Chapter 7

CHAPTER SEVEN

ORION

W arm.

So warm.

The happy kind of warmth, as if sunbathing on the beach outside my hut on the Blonde Coast. A place I wanted to bring Miko so we could watch the sun rise and set. To hold his hand through lazy days, flirt with him in skimpy swimwear, enjoy our time together, be his mate, snuggle up to him in a bed without the threat of zombies, Lance, blood magi, or Dawn.

Let me make it happen…

I drifted through the rapidly fading nebula, snug as an assbug in a, well, an asshole. Happy to never remove myself just like those pesky bugs, to remain forever within the confines of this dream.

Not without Miko…

Done with sleeping, my eyelids slowly opened, allowing the light to creep in.

Too bright!

It took a few attempts to fully open my eyes, and a few more to adjust to the soft light flickering on a ceiling of hardpacked earth. The crackle of a fire made the only sound.

By the stars, where was I now?

I tried lifting my head, my neck as rigid as stone. I attempted to move my arms, my legs, but met heavy resistance. Strangely, I felt no pain.

Next, I licked my lips, trying to speak. No sound came out, my voice box on mute.

Very, very strange.

As I became more awake, I also became more aware of the tingling numbness across my body. Something covered me apart from my head, although my head tingled too. It seemed to be ice by the way it shimmered in the light. But I felt no cold, only warmth.

After a few more attempts at speaking, I gave up, searching for a new solution.

The yeti, Erna, did this to me. And she said she wanted me to be hers.

Oh, stars. Why did she have to say that? If I weren't so numb, my insides would be twisting with dread.

What was I going to do?

Heavy footsteps sounded to my left. My eyes strained to see the movement, getting nothing but the ceiling.

"Good to see you awake," Erna said, breathing heavily. "You'll be safe with me. I hope."

She hoped?

"If you survive."

Survive what?

"Goodbye for now, fae."

Her footsteps faded into the distance, leaving me alone with my thoughts.

The numbness failed to dampen a sudden rise in terror. It crawled across me like a thousand tarantulas, my frantic heartbeat too much to handle.

Pixie balls! What did Erna have planned for me? Whatever it was, it came with a world of hurt. Compared to her, I was a rag doll. Easily broken, far too fragile for those big hands.

I sent prayers to the stars again, begging them to save me.

Maybe I could bargain with the yeti, offer a favor for saving my life. Because she had. If not for her, I'd be in pieces right now. There had to be some bargaining nugget there.

Think hard. Think deeply, I told myself. And don't panic.

Okay. Yes. Good plan. Do not allow my fear to distract me. Focus, be at one with fabulous ideas. The stars handed me this opportunity to survive. They cannot throw their light on everything. Some of the work must come from me.

I closed my eyes, dumping my terror like a bucket of chum to the scythe-headed sharks of the Crispin Seas in eastern Faery. Yes. Let them feed on the fear, leaving me free to be a genius.

Well, to come up with a plan at least.

I didn't have much to bargain with. No riches, no magic gifts that might help a yeti. Aside from healing, but she didn't seem to be hurt.

Hmmm.

How about a lie? Tell her I knew the king and?—

Nope. Basil already tried that crap with Lance. Talk about an old, dusty idea. Anyway, I wasn't particularly good at fibbing under pressure. I'd quickly fluster myself, making matters worse.

I drew a deep breath, my mind a jungle of scattered thoughts.

They turned to Miko, an image of him quickly forming to sexy life.

No, no, no. As much as I loved thinking of him, he'd distract me, amplify the sadness of our distance.

My brain had other ideas, weaving together the Miko of the day we first met. Sort of. He stood there in his black cargo pants and stab-vest, his big arms folded as they often were, exuding grumpy energy. Only, he smiled. My goodness. Whenever he smiled, it gave his tawny-beige skin its own special glow.

I felt our entangled hearts, sensed his love and his strength as if he were here with me. Even smelled his earthy, spicy scent.

Thump, thump.

Thump, thump.

Stupid brain! Now the tears welled. I ached to run my fingers through his short black hair, fall into his incredible dark gaze, trace a finger across the stubble on his square jawline.

"I miss you," I said within this imagined world. " I miss you so much."

He continued to smile, my mate right there yet a million miles away.

"Oh, Miko…" I opened my eyes, unable to stand it.

Why did the mind have to play such cruel tricks sometimes?

Back to watching the ceiling, languishing in the awful silence and the warmth that became stifling. Full of dread, without a plan, totally lost.

Oh, Miko…

"Orion?"

His voice rolled through my mind, a stab of pain in my chest penetrating the numbness.

"Miko?" I answered. This couldn't be real. Another trick. Another trick. Another?—

"Is that really you?" he asked.

