The End of Innocence: Book 3 of the Kinstone series

The sound of uproarious cheering and applause soon grows louder and louder as the barrier begins to fall. I crane my head over to see the Coven, both children and adults, rushing towards me. My head ring loudly as their voices reverberate in my ears.

Everyone spoke all at once, with many praising the both of us for the match. The youngest of the children sneak their way in and all give me the play-by-play of the match, according to their own unique interpretation of course.

My tired hands cling to Alexis’ shirt. My cheeks burn brightly as a few of the younger boys started to stare at my chest. She quickly wraps me up into her and shooing away the little peepers, who are then snatched up by the adults, shielding their eyes.

“Aria!”

I look over to see my mother straining to push her way through the crowd. I can’t help but blush as she fights past parents and children alike. The crowd is too tightly packed and unyielding, no one was moving, plus the noise of the crowd is almost deafening.

A long, loud howl then echoes over the field, causing everyone to become quiet and turn around to stare at Fenris as he stood upon the hill. The massive wolf then slowly descends the hill and leaps into the center where Alexis and I are.

My bonded sends a whirl of frozen wind in all directions and shielding us with his tails. The crowd steps back and parts as Rachel finally is able to reach us.

She quickly wraps towels over us both, then pulls me into her arms and squeezes my tiny body tightly. I feel a flurry of kisses being planted onto my face and cheeks, “You were absolutely stupendous sweetheart. I have never seen such a marvelous display.”

I let out an exhausted giggle, “Thanks,” panning over to Alexis, holding out my hand to her, “Great match.”

She quickly snatches up my hand and holds it tightly, “Likewise hunny. Even though I lost, I’m happy to have gone out with a bang with you.” I giggle.

Rachel then looks up at her, “I know your parents will be equally as proud Alexis,” nodding over her shoulder.

My eyes train up to a pair of adults, who are accompanied with a two younger children. Her parents smile proudly with her younger siblings each crying. She smiles, waving to them.

My mother loops her arm under my legs and slowly stands up, carrying me.

Alexis squeezes my hand, “Seeya later champ.”

I grin to her, “Seeya in a bit.”

She pats my hand and slowly lets go, turning to walk away. My heart aches as she leaves, knowing how sad she feels about losing. Defeat is never easy, especially if it was your last chance to hold onto glory.

Last year, several of the older children all felt the same way, all wanting a shot at the top. But in the end, they knew that they had to step aside and let the younger kids have their chance. This would be the same for me and my friends in a few years. Plus I know that the sting won’t last long. She’ll eventually walk it off and I’d see her throughout the rest of the gathering.

Rachel slowly starts to carry me through the crowd, with Fenris walking beside us. I listen to the cheers and applause, flattening my ears in an attempt to drown it out. We finally are able to push past the sea of people and make it up back up the hill to where our group was.

Marron runs towards me along with my friends and my knights, all cheering and hollering. My cheeks burn even hotter.

“Girl…where on earth did you learn how to do that entire setup?” asks Mandy, pressing in close to me.

I giggle, “Not telling.”

Her face then puffs up into a pout as she grumbles, “That’s not fair.”

My giggle rose even louder, “Yeah well. You’ll just have to try to figure it out, and I know you will.”

Her eyes roll, “You just have to make my life miserable don’t you?”

My shoulders shrug, “What are friends for?” The group then laughs as Rachel gently sets me on the ground and starts to dry me off.

Jenn looks to me, “Hey, glad you didn’t pull your punches this year.”

I stare up at her, feeling my body reverting to a human, “Same here,” tilting my head, “you know you have to show me right?”

She cocks her head to the side, and grins, “You got it.” The two of us smile.

“Guess I still owe you that rematch.”

She crosses her arms, “Yep.” She then smirks, “Still sucks that we have to wait another year to do it.”

I sigh, “Just come back to visit us at the Estate. Hell, all of y’all can come.” I then quickly peer up at my mother, “That…is okay right?”

Rachel chuckles, hugging me tightly, “Of course it is my love.”

