Home in Your Arms (17 page)

“I…I’m not sure what’s going to happen to you once I’m gone.
If I had stayed, I’m sure you would have been moved to another compound where
our paths wouldn’t have crossed.”

He huffed. “That’s convenient.”

His anger was making her head spin. How could he have
forgotten the love and passion they shared? Was it not real? She stood, unable
to take any more of his hatred.

“Goodbye, Ian. I’ll never forget you.”

She leaned over and kissed his forehead. When he didn’t
fight her, she moved lower to his lips. She put her heart into that kiss,
sending him the love she felt for him before pulling away. A single tear fell
and landed on his chest before she turned away from him.

She held her head high and left the room without looking
back. She wouldn’t be that girl even though it was killing her. Andrew waited
outside the room and pulled her into a hug when he saw the sorrow on her face.

“I tried.”

“I know.”

He kept his arm around her and led her away from the room.
As they left, she could have sworn she heard Ian yelling but she ignored it. He
was probably asking for Miki again and she couldn’t handle it.

“Do you want to talk about it?”

She shook her head. “No. I just want to go back to my room
and change my clothes and wait until it’s time for me to leave.”

Andrew was silent and didn’t ask any more questions though
she knew he wanted to. She couldn’t talk about it right now but she would leave
him a letter explaining what happened with Ian. It was the best she could do.

A few hours later Lexi stood at the portal. It swirled and
spun as they waited for it to turn teal. Sully informed her it wouldn’t be safe
to enter until it changed colors. If she were to step in a moment too soon, she
might end up in a different realm and never find her way home.

She took a moment to look around. Everyone she cared about
was there except for Ian. Though she was still sad, it warmed her heart to see
everyone getting along. If she wasn’t mistaken, there was even a romance
blooming between Carter and Colleen. They would be good for each other and he
already adored her baby. He had even convinced her to leave the Wooden Brothel
to work in Sapphire City as a seamstress.

King Loren took her by the hand and said, “It’s time. When
you step through the portal, it will take you back to Oklahoma. The engineers
have also arranged for your house to be just as it was before the tornado. You’ll
still have to cast a spell to make the people there forget about it, though,
but your magic will work there as it does here.”

That was one thing she was going to have to get used to back
in Oklahoma. She would have to be careful and make sure no one knew of her new
gift. It was something that would be feared or, worse than that, something that
people would want to try to study making her a freak show.

She hadn’t voiced her fears to anyone, though. If they knew
she would face risks in her realm, they would try to stop her from leaving.

She nodded and said, “Thank you, Father.”

“Are you sure you won’t stay, Lexi? We could find a way to
make it work…”

“No. I just can’t. But if you need me, you know where to
find me.”

Her magic tied her to Sinoda. If they needed her, they only
had to go to the Veiled Room and seek her help. She would be back in the realm
by the end of the first night after summoning her.

He smiled at her. “Always in my heart, my daughter.”

She threw her arms around him, hugging him tight. Hank and
Brian were next, both kissing her cheeks until she cried at the love she felt.
Sully stood a few feet away and simply bowed. She understood, though. He didn’t
want to be overcome by emotions.

Carter pulled her into a hug and whispered, “Thank you for
freeing me, my lady.”

“It was my pleasure, Carter.”

Colleen gave her a quick embrace and said, “You would have
been my best girl at the brothel what with your magical skills.” Then she said,
“Thank you for ensuring my baby will have a good life.”

Andrew was last. “I could come with you, if you wanted.”

He was willing to leave his home just to make sure she was
happy. Images of the life they could share as friends crossed her mind but she
knew he would never be at home in Oklahoma.

Tears began to fall down her face and she replied, “I need
you to look after him when I’m gone. Make sure he’s taken care of.”

He nodded and kissed her on the cheek before stepping back.
She took in a deep breath before stepping through the portal. For a moment, she
thought she heard Ian yelling her name but before she could look, she was
pulled through to the other realm.

Everything became a blur as time and space collided. She saw
things she never thought possible in the cosmos between the lands. Things long
forgotten stared at her as she crossed into the other realm and she knew she
would never be the same again. She heard a loud popping sound right before she
began to lower from the sky.

The humid air hit her in the face and she knew that a
cyclone was close. Her body hummed as she wooed the storm into calming down.
The people of Oklahoma didn’t deserve to see another tornado so soon. She
entered the middle of the funnel and could feel the winds dying down. It, too,
didn’t want to hurt anyone.

Her feet finally touched the ground and she found herself in
her backyard. Just as her father had promised, her house stood as she had left
it. She opened the back door and laughed. Apparently the engineers had decided
to make some upgrades. Everything was brand new on the inside as if they were
giving her a fresh start. She took in a deep breath.

