Chapter 25

CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE

" Z arla, can you hear me?"

The voice is like music to my ears, comforting but also worried.

I blink my eyes open, and a blurry face slowly comes into focus.

"Kyle?" I whisper.

He caresses my cheek, rubbing his thumb over my skin in a soothing way, and I relax into his touch, closing my eyes again.

"She's okay."

I open my eyes again, and Finlay sits on my other side. Glancing around the room, I realise I'm lying on Kyle's bed. I sit forward and immediately regret it as my brain pounds against my skull. Gods above, that hurts. I press my hand to my head.

Kyle lowers me back onto the bed. "Don't push it. You hit your head pretty hard. You just need some time for your body to heal."

I frown. "What happened?"

And then it all comes rushing back to me. Lacinda and Demetros, the watchers, Kyle fighting them…

Kyle glances at Finlay then back at me. "If it wasn't for Finlay, those watchers would've taken you back to Silanthia. I wouldn't have reached you in time."

Finlay shrugs. "I didn't do much. Was just at the right place at the right time."

"Thank you," I tell him. "Both of you."

Finlay gets to his feet. "I'll leave you guys to it."

Kyle kisses my cheek then stands. "No, you stay. She hasn't seen you for some time. I'm sure you need to catch up. I have to help assemble the others so we can ready ourselves for Galespo."

My heart warms at the trust he has for me and for Finlay. Maybe Finlay rescuing me earned him some brownie points.

Finlay looks to me and then Kyle. "You sure?"

Kyle nods. "Yeah. I know she's okay. And I know she's always safe when you're around, too. Thanks for looking out for her when I can't be there."

My mouth gapes open at his words. Never did I think I would see the day that Kyle accepts Finlay.

"No problem. That's my job. But I appreciate that," Finlay says.

Kyle leans down and kisses me softly on the lips. "I'm not going far. I will sense it if you need me."

Once he's left the room, Finlay sits back down on the edge of the bed.

"Well, that was unexpected," he says.

I shuffle back and sit up against the headboard, tugging the blankets up. Finlay stands so I can do it properly then sits back down.

"Thanks," I tell him. "And yeah, it was. I think he can see now how important our mind link can be. He wasn't too happy when he found out about it."

Finlay laughs. "Shit, I can only imagine. He never liked me, so it's good he's coming around now."

I reach for the glass of water next to the bed and drink the entire thing.

"Thirsty?" he asks with a laugh as I place the glass back down.

I roll my eyes. "How long was I out? Have you seen Lacinda and Demetros?"

"A few hours maybe. And yeah, they're both here. And so is Nilo."

I gasp. "Nilo? Oh, thank the gods."

He shifts his weight to get more comfortable. "Yeah, I was about to leave, and he followed me. When I told him what I was doing, he insisted on tagging along."

"How's it been back there?" A part of me wants to know, and the other part is terrified to hear about how it's been under Amaros's rule.

He glances away and scratches his chin, and I can tell it's uncomfortable for him to talk about.

"It's been bad," he finally says, his tone grim. "He's gone nuts. He's been fixated on finding you and getting you back at all costs. There are watchers everywhere, and everyone is terrified of him. Even The Throne know they made the wrong call, but they can't do anything about it. It's pretty messed up."

I knew it would be bad, but I had no idea of the extent. "We need to find Kyle. I want to know who he's planning to take to Galespo."

I throw my legs over the side of the bed, but Finlay puts his hand on my shoulder.

"Hold up a sec. You shouldn't get out of bed. Kyle will kill me. How's your head?"

I laugh. "Finlay, I can heal myself. I'm fine now, I promise. And Kyle doesn't get a say. We need to get organised and get to Galespo."

He sighs and shuffles off the bed, and I head into the bathroom. I splash some cool water over my face and tie my hair back into a ponytail. Finlay leans against the door while I move back out into the room, slip my leather boots on, and strap my weapons to myself.

"Let's go," I say.

He opens the door for me, and while we move through the castle, I reach out through my bond to locate Kyle. I'm almost certain he's at the training grounds. Maybe they're preparing themselves for Galespo.