Everyone then cheers loudly. “Whoop, whoop,” shouted Henry, “gonna live it up like a king.”

Heather slaps him upside the head, “Hey, if you do come, don’t blow it Mister.” I giggle, then pan over to where Alexis was, seeing her with her family. I let out a heavy sigh.

A hand then rests on my head, turning up to see Marron smiling to me, “She’ll be all right. Just give her some time. I felt the same way after my final defeat.”

I lean into her, “Hope she won’t hate me.”

I feel her hand stroking my damp hair, “She won’t.” My body leans into her, watching as the crowd slowly disperses and resumes whatever they were doing before the start of the tournament.

A light then went up in my head. I slip out from under Marron’s arm and walk over to where Fenris had been guarding my knights’ weapons and picking them up. I head back over to them and hold them out. “I should return these to you. Thanks for not interfering.”

The couple bows their heads. “You are most welcome Your Highness,” said Orga as he retrieves his gauntlet, “and you fought splendidly. A victory your ancestors would be proud of.”

I give a nervous smile, “Th-thanks Orga.”

His wife nods in agreement, “Yes, I too must attest to Her Highness’ prowess and cunning.” Now she’s just buttering me up.

While I enjoyed the praise, which truthfully is well-earned, this is simply someone paying me all of the sweetest of flatteries.

I roll my shoulders, and then pressed my arms together, feeling them pop. My eyes then rose to meet their gaze, “I’d still like to have a sparring match with both of you whenever we get back home.”

The pair stared at me, both showing a heavy reluctance in their eyes. “We…appreciate the offer Your Highness,” sounded Orga, “but it just would not be proper for us to do so.”

I place my hands onto my hips, raising an eyebrow in disbelief, “Proper?”

The elf folds her hands in front of her, “Yes Your Highness. Knights mustn’t endeavor to harm those they serve.”

I lean back a little, “Ok then, but still won’t mean that I’m gonna stop asking.”

The couple bows their heads, “As you wish Your Highness.”

I buried my face into a hand, not once buying their line about sparring with me not being proper, but oh well. A curtain then drapes over me, turning to see Rachel on the other end. Once completely concealed, a new set of clothes are placed inside.

“Get those damp clothes off before you catch a cold sweetheart.”

I smirk, kneeling down and slipping out of my wet clothes and into the new ones. My shoes are sloughed with water as my wet socks feel icky whenever I move my toes. I kick them off and put on a pair of dry ones.

Once I finish, I levitate the old wet clothes, and hand them to my mother.

The curtain then lifts away. A warm breeze gently kisses against my body, taking away whatever water remained. The new clothes feel warm against my body, as though they just came out of the dryer.

I peer up at her, knowing that she had heated them prior to handing them to me. She then gives me back my jacket, apparently having been retrieved after we returned.

I turn back to the group, some who had already gone off towards the food tables. Mandy then comes up behind me, “Hey, you hungry? You have to be after all of this.”

My stomach then wheezes and groans heavily, “Yeah, I could use some food.”

I find my hand getting snatched up as she then drags me along, turning back to see Rachel with a smile on her face.

“I’ll catch up to you shortly sweetheart. You go and enjoy time with your friends,” yelling out to me.

I wave to her, and then quickly found myself being hoisted into the air along with Mandy, who let out a bit of a shriek. The two of us then landed onto Fenris’ back.

The girl wraps her arms around me tightly, “Your wolf is nuts.”

I let out a hard laugh, “You have no idea.”

My fingers cling deeply into his fur, borrowing deeply. I lean over as he trots along the grass, “Betting you were worried about me, weren’t you Papa Wolf?”

His head cranes back, seeing his ice-blue eyes stare at me. “I had all the confidence in the world for you Little Aria. I found myself at a loss for the strategy you applied in your victory.”

I raked my fingers through his fur, “Just something I came up on the fly.”

His lips curl into a smile, before turning his head forward. It felt good riding on his back once more, having his soft fur resting between my legs. It was made all better with the fact that I wearing shorts.

I plop body onto his back, which made Mandy follow suit. She lets out a displeased yelp, making me laugh a little.

