The Secret Trinity: Reign (Fae-Witch Trilogy, Book 3) (18 page)

“I love you, always,” he whispered against my
mouth, and then his lips met
mine in a tender kiss.  I could feel my soul and his, together, shining like a star.

I wanted to open my eyes, but my body wouldn’t let me.  It felt as if all of the energy had been sucked out of me.  It was a strange feeling to know you were unconscious, and yet you can’t wake up.  I pulled against my lids, fighting, with no results.  I just wanted to see him.  I had to see his face.  I felt his hand stroking back the hair across my forehead as he waited patiently for me to come back to him.  He has been patient, six years of waiting for his Soul Keeper to
see
him again.  I felt desperate.  I tried to scr
eam, but the sound never came.

“
Shhh
,
it
’s
okay, Ari.  I’m here.  I’m not going anywhere,” Clay said in a whisper.  He could feel my frustration and knew I was trying to open my eyes.  I concentrated on my breathing, inhaling slowly, in, out, in, out, as I allowed my brain to recover from the tailspin.  I felt Clay’s hand in mine, and the electricity of his touch was as strong and vibrant as it was the day of our
sealment
.  His strength melted into my hand finding its way to my muscles
, allowing my body to recover.

Finally my eyes slowly fluttered open, and I was blinded by the golden light behind his gaze, the most magnificent, luminous light that instantly filled me.  I could
see
him, my Soul Keeper, and tears of joy filled my eyes as they focused in on his glowing, radiant face. 

“Hi,” Clay said in a gravelly voice, and he cleared his throat to hold back his emotion.

I
smiled from ear-to-ear, “Hi.”

“I’ve been waiting for you,” Clay’s words were thick and velvety, full of l
onging.

“I know.  I’ve been waiting for me too.”  I said, reaching up to feel his stubble beneath my fingertips and smiled.  The distinct line of his jaw beneath my touch showed that he was all grow
n up now, and he was all mine.

“I love you, Clay,” I breathed, completely in awe of this remarkable creature, whose soul was brighter than anything I had ever encountered.  Clay swallowed down his emotion and I felt his relief with me finally coming back to him.  I watched the perfection of his lush mouth as
he nervously bit his lip.

“What’s wrong?”  I asked, enjoying that I could finally read
him by tapping into his soul.

“Oh nothing, I was just thinking of how much harder it will be for me to restrain myself now when you keep looking at me like that.”  Clay s
aid, a grin crossing his lips.

I smirked, “Who said you had to restrain yourself?”  I pulled on the back of his neck until his lips found mine, his weight pressing into me.  The power of his energy buzzed over my skin, pulsing light through me into my heart.  I could feel the urgency between us grow, desperate to get closer.  My skin flushed red as he swept his mouth over my neck and a flutter of butterflies punched my heart.  I clutched onto his shoulders thinking of the scrolled leaf on his tattoo, adorned with my name.  I was always a part of him, and I wanted him to know that I felt the same way.  I kissed him deeply, sweeping my hands over his muscular frame before weaving them into his hair, pulling him even closer.  Clay cupped my cheek rolling his tongue gently along my teeth, making my hair stand on end.  With Clay’s heart madly drumming against mine, our music began to play, and it sounded like
a
masterpiece symphony to my ears, as it always should have
been.  Our love consumed each
other, overwhelming me with emotions.  I could feel his thoughts, his dreams, his joy and his pain.  But in that moment, all we were thinking about was each other’s fiery touch.  Light of gold and green swirled beneath our skin, filling the room as it funneled into the air, combusting and burning so bright it looked like an inferno
,
until everything blurred into an electric haze of pure ecstasy. 

***

My eyes were heavy as I traced my fingertips along Clay’s forearm and across his
waist.  I stopped
for a second, beginning to drift off, and then quickly opened my eyes and continued to stroke his arm.  His body shook as he lightheartedly laughed.

“What?”  I asked, tilting my chin up from his chest to look at him.  His eyes flitted down to me and he smiled.  He looked so bright now, and I still could not get over how he somehow wore his soul, as if his striking features were merely a r
eflection of his inner purity.

“It’s cute how you’re trying so hard not to fall asleep,” he said beaming at me.  I loved seeing him this way.  I loved being the one who could make him smile like that, and most important, I knew I loved him even before
I knew he was my Soul Keeper.

“I want to savor this moment, and that’s hard to do if I’m sleeping,” I explained, giving his chest a light kiss.  He had his other arm around me and he rocked me until I was on top of him.  He put my face in his hands and st
roked my cheek with his thumb.

“Trust
me,
we will have plenty more moments to savor.  In fact, if it were up to me, we would never leave this tree house again
.  I have all I need right here,”
Clay said, lifting his head to kiss me before resting back on the pillow.

“What about food and water?”  I asked smiling
,
rubbing my cheek against the inside of his palm.

“Minor details,” he said with a flirtatious smirk.

“But what if my vision of Liam comes true?” I asked, turning the conversation more serious, as I thought of Liam hovering over me, ripping out my soul, breaking mine and Clay’s
sealment
.

“Hey, Ari
,
don’t talk that way.  You have to stop thinking that you won’t make it out o
f this alive.  I can’t stand it,” h
e said into my hair, and I sighed.  Sensing my fear creeping in, he pulled me into a hug.  “I swear on my life, I will never let that happen.”  I flinched at his st
atement.

“What are we going to do, Clay?  Even with all this star energy coursing through me, when I saw him in that vision, I felt weak and completely helpless.  I only have one plan and so far that involves a spell I
can’t get right.  I’m... afraid,”
I said
.  My voice was
sick with worry, but
I was
leaving out that Liam had already found the spell to break our
sealment
and steal my soul.