"I know where they are," I say, then release my wings and take off into the sky, Finlay close behind.

As we near the training grounds, I spot Em fighting a male. Once we land, I see that it's Nilo. He jogs over and pulls me into a hug, much to Em's annoyance.

"Thank you for coming," I tell him.

"Of course. I'm just glad you're okay. We've all been so worried."

I sense Kyle's jealousy before I spot him, and he storms over to me and pulls me in close against his side.

"What are you doing out of bed?" he asks. "I was looking forward to joining you."

I clear my throat as heat rises in my cheeks. "I was feeling better."

Kyle eyes Nilo, who surprisingly doesn't flinch.

"Kyle, this is Nilo. Nilo, this is Kyle," Finlay says.

Kyle holds his hand out. "Nice to meet you."

I bite down on my lip to hide my smirk, knowing he doesn't seem to find it nice at all. Bloody males.

"And you," Nilo says, shaking his hand. "Finlay told me what you were planning to do, and I decided to join you."

"Thanks, Nilo," I tell him. "We need angels we can trust."

He gives me a nod.

"Who else is coming?" I ask Kyle.

"Em and a couple of guards I trust. We will leave tomorrow evening. The cover of darkness is our best bet at getting in undetected."

I try not to grimace. He knows how I feel about Em. I don't trust the female, and I can't understand why he does. They have a past. I get that, but after everything that's happened, I just don't like it, and the thought of her joining us on such an important mission churns my stomach.

We all fly back to the castle. Kyle has the keepers show the others to rooms they can stay in for the night.

Once we're alone, Kyle takes my hand and practically drags me down the corridor.

"Woah, what's the hurry?" I question as I walk-run to keep pace with him.

He looks back at me with a cheeky glint in his eyes. "I need you now. I can't stop thinking about you. I can scent your desire, and it's driving me insane."

I lick my lips, excited by his words.

We reach his quarters, and we're barely through the door when he has me up against the wall, his lips on mine. I bury my hands in his hair as we devour one another like we have been apart for days. He traces his lips down my neck, and I grip the back of his head as he makes his way down my body, pressing kisses over every inch of my skin.

Once he's on his knees in front of me, he unbuttons my pants and yanks them down, and I shuffle out of them. He slips his hands under my panties and kisses my inner thigh as he tugs them down my legs, exposing me to him.

His tongue finds my delicate folds, and he licks and nips at my skin. Soft moans escape my lips, and my breathing grows ragged as he nips and tastes every part of me. He flicks his tongue over my clit, and I buck against him. By the gods, it feels good.

"Fuck, I want you," he breathes, sliding two fingers inside me, and it's enough to take me over the edge.

An orgasm wracks my body, and I shudder and moan as pleasure takes hold of me, exploding deep in my core. He gets to his feet, and I unzip his pants and tug them down his thick thighs. He steps out of them then lifts me by my ass, and I wrap my legs around his waist. He presses his hard length against me and then eases inside me, filling me up.

I cling to his back, digging my nails in as he moves his hips, pushing deeper still. He then carries me over to his bed where he falls back, taking me with him. I straddle him while he grips my hips, lifting me up and down. Heat floods my veins as pleasure builds between my thighs.

"Fuck, that feels good," he breathes while I rock against him.

I lean down and kiss him, tasting him as his tongue moves with mine. Then he flips me onto my back, lifting my leg over his shoulder as he thrusts deep inside me. The pleasure mounts once again, and I know I'm close.

As I stare up into Kyle's eyes and sense how much he loves me through our bond, the feeling sends me over the edge once more. I cry out as I orgasm.

Kyle groans as he finishes inside me, then kisses me softly. "I love you, Zarla."

His words send warmth to every part of my body, and I can feel his love for me, matching my own for him.

"I love you too," I tell him.

He rolls onto his back, tugging me to his side and tucking me under his arm where we cuddle together. It's perfect, and I could stay like this all night.

"That was good," I say with a smile.

"Mmm-hmm, it was more than good," he says, tracing his fingers down my back and over my ass. "Give me a few minutes, and we can do it again."

