Page 20 of Ruling in Flames (Reborn 5)
6
MAYA
When a warm breezerushed over my skin, a slow sigh left my lips, my body completely suspended in a euphoric sense of pleasure. Not the type my mates gave me, but rather a slow, honey-like heat that was wrapped around me protectively, healing in nature.
In the distant recesses of my mind, I could hear a sprinkle of conversation, none of it making much sense to me. It felt like I was forgetting something, though, because despite how relaxed I currently was…there was another sensation, like a mental tug, urging me to think deeper.
I didn’t want to, though. I liked this. I liked this sense of peace.
A light poke to my nose had me blinking my eyes open. I frowned in confusion, a bright ray of sunshine coming down on my face. I squinted, trying to figure out where the poke on my nose had come from—Bella, maybe? Then a giggle sounded.
“Mommy, wake up.”
What? Mommy?
A little boy, maybe six at most, peered down at me from where he knelt on the ground, his gold eyes bright and curious as he offered me a smile. My heart melted because he was so adorable, his dark wavy hair surrounding his face like a cherub. Then I felt a sense of immediate concern on why he was alone, or better yet, why he assumed I was his mom.
He had said that, right?
I looked around, expecting to see others or possibly his mother, but no one else was around. We were on a gorgeous prairie that led to a seaside cliff, the bright midday sun creating a golden landscape. I’d never been here before, but it was absolutely beautiful. It also didn’t give me the same feeling as the weird ‘death realm’ I’d been in before being reborn…
Everything began to trickle back in as reality shook my already unstable foundation.
When the boy’s finger poked my arm, I looked down at him again. This time the boy looked a bit distressed, if not sad, his expression contorted in confusion. “You look sad.”
Was I sad?No, I was confused.
“Not sad,” I promised. “Where are we?”
His smile grew happy again, shrugging in an action that was lighthearted and relaxed. “I don’t know—this is your dream. I’ve never been here.”
“And who are you? Where’s your mom? Why are you alone?” I couldn’t help the bubble of panic that came up my throat, feeling a heavy concern for this young boy.
“I’m yours.” His eyes lit up as he shook his hair out of his face in an action that reminded me a lot of Sai, actually. “You’re my mom.”
“I’m your mom?” I mused, finding it both endearing and a bit worrisome he thought that. Maybe I shouldn’t have been as worried as I was since he was apparently a figment of my imagination—I’d never dreamt of our future kids before, but it wasn’t terribly surprising.
“Well, you will be…” He hesitated and frowned. “Somehow. I don’t really know.”
“Why are you here?” I reached forward to squeeze his hand, and he squeezed mine back. I had no idea what to make of this interaction, but I had to admit, this boy did look a little bit like me.
Okay, maybe more than a little bit.
“To wake you up. You’ve been sleeping for almost three days…they’re worried about you,” he explained with concern.
Three days?Holy crap. That wasn’t good. That wasn’t good at all.
“How is this happening?” I asked, confused. “How do I wake up?”
Although part of me didn’t really want to wake up…at least not until I figured out what was going on with this boy.
“I don’t know…magic?”
Right, magic.
“And to wake up, just open your eyes.”
Could it really be that simple? I closed my eyes to test out the theory because I was almost positive they had been open…but the minute I closed them, the space shifted.
