Poisonous Dream (The Starlight Gods Series Book 5) Page 16

  "Are they okay? Where are the others?" I questioned.

  "Daniel's been working on something. I think he found out something from his research, and has been locked in the training room trying to figure it out. Marcus had to stay outside the castle walls in case he or Ryuu shifted due to his emotional imbalance," Ryder explained.

  I frowned, worrying about Daniel overworking himself and Marcus being excluded.

  "What about Elias and EliaseAnne?" I asked.

  "EliaseAnne had a really bad panic attack when we arrived. You already know about her fear of medical centers. She helped stabilize you and clear out as much poison as possible till Karen was able to take over. But the fear of losing you most likely got to her and being in that environment and the machines just tipped her over. They're both okay, but Karen won't discharge them until she knows for sure Eli won't have another one. It's dangerous when Eli has panic attacks," Ryder explained.

  "What happens?"

  "She either gets extremely sick or her magic becomes imbalanced. If the latter happens, that's when it's dangerous. You know EliaseAnne is a hybrid, correct?"

  I nodded, remembering Marcus had explained it to me when we'd been in the cabin during the storm that hit us on the way back to Knightwood.

  "When EliaseAnne's or even Elias’ magic goes out of balance, it triggers Eli's dark fairy side. That side of her isn't as controlled as the fairy half you've seen before. Dark fairies are extremely powerful and very dangerous if they can't control their strength and magic," Ryder emphasized.

  I nodded, knowing exactly the extent of power he was referring too.

  "Are they balanced now?" Midnight whispered. She must have been listening in and her concern caused her to pop up and ask.

  "Midnight’s asking if they're balanced now?" I asked.

  "Yes. They're okay. I saw Elias yesterday, and he looked fine and he's been coping well. He informed me Eli's been just fine. Ryuu even painted her nails." He smirked.

  I giggled, shaking my head. "She loves when Marcus or Ryuu does her nails," I agreed.

  He finished massaging my legs, beginning to help me do different exercises. I was impressed at his seriousness and how focused he was.

  "Ryder? How do you know all the moves?" I questioned. Daniel had apparently taught Kai ahead of time.

  "Daniel taught all of us. He said just in case he wasn't here when you woke up or needed to move your legs during certain hours of the day, all of us could perform it without trouble. Marcus and Elias also know how to do it," Ryder explained.

  He did that just for me?

  Ryder smiled as he helped lift my leg so my knee bent in and out— holding my leg outstretched for ten seconds and bending it and keeping it in that position for ten seconds.

  "We all don't want to bombard you at once, Makoto. Daniel may keep his distance momentarily to figure out a way to heal your legs, but he loves you and worked hard when you were resting to help Midnight as well," Ryder acknowledged.

  "Midnight too?"

  "Yes. I know they had a rough start, but Midnight’s been very cooperative and so has Daniel. I don't know if they've solved what happened before the exam, but they haven't killed one another yet, so I think it's safe to say they're on okay terms."

  "That's good," I whispered, stifling a yawn.

  "Tired?"

  "No. I don't want to sleep yet. I miss the others too," I admitted.

  He finished the rest of the stretches before he sat next to me, pulling me into a side embrace. "Want to go out for some fresh air? It's late, but a nice stroll would do some good," he suggested.

  I smiled, ready to hop off the bed when I realized I couldn't do that; the dead weight of my legs a reminder of that. I frowned, staring at them in defeat, my shoulders sinking. Ryder stood up, going through the curtain that gave us privacy to retrieve something. I could hear him setting up something before he moved the curtain out of the way— a pink wheelchair coming into view.

  My eyes grew wide at the metallic pink material. I'd definitely seen and used a wheelchair before, but I'd never seen a pink one before.

  "It's pink. Is it mine?" I asked.

  He smiled. "Yup. Yours until you’re able to walk again. It even has these." He knelt down, flicking some type of hidden switch. The wheelchair began to light up, beginning with a rainbow of colors that reminded me of a unicorn, before slowly shifting between colors, starting with purple.

  "Of course it would start at purple," I huffed, blinking back tears.

