Page 13 of The Knight
“I feel a little better. Every day, it’s a little more bearable,” she shrugged.
“I hate that I was away for so long. My dad really wanted some quality time as a whole family,” I lied as I pulled her into a hug, resting my chin on top of her head. My melody hummed inside of me, and for a moment, I let it float around us, and she leaned in closer to me, no doubt to feel the pull of warmth from our connection.
“Where did you guys go again?” she asked, her body leaning in closer and closer to mine. It was hard for me to breathe. The pull I had for Emma was so strong.
“Camping,” I said with a laugh, trying to pull my feelings and my melody back, to avoid releasing them fully and ruining everything.
“What! That’s funny; you and camping,” she giggled, looking at me with a bright smile, and I knew that if I wasn’t careful, I would bend down and touch my lips to hers, and that was not a good idea, not yet. So I moved my arms from around her, releasing her.
“Hey, I can camp. Seriously, I have skills,” I retorted as I splashed Emma with water.
“I vaguely remember a boy who looked like you, trying to build a fire back here in the fire pit, and—” I swam closer to herand placed my hand over her mouth. I shoved my melody back, shielding it again.
“Okay, okay, so I am not good at making fires; I get it.” I looked into her beautiful, green eyes. They seemed to glow as I gazed into them, entranced. I couldn’t look away. I wanted to tell her everything, to confess all to her, but I knew that she needed time, and I had to do what was right for her. Her melody sent her thoughts about me, right to me. She loved my blue eyes—they looked like an ocean after a storm. I was so surprised by her feelings about me. Grey eyes came into my mind, and I quickly shielded my soul again. I felt Emma's emotions change. She moved away from me, and my hand dropped from her mouth.
“I came out here for a swim, so if you don’t mind,” she said, taking one last look at me and then diving under the water, and then her feelings were that of escape; she wanted to escape me. I wanted to die, knowing that because that's not what she needed from me, so I had failed her. I had failed her once again.
Chapter 9
Emma and I spent the rest of the short summer together. We watched movies because it was so hot that we didn’t dare go outside for more than some quick dips in the pool. I didn’t unshield my soul again around her. I was frustrated. I had let my guard down, and I wouldn’t do it again.
School was about to start, and Glasson had filled me in on Ashlyn. Ashlyn was going to seek us out so that I could help guard her, too. I sighed, just thinking about it. It was enough that I had my hands full with Emma and this possible Terran wanting to kill her, and that Shad was here, who I had yet to speak with, for obvious reasons: I was avoiding him—but Ashlyn, too? Not to mention, the box in my brain, which kept threatening to unlock at any given moment if I were to even think of the blue oceans of Torren or of grey eyes—these were things I tried not to think about—trigger images. I laid on my pillow a bit longer than usual after my alarm went off. I stared at my alarm before finally getting up and getting ready for school.
After I showered, I picked out a pair of pants and a shirt, slung my backpack on my back, and that's when I heard it—Prince Shad’s melody—for the first time in a long time, and it was close. I looked out my window, and there he was, crossing the street and heading right for Emma’s house. What was he doing? I darted down the stairs and out my front door. The pull to keep my vows and to protect Emma was pushing me toward the Prince.
“Prince Shad,” I called. He looked up, and our eyes met. He looked pissed, more than pissed, actually—enraged. He walked up to me, and I groaned as I realized that he had a few inches on me. But he was slim, and I was strong from years spent training, and more recently, playing football. If I needed to, I could take him down. He was also younger than me, I reminded myself.
“Shielded soul, huh?” Shad said as he placed his hands in his pockets, scowling down at me. I tried not to laugh as I noticed that he wore a suit, an actual suit.
“You going to a wedding or something there, Prince?” I asked with a laugh. His brow furrowed, and I would never tell anyone this, but I felt like taking a step back; he was actually pretty intimidating. I told myself that it was just because his melody was so strong, not because of the look on his face.
“I am attending school.”
“Well, you might want to check in with the times. Teenagers here don’t wear that,” I said, motioning to his clothing.
“Knight, if I cared what you thought, I would have asked you, but alas, I do not. I am a prince of Embra, and I will dress as such.”
“Whatever you say, Prince.”
“If you could, please call me Shad. That would help me blend in better.”
“And what makes you think I want, or would, helpyou?”
“I assume you do not want to tell Emma about melodies, or you would have already?”
“Maybe.”
“Well, I plan on telling her—because I do not plan on ever keeping secrets from her, but I will be courteous and let you know when I do.”
“Really?”
“Yes, I want to get to know her, and that takes time. You must give me time.”
“What are you doing here?” I tried to keep my voice down, but I was angry. Give himtime?
“What do you mean?”
“So you think you finally found her?” I whispered.