The rest of the day was good. My friends and I hole ourselves up in a pavilion and talked for hours. Alexis eventually did join us, carrying huge plates of food, and placing them in front of us. I lean into her, “You ok?”

I feel knuckles drilling into the top of my head, “I’ll be fine. Don’t worry about me hun. You can also forget the idea that I’m somehow mad at you. You beat me fair and square. Plus that’s just how life is sometimes.” Her arm then wraps itself around my shoulder, hand rubbing my arm.

Our conversation drifted from subject to subject. Even the topic of Jenn’s former boyfriend came up. The blonde-haired girl plops her head into her arms, “Screw him. Can’t believe he just went and broke up with me.”

Heather lean over onto the table, “Do you buy him saying because of ‘family issues’?”

Jenn throws up her arms, “I have no clue. This all happened right at the beginning of summer too. It’s not like we had a fight or anything. We just went out on a date the night before. Then he goes and calls me up and says we’re done. Jerk.”

I look over to her. Jimmie was a nice guy and I knew he liked Jenn a lot. So I agree that with him just breaking up with her just out-of-the-blue is suspicious. But I also felt like something was a little off with the guy. Never really could peg it.

Henry was actually being a good sport, being the only guy present as he listened to all of our girl troubles. I paid him a smile, knowing the suffering that he must be going through at the moment. Mandy actually slapped his knee, grinning at him.

He let out a laugh, rubbing it, “Hey, it’s not like I have anything to add to the conversation, seeing how I’m a guy and all.”

Three sets of gleaming eyes then turn and stare at him. A devious grin then rose on Jenn’s face, “We could change that you know, right?” with Heather and Mandy nodding in agreement.

His face then wrinkled in horror as he knew what they were thinking, “Oh no. You do know my parents and yours would kill you if you did right?”

The trio of girls then burst into laughter. “Would you relax Henry?” said Mandy, “we’re only kidding.”

He glares at her, “Like hell you were.” I grin softly, stuffing a hot dog into my mouth.

It’s times like this, along with the rest of my friends, wished we all lived closer together. I knew that Heather was going to be moving to Nashville soon, but we all wanted to be together more often. But even apart, we still were bound together regardless of distance.

My body leans onto the table, resting my head onto my arms. In the distance I could see Fenris again being chased by little kids, all wanting to play with the “big doggy”. Rachel is off talking with several of the parents. My knights too hover nearby, keeping a constant vigil while also speaking with several other Coven members.

Miriam did indeed show off my performance to the Coven, which was also followed by videos of recitals and other performances from several other of the children. As I said, the summer gathering was more like a family reunion. So naturally, that means everyone gets to see what the kids have been up to for the past year.

Even from as far out as we were from the gigantic screen, I still had a clear view of all of the videos. The knights especially appeared to enjoy the viewing, with them asking a few questions to the people assembled around them.

The sun finally began to set, changing the sky from soft amber in a darkening blue. Parents soon came to collect their children from their “caretaker”, each thanking the wolf for keeping them occupied. He bows his head as they left.

I grin softly, listening to the kids saying that they would come back the next day and play with him. The wolf nods his head, with both tails wagging softly. My body begins to grow increasingly tired as time went on, now feeling the call of a bed.

A hand then rests on my shoulder, slowly turning my head to Marron standing behind me.

“Hey sweetie.”

I smile to her, “Hey.”

She sits down onto the bench and pulls me into her. My eyes grow heavier as my head rests against her chest. She plants a kiss onto the top of my head, “Such a baby.”

My cheeks turn a soft pink, feeling her hand stroking my arm.

“Jennifer. Amanda. Heather.”

The trio of girls all turn to see their parents waving to them. They each let out a sigh, looking back at each other and them me.

“Looks like it’s time go for the night,” groans Mandy.

Heather lays her chest onto the table, “I don’t wanna go, too tired to get up.”

Jenn nudges her, “We have to sadly. Been a good first day though.”