  "I always get first dibs. Well, aside from Kai if he wants to be an ass," Ryder mumbled. He rose to his feet, walking to my side and lifting me up with ease. He gently lowered me into the seat, ensuring my feet were properly aligned on the pedals.

  He walked over to the drawer next to the oversized unicorn float that Midnight stated Kai and the others had set up in my room with my other unicorn figurines.

  The closet even had my collections of unicorn onesies from Earthala. I decided to hold off until I was in a happier mood before wearing the comfortable clothing.

  "Mako."

  I lifted my head in time for his lips to meet mine. I closed my eyes, enjoying his soft touch.

  He pulled back to stare into my eyes. "We’ll get through this. It's going to be hard, and you can cry or be sad whenever you want. But remember, we're all here for you and will never leave you. We won't abandon you. I swear it," he swore.

  I knew that he meant every word. "Okay. Thank you, Ryder," I whispered.

  He smiled, walking over to check if Kai was still asleep. He pulled the blanket on him and left a quick note on the table next to Kai's side of the bed. Nightmare climbed up the pink wheelchair, reaching my arms and climbing up to my shoulders.

  She nuzzled her head against my cheek, prompting me to giggle before I lifted my right hand to pet her soft fur. She relaxed, wrapping her tails around my neck like always as she began to purr.

  "Will I eventually get to see the others?" I whispered. I didn't know if I had the courage to see them all at once and needed a bit more time to adapt to my new conditions, but I definitely wanted to see them.

  "Yes. You'll get to see them for sure," Ryder validated.

  "Okay." I gave him a smile.

  "Let's go for a stroll and then you’re going back to bed."

  "Yes, sir." I lifted my hand in salute.

  He rolled his eyes. "Soldier Mako, your voice doesn't match your salute gesture," he pointed out.

  "Is my voice too high?"

  "Yup."

  "Hmm. I'll ask Marcus. He can teach me his skills."

  "What skills?"

  "His snoring skills. His snores are pretty deep. If I practice, I can deepen my voice too!" I exclaimed, looking up at Ryder whose shoulders shook as he tried not to laugh.

  "Don't tell that to Marcus."

  "Why not?" I complained.

  "You'd hurt his pride." Ryder chuckled, unable to hold back his laughter.

  "Hmph. I'll think about it," I replied, crossing my arms.

  "C'mon, our future Queen. Let's go for a stroll," Ryder whispered in my ear, his low voice sending shivers down my spine as I licked my lips.

  I relaxed as Ryder began to wheel me out of the room, Nightmare snuggled on my shoulder while she continued to purr quietly.

  I have to confront all of them eventually. Yes. One by one, I'll talk with each of them. I may still be scared to confront Daniel, but maybe I'll do exactly what Scarlet said. Let him come to me. Maybe that will help ease my fear of being rejected by him. And maybe...I'll know if he truly loves me...for well, me.

  ONE DAY EARLIER...

  ~DANIEL~

  I relaxed against the cold stone wall, my arms crossed as I waited. I didn't know how long I'd have to wait, but if I needed to stand here all night long I would. Waiting was nothing compared to the feeling of satisfaction I'd experience knowing Makoto would be able to walk again.

  Kai had texted me the name of the individual I needed to speak with regarding Mako's
current situation; this woman had experienced it herself cycles ago. I wouldn't have guessed it would be this individual. I had to give the Queen a heads up I would be leaving the castle for a few hours.

  She was returning from her private section of the castle, carrying a few blankets. When I'd offered my assistance, she explained she was fine and was capable of carrying them. I asked how Makoto was doing and she explained she was still up, catching up with the King and Kade. She didn't know how long they would stay up for, but wanted to make sure both her children were comfortable.

  We chit-chatted for a bit after that before I let her go, not wanting to hold her up from Mako's storytelling. Her family deserved to know everything Makoto had gone through and I didn't want to be the one stopping her.

  It felt weird to be outside the castle walls, having been away from Heila for rotations. To think this place was once a strange land to my eyes, yet here I was, knowing exactly where everything was. That included where the second survivor was currently staying.

