Secret Worlds (307 page)

“Give me your hands,” he commanded in a sharp tone. I handed them to him, not breaking from his stare. His hands tingled and buzzed with energy, like tiny prickles of vibrations. The sensation grew in intensity and moved up my arm, becoming more uncomfortable the further up it climbed. I saw the corner of his lip curl up, and I yanked my hands free from his grasp. His green eyes turned cold and darkened.

“Stick with the ritual, Jiren,” Joe’n hissed.

He peered over his shoulder with a smirk filled with disgust, then returned his attention to me.

“Look into my eyes,” he spoke bitterly.

Seeing as how I never took my eyes off his, it seemed rather redundant to say such a thing. He broke away from my gaze much quicker than I thought the others did. I bowed again. He didn’t so much as acknowledge it, instead returned to his seat with an exasperated sigh.

“So, she’s passed? Is she allowed to cross over?”

“Don’t get ahead of yourself, Marren,” Jiren said. “I have a few necessary things I want to know before we give our decision.”

“Such as?” Marren asked with that same not-so-hidden tone.

“You are aware of the laws. I’m not convinced that this girl is who she says she is.”

“I say she is. Not the other way around, and I refuse to discuss that matter further with you. I’ve said all I’ve had to say.”

“But has Relena?” Jiren asked.

“What do you mean?” I asked.

“What makes you think you are suited for him?”

“I don’t believe that heart songs work like that, but I don’t think I’m suited for him,” I paused at the air of pride and cunning stretch Jiren’s lips, “I know I am.”

His smile faded. “What makes you think you are his heart song?”

“What makes you think I’m not?” I asked evenly.

“You tread deep waters, I would mind my tongue if I were you,” he said with an edge in his voice.

“Well, it’s a damn good thing I’m not you,” I said, quick with my retort.

He approached me quickly, stopping directly in front of me. Joe’n and Blyl stood from their chairs and even Marren let out a warning growl that frightened me. I wasn’t aware he could do that.

Jiren glared into my eyes and said, “You can fool the others, but you cannot fool me!”

“I would have to be hiding something to be fooling anyone,” I said.

His eyes glinted light from within, a hungry and evil smirk stretching his lips. His gaze shifted to Marren. Calmly he said, “She may join you. Be warned, she will have to face the other Ancients, and she must pass the test.”

He returned to his seat.

“Fine. When she passes, you know what will happen,” Marren warned and bowed to the Ancients once more.

“It was lovely to meet you,” I said and bowed as well. Marren and I turned on our heels, walking out in the same manner we entered.

I sat on the floor in front of the fire place and stared as the flames licked the walls of the surround. I soaked up the heat, letting it seep into me and soothe the aching that still remained from the intense workout the night before. I was trying to relax myself to better prepare for the upcoming change that seemed closer than before. Sunset came upon us. The moment I would change remained undetermined. The cramps happening during the daytime were a shock to Marren. We decided it was due to me being changed by him, being his heart song, and being bitten during the blue moon.

Something fell on my shoulder, jarring me from my relaxed state. I shrugged off the weight and then a painful groan fell on my ears. I turned to find Marren picking himself up off the floor in front of the cracked door that hung half off its hinges.

“Oh no, Marren! Are you—how did I do that?” I was caught off guard as soon as the realization I was responsible dawned on me.

“The change has been coursing through your body before you actually turn. Your strength has already evolved.” He stood, stretched his shoulders and neck then took a fighting stance.

“Seriously, you want to spar? Now?”

His lips pulled taut, revealing bright white teeth, the thrill of his intentions gleaming in his eyes.

“Marren,” I said, pleading to no avail.

He lunged at me. I jumped out of the way before he reached me, sending him sliding into the fireplace, chipping a piece of the marble off.

He picked himself up. “Come on, Relena. Don’t you want to play?”

“Any other day maybe, but I’m in pain, I’m scared, and the last thing on my mind is trying to break every bone in my body before I change.”

