Discovery at Nerwolix (49 page)

Reid curses and withdraws, his body falling
onto mine in one heavy heap. Eyes shut, he’s quaking with violent
aftershocks and I throw my arms around him, holding him to me. I’m
still panting from my own breathlessness when he finally slows, his
focus dropping to my face. A lump rolls down his throat before his
tongue runs the course of his lower lip, wetting it. For a moment
we just stare at each other, catching our breath. My chest rises
and falls and it takes a moment before I realize my right breast is
still exposed.

Reid puts the material back in place and
kisses the black peak. He rests his chin on it with a smile. An
enamored expression passes his features as we gaze at each for a
long moment. “I’m so in love with you.”

A warmth blossoms deep in my chest,
illuminating me with the same reverent force. I don’t know what to
say. I don’t even know if I’m even capable of words. How can I do
this? How can I leave him? It hurts—the love I have for Reid. Like
living in ignorance, not knowing what this feels like might be
better, because it’s too much to lose. I love Reid to the point
that I’m terrified of a life without him. And then that familiar
knot is growing, the panicked, achy feel returning again.

“I don’t want to go.”

“I know,” his smile is gone. “I don’t want
you to go either.”

“I wish we could stay here,” I whisper. I
touch his bottom lip and he closes his eyes. “Forever. I wish we
could live in this moment right now… I wish
this
was our
future.”

“Me too,” his opens his eyes. They flicker
between mine. “If I could, I’d find a way. I’d do anything to keep
you from leaving.”

I nod, fighting off the water shield
threatening to spill.

“But I’m going to be right here the second
you get back. I’ll be waiting from the moment you leave.”

“It’s three months.”

“And I’ll think of you every day…” he
shrugs, “…same as now.”

A tear escapes.

He catches it with his thumb and wipes it
clean. “I told you I’d wait as long as I need to. I’m not going
anywhere. You go and do what you have to. Learn what they want you
to know. And then you’ll come back. I’ll be right here
waiting.”

I want to tell him how much I love him, but
I can’t muster the words. I can’t summon the energy to do anything
other than look at him. I just want to see him, to hold his image
as long as I can. Because I know there’s only a limited number of
hours, minutes, seconds, that I’ll be able to do this. And I want
to spend every available moment breathing him in.

I’m not sure how long we’ve been lying here
when my eyelids grow heavy with fatigue. I try my hardest, forcing
myself to stay awake, to spend every last second with him. But the
stinging starts. I ignore it, focusing on his eyes, his lips. Sleep
is nothing compared to Reid. But then a deep heaviness descends and
I know the battle is lost.

***

“Fallon.”

I open my eyes.

I’m on Reid’s chest. His heartbeat thumps
below my ear, under the steady rise and fall of his torso. I have
one arm curled up next to my face and the other is tucked beneath
me. He’s got one arm locked over my waist, keeping me pinned to him
while his other hand is inches from mine. There is a red blanket
pulled up to my chin and I wonder briefly when he put that on
us.

“Fallon,” Clarence whispers again and I turn
to the curtain. He gestures over his shoulder. “Come on… it’s time
to go.”

In a minute
, I send through my
thoughts.

He nods and heads out.

I gaze up at Reid. He’s still asleep, his
lips parted, his breathing even. He’s in a deep, peaceful coma, far
from the struggles and anguish of the last few days—it’s the most
serene I’ve ever seen him. I’m going to take this image with me.
This one right here.
This
is what will get me through these
next three months—this picture of Reid asleep. When I’m lonely or
scared or just missing him so much that it hurts, I’ll keep coming
back to it.

I gently remove myself from his arms, climb
out of bed and start dressing. I should probably slow down and make
this last longer, but part of me wants to go ahead and get it over
with—the leaving part. A few minutes isn’t going to make a
difference but the sooner I’m gone, it’s like the sooner I’ll be
coming back.

Once I’m done dressing, I take a deep breath
and stand at the edge of the bed, looking down at him. When he
wakes up I’ll be gone. When they all wake up, I’ll be gone.

I lean down and kiss his forehead.

Reid stirs but remains asleep. With a final
look around the space and then back at him, I turn and head out of
the wooden abode, trying my best to keep it all in. I can’t cry. I
can’t do anything other than what I must, which is leave. When I
get outside, Clarence is here, leaning against the beginning of the
Eckle’s branch-bridge.

Looking up, he offers a slight smile. “Ready
kid?”

“As ready as I’ll ever be.”

“Well,” he offers his arm to me, “I guess
it’s time, then.”

It’s still early—a good few hours before
sunrise. I’m sure Clarence did this for a reason. Or maybe the
Lynzees are already here. It doesn’t matter. I’m leaving for Arosin
in a couple of minutes anyway.

Once we reach the ground, Clarence heads for
the open patch of land where Tucker had to battle the Horrop two
weeks ago. Sampson and Blovid are already there, waiting with the
Lynzees who flutter between them. As we approach, both Dofinikes
look up.