  I was nervous, only crossing my arms so I couldn’t see them tremble from my nervousness and fears. I was doing something risky and knew I'd face some type of consequence for breaching confidentiality and standing on private property.

  I just hoped if I faced the highest punishment, which was death, my trip to hell wouldn't be too bumpy. I hope they at least have marshmallows. Those were good when we had them around the fire on Earthala.

  "You're being overdramatic," Azriel mumbled, lingering in my mind to keep me company during our wait.

  Before I could reply, I felt something cold press against my neck. I stayed still, feeling the tip of whatever weapon grow warm and magic pulsing through the air.

  "Out of all the shifters I'd expect to be on my temporary property, I wouldn't think to see you, Daniel," a soft high pitch voice announced.

  "If you're going to kill me right away, can you at least tell Makoto I love her? And Midnight too, but don't tell her-tell her. Like uh...indirectly tell her I like her. And Azriel probably wants to tell Hope he loves her too. Now that I think of it, I should have left a note saying goodbye to the guys, Michael, my younger sis...ugh, I would have even said bye to Dad. Can I get a retry?" I rambled, causing the woman to sigh.

  "I'm not killing you, Daniel. It would be nice if you stepped to the side so I could open the door," she pointed out. She removed her weapon, my tense shoulders relaxed as I sighed in relief.

  I step aside before turning to face the 6'3 woman whose purple-pink hair was tied in a ponytail. She wore black tights and a purple tank top and a pair of pink headphones rested around her neck. My eyes locked onto her silver ones that seemed to hold immense knowledge and power, sending another shiver through me.

  I noticed her silver wand in her hand, the intricate designs glowed a soft sky blue began to dim.

  "Yup. We'd be goners," Azriel stressed.

  I gave him a mental nod, agreeing with his comment as we watched her step forward and turn to face the door.

  She pressed her hand on the wall I was leaning against.

  "Open thy safe hold and allow my guest access. Prevent all other entry in this safe haven."

  I could feel the magic drift off her— a purple magic circle appearing on the stone surface. The door unlocked and slowly opened.

  Winterlya walked in, ushering me to follow. I stepped inside, turning back to see the door close on its own— locking itself. Wow.

  "Would you like anything to drink, Daniel?" Winterlya called out.

  I turned my head, quickly slipping off my shoes before walking into the large living room. I looked to my left to see Winterlya closing the fridge— a bottle of red wine in her hand.

  "I'm fine, thank you," I replied, pulling my glasses off and tucking them into the front pocket of my white shirt.

  She nodded, turning to pour herself a glass.

  I felt a presence behind me, turning my head to see Vinzent. "Holy Starlight!" I flinched, stepping back.

  "For an angel, you really need to control your swearing," Vinzent stated, walking into the kitchen.

  "Sorry?" I replied, blinking in confusion at his comment.

  He walked over to Winterlya, taking her full glass of wine and immediately beginning to drink it till it was half gone.

  "Vinzent! That's my portion!" Winterlya scolded.

  He pulled the glass away from his lips, giving her a smirk. "You shouldn't be drinking a glass of wine."

  "Says who? I earned this glass of wine may I add. I worked all week and you promised if I did well I could have an entire glass. ENTIRE," she stressed, waving her hand at the half-filled glass.

  "You can have half now, and the other half when I come back," he replied.

  She frowned, crossing her arms. "Where are you going?"

  "I’ve got a quick errand."

  "Are you going to get me chocolate?"

  "Do you want chocolate?"

  "Yes," she mumbled.

  "I'll get you chocolate and you can enjoy it with your other glass of wine."

  "Fine," she mumbled.

  He smirked, taking a step forward to give her a kiss.

  I gawked at them. They totally forgot I'm here, didn't they?

  "Well, they could have killed you, so I guess this is punishment for interrupting their alone time," Azriel replied.

  You know you're included in this. Don't try to put all the blame on me.

  "Sure," Azriel replied.

  Bad angel.

  Vinzent pulled away, Winterlya’s cheeks grew red.