"By the stars!"

"Ori?" he said, using his cute nickname for me.

"Stop it," I chided myself. " Just stop it. "

Tears escaped. I didn't feel them trickle down my cheeks, but I experienced the sorrow of my mind's games.

"Leave me alone. Stop doing this to me."

Was this to do with Erna and whatever she'd smothered me in?

"Fuck," Miko said in his deep tones.

He sounded so real, so close.

"Please, I can't take this…" I begged.

"Ori. I think… I think this is real."

A jolt of surprise broke through the numb barrier this time. " Sorry? "

"This isn't your mind. It's me."

If I could release a laugh, I'd be howling. " Of course this isn't real. Why would I be able to hear the actual you in my head?"

"I don't know," he replied. "Could be part of our bonding. Trying to think if there's been any cases of it before."

Being so desperate for hope, I'd conjured this.

"Please just stop."

"Listen to me, Ori. This is real. I know it's wild but it's happening. I'm in some storage space in a factory with Daria and Joe. Things have gone to shit, big time."

Realization slammed into me. Within the snap of a finger, I knew this was my mate.

"It's really you."

"It's really me," he said. "God! It's feels so fucking good hearing your voice."

My tears continued to leak, my fears cast aside for now by a cascade of relief.

"This… This is amazing. Stars…"

"I know, Ori. I know."

His voice was everything, a true wonder of existence. "You're at a factory?"

"Yeah." He went on to explain everything that'd happened to him, painting a terrifying picture.

I forgot to breathe for a few moments. Dawn's power was growing. Where did I even begin unpacking everything? His dad's blood, the troll village, all of it…

Wow.

"Ori?"

"Is that zombie still outside the door?"

"Not right now. Seems to have pissed off." He chuckled, making my heart sing. " Weird story, right?"

"Miko… I'm… I'm so sorry…"

"For what?" my mate wondered.

"For everything you've been through, for me ending up here…"

He grunted. " Did you kidnap yourself?"

"Sorry?"

"You were taken, Ori. You've got nothing to be sorry for."

"Good point. I'm just… Ignore me."

"Never, cherrypie. Never."

Did he just call me cherrypie? I giggled, the new nickname circumventing some of my fear.

"You like that?" he asked.

"I love it, Mr. Robot."

He chuffed. " That shouldn't be adorable, but it is. You get the cute pass."

"Aw, thanks so much."

"God, I love you."

Flutters in my chest. To say this chat made me flush with unadulterated happiness would be an understatement.

"I love you, too," I responded breathlessly.

This couldn't last. We'd have to get back to the serious business of reuniting, of everything else. And the most serious business of all was the hope Wendy provided.

Possibly.

"Where are you?" he asked.

I told him quickly.

He growled. " A fucking yeti said that? I want to kill her."

His protectiveness was super-hot, but my lust never rose beyond tepid.

"I have to tell you something, Miko…"

And so, I relayed the Wendy information, a fresh surge of anxiety increasing my heartbeat.

Silence.

"Miko?"

More silence.

"Are you still there?"

"Yeah. I'm here."

"Thank the stars," I said.

"Just trying to get my head around this."

"Take your time. I'm here for you."

"Thanks," he answered so softly.

The silence lasted ten seconds before I reached my breaking point. "I have no idea what the king wants with her, and I don't know how I'm going to get out of here with the honey. If she even starts making the honey. But that whole thing with me and the golden gift… This is what it means."

Silence again.

"She's the gift, the hope, and I brought her to you."

More silence.

"You don't have to die. We can replicate you."

"Yeah…" he answered in a deep whisper.

"I just need her to wake up and talk to me," I said, not enjoying the clipped response. "If she can talk. She must be able to talk. Yes, she'll talk. Or beep and I'll be able to understand her and I'm starting to ramble. Sorry."

His laugh was a relief, giving me a chance to catch my breath in this bubble we found ourselves in.

"Are you okay?" I asked when more silence followed.

"Yeah. Sorry. Just thinking."

He had a tendency to freeze up and drift into a trance-like state when overwhelmed.

"I'm here," I reiterated.

"Thanks. That means a lot."

"It's a lot to take in."

"Big time."

I heard humming, the heavy footsteps of a yeti. "Crap! She's coming back."

He growled again. "I swear I'll tear her apart if she… Fuck. The biter's back, testing the door."

I didn't hear anything on his end other than his voice.

"It's breaking in!"

"Miko!"

A crackle of radio static buzzed in my head, his voice breaking apart.

"Miko!" I yelled, my voice an echo in some hollow emptiness.

The crackle fizzled out, leaving me to the sounds of the approaching yeti.

"Miko!"

No answer.

Once again, I was alone.

"Miko!"