Inked Chapter 24

Chapter 24

It wasn’t until I was left gasping on the ground in the space that was my own soul, that Zane let go of the area around us. He squatted down beside me as I shuddered in pain. Releasing each soul had caused me an unfathomable amount of pain, so much so that it felt that I had to pause nearly twenty minute in between each soul. I gripped my knees to me, shuddering as all my nerves screamed.

“Kei mou.” Zane whispered, his hand lightly touching my back. I breathed in and shuddered once more before turning my head to look at him. To see him shudder and slightly pull back his hand made me want to cry out as loud as my nerve endings.

“What’s wrong?” I whispered, seeing the uncertainty within his eyes.

“Your eyes,” he whispered, reaching out the hand he had pulled back to lightly touch the cheek beneath my right eye. “They’ve changed color..”

“They did?” I asked skeptically. “You sure you aren’t seeing anything?”

“I’m sure Kei mou, they are the brightest blue, like that of a summer’s sky.” He smiled at me, his hand running lightly down my cheek, a caress between our souls. With that touch, I felt my heart shudder, and from it, black ink seeped out from my skin, releasing into the air to slowly enter into Zane’s soul. Unlike all the other souls, that one did not hurt.

“Why?” I pondered aloud, touching my chest as warmth swept through my body, erasing all of my pain.

“It is because I am already linked to your soul. You do not need to trap me, I will go willingly.” He really did say the sappiest things at times, the bastard. “That reminds me,” his eyes became sharp as they focussed on me. “Why did you leave without telling me?”

I backed away from him, terrified of his anger. “I thought it would be easier.”

“Do you know what would have happened had our souls not been connected?” I shook my head no in response and waited for him to continue. He moved closer to me, taking my cheeks into his hands like my mother’s soul had done before. He moved in closer and his lips gently touched mine. I felt my soul ignite and warmth spread through me. “All the souls in here could have eaten your soul, then you would have become nothing but a breathing corpse. A zombie.”

I frowned and muttered to myself, “Can zombies still have sex?” Zane bit my lip, and I yelped in response.

“You want me to become a necrophiliac?” He asked, a bright look in his eyes. His hand stroked underneath my chin and slowly moved down my collarbone, enticing me.

“Well…” I whispered. He bit my lip again and I said instead, “No. I was just wondering.”

He chuckled and kissed the tip of my nose. “Don’t wonder. You’re alive and I will come get you.”

I tilted my head questioningly at him. “You’re going to come to Elysium?”

He looked at me as if he was looking at a stupid child. “How else would I be able to pick my wife up?”

“Wife?” I grunted and shook his hand away. “ I’m a wife now. Huh. You can make your own sandwiches.” Zane chuckled and noticed I wasn’t truly angry, then he kissed me once more.

“Then I will eat you instead.” His voice was husky in my ear and I shuddered from something entirely different than the pain I was feeling earlier.

