to be any different, to be perfect. I just,” she slowly turned to walk away. “Thanks anyway, Sawyer, for always putting up with me and my ridic--”

  Catching her off guard, he grabbed her wrist and pulled her back. He landed a kiss on her mouth and pressed the full length of his body against her. His arms surrounded her, drawing her even closer. His hands squeezed the concave curve of her waist above her hips.

  She gasped, and his soft full lips urged hers open. That time he didn’t guide her with preemptive words, telling her what she could do or what to expect. He simply acted and she reacted. Her senses heightened, thoughts and doubts receded, and her instincts kicked in.

  Their bodies were so close, pressed together from head to toe. The heat from his skin surrounded her as his tongue entered her mouth.

  Her left hand went up and traced the muscles of his arm and her right hand grabbed at the brown waves at the nape of his neck. She could feel his heart pounding against her chest and found herself deepening their kiss all on her own.

  When her fingernails grazed his skin and his hands gripped her hips again with an ardent yearning she hadn’t expected. His heartbeat quickened, hers was deafening. Their kiss was intense and...real? She ignored her silent epiphany, not wanting the moment to end from a shocking jolt of movement at her realization.

  His hands clenched into fists around the edge of her teal silk blouse, as though he was trying to stop himself from lifting the fabric and exploring her body.

  At that moment, she would have let him.

  He pulled away unexpectedly, and as quickly as their embrace began, it ended.

  “A kiss like that?” Breathless, he paused for a moment, maybe hoping for her to respond. Without pressing the issue further, he walked away toward the rack his motorcycle was on.

  As if waking from a dream she finally heard the footsteps coming down the hall that Sawyer must have already noticed. She didn’t have a response to his question, though. She just stood there, motionless, stunned with a blank look on her face.

  “You’ll do fine, Mira.” With his back turned, he started pulling his engine apart as though the kiss hadn’t happened or hadn’t meant anything.

  “Hey, gorgeous, there you are. Bean thought you might be down here, but I didn’t believe him.” Conor eyed Sawyer suspiciously. “Dean.” He greeted only as a formality.

  “Lane.” With a cold tone that would chill even the dead, Sawyer barely acknowledged Conor’s presence.

  Turning his attention back on Mira as though she were a prize he’d won, Conor asked the question she’d been anticipating. “Ready?”

  5

  Small Price to Pay

  Mira let out a contented sigh. The night had been perfect and she wanted to see him again. The morning couldn’t get there fast enough. Rolling over in bed, she read the time on her alarm clock for the tenth time. Barely 4:45 a.m. Restless, unable to sleep, she couldn’t stop thinking about him. Screw it! She flung her covers off and got up. Dressing in such a hurry she put on her clothes from the day before.

  Rushing down the hallway, she skidded to a halt just shy of the doorway. She was surprised to see the light on but elated he was awake. What am I going to say?

  “You’re up early.” Sawyer looked over his shoulder before giving her his back and returning to work on his bike’s motor. He couldn’t hide the disapproval laced in his voice. “Or are you just getting in?”

  Say something! She scolded herself.

  “Well, how’d it go?” He asked, in between twists and clicks of his socket wrench.

  She peered in, searching around the room, hoping they were alone. They were. Taking a deep breath, she let her instincts guide her. “It’s funny,”

  The clicks and clanks of his wrench slowed. “Oh?” He sounded almost glad that her date might have gone horribly awry.

  “I didn’t realize I’d know a real kiss when I felt one.” Her skin heated. Subconsciously, she ran her index finger across her lips. She could still feel his touch. Tingles shot through her body all over again.

  “Oh!” The turns of his wrench became quick and angry. “Shouldn’t you be with Conor, then?” He didn’t wait for her response, instead, he turned the key in the ignition and allowed the motor to roar. Louder and louder he throttled the engine, drowning out anything she might have wanted to say. Revving one last time the beast of a machine coughed from its exhaust pipe and died. “Why are you here, Mira!?” In the silence, he put the wrench down with a loud clank and looked at the blank wall in front of him. Oil and grit stained his forearms and hands. He clenched his fists, still refusing to face her. Eventually, he busied himself wiping them clean on a red shop cloth only to smear the grease even more.

  “You know, for being the brains of my little operation, you sure are dumb sometimes?” She stepped into the room and began walking toward him. “I wasn’t talking about Conor.”

  Sawyer’s spine straightened, he lifted his head, and all his movement stopped.

  “I didn’t kiss Conor. I don’t want to kiss Conor.”

  The rag in his hand slipped and floated to the ground.

  Gathering her nerve, she walked up, right behind him. She was so close she could feel the body heat radiating off his back. She could hear his heartbeat as it quickened. Reaching up, she trailed her fingers across his right arm and followed his tattoo down and around
his hard-earned muscles. Bolder still, her left hand went up his other arm and cupped his bicep under his sleeve. She squeezed.

  His breath caught and he turned his head to the side, searching for her face, making sure she was really there. She laced her fingers in between his.

  He leaned into her. “Mira,” Looking down at their interlaced hands then, he noticed the grime spreading to her clean pale skin. “This is probably a bad idea.” He confessed. But he didn’t let go of her hand and he didn’t move away.

  “This is probably most definitely a terrible idea.” She grabbed the collar of his shirt, turned him around, and pulled him into a kiss. As her tongue danced, she released his shirt and slowly moved her hands down his chest, resting her palms against his muscular pecs. Tugging on his lower lip, she leaned away only just, and whispered, “Do you want me to stop?” She couldn’t help but grin, already knowing what his answer might be. “Coffee with Con--”

  “Don’t you dare stop. And don’t say his name.” He demanded, kissing her with fervent lips. Maneuvering their bodies blindly, he sat down on a rolling bar stool and backed them against a wall between two sets of lockers, concealed from the open doorway.

  With her body held in place between his thighs, she took a moment and just hugged his neck and breathed in the moment. She held on tight.

  “I thought--” he tried to say.

  “Don’t think, not-the-brains-of-my-little-operation anymore.” She teased and cut him off.

  He chuckled against her.

  “I know my uncle only meant for me to have a little meaningless fun, not find something real. Something like this.” She admitted.

  “This is definitely a bad idea then, Mira.” Though his words objected to what they were doing, he gave a contented sigh, and hugged her even tighter.

  “I don’t care if this is a bad idea.” Mira shook her head against him.

  “Neither do I.”

  They both fell silent, immersed in their connection.

  Slowly, his hands went down to the small of her back but all his movement slowed to a crawl as hard cold steel met his gentle caress.