“Fallon,” Sampson’s mouth turns into a weary
smile. He steps closer, his hands behind his back. “How did you
sleep last night?”

It was one of the best nights of my life…
and one of the most painful. I was given the thing I wanted more
than anything—to finally hear Reid tell me how he felt, finally
admit that I was his. That I was what he wanted. I knew this
before, but hearing those words made it real for me. Reid loves me.
And I love him. But knowing we’ll have to spend the next three
months apart is like a knife to the gut. It’s longer than we’ve
known each other and even though it could be longer—a year, a few
years—anytime away from him is too much. Too unbearable. The
dichotomy of last night wasn’t lost on me, but Sampson doesn’t need
the details. “Fine.”

“Good,” he glances back to the Lynzees.
“That’s good. Well…” he inhales, glancing around. “Looks like it’s
that time.”

Clarence releases my arm. “We’ll see you
real soon kid.”

I start to say bye, but realize I don’t want
to say that to anyone. Not to Sampson, not to Blovid, not even to
Clarence. Because it’s not goodbye—not really. It’s see you later.
And I will. In a couple months I’ll be right back here.

The Lynzees float around my face, dancing in
front of my nose.

It is time you leave with us, Fallon. We
will take you to the Lost Princesses where they will educate and
instruct you.

On Arosin.

That is correct. Come, it is time.

Unsure what I’m supposed to do, I stand
still, looking past the Lynzees and to the three Arizal Dofinikes.
Each has a soft smile, but no one says anything. I think maybe I
could
say goodbye, or at least a quick, ‘I’ll see you soon,’
but I never get the chance. With the Lynzees circling my head, the
purple fog rises, surrounding everything, and suddenly,
Nerwolix—and my three friends—disappear completely.

I’m in the middle of nowhere.

That’s what it looks like, at least. There’s
nothing here. Nothing but dark red rock. Everywhere. It’s an
endless sheet under my shoes and it stretches to the colossal
rusted peaks in the far distance. Fat boulders of crumbled stones
break up the space, dotting the landscape every fifty feet and a
soft red wind whips past everything, dusting the horizon. It skirts
low, sending loose pebbles scraping against the cracked ground. I
crane my neck. The sky is mostly a light yellow but hints of blue
peek through in some places. It reminds me of the west. Like
Arizona or somewhere. I’ve never been, but I’ve seen pictures.

It is this way, Fallon.

The Lynzees fly forward, swirling past the
first boulder. I follow, hoping to find something else. Some trees
or a pond. Something other than the endless bleak red. But it’s
just more of the same. Is this where I’m going to be spending the
next three months? In a rusted, desolate wasteland?

I wish Reid was here. I just saw him and I’m
already breaking. How will I make it three months? I know I
shouldn’t yet, but I can’t help it—I’m already picturing him asleep
earlier and I revel in it. He’s probably still there, peaceful and
totally unaware I’ve left. He’ll find out soon enough. They all
will.

This way, Fallon. Please follow us.

But there’s nowhere to follow. It’s just
rocks. Peaks in some places—mostly the distance—but that’s it.
Where are these Lost Princesses? And where am I going to be
staying? There’s nothing here. Nothing but nothing. Just an empty,
open—

“You have arrived,” a voice says behind
me.

Startled, I spin and find myself staring
into a set of white eyes. They’re inches from mine, and sit in a
face that could be human. Except her skin is translucent; watery
almost. And glassy diamond hair flows over her bare shoulders,
covering her breasts and reaching to the top of her knees. It takes
a second before I realize she’s naked. Her only coverings are her
layered, ethereal hair which is braided in some parts with strands
of golden gossamer intertwined.

“Are you…”

“We are,” another voice says.

Again I spin and find a second mostly naked
woman just a few feet behind me. She looks to her left and a third
woman appears, identical to the first two.

“Do not be alarmed,” the one behind me
assures. I turn back to her and gulp. “We are here to help you, to
teach and guide you on the difficult road that lies ahead.”

“Difficult…” I lose my words. “You’re the
Lost Princesses?”

She smiles. “We have been sent by the Mother
for you, Fallon. It is imperative that you stay with us; learn from
us.”

“Why?”

“So fate may unfold as it must. You are
here, because you have come before, and will continue to come in
the future. It is the way,” she steps closer and the other two do
as well, their tight trio enclosing me. “Come. We must begin.”

Thank you for joining Fallon in her
adventure! Be sure to follow her and the others as the journey
continues in
Crusade Across Worlds
,
coming Spring 2015!

About the Author:

C.G.Coppola is a huge fan of Oreos, but not
so much oatmeal raisin. She loves the cold, but somehow still finds
herself in sunny Florida, where she grew up and obtained her
creative writing degree (go Noles!) Maybe one day she’ll migrate
north. New York would be nice. Or Amsterdam, perhaps. For now, she
lives with her boyfriend and entirely too much stuff in their
cramped two-bedroom apartment. She hopes this will change soon.

Connect with me online:

http://www.cgcoppola.com/

http://ninjallamaempress.wordpress.com/

@writercgcoppola

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