“Hmm.” I crooned, “Go ahead. I’m up for it anytime.”

~~~

My soul floated back into my body and when I opened my eyes, I felt the caress of feathers against my skin. I knew they were my own wings, but when I looked at them, I couldn’t help but wonder if they were really mine. They had seemed to have grown to almost twice the size they had been before. And now, just like my eyes, apparently, they were a cerulean sky blue. If I were to fly in the sky, they would blend in and no one would be able to tell the sky and me apart.

From beside me, my grandfather made a noise low in his throat. When I glanced over at him, he was sitting cross legged in the grass, his face alight with joy and love. He smiled at me, and my breath stuttered in my chest.

“You are a miracle, Keiran.” I kind of just stared at him, not knowing what to say.

“How?” I asked, pulling my wings away from me until they stretched out behind me. My grandfather watched this movement, and then, without speaking, there was a loud ‘whoosh’ sound. From behind him flared two large wings, even larger and grander than my own. His wings were bright gold, with flecks of blue starlight throughout each feather. His wings were beyond ordinary and extremely beautiful.

“Do you know the meaning behind the sky blue color?” My grandfather asked instead, pointing to the specks of blue within his wings. Confused, I shook my head. “As one of the calmest colors, sky blue inspires selfless love. It is non-threatening and promotes a helpful nature that can overcome all obstacles. It is the universal healer.”

“What do the color of my wings have to do with that?” I asked, staring at his golden wings.

“My wings,” my grandfather said instead, “are gold. Since ancient times gold relates to achievement and victory which usually belongs to the winner.” He paused, and watched me for my reaction. At last, I understood where he was going with this.

“You’re telling me that the color of our wings tells us our personality?”

“Yes.”

“So then how come my blue wings are lucky?”

“Out of almost a billion angels, only one will be born with a little blue within their wings. Usually, this blue is related to your family, the royalty. The last time an angel was born with pure blue wings was when I was a mere child.”

It hit me then, what he was trying to say. My wings were so rare that this blue had not been seen for countless centuries.

“You, child, may be the reason Elysium and Tartarus finally become allies. Pure blue wings always herald a significant change for our world.”

“I’m not that special.” I muttered under my breath. My grandfather smiled, and sat down once again, his wings disappearing back behind him.

“We shall see, little one, what changes you bring to this world.” He grinned and then glanced over into the sky. “It seems your mate has arrived.”

I looked up into the sky, and saw a small speck off in the distance coming closer and closer. Soon it began to form into a shape, and I saw that it was indeed Zane, in his dragon form, flying steadily into our direction. He got close to the ground, his giant wings flapping, blowing my hair out of my face. Swiftly, he changes back into his human form, his blue scales disappearing into his human flesh.

“Zane.” My grandfather nodded. A smile still lingering on his lips.

“Samuel.” Zane nodded back, saying my grandfather’s first name as if they had known eachother for a long time. I looked at Zane questioningly, he just shook his head, silent on the matter.

My grandfather, on the other hand, just chuckled. “Your mate and I have known each other for centuries, Keiran. We have even fought wars with and against each other.”

“Uh..” How was I supposed to respond to that? “So you’re enemies?” Zane strode toward me until I could feel the heat coming off of his skin, knowing he was behind me was like a drowning man gasping for air. I unconsciously retracted my wings and reached out a hand behind me until I felt his fingers intertwine in mine.

“Not exactly, Kei mou. But we cannot be considered friends either.” Okay then. Were they going to start comparing penis’ too? I would be able to stare at Zane’s all day, but I didn’t want to think of looking at my grandfather’s. That thought caused a shudder to spread down my spine. Zane tugged on my hand, and tried to lead me away, but my grandfather smiled widely.

“I have yet to talk with my grandson for very long.” He looked at Zane with a not so friendly look. “Please stay and let me get to know him.”

Zane stopped tugging on my hand and looked down at me as if waiting for confirmation. I smiled and tugged him this time. But it was toward my grandfather. I knew he would do nothing to Zane or I. It was just a feeling I had deep in my bones.

“I’m fine with it, Zane. Let’s stay.” Zane grumbled under his breath but followed the two of us into the thicket as we made our way deeper into Elysium.

It seemed to me that Elysium was almost exactly the same as Tartarus. Everyone went through their lives just doing what they needed to survive. Even here everyone mainly used their human form unless they were flying in the skies, and from what I learned from my grandfather, most of those that were flying were part of the military.

He led us through the packed streets, making comments here and there about the history of this place. It wasn’t until the soun was beginning to set did we find ourselves inside of a large building, this was where my grandfather lived, and he invited us to dinner and stay the night. Just as we were about to eat dinner, one of the large doors coming into the dining room was flung open, and there stood my father. His face angry, his dark wings flared out behind him.

I noticed my grandfather’s eyes shine with more emotion than they did when he had first met me.

“Return my son to me!” My father yelled across the room. I st next to Zane, my hand curled into his, gripping his fingers tightly.

“Ho.” My grandfather chuckled. “I never took him, he came to me.” Without being able to refute the truth my father mutters something in french under his breath. Neither Zane nor I caught what he said.

“Dad,” I called out, still holding onto Zane. “I’m fine.” My father looked over at me and paused, his eyes widening before he moved so quickly in front of me I almost didn’t catch the movement. He lifted my chin with one hand, and stared into my eyes.

“They’re blue?” A frown creased his brows before he turned to look at his father behind him. Now that the two stood near each other, you could see many similarities within their build, smiles and even they way they stood. They had never even met, but the way that they talked was even similar. I smiled at my father.

“Grandpa helped me figure out the issue with my powers.” I told him truthfully.

“The bomb is gone?” He asked, still holding onto my chin. He looked over at Zane with a question in his eyes. Zane just nodded and suddenly it looked like all of the years on my father’s face disappeared. The weary lines sank into his skin and his eyes brightened. He turned around and looked at his father. “Thank you for helping my son.”

“I do not need thanks for helping my own grandson.” My grandfather’s voice rumbled out through the room, tinged with anger.

My father breathed in deeply before bowing slightly. “If there is anything in my power that I can do to thank you, then I will.”

My grandfather looked at my father before stepping forward, his face completely serious. “I have just one request.”

Raising from his bow, my father’s face also turned serious. “And that is?”

The smile that bloomed on my grandfather’s face was that of a father seeing his child for the first time. “I wish to get to know my own son, Raidon. I wish to know you.” My father’s eyes softened and at that point, I knew that these two would begin a new parental relationship that they had never had before. I could see them in the future being just as close as my father was to my grandmother. This thought alone made me smile. Zane notice my grin and looked towards me.

“What are you smiling about?” He whispered, his hand still laced with mine as he gave it a little tug.

“Nothing.” I whispered back, looking up into his bright eyes. “I’m just happy.”