We all nod in agreement. The girls eventually did rise up from the bench, each looking to me. “We’ll see you tomorrow Aria.”

I crane my head over, “Seeya.” They then turn and head down.

Henry hops off the table, “Guess I should head out as well. Folks will want to go and check into the hotel,” then turns to me, “you have a good night squirt.”

I smile to him, “Night Henry.” He smiles and walks off.

Alexis leans over and gives me a hug, “You take care hun. Guess we’ll figure out what our parents have in store for us tomorrow.”

I lean my head into her, “You too Alexis.” She gives me one last squeeze before also getting up off of the bench and down the hill.

This just leaves Marron and I alone under the slowly darkening pavilion. I curl back up into her body, feeling her hand stroking my tiny frame. It feels so good to be with my big sister again, here in the quiet.

She plants a kiss onto my head, “Sweet Baby Ahri.”

A grin curls on my lips as my tiny hands cling to her shirt. A small breeze whips around the both of us, catching our hair. I wanted to close my eyes and drift away right then and there, and then be carried off like a child.

An arm squeezes my body, “We should head off too sweetie. You still want to spend the night with me right?” I bob my head. “Then we need to go and ask you mother if you can.”

I let out a grumble. Like Heather, I didn’t want to get up. But I had to. I lean forward and lift myself off of the bench, hearing the bench creak a second time. Marron holds me close as we leave the pavilion and descend down the hill.

Rachel is still sitting with a few other members, talking to them. She looks over and smiles, “Hello sweetheart.”

I tiredly cling to Marron, meeting her gaze, “Hey, I was wondering if I could spend the night with Marron.”

Her smile warms, “Of course you can,” then turning to my sister, “I assume you aren’t too far from here?”

Marron holds me close, “Just a couple miles away, nothing too serious.”

My mother then rises from her chair and pulls me into her, “Head back to the car and pick out a few things for the night my love.”

I bury my tired face into her chest, “Yes Ma’am.”

I feel her kissing the top of my head, “Get some rest sweetheart and enjoy your evening with your sister.”

I lift my head up, resting it onto her chest, “Love you.”

She grins, planting another kiss on my forehead, “I love you too my precious.” She then releases me and cups my cheek for a moment. I smile, then step back and turn towards the parking lot.

I pass by Orga and Kateryna, who both start walking with us. I peer up at them, “Hey, I’m gonna spend the night with Marron.”

The elf leans in, “Will you be all right without us Your Highness?” I bob my head.

“The hotel I’m staying at has several Coven members there as well, so she’ll be fine,” adds Marron.

Orga takes a long breath, “If you need us, we won’t be too far away.”

I give the knight a tired smile, “Thanks Orga.”

He bows his head to me, “Have a good night Your Highness.” I bow mine in return. The pair then stop and stand watch.

We reach the car, where I then pull out my suitcase. A cool gentle breeze kisses my cheek, turning to see Fenris sitting on the other side of the car. I step over to the wolf and wrap my arms around his neck.

“Hey, I’m gonna go with Marron tonight.”

His tail swishes across the pavement, “You wish to be alone?”

I bury my face into his fur, “Yep.”

The wolf pulls back and presses his nose into my stomach, “Rest little Aria. I shall watch you from afar.”

I grin, “Just stay in earshot, ok Papa Wolf?” He snorts, giving a soft whimper. I lean over and press my head into his and turn, walking off towards Marron. We climb into her car and pull away from the park.

My body melts into the seat as we drive along the streets, passing by numerous subdivisions. I couldn’t even begin to remember the last time it was just Marron and me. There was no one else, no maids, knights, wolves, or mother. Just the two of us.

I crane my head over to her, “Just like old times right?”

She smiles softly, “Very much so. I still remember our weekends together in Cedar Park. I used to love finding you asleep on my couch. So innocent, just like a child.”

My cheeks turn red as my eyes were half open, “Well…still am.”

She picks up my hand and squeezes it tightly, “That you are, my sweet baby sister.”

I close my hand around hers, feeling the seat further engulfing me. I turn my attention back out onto the road, watching as we turn down a street.