Page 49 of Bonded Ever After

It’s weird. I know none of them are really what they pretend to be, but something about them makes me want to go toward them. My feet keep turning toward them, and I have to physically force myself to stay on the path.It must be whatever magic they’re made of. Whatever they’ve learned to do to survive in an environment like this.

Suddenly, the creatures part and a large one of them appears. It’s probably five sizes larger than the other ones and pulses as it moves, like a jellyfish. Instead of just having a blue light, it changes between green, red, orange, and yellow, melding from one color to another in a way that’s mesmerizing.

“Don’t look at it,” I warn Callum.

He shakes himself, and we keep walking. But then music begins to emit from the creature, and I feel a strange feeling come over my body. It’s like I’m suddenly really tired. My eyelids feel heavy, and the world takes on a dreamlike quality.

Callum starts to head off the path.

I push away the strange feeling, knowing that going off the path is trouble.

Stepping in front of him, I press my hands to his ears, covering them, so he can’t hear the music. He blinks down at me, as if seeing me for the first time, but the music continues to pull at me, to draw me closer to the creature, even though all logic says I need to stay away.

My hands drop from Callum’s ears, and I make a movement to step off the path. Callum’s arms encircle me, pulling me backwards, and he’s breathing hard. Then we’re both moving toward the edge of the path.

A squeal disturbs the music, and I jerk, my focus moving from the creature to an animal. It’s one of the donkey-like animals that the traders had had. It runs straight for the big creature, seeming caught up in its music. When the donkey-thing reaches the creature, the floating being stops playing music and leaps down onto the donkey-like animal, covering the animal in its translucent body.

The animal begins to scream and wail as we watch its skin being peeled from its body. All the creatures descend on it, and it screams and screams as they fight over it. Blood flies everywhere. Flesh scatters around, and the creatures race around, consuming the splattered flesh.

I look at Callum with horror in my eyes. “Plug our ears and run?”

He nods.

We plug our ears and start running, and we don’t stop running, even when the flying creatures are far behind us. Even when we’re sure the music can no longer reach our ears. We run and run until we crest a hill and spot a cabin along the path down below. What’s more… the entrance to the next ecosystem is just beyond it.

Finally, we stop running. We stand together on the path, breathing hard.We’ve reached the end! We’ve finally reached the end of this horrible place!

Callum picks me up and throws me in the air. I laugh, and then we’re hugging and spinning.Whatever comes next, it has to be better than this place. It has to be.

“What should we do?” Callum asks, grinning. “Escape or rest?”

I let my mind work. “We don’t know what we’re going to face in the next ecosystem. It’d probably be best to spend the night in the cabin. Maybe there are even supplies in it.” But at the very least we know there will be fresh water because of the magic of the cabin.

He doesn’t say a word, just starts heading for the cabin, with me at his side. We’re exhausted, but there’s a pep in our step at just the thought of a night spent in a bed and a cool shower. Any chance at an escape from this brutal realm.

We reach the cabin, go inside, and turn on the flickering light around the room. It’s immediately cooler, I mean like by twenty to thirty degrees at least, probably something our fathers had weaved into the goldarium when they built this place. We throw our stuff on the floor and don’t have to say a word before we’re both stripping and heading for the shower.

I moan as the cool spray washes over me, and Callum groans behind me. Then we’re opening our mouths and drinking as much as we can. I spend a full minute just standing under the falling water drinking before I start scrubbing myself clean. Callum does the same, both of us tired of being yucky and sweaty.

When we’re done, I ask him, “Do we really need to get out?”

He gives me a wicked grin. “I have another excuse for us to stay in…”

I laugh as he pulls me into his arms, and we start kissing. Our kisses move from sweet to hot within seconds, and my body heats up for him.How long has it been since we were together?

Too fucking long.

He lifts me up and presses me against the wall of the shower, his mouth never leaving mine. My legs wrap around his back, and his tip presses into my channel. I let out a rush of air against his lips as he squeezes inch by inch into my wet and willing body. The fit is tight.

When he’s fully inside of me, he breaks our kiss, breathing hard. “I love you.”

“I love you too,” I say, digging my nails into his shoulders.

He starts thrusting into me, and it’s as if the heavens have opened up and swallowed me whole. Every muscle in my body is tense. Every nerve is alive and aware of every inch of him touching me. And he feels… so incredibly good inside of me.

“Callum,” I moan his name.

“Marry me,” he groans, thrusting into me harder.

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