Page 189 of Visions & Shadows

“No,” I mutter, pressing kisses to her jaw and down her throat.

“I’m thirsty,” she complains before chuckling.

Letting out a playful growl, I pull out of her before I climb off the bed.

While I walk to the kitchen, I hear the water start to run in the shower, and it feels so damn good to hear Alchera moving around in my house.

I quickly fill a glass of water for Alchera and find her where she’s holding her hand beneath the spray in the shower, checking the temperature.

“Here you go,” I say, handing the glass to her.

While she downs the cool liquid, I step into the shower and grab the soap. I work it until my hands are covered in suds, and once Alchera joins me, I begin to wash her body.

She also rubs the soap in her hands before her palms brush over my shoulders.

When our eyes lock, I say, “If we’re ever faced with a life-threatening situation again, don’t break our bond. Promise me that we’ll live and die together. The pain of losing you is too unbearable and the worst torture I can be subjected to.”

She presses a kiss to my left peck, then nods. “I promise.”

I wrap my arms around her, holding her tightly to my chest where the echo of loss still ghosts through my heart. I don’t think it will ever completely fade.

The blow I was dealt left a scar on my soul, and it will always serve as a reminder of how important Alchera is to me.

Chapter 34

Alchera

I’m sitting on a chairwith a blanket wrapped around me while watching Raighne work in the kitchen. He has sweet potatoes on the coals and is busy frying strips of steaks, carrots, and zucchini.

A delicious aroma fills the air, and as my stomach grumbles, I say, “I never learned how to cook.”

“I’ll teach you,” he murmurs while checking on the sweet potatoes.

I glance out the window next to the front door, but it’s dark, and I can’t see much.

The memory of what happened before the asteroid hit Earth shudders through me, and I whisper, “Thana and Phoenix are dead.”

“I saw,” he says, his tone tight with sorrow. “Thank you for being there for my brother in his last moment.”

I swallow hard, and silence falls between us as I struggle to keep the memories of the past few months at bay.

The five years I spent on Earth make up most of my childhood memories.

Molly’s gone.

The Calders. Everyone at school. The whole town.

I suck in a quivering breath, then feel Raighne’s warmth as he eases the heartache before it can bleed through my chest.

Earth was all I knew, and now that it’s gone, I don’t know if I’ll be able to adapt to this new life.

“You will,”Raighne replies to my thoughts.“It will just take some time.”

I turn my attention back to him and watch as he plates our food.

“Come eat,” he orders while he sets the plates down on the table.

I move to the seat beside him, a smile tugging at my mouth as I look at the delicious food. “Thank you.”

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