Now all she had to do was learn to live without Ian in her
life.

Lexi waved to her neighbor as she finished her nightly jog.
She had been home for exactly two months now and had fallen into a routine. She
woke up, worked from home, ate, exercised and then went back to bed. But that was
all that it was. She was just going through the motions. And now…now she didn’t
know what she was going to do.

She opened her front door and stopped in her tracks. Ian’s
scent filled the house until it was hard to breathe. Her heart began to pound
as she went into the kitchen. Ian was leaning against the counter as if he had
been to her house a million times. He wore his black combat pants and green
t-shirt reminding her of the first time they had met.

There was something different about him, though, something
that hadn’t been there before. He was stronger now, stronger than he had ever
been. She started to reach out for him but stopped.

“Is everything okay in Sinoda?”

Her father had told her the only way a Sinodaian citizen
could come to her realm was if she was desperately needed. That had to be why
Ian was there but was it the only reason?

His brows lifted and he said, “I suppose I deserve that.”

He took a step toward her and she held up her hands to stop
him.

“What are you doing here?”

He took another step and put his hands on her shoulders, “I
tried to stop you before you left through the portal. Didn’t you hear me calling
your name?”

Her dreams had been filled with nothing but the sound of him
yelling her name. Over and over she had dreamed about it and each time she woke
up feeling like a wound had been ripped open.

“I… I wasn’t sure if that was real.” She swallowed and then
asked, “Ian…what are you doing here?”

“I was such an ass. You have to believe me when I say that I
had no control over my actions. It was the damn side effects of the Enchanted
Fields.”

She tried to take a step back but was blocked by her table.

“I never doubted that, Ian. What I did doubt was how you
felt about me.”

“I know and I hate myself for that. When you came to see me
before you left, it was as if I could see you through a thick fog. When you
kissed me, the fog vanished. And when your tear landed on me, I was healed.
Everything was so clear in that moment that it took my breath away.”

“Why didn’t you try to stop me right then?”

“I did but no one believed me. They all thought it was just
a trick so I could escape. I trained my men well, though, and they put up a
good fight, which is partly why it took so long for me to come and find you.”

Hope was starting to blossom in her chest but she tried to
fight it. It would kill her if he weren’t there for the reason she needed him
to be.

“And why did it take you two months to come and find me?”

“Because I had to convince everyone that I was worthy of
you. And I had to confess to my sins. It’s partly my fault that your mother
died, Lexi. If I hadn’t been with Miki that day, I could have stopped Ricki and
Vicki from capturing her and killing her.”

She shook her head. “I think we can all agree that they
would have done whatever it took to capture my mother. You just happened to be
there and became a pawn in their game. And I am sure my father agrees or you
wouldn’t be here.”

An image of King Loren listening to Ian confessing crossed
her mind. As she thought, her father had been more than understanding. He had
figured the truth out years before and held no hard feelings toward Ian. His
only regret was that his wife had not been saved but it had been unavoidable.

Ian’s lips lifted into a smile and he said, “There are a lot
of people who love and care about you in Sinoda. We all want you to come back
and not just because there is a threat of a new Witch rising.”

Her dreams had been correct then. For the last month, she
had dreamed of a young Witch who had discovered that apples changed for her.
She had taken the basket of apples and fed one to a woman from her village. The
two had been rivals, both beautiful but the Witch felt the other woman would
surpass her soon.

After eating the apple, the poor woman had fell into a deep
slumber and the young Witch had fled in shame. Though she had not turned to the
darkness yet, Lexi knew that she walked a thin line. If the people of Sinoda
had sensed her powers then they must be growing, which meant that her people
needed her.

“So you came to take me back to Sinoda to save the realm?”

He was still for a moment before speaking, “I’ve gone over
this moment a thousand times in my head and each time it comes out different.
Lexi…I was such an ass. If you won’t come back to Sinoda because of me then do
it for your friends.”

“Because they love and miss me?”

“Yes. But know this…none of them love and care about you
like I do.”

Goose bumps popped up all over her skin as he said the words
she had been waiting so long to hear.

She said, “Say it again.”

“I love you, Lexi, and I can’t live without you. I will go
wherever you want to go because your arms feel like home to me. As long as we
are together, my life will be complete. Please tell me I’m not too late.”

He spoke from the heart and his thoughts surrounded her much
like her own thoughts had when he was with Miki in the tower. The love and
passion he felt took her breath away and she blinked away the tears that filled
her eyes.

She looked up at him and said, “There is one thing I need to
know before I answer you. Do you remember anything that happened in Miki’s
tower?”

His face clouded. “I didn’t at first but I do now.”