“You won’t break anything.” He ran at me, this time much faster, tackling me to the floor. A loud crack and a sharp pain entered my ribs, and I hit my head hard against the floor, leaving a spot filling with blood, despite a lack of pain. I kicked him off me and tried rolling to my side to get up. He overpowered me, pinning my legs in between his and my arms above my shoulders. “See?”

I panted, trying to push the wave of desire back, not wanting to change in the middle of that above all. I tried to struggle from under him. He held me in place, chuckling under his breath at my feeble attempts to break free. A light shone in his onyx eyes that I didn’t catch before. His smile faded as his gaze softened, and he gently touched his lips to mine. Slowly, his kiss deepened, becoming harder, more feverish. He released my hands, sliding his down the length torso to my waist. In one thrilling swoop, he lifted me to my feet.

“Something has you in a lighter mood tonight,” I said.

“I’m simply experiencing the euphoric effect you have on me.”

“I hate you,” I teased.

“Why?” It came out in his chuckle.

“You have a beautiful world, a beautiful language, such amazing, beautiful things to say to me, and that makes me feel inadequate. I don’t have a beautiful world to give you or a beautiful language, and my words are plain compared to yours.”

“Relena, you gave more than you can ever possibly understand. You don’t need fancy words, a different language, or a different world to be adequate for me. I’m the one who should feel that way. I’m the inadequate one. I say those things not just because I mean them but also because anything less would not be worthy of you. What you gave me is beyond what words can say. Your gift is the rarest beauty, the most sacred of all…You gave me yourself.”

As he spoke, his words touched me. My heart fluttered. I focused through the tears filling my eyes as I reached eager fingertips to his lips. I slid my hand along his face to the back of his head, closing the space between us. I paused before my lips connected to his and whispered, “I love you.”

He squeezed me, bringing my lips to his. Our emotions, for the first time, were aligned. With the way it seemed, I was sure a light shone between us, like a sun, that filled the room and flowed down the hall, over the balcony, and into the world, spreading the light of our love.

But the dark side of our love shadowed our moment in the form of a painful cramp, like a dozen blades slicing across my torso, coursed throughout my body. My skin seared red hot as though layers were peeled off. I couldn’t move. The hurt was too much. I was forced under the weight of the pain and held under as the change ripped through me.

When my skin seemed to no longer cover my bones, the sensation of acid poured on me took over. The fire coursed through my veins until nothing remained but ash and bone. Even then, the pain didn’t stop as every section of bone was shattered by boulders. Once I had no more to be consumed, the pain ripped through me again, starting over from the beginning, with the sensation of peeling muscle and skin, taking the layers one at a time, and as slowly as possible, so that the pain turned bittersweet.

Marren said I wouldn’t die, but I wished I would. The pain was incomparable to anything I had ever experienced before. I wanted it to end, to never experience pain again. Yet, it kept coming. I endured the continuous sensation of being consumed, piece by piece, for what I thought lasted like hours. Then an ease in the intensity. Until the pain ebbed, leaving me afraid to move for fear it would rush back through me again.

Marren’s hands smooth over my body. I became aware of my surroundings. Instead of standing, I lay with my eyes closed and in bed.

You aren’t dead
waya
, you survived,
Marren’s voice entered my mind.

You hear my thoughts?

I didn’t know until you thought you were dead.

Huh. Can everyone hear my thoughts now?

No. I can’t hear Enid’s nor can he hear mine.

But Joe’n spoke to me.

Did she?
He sounded surprised, even in my head.

In my mind, yes.

What did she say?

She told me to not fear. I had a pure heart and soul.

She can speak to you, but you cannot speak to her. It is something she does to ease those in pain, worried, sick, or to convey a private message. I doubt it works all the time. You need to be open to it.

There is still so much I don’t know, and I fear I will never fully understand your world.

You will, someday.

We laid in silence, curled into each other. I thought about Marren, and the way we share our emotions when we touch. He probably experienced the same thing.
Are you okay?