  "I'll be back. I know you can handle yourself," Vinzent announced, turning and giving me a wink before making his way out the door. It automatically unlocked, allowing him to exit before closing and locking again.

  "That door is weird," I mumbled.

  "I don't think this house likes when you speak poorly of her," Winterlya announced.

  I gave her a confused look. "Her?" I questioned.

  Winterlya grinned, holding the half-filled wine glass and walking toward the living room. She gestured for me to sit on the opposite black sofa.

  I followed, bowing my head before having a seat.

  Winterlya relaxed in the single seat, sipping a bit of her wine before crossing her legs. "She's alive and very ancient. This house belonged to a witch and eventually was abandoned with immense magic. The magic waited for the witch's return, but it never happened. In time, the magic sunk into the walls of this home and is where witches stay when they have business in Heila. As you know, there aren't many witches left since Aspen's War," Winterlya explained.

  "Interesting," I replied, my eyes glancing around the furniture. Some looked modern like the current suede sofa that must have been bought on Earthala. There was also more ancient furniture like the vases and drawers that were lined up near the large windows that were currently covered by the black curtains with gold embroidery.

  "Why are you here, Daniel?"

  I turned to face Winterlya whose eyes grew serious. I noticed them flicker slightly, causing me to shiver. You can do this, Daniel.

  "You could have just asked me to give you a self-talk," Azriel mumbled.

  I sat up straighter, my expression firm. "I need to know how you were able to walk again."

  I watched her swing the glass in her hand as she tilted her head, her eyes narrowing.

  "When you were a child, your parents taught you how to walk, Daniel," she pointed out.

  "You lost your ability to walk during the Aspen War when you saved your familiar from an attack," I countered.

  She frowned, opening her mouth to speak but paused, closing her eyes. When they opened, dazzling pink took over. I froze in place, my eyes grew wide. The oxygen in the room seemed to drop, making it hard to breathe.

  "You shouldn't be snooping into people's pasts, Daniel Moore. You know what the consequences are. I could kill you with a snap of my fingers and would face no penalty. Regardless of your royal status, even the Starlight gods wouldn't be able to judge me. Are you aw
are of that?" the spirit announced, a devilish grin formed on her lips as I watched her lift her wine glass to her lips, drinking the red liquid slowly— her pink eyes still locked onto me.

  I gulped, feeling a cold sweat begin to form on my forehead. I took a deep breath, an image of Mako's dazzling smile flashed in my mind, followed by Midnight's. I can't back down. I have to prove myself as their star knight.

  "I'll endure the consequences as long as you can tell me how you were able to walk again. I need to help Makoto. I need to heal her. She's the Princess and potential future Queen of Heila. Regardless of what the stars have in store, in order for her to save our realms from whatever darkness was professed, she needs to be able to walk," I stressed.

  She finished her remaining portion of wine and placed the empty glass on the coffee table between us before placing her elbows on her knees, resting her head in her hands. She grinned, her eyes twinkling with amusement and mischief.

  "Let me guess. You somehow got Karen to give you the code to my file? Hmm...no, better yet, a certain phoenix shifter must have gotten involved and used one of his favors. I swear, I always told Karen phoenix shifters are the deadliest. Quiet and innocent, yet hold the deadliest secrets and have the most destructive element of them all. Now, to tell you or not to tell you? What would Winterlya want me to do?" she hummed to herself in thought, looking at the ceiling.

  I rose to my feet, shuffling to a spot that had enough space for what I was about to do. I lowered to my knees, bowing and pressing my head down to the floor.

  "What is this?" she questioned, sounding even more amused by my action.

  "I beg you. I need to know how to save Rosalina Mackenzie Heart's legs. She's been through so much. She's dealt with being torn from her family, sixteen cycles of struggling in the facility and somehow survived the hands of death on multiple occasions. I don't know what Mother Starlight has planned for us, but there's no way she would allow Makoto to go through this exact predicament, only to suffer the same fate once again cycles later. She's strong...loyal and loving. She looks at the world with pure eyes and doesn't let the past influence her views on shifters. Please, if I have to die to get the cure to save her...so be it. As long as I can make her happy again and do my duty as her knight," I begged.