18. Ash

Chapter Eighteen

Ash

I wanted to do something to show Lorraine how I felt about her. More than I’d already done for her. I wanted her to know just how special she was to me. When we’d been together, I hadn’t told her about what I’d found out. I had to find Thalis and Nasia first. I had to figure out how I could change things so that Lorraine could stay with me in the magical realm forever. Now that I’d read about Thalis and Nasia being able to do that, I knew that it was what I wanted. I wanted Lorraine for the rest of eternity. The plan I’d had to leave this place behind was in the past.

I didn’t want to give up what I had anymore; I wanted to make it richer and brighter and better. Having Lorraine by my side would do that for me. I was very aware of what Lorraine would be sacrificing if she chose to come live here with me. Nasia had run away from a terrible life, which wasn’t unlike what Lorraine had gone through, but Lorraine had ties to the human world that she wouldn’t want to break. Her sister was very important to her. Druses and dryads and other magical beings didn’t ever share family ties. We didn’t have siblings. Instead, we saw each other as a kind of family, but we weren’t bound to each other with that tight bond that humans had with their family members. It wasn’t something I would ever understand. All I knew was that when Lorraine had first come here, she’d been terrified of what would happen to her sister. She’d only calmed down about it when I’d taken her to see that her sister was okay. Since then, she hadn’t asked about her sister—she was set at ease—but that didn’t mean that she didn’t miss her sister or want to see her again. She was patiently waiting to go back home. If she chose to stay with me, then she wouldn’t go back home. How would she feel about never seeing her sister again? I lay in bed with Lorraine, her arm flung over my chest, her hair tangled on my shoulder, and the deep rhythm of her sleep was soothing. I stroked my fingers along her arm and relished her warmth. I loved waking up next to her every morning. I couldn’t always spend the night with her—I had a duty to the forest to make sure everything was safe—but when I could, I was here with her, and I wanted to wake up next to her as often as I could. Her breath changed, and a moment later, Lorraine tilted her head up at me. She smiled. “You’re awake,” she said in a husky voice. I could wake up to that voice for the rest of my life. “I am,” I said. “I want to take you somewhere.”

“Where?” she asked. “It’s… a surprise.”

“Is it away from here?” she asked. I nodded. “Let’s shower and get dressed.”

Lorraine smiled and slid out of bed. I marveled at her naked body as she walked around the bed and out through the door to the bathroom. She was so fucking hot, it was hard not to want to drag her back to bed and have a repeat of last night. I got out of bed and followed her to the bathroom. The shower was incredible, and when we stood underneath the hot spray, our naked bodies slick with soap and water, I couldn’t keep my hands off her. I wanted so badly to fuck her, to push her against the wall and claim her as mine again and again. I wasn’t going to. I wanted to take her somewhere special, and we didn’t have a lot of time to do it in. When we finished in the shower, we got dressed, and Lorraine dried her long blonde hair. Finally, she turned to me. “I’m ready,” she said. I took her hand and we stepped out of the cabin. We walked together, hand in hand, toward the edge of the clearing. Before we reached the trees, I pulsed my magic and pulled Lorraine tightly against me. “What—” she started, but in a white flash, we were taken away from the meadow, from the immortal realm, and we landed on the curb next to the house where Lorraine lived. “Oh my God, Ash!” she cried out. She spun around, looking at the world she’d left behind. “What are we doing here?”

“I’ve brought you to see your sister,” I said. “I think you miss her, so you should spend some time with her.”

“Spend time with her?” Lorraine asked, confused.

“I thought no one would be allowed to see us.”

“I think we can make this exception if you think that she will understand it.”

Lorraine nodded. “If anyone will understand, it’s Cat. Oh my God, you’re amazing.” She stood on her toes and planted a kiss on my lips that made my body hot and bothered and my cock hard all over again. I would never get enough of her. “Thank you,” she breathed when she broke the kiss. I walked with her to the front door of their house and Lorraine took a deep breath. She hesitated just a moment, but before I could ask, she pushed the door open. “Cat?” she asked, stepping into the house. “Are you home?”