“Do you remember how I defeated her?”

“You surrounded me with your love and it killed her. I saw
every moment that we shared together as you saw them. I had no idea I could be
loved like that.”

She reached up and caressed his cheek, “Do you remember the
last thought I sent to you before she died?”

He nodded and she could tell that he did remember.

“What if I told you that one of my new powers is seeing the
future? That my dream I shared that day was more than just a dream?”

“Are you…are you saying what I think you’re saying?”

She nodded. “Yes.”

Joy and happiness surrounded her and her stomach fluttered
in excitement. Even her little one could tell how excited Ian was.

“We must return to Sinoda at once. I can’t imagine raising
our child anywhere else.”

She pulled him close and whispered, “I love you.”

He caught her lips in a kiss and replied, “And I you.”

“Now, let’s go home. I have a realm to save and news to tell
our friends.”

The wind chime in the tree began to blow wildly as the wind picked
up, causing it to sing its heart out. This time the song was a happy one but
also a song of goodbye. Her time in Oklahoma was over and it was now time for
her to go to the place she truly belonged. The scent of rain drifted toward her
through the open window and the blue sky turned gray.

In the distance, a tornado began to lower though the sirens
didn’t go off. This storm would only be there for a moment and its only path
was right in front of her little house. Lexi took Ian by the hand and they went
outside and waited. As it got closer, she grinned.

“Hello, old friend. Take us home.”

The tornado swirled around them, lifting them into the air
and Lexi held onto Ian. She protected them using her love and hope for their
future. Never again would Sinoda go without a female in the palace and the
magic that flowed through her veins would pass on from generation to
generation.

She kissed Ian as they crossed through the portal that would
take them back to Sinoda. Already news was spreading of her return. She grinned.
Anything was possible with love on your side and she was finally home.

She whispered into Ian’s ear as they began to descend, “There’s
no place like home.”

Sarah Bale’s family always knew she was destined to write romances
when they saw the elaborate stories she created for her Barbie dolls as a
child. Throughout middle school the writer inside Sarah began to bloom. At
fifteen she penned her first book, which will never see the light of day if she
has any say.

When Sarah is not writing she enjoys spending time with her
family and friends. To keep her creative juices flowing she attends WWE live
events–who wouldn’t be inspired by all those muscles! She resides in Oklahoma
and doesn’t plan on leaving any time soon.

Sarah welcomes comments from readers. You can find her
website and email addresses on her
author
bio page
at
www.ellorascave.com
.

Tell Us What You Think

We appreciate hearing reader opinions about our books. You
can email
the
author
directly or you can email us at
[email protected]
(when
contacting Customer Service, be sure to state the book title and author).

Fighting
for Desire

Ellora’s Cave Publishing

www.ellorascave.com

Home In Your Arms

ISBN 9781419991950

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

Home In Your Arms Copyright © 2014 Sarah Bale

Edited by Victoria Reese

Cover design by Kelly A. Martin

Cover photography by Valua Vitaly, O.V.D., Elena Blokhina, Oleg
Senkov

Electronic book publication August 2014

The terms Romantica® and Quickies® are registered trademarks of
Ellora’s Cave Publishing.

With the exception of quotes used in reviews, this book may not
be reproduced or used in whole or in part by any means existing without written
permission from the publisher, Ellora’s Cave Publishing, Inc.® 1056 Home
Avenue, Akron OH 44310-3502.

Warning: The unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this
copyrighted work is illegal. No part of this book may be scanned, uploaded or
distributed via the Internet or any other means, electronic or print, without
the publisher’s permission. Criminal copyright infringement, including
infringement without monetary gain, is investigated by the FBI and is
punishable by up to 5 years in federal prison and a fine of $250,000. 
(http://www.fbi.gov/ipr/). Please purchase only authorized electronic or print
editions and do not participate in or encourage the electronic piracy of
copyrighted material. Your support of the author’s rights is appreciated.

This book is a work of fiction and any resemblance to persons,
living or dead, or places, events or locales is purely coincidental. The
characters are productions of the author’s imagination and used fictitiously.

The publisher and author(s) acknowledge the trademark status and
trademark ownership of all trademarks, service marks and word marks mentioned
in this book.

The publisher does not have any control over, and does not assume
any responsibility for, author or third-party websites or their content.

Discover for yourself why readers can’t get enough of the
multiple award-winning publisher Ellora’s Cave. Be sure to visit EC on the web
at www.ellorascave.com to find erotic reading experiences that will leave you
breathless. You can also find our books at all the major e-tailers (Barnes
& Noble, Amazon Kindle, Sony, Kobo, Google, Apple iBookstore, All Romance
eBooks, and others).

www.ellorascave.com