Page 68 of Finding Love with the Fae King

Chapter Thirty-One

Melina

Wehadn’tflownforlong until we reached the ocean of the Eastern Sea. The water was how I remembered it the day I met Lucca; crystal clear. The dark outlines of large fish and the rocks on the ocean floor were easily seen, even from up in the sky. All and all, it was a beautiful sight. It only made me want to swim that much more in the cool water. Heeding Osirus’s warning, I knew to stay away unless I wanted to get sucked down into the beautiful abyss by vengeful sirens.

Looking toward the horizon, there was an island. Large trees and thickly covered mountains of vegetation sat high in the sky. I’m guessing it was the Isle of Dragons. The waves were rough here in the middle of the sea. If one tried to come to the island, their boat would capsize in an instant. Large white caps crashed down on one another as the sea’s tumult roared. Leaning over to get a better look, Horus gave a warning growl, and I sat straight in my position.

My tears had long since dried once we reached the island. I thought time away from Osirus would be good for me, showing that I was still independent and could care for myself. I did it for how many years, anyway. I still loved and cared for him but was still brutally hurt by how easy it was for him to send me away. His face was masked, something he didn’t do with me, but today he did. Possibly he was staying stronger for the both of us because he knew I would cry to still be in his arms.

He proved strong, and I left without showing him how hurt I was. I regretted not giving him at least one last goodbye kiss. I worried about him fighting in a war, even though his confident demeanor told me we would come out on top without question.

I let out an angry sigh. I had been so selfish. I got a little attention and craved him like a child who wanted candy.

Horus descended onto the beach. The sand was thicker than most, reminding me of oatmeal as my feet sunk further into it. It was warm and welcoming, and I relished every moment until Horus started nudging my back while huffing. He wanted me away from the beach.

I took off the bags that Alaneo had packed for me. There was food, clothing, and other necessities if I needed them, but that wouldn’t keep a roof over my head.

“All right, Horus, where is this cabin that I need to go to?” Horus huffed and pushed me into the sparsely spaced-out grand trees. It was enough space for him to wander with me as we came to an old path. The path was overgrown with moss, trees, and bushes, but just enough for me to get through without getting scratched.

Horus was walking slowly behind me, and since I wasn’t walking as fast as he wanted, Horus sighed in frustration. “Fine, fine, I can run if you are bored,” I said, agitated. I picked up my speed until his nose went through my legs, and he held me close to his face. I screamed, being lifted so high, but he only chortled at my silliness.

“If you could talk, this would be a heck of a lot easier. If you have all these magical powers, why can’t you at least do that?” I crossed my arms and gripped my legs around his snout.

The cabin was small and quaint on the outside. It gave me warm feelings of my cabin back with Tulip’s family, but there were subtle differences. This one had shells decorating the outside and fishing poles hanging on the side of the cabin. The roof was mostly flat, covered in small, crushed shells and cement. If a storm came by, I doubted it would move.

Horus let me down, lay on the ground, and curled like a cat. The sun fell directly on the extensive area cleared out for the cabin, and Horus took that advantage to soak up the sun. His eyes closed, and he was asleep before I could walk in.

The cabin was studio-like. The entire cabin was one room besides the bathroom. The kitchen sat in the far-left corner while the bed was on the right. A small two-seater table and one couch in the middle of the room. It was dusty and hadn’t been used in years, so I cleaned it with the rags that held my bags together.

By the time I finished, it was sunset. Overall, it was a place I could see myself living in if I had never found Osirus. I didn’t know how long I was going to be there, so I pondered whether I would really be living a life without him. Pulling some bread and cheese from one bag, I silently ate my dinner.

Just two months ago, if someone had told me I was to be on a dragon island with people trying to kill me, I think I would have slapped them silly. Now, here I was, eating cheese on a dragon island and sleeping in a studio hut in the forest. I started giggling. This was all just crazy! On top of it all, I fell in love with the King of Fae!

If my parents had kept me, had acted like they cared, I might not even be here. I could have traveled the world with Mom or gone off to medical school, where my dad had studied. Instead, the light in my head went off instantly, all because my parents left, I met my soul mate. The lonely nights, the years of not being cared for, being loved by them was just a twinkle in time compared to the eternity I could have with Osirus.

Hearing Horus continue to sleep with his loud, thundered breathing made me sleepy, too. Stripping into some night clothes, I crawled into the bed. It was fluffy, soft, and warm. Even though it was comfortable and one of the better beds I’d ever slept on, there was something missing. I knew exactly what the missing piece was, but he was far away from me, fighting a battle that his people deserved.Just a few days of this, I continued my mantra.

I smiled, thinking about how Osirus would look at Montu. The silver and gold armor dawned on his horse with his sword high in the air, waving around and giving orders. Fighting with his men instead of behind his army’s lines. Sighing dreamily, I rolled to my back, staring at the walls. I was lucky; he put up with my bratty attitude. I just wished I could say sorry I didn’t kiss him goodbye.

Regret and guilt consumed me as I fell asleep late into the night.

The next morning, I was up with the suns. All the crying, self-loathing and guilt racked my mind last night, and I was going to be productive and do something fun. If I can’t help Osirus, I could help myself by exploring an island few two-legged people can say they have explored.

Opening the door of the cabin, Horus’s head perked up at attention and tilted his head to the side, examining me. He was a magnificent creature. Every time he moved, you could see his scales ripple and hints of light beaming from them. The golden sheen on his scales made him look perfectly clean and royal. Fit for Osirus, I supposed.

“Come on, let’s go explore,” I beckoned him. Rolling his eyes, he stood up while I continued to walk through the forest. Several animals that I had seen back in the Fae Kingdom: rabbits, birds, the crazy fairy moss that bursts into bits of light when you step on it. Those were the most fun. Every time I came by a patch of purple stuff, I would stomp on it only to hear Horus chuckle behind me.

We continued walking on the same path for about an hour. There were plenty of stops along the way, looking at sleeping dragons underneath the tall trees. Dragons napped a lot. They reminded me of cats and how they loved to sleep but also had that fiery spirit about them when they wanted it. Small groups of dragons played with each other, nipping at each other’s tails and rolling in the moss. When I tried to approach