I giggle, and a few minutes later, Kyle's ready to go again. We make love twice more until we're both exhausted and sweaty messes, and I drift off to sleep in his arms, feeling more content and happier than I ever have before.

The following morning, I wake to a gentle, warm breeze blowing in my face. I open one eye to find Kyle standing butt naked on the balcony overlooking the ocean. It's a good view, I must say. The ocean isn't too bad, either.

I slip out of bed, walk over to him, and wrap my arms around him from behind.

He takes hold of my hands and gives them a squeeze. "Morning, my mate."

I love how he calls me that. "Good morning."

He turns around to face me and cups my face in his hands then presses his lips to mine. "Are you ready for Galespo?"

I think on that for a moment. It's a risky task to undertake, but I know we don't have a choice. We have to get that weapon and save Astelle. Grazen, the watcher I met, comes to mind. If I saw him again, would he help us? I'd hate for him to get into trouble for that, but it would also be incredibly helpful to have a watcher on our side.

Kyle raises his brows at me. "You good?"

"Yeah, sorry. I was just thinking. I'm ready."

He tilts his head as if he doesn't believe me. "Why don't we head back to the training grounds and visit the lost one again? You need to practice your ability. We're going to need all the help we can get in Galespo, and your ability is important."

He slips past me, patting my bum on his way inside, and I giggle.

He's right. I do need to practice my ability. If I look deep within, I can sense it, just idling away inside me, ready to be unleashed. But this ability is closely linked to my ability to open portals, and the idea of accidently opening a portal and being sucked back into the Realm of Lost Souls is a daunting thought. If I can learn to control this ability, I can make sure that doesn't happen again, though.

After I'm dressed in my leathers, Kyle and I fly over to the training grounds, where we find the others are already in preparation mode and training with one another. Finlay and Nilo are fighting when we land on the sideline. They stop once they spot us.

Morning, Finlay says.

You know you can talk out loud, right? It's not a secret to say good morning, I reply, and he laughs.

Kyle gives me the side-eye, and I bite my lip.

"Sorry, force of habit," I say.

"Hey, Zarla?" Nilo says and jogs over. "Want to spar with me?"

"Yeah, why not? Let's do it."

Kyle shoots Nilo a warning glare, silently telling him to be careful, which I find amusing. I can hold my own, and Nilo knows it, too.

We spar for a bit, and he shows me some impressive moves I haven't seen before. By the end of it, I'm a sweaty mess.

I look up just as Em lands near Kyle, and I try not to give her the reaction I know she's looking for. She tries to hug him, but he takes a step away from her. I smile at that, glad he's setting clear boundaries with her. Em heads over to us then, and I bite the inside of my cheek to stop myself from saying something I shouldn't.

"Getting ready, I see," she says in a somewhat mocking tone.

I slide my sword back into the holster on my back. "Just practicing. I am ready."

Who's that? Finlay asks, leaning up against a sandstone pillar, staring at Em.

I roll my eyes. Don't go there. Trust me.

He pushes off from the pillar and heads our way.

Bastard.

Hey, no name-calling, he complains.

"Hey, I'm Finlay," he says, holding his hand out to Em.

"Em," she says, shaking his hand, and surprisingly, she blushes.

Is she not used to male attention? Her reaction seems odd. She pulls her burgundy waves up into a ponytail as Finlay gawks at her.

Quit it, I say.

He just looks at me. What? She's beautiful.

"Think you can take me down?" Finlay asks her, gesturing to where others are sparring.

I roll my eyes and walk back over to Kyle.

"Is that a serious question?" Em asks from behind me.

Kyle slips an arm around my shoulder while Finlay and Em spar on the sandy training grounds. The sun becomes relentless, beating down upon us.

"Let's do what we came here for," Kyle says, taking my hand. "You need to make the most of this opportunity and hone your ability."

He leads me to the cells, where we pass several guards, and then head deeper through the tunnels until we make it to the cell where the lost one is kept.

"Hey, can I talk to you about something?" I blurt, even though this may not be the place or time for what weighs on my mind.

