NOVEL NEXT 4.25. Vigil of Lovers
James felt the gentle rocking motion stir him awake from a dreamless slumber. Strong hands were holding him, while a chin rested on his shoulder.
"How long have I been out?" he whispered.
"Nearly an entire day," Zenaria whispered back. "Amber finished the nest and she started on our journey to the next rent. We'll be stopping in a few hours to rest and make you more comfortable."
Smacking his lips, James found his mouth to be dryer than a desert. His body protested each movement as he tried to summon a cup from his storage, only to feel an intense pain shoot through his soul.
"I have you," Zenaria said before lifting a glass of water to his lips. "It's your soul water so it should help a little."
Lifting his hand to take the glass, he felt the strength leave him and it fell limply back down to his side. Zenaria didn't hesitate to help him drink from the cup while humming a soothing melody.
After several sips, he pulled away as best he could. "How far away are we?"
"We'll be to Australia in about two months," she answered. "We aren't stopping at any cities or anything so we might be there faster. But our group can only move so fast, especially if we want to be alert and ready for anything."
"Understood," he said softly. "How did Amber handle the nest?"
"She said it was pretty simple. Finding the energy inside it took a few minutes, but she wiped out the monsters in the city with a bit of anger."
"Where is she?" Closing his eyes, he tried to regain a little strength.
"She's scouting ahead right now. She'll be with you once we stop for a rest. It's her night to bathe you."
A soft smile graced his lips. "That sounds wonderful. I'm glad we enchanted the tubs before all of this."
"So am I." Giggling, Zenaria kissed his ear, making him shiver. "You should rest a little more. I'll wake you once we stop for the night."
"I've slept enough," he protested. "Maybe I want to hear stories about you. What was it like growing up as the most beautiful kitsune alive?"
Patting his chest, she chuckled. "Flattery will get you anywhere, James, but alas, I wasn't always this beautiful."
"You weren't?"
"Oh gosh no. When I was a child, I was gangly and bone thin. A breeze could have knocked me over. Nearly all of my food was given to my sister, making sure she could get past the first few years of her life. It was hard living in the demi-human district."
"I'm sorry," James whispered.
"Don't be. We're going to change things after this. I bet we can help the world get along better. Even if I have to grow the food myself to take care of children that are growing up like I did."
"I'll help you."
Kissing his ear again, she said, "I'd like that. Maybe I can start an orphanage and bring kids to learn and grow. I bet we can help a few of them become cultivators. Not soul cultivators, but normal ones."
"I'll support you as best I can," James claimed before opening his eyes. "So, you promised one night with Jamie. How do you think that's going to go?"
Blowing out a slow breath, Zenaria thought it over. "I think I'm going to make her very jealous about what I give to you every chance I get. I'm going to make her beg for another night, just so I can wave my tails at her as a tease."
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Chuckling, James cut off as he groaned in pain. Zenaria quickly lifted the cup back to his lips, helping him swallow a small amount to soothe him.
"I shouldn't make you laugh." Kissing his ear, she sighed. "You really should get some sleep. I'll keep you on top of Mother."
"Is that where we are?" James mumbled.
"It is. She's keeping her focus on our surroundings, or she'd likely be talking your ear off."
Closing his eyes again, he felt sleep try to take hold. "Maybe one more story…"
"Not this time," she said softly. Humming a calm melody, he felt her push him over the edge.
***
White mist pooled around James as he blinked awake. The familiar dream realm made him smile as he tried to stand, only for the entire realm to quiver and shake.
"Don't move," a soft voice whispered.
Glancing to the side, he found Jamie walking over to him. "Why can't I move in my own dream?"
Smiling, she sat by his side. "You're technically in your soul right now and it's not doing so hot. We're all doing our best to keep the temple in good condition, but Luna is out of commission right now."
Closing his eyes, James sighed. "I should have known."
A gentle had rested on his chest. "Everything will be fine, James. You've been through pain before and your soul isn't breaking. It's morphing. Soon you will blossom into a beautiful butterfly."
"You think I'm beautiful?" he teased.
"Eh."
Smiling, he stopped himself from laughing.
"Grace and Linda wanted to come today, but it took them giving me energy just for me to show up." Rubbing his arm, Jamie added, "Your journey to the next rent is going to be swift. It won't be long before you suddenly wake up are in the middle of the facility."
"I hope so," he whispered. "I want to hold you guys again."
"You're only allowed to hold," she stated firmly. "I'm not sleeping with you."
Raising his brow, he didn't need to fully question her.
"Mender is trying to pawn me off onto you. Said you need a human for your relationship. I love you James, but no matter how drunk you got me, I still wouldn't sleep with you."
"That's fine." Rolling his eyes, he said, "tell Mender to leave you alone or we are going to lock him in a room for a few weeks."
Giggling, Jamie smiled and laid down next to him. "I don't have a ton of time with you, but I wanted to let you know that we will be ready to help you once you reach the facility. And when you become that beautiful butterfly, you'll bring us back."
"I will," he promised.
"I heard I get a free night with Amber and Zenaria?"
"You do," he confirmed. "What are you going to do with them?"
"I have a few things planned," she said with a smile.
Closing his eyes again, he felt sleep try to claim him.
"Rest, James. The next few months will be over before you know it." Soft lips pressed to his forehead before sleep claimed him completely.
***
Amber helped Zenaria place James in the tub, the warm water steaming as she grabbed the washcloths. Zenaria handed her the soap a second later.
"Do you think he'll wake up?" Amber asked.
"Not likely. He's been sleeping more and more each day. Pretty soon he won't wake up until we get there."
Grimacing, Amber started washing his body. "That's fine. I'd rather the trip feel like the blink of an eye for him. The pain he's in while awake tears at me."
Humming, Zenaria started washing his hair. "I'll continue to keep him company through the day if you can scout and handle him at night."
"Of course," Amber said softly. Tears started dripping down her cheeks.
"Oh, Honey…" Zenaria moved to her side and hugged her with soapy hands. "He'll be fine."
"We just got him," Amber whispered. "After all of my time with him, I finally won my way into his heart and now he's in so much pain that I don't know what to do."
"Make sure you remind him how much you love him when he's awake."
Nodding, Amber wiped her eyes. "I feel like I'm breaking. I want to take the pain away and hold it in my heart so he doesn't feel it anymore. I want to see his smile and confidence as he storms through a sea of monsters."
"We'll have that again," Zenaria promised. "Only next time, we'll have Luna and the others with us. I should probably start practicing being submissive."
"Luna won't maim you too much," Amber joked. "Just don't try and butt into her time with him and you might live."
A soft laugh escaped the kitsune. "We should get back to cleaning him."
Letting out a shaky breath, Amber started scrubbing him again. "Let's hope he doesn't remember the next few months. When we reach the rent, we are going to need to do everything we can to keep him safe and reach the facility and energy."
"There might not be a facility," Zenaria stated. "It's a new rift and spawned centuries after the others. We might be walking into a blob of vines around the energy instead of a facility."
Thinking it over, Ambe realized she might be right. "If that's the case, all the better. We'll need to help James get to the energy when the time comes. All of us with Siphon will be needed to cut through."
"Priest will defend us."
Nodding, Amber turned her focus to her mate. Two months. That's all she needed for him to wake up again. Two months before he became immortal and brought back their loved ones. Then the final battle could commence.