Clay hugged me tighter, “It’s okay to be afraid, but I don’t want you to feel defenseless.  I will do whatever it takes to make sure you are safe.  I don’t know what we’re going to do yet, but from now on we will
figure it out together, okay?”

Something about his confidence put me at ease.  I looked directly into his hypnotic gaze and nodded before maneuvering to lay my head on his chest.  I was free to get back to his warm touch humming over my nerve endings, soothing me.  He rolled me off of his chest, spooning me as we bundled up under the blankets, surrounded by moon
light.  My eyes felt like lead
weights, and my body was relaxed as my back pushed into the
warm blanket of Clay’s chest.

He wrapped around me, giving me his arm for a pillow and whispered, “Sweet dreams, although I think our recent re
ality can’t get much sweeter.”

I smiled, “Then I’ll dream of tonight.”  I was giddy at the thought of having a different dream tonight, one other than the almost
sealment
nightmare that had kept me from a
full night’s sleep for weeks.

“I’ll be dreaming of tonight and the next night
and the night after that and,
well, you get the picture,” he said nuzzling my neck, and I blushed. 

I let the weight of my eye
lids take over, and our tree house fell silent as we both drifted to sleep.  Having our
sealment
back and feeling the embrace of Clay as we lay there, completely vulnerable, I sighed with relief, realizing I didn’t feel one hint of fear or regret, only love.  I had missed him on a deeper level than
my heart could hav
e understood, and tonight I was happier and more at peace than I ever thought possible.

“I love you too,” Clay said, barely audible, and I smiled again at h
ow well he could read my soul.

I didn’t sleep as well as I had hoped.  I kept recounting my vision of Liam.  I had a sense of foreboding that was beginning to cloud over me.  That last time I felt this way, Brody was killed, I almost drowned, and I lost my
sealment
with Clay.  I didn’t want this.  I didn’t want to think about it.  I wanted to enjoy my time with Clay and my friends, but I knew that I also couldn’t ignore it.  Liam was hunting me and he would destroy our people and capture the rest if I didn’t do something, and soon. 
Bu
t what?
  I still felt so lost.

I looked in the mirror, fidgeting with my cream colored sweater.  I smoothed it across my stomach, and then shook my head, pulling it up and off before going back to my closet.  I grabbed a graphic t-shirt and a brown leather jacket, outfit number six.  As I pulled the t-shirt over my head I heard the doorknob turn and a breeze cross my arms.  I quickly spun around and frantically tugged my t-shirt
on, startled by the intrusion.

“Hey, don’t you knock?”  I said jokingly when I realized it was Clay.  I should have figured.

“How am I going to see anything good if I knock?”  He asked smiling.  I just shook my head at him while fidgeting with my leather jacket now.  Clay walked over and picked me up in the cradle position.

“You look great, let’s go.”  He said
, carrying me toward the door.

“I’m nervous.
W
hat will everyone say?”  I asked, collapsing my head on his sh
oulder.

“They won’t say they didn’t notice your new energy because they were too distracted by your cute outfit, if that’s what you were hoping.”  Clay stated, setting me down when we got outside, and I p
romptly punched him in the arm.

“Ouch,
Bree
has t
aught you well,” h
e said while rubbing his bicep, although I was sure it was more for show than anything else.

“It’s just strange.  Everyone will be able to see us for what we are now.  It makes me feel very exposed.  It reminds me of one of those horrifying dreams where you’re walking down the street naked
and everyone is staring at you,”
I said, subconsciously pulling at my jacket to button it, but before I could, Clay pushed my hand away and grabbed my waist pulling me close to him.  He began swaying us in a lazy circle, slowly dancing in front of the cottage door. 

“I know it will be an adjustment, and I’ll admit it might hurt my rough n’ tough rep when they see our energy together.  I’ll take that any day over the alternat
ive of you not seeing it at all,” h
e said, kissing the top of my head while we danced, and I nodded into his chest in agreement.  I took a few more minutes to let his warmth wash over me before I pulled away, smiling.

“What’s that look?”  He asked, reaching out to tickle my side.  I jumped back before h
e could reach me.

“I hate to break this to you, honey bear, but no o
ne thinks you’re rough n’ tough,”
I said, poking at his side now, and he smiled, slapping my hand away at the d
iscovery of his ticklish spot.

“Hey, stop that.  I’m super tough,” Clay said, trying not to laugh as I tickled his side again.  He stepped forward.  His six foot two, towering frame loomed over me when he caught my hand and pressed it to the small of my back, leaning into me. 

“
Awww
, what a tough honey bear you are,” I said, trying to use my other hand now to tickle him, but he snatched i
t up and leaned in to kiss me.

“If I let go, will you stop?”  Clay whispered in my ear
when he left my lips
, a
nd
he
continued to hold my wrists behind my back.

“Never,” I said nibbling at his earlobe, and his body shuddered almost imperceptibly.

“Ok, we have to go now before I carry you back inside instead and hold you hostage for the rest of the day,” Clay’s
voice was husky with longing as he
let go of my wrists to stand up
straight.  I laughed in agreement stepping away from him, yet knowing if he did that, I wouldn’t object one bit.

“Let’s get this over with,” I said, reaching out to press my finger to his shoulder, te
leporting us to Grant’s house.

The moment my stomach rush subsided, I opened my eyes and immediately wanted to squeeze them shut again.  Clay put his arm around me as we watched four pai
rs of eyes go wide with shock.