There was no answer. I followed her into the house. I’d seen it before, but it still shocked me. It was small and quaint and homey, and memories clung to the walls. “I think she’s at class,” Lorraine said, looking around. “If she’s still going, which I really hope she is.” She walked to the table and ran her hands over a stack of books. I walked to the books and frowned. “What’s this?” I asked. “It’s Greek mythology,” she said. “Greek mythology.” I flipped the book open. It was filled with information about the gods and goddesses. “This isn’t myth, it’s real.”

Lorraine laughed. “I know. Most people don’t think it is, but Cat believes it’s real. That’s why I’m positive she’ll understand. She’ll get it.”

I nodded and slowly paged through the book. “Does she know anything about Thalis and Nasia?”

“Who?” Lorraine asked. “It’s a couple who were torn apart through hatred but brought together again, united by their undying love for each other.”

“I’ve never heard of them,” Lorraine said. “But maybe you should ask Cat. Here she is now.”

The front door swung open and a younger version of Lorraine stepped in, her hair short and her clothes more modern. She froze when she saw us, staring at me and then at Lorraine. “Lorraine?” she asked, unbelieving. “Is that really you?”

“Hey, Kitty Cat,” Lorraine said warmly, and the two sisters flew into each other’s arms. I watched the reunion, felt the warmth that flowed from their love for each other, and I knew it had been the right thing to bring her here. Lorraine and Cat were sisters, and I could almost sense the bond between them. “Who’s this?” Cat asked, her eyes growing wary when they broke away from each other and she looked at me. “What is he doing here?”

“This is Ash,” Lorraine said. “I’ve been staying with him during all this. He’s been looking after me.”

“Ash,” Cat said as if she was trying my name out. She studied me. What did she see when she looked at me? I wore my human look, of course. I wasn’t going to stand here looking like the drus I was, but Cat still seemed to be suspicious of me. I nodded at her. “Can I make you guys something to drink?” Cat asked. “That would be great,” Lorraine said. “Hot cocoa if we have it. I haven’t had it in ages.”

I made a mental note to find out what this hot cocoa was. Cat nodded and beckoned for Lorraine to follow her to the kitchen. I hesitated. I wanted to leave them alone to talk, but Lorraine gestured for me to follow them. When I hesitated, she grabbed my hand and dragged me through the small house to the kitchen. “You’re going to love this,” she said to me, making me sit on a stool while Cat moved around the kitchen. She reminded me so much of Lorraine, the way she carried herself and did things.

They were almost identical, if not exactly, in the way they looked and in the way they moved, talked, and laughed. “So,” Cat said while she waited for something, turning to Lorraine, “does this mean you’re back?”

Lorraine’s face fell, and she shook her head sadly. Her sadness was almost palpable, and that hit me like a ton of bricks. “Not yet,” she said. “But soon.”

She wanted to come back here, didn’t she? My heart sank. What if she wouldn’t want to stay, and I had to lose her after all? “Where have you been?” Cat asked. “I’ll tell you everything,” Lorraine said. “It’s a long story.”

Cat nodded. “A lot has happened since you left, too.”

“I can’t wait to hear it,” Lorraine said. I got up. “Where are you going?” Lorraine asked me. “I think I’m going to let the two of you talk,” I said. “I’ll be back for you in a couple of hours; is that enough?”

“It is,” Lorraine said and glanced at her sister. Something told me it would never be enough, but that was all I could give her before things started to go wrong, the bond and the magic reeling us back. I kissed Lorraine on the temple. “I’ll be back.”

When I walked out of the kitchen, I didn’t wait until I reached the front door before I stepped back into my own realm. It felt good to do something nice for Lorraine—she’d looked so happy to see her sister. I just hated the pain that had come with it. What if she didn’t want to come live with me and this really was the last bit of time I had with her? I’d been so happy when I’d found the story about Thalis and Nasia, but that had been their choice—both of theirs. What if I chose Lorraine… but she didn’t choose me?