The lost one spots us and screeches, and Kyle takes my wrist and tugs me back out into the tunnel where it can't see us.

"What's up?" he asks.

I bite my lip. Gods above, I hope he doesn't take this the wrong way. "Why does Em have to come with us? We need angels we trust."

He frowns. "I know you two haven't had the best first impression of each other, but I trust her. And I hope you trust me enough to be okay with the decision to bring her."

When I don't respond, he adds, "She's one of our strongest fighters. We need her."

I let out a long breath. I don't like it, but I do trust Kyle. I'm just going to have to deal with it. "Okay. And of course I trust you. I will make an effort."

He smiles and brushes his fingers over my cheek. "Thank you. I know she feels bad for the way things have been between the two of you. She wants to reconcile."

I arch a brow. "I'll have to take your word for it."

"Zarla!"

I look back as Lacinda and Demetros jog through the tunnel toward us.

I run to meet them and give them both a big hug. "I am so glad you're here!"

"This place is incredible," Lacinda says with a wave of her hand. "Hey, Kyle."

"Hey. Nice to see you both again," Kyle says.

"Come on. I'll show you guys something." I lead them back over to Kyle, and we follow him through the tunnel, where the lost one is being held in the cell behind thick iron bars.

Lacinda gasps.

"What the fuck? Why do you have one of those?" Demetros demands.

Kyle steps closer to the bars, and it screeches. We all cover our ears until it stops.

"After they attacked us, we captured one. Zarla is going to use it to practice her ability," Kyle explains.

They both frown at me, and I awkwardly shuffle back a step.

"What ability?" Lacinda asks.

I glance at Kyle and then gaze back at them. "I can control them."

Lacinda shifts her focus to the lost one. "Control them ?"

"I know it sounds crazy, but yeah. And open portals, too."

Demetros folds his arms over his chest. "Well, that's something I've gotta see."

I chuckle.

"Show us?" Lacinda asks.

I take a deep breath and move closer to the bars. The lost one fixates on me and starts screeching and flailing about. I squeeze my eyes closed and dig for the cool sensation deep within. Once I locate it, I will it to the surface and send it out through my hands toward the lost one. The screeching stops, and I open my eyes to find it just standing there, staring back at me, seeming dazed.

I use my hands and my mind to will it to move to the back of the cell and up against the wall. It hovers in the air and slowly drifts back, doing exactly what I want it to.

"Woah, that's freaky," Demetros whispers.

Lacinda whacks his arm. "It's impressive is what it is."

"Try a portal," Kyle suggests.

I release the lost one from my hold and refocus my ability outside the cell, away from where we're all standing. Then I squeeze my eyes shut and picture Earth. Something tingles up through my fingers. I can sense the portal opening. The portal continues to grow, and once I'm sure it's big enough, I blink my eyes open.

Lacinda and Demetros stare in amazement.

"That's incredible," she breathes.

I then focus on closing the portal, and it snaps shut.

Kyle pulls me into his side and kisses my cheek. "You're gaining more control."

I smile up at him.

"How did you find out you could do that?" Lacinda asks. "It's amazing!"

"My mother told me. She could do it, too. And my father encouraged me to try it."

"Your…father?" she asks.

I realise there's a lot they both don't know as it's been some time since I've seen them. I explain sneaking into Galespo to find my real father and how I met Grazen. I explain how we found Atticus, that he helped us fight lost ones on Earth, and has acknowledged being my real father. And I tell them about the lost ones attacking Zarquon, the subsequent battle, and how I managed to control several lost ones at once.

There's a lot to explain, and by the end of it, they're both staring at me like I've just told them the craziest story ever. I suppose, in a way, I have.

"It's a lot to catch up on," I say.

Lacinda lets out a long breath. "Just a bit. That's big, Zarla. Finding your real father."

Demetros steps over to where the portal had been opened and waves his hand through the air as if he may be able to feel it or something.

I laugh. "It's gone, Demetros."

He turns to face me and rubs his chin. "Do you think you could open a portal long enough for us all to go through it?"

I bite my bottom lip as I consider that. "I'm not sure, but there's only one way to find out."