Skye's Arrival

I sway a little but I right myself.

“Are you alright?” Rafi demands, his hands inches from me, ready to catch me.

I smile at him. “Just fine. Only a little lightheaded.”

He ignores me and scoops me up. “Gerrickson, let’s go. Check out two more horses. I’m going to get Skye some things.”

“Can Skye walk by herself?” I ask, getting irritated.

“Nope,” he says as he walks away with me in his arms. I look over my shoulder to beg Nate for help, but I just see a very amused grin on his face.

“And I thought Dawn was protective.” I mutter under my breath. I look up at Rafi’s stone like face. “Do you want to talk about it?” I ask, referring to his argument with Dawn.

“Nope.” He says quickly, keeping his face neutral.

“Do you want to talk at all?”

“Nope.” He says as he walks in the tent I had woken in and sets me on the bed. “Stay,” he says right before disappearing.

I lick my teeth as I watch him go, getting very irritated at this point. I know that I’m very weak right now, but this is ridiculous. I should be able to walk to where I need to go, even if it does leave me out of breath.

Rafi’s words confuse me, but I believe it’s because he’s my brother in law and one of my oldest friends. He’s always bared a lot of loyalty to me; but that might be because he’s a Demon Soldier, and one of the ranking ones at that. We’d frequently train together, and we’d teach each other new ways to fight. However, that all stopped once I started dating his brother.

Now that I think about it, how did I get bledded to Koan so quickly? I know we were in love, and our sexual chemistry was unbelievable. However, now that I think about it, we moved so fast you’d thought we were mortals. It felt like we were a perfect match until that dreadful day. When I saw him again, I thought I’d be happy, not scared. And why was he trying to get me to wear something that he felt was right? Now that that thought hit me, realization hit. He was always telling me what to wear.

I glance down to my left ring finger, the red vines of our bleddeding long gone. They faded the day that Koan died, proof that he was no longer part of the world I had removed him from. So why is he acting like we are still in the bledded haze? It makes no sense to me.

“Ready?” Rafi asks, then stops. When I look up at him, he’s looking at my bare outstretched hand. “Are you okay?”

I pull my hand in. “Fine, just reliving some memories.” I stand up. “Ready to go?”

He gives me a measured look before reaching over his shoulder. I give him a cautious look as he steps to the side and motions for me to step around him. Is he going to let me walk to Fidda? Carefully, I slowly move around him. I’m hoping he will let me get on the horse myself.

“And thank you,” Rafi says as he scoops me up in something fluffy as he walks out of the tent, cradling me in his arms.

“What are you doing?” I demand, realizing he’s wrapped me in a fur pelted blanket.

“Keeping you warm. If you’re going to remake a pearl blade, you’re going to need all the strength you can get.” He swings up onto Fidda with me in his arms effortlessly and looks at Gerrickson; who is giving us an amused grin. “Let’s go.”

“I can ride myself.” I tell him as I try to wiggle out of the blanket.

He sets me so I’m sitting, but my arms are still wrapped. “I know you can. However, your body wouldn’t like it.”

“Why are you coddling me so much?” I demand. “I’m a grown being who has been living on this plane for nearly a century. I can take care of myself.”

Rafi wraps one arm around my waist and grabs Fidda’s reins. “Skye, would you please humor me; and consider for the slightest moment that you’re pushing yourself too hard? You have more venom in you than you do blood. I can smell it on you, and so can Dawn. Any demon that is near you will sense this, and take advantage of that.

“You have a long road ahead of you. If you’re planning on helping these mortals get their kingdom back, you need to conserve your strength, or you’ll likely become ill; and might even die. Please allow me to be overbearing with you, until at least some of your strength has returned.”

“I’m not that weak.” I mutter darkly.

“Spiritually no, physically yes. If you were recovered, you’d be able to rip your way out of this blanket. Can you?” Rafi asks, a little humor in his voice.

Determined, I try to break free. Even with as much grunting, wiggling, and pushing I could manage, I couldn’t tear the fabric even a little. I was able to hear it stretching, which is progress. I drop my arms, trying hard to hide my panting. “This proves nothing.”

“It proves I’m right.” Rafi chuckles, steering Fidda towards Nate and the princess with her guards.

“Where are you going with Skye?” Gabrielle asks, giving me a warm smile. “She looks like a stuffed pastry.” Her voice is silken and just loud enough to hear.

Rafi nods to show he acknowledges her, then speaks with respect in his tone; which I didn’t know he could do. “Princess Gabrielle, as you’ve might have observed, Skye is a celestial. She’s not a regular celestial though, she is a Celestial Soldier.”

Gabrielle smiles. “That explains her warmth. She has a very strong aura. Her friend is quite a bit more powerful though, and she’s very kind as well.”

I nearly bite my tongue off holding in a laugh. Dawn kind? I take that back, now that I think about it. She’s actually a very amazing person, and truly is the kindest. She’s evolved from the dark and bloomed into a presence that feels empathy, love, sadness, and every emotion Celestial Demons aren’t supposed to know.

Gabrielle looks at me. “Thank you for your assistance in the woods earlier, Celestial Skye. I fear our fate would have changed if you were not there to protect us.”

I genuinely smile at her. “You’re more than welcome, but Dawn was the one to save you that night.”

She nods, “I will be sure to thank Dawn when I see her. May I ask where they are taking you?”

“As Rafi mentioned I am a Celestial Soldier. I believe I have a way to be able to vanquish Koan. Rafi and Gerrickson will be escorting Dawn and I to get what I need to make that happen.”

Gabrielle looks me over, “Yes, I believe you do. It will work.”

I cock my head with my eyebrow raised. “Thank you Princess…“

She giggles at my confused expression. “I have a sense about people and their actions. I don’t know the events of your future, but your idea has a bright road. To me, that tells me something successful will happen due to your journey.”

I nod, well that explains some things. “Thank you.”

Rafi cuts in, “Do you have a plan of attack for your men?”

Gabrielle nods. “I do. I’ll send some men out to scout the areas near the capitol. I feel the battle will not be fought there, but I wish to know where traps could be found.”

“Please do. We were able to repair the damage from Koan’s search, but I still feel it was a miracle he missed the camp.”

She waves him off. “We were in no danger the moment you left. He was following you. He’s very attuned to your demonic scent. It’s very similar to his own.”

Rafi rolls his eyes, “So you’re telling me, I smell like my brother?”

“Only sweeter,” she answers, a kind smile forming in her eyes.

“Thanks,” he says; sarcasm deep in his voice.

“We’ll meet in three months’ time. We’ll send word if something happens, and we are forced to move.” Gabrielle says, touching Fidda. “Good luck. It’s not going to be easy.”

“Thanks for the bout of confidence.” Gerrickson says then winks at her. “Let’s move out. Before Skye melts in that thing.”

“Ha, ha.” I deadpan as Rafi gets us moving.