Yes, why?

You experience what I feel…

What I share with you is more emotional pain, rather than physical. I’m more concerned with you and how you are holding up.

I’m not looking forward to the change anymore.

His body shook. I tensed, afraid of pain.

I warned you the change would be painful.

Yes, but you didn’t tell me it would be that much.

I didn’t know. It’s been many years since I first changed, and the pain is a faded memory to me. I can’t remember much of it.

You weren’t born—

Like this? No. I was born looking like a normal human child until I reached the first blue moon of my adolescence. There was a ceremony held to celebrate my coming into manhood. As the years passed by, each change brought less and less pain. I honestly don’t remember anything like what you went through. I’m so sorry.

His arms tightened around me. They were…the same. I didn’t know what I expected, but I thought everything would feel different somehow. I smiled to myself, grateful.

Relena, open your eyes.

I did. The light of the moon shocked me, illuminating everything as if it were day. I slowly stood from the bed then started for the balcony.
How long was I going through the change?

Several hours. I’m very impressed, though. You made very little noise. Just a few moans of anguish. With the amount of pain you were in, it would be nothing less than understandable to cry out.

I thought I screamed until my lungs were no more.

It’s not a pleasant experience. Think of it this way—your next time will be quicker and less painful. Not by much, but still…the degree will be less each time.

I turned to face Marren. He stood right behind me, and even then, he was terrifying and beautiful. “How do I look?”

“Like
waya uwoduhi
,” he purred his words while removing a strand of hair from my face and tucking it behind my ear.

“What does that mean? You’ve said it before, but you never told me the meaning.”

“Beautiful wolf.”

I smiled with a new sharpness in my teeth against my lips. I touched my lips then pulled my fingers back to find the tips tinged with blood.

“That’s not the only change you will experience.” He jumped up on the edge of the balcony then twisted to face me. “Let me show you the proper way to jump from the balcony.”

He dropped down, without making a sound. I peered over the edge to as he gazed up at me.

Come on,
his words whispered in my head.

I jumped up, landing in a kneeling position on the railing. On my inhale, I leapt off the edge, making a slight thump when I landed on the ground and then exhaled. I knelt lower, easily discerning each individual blade of grass, weed, and stone that jutted up from the ground. I took in each leaf on the bushes in the garden and on the trees. Everything had a faint aura.

“Amazing!”

“Yes you are. Come, run with me.” He held his hand toward me. I smiled as I took it.

I inhaled everything individually as I had the other day, not as a blend of scents but as each individual one. The trees didn’t blur by me, instead each remained crystal clear until we passed them. Every branch, limb, leaf, and blade of grass…
everything
was clear in my focus.

Straight ahead was a break in the trees and a ledge. The scent of water hit my nose before the roaring sound of the nearby waterfall hit my ears. I stopped right before the ledge to peek over and judged the distance. The fall would be suicide. Marren ran past me, flying into the air with his arms out from his sides and legs together. His body tilted down before diving into the water.

“Marren!”

Don’t worry. Jump.

How did the fall not kill you?

We can’t die quite that easy. Our bodies heal extremely fast. If you were human, the slam into the water alone would kill you. But, hit the angle right, and you won’t feel a thing at all.

If not?

It’ll sting but not for long.

I walked back a few paces, then kicked the dirt behind me, running at full speed into the air. I tried following Marren’s lead and form. I brought my hands to the water as the loud rush surrounded my body with a slight sting to my skin. When I surfaced above water, Marren disappeared behind a few trees. I ran after him, following the silhouette of his body until he froze in place.

Stop running! Marren shouted in my head.

Why? What’s wrong?

Hunters. If we catch their attentions, they’ll bring entire kingdoms swarming this place, killing everything in sight until they find us, and then do the same.

I continued at a stroll, the heavy scent of steel and sweat, mixed with pipe smoke filled my nose. Reaching Marren’s side, I took his hand as he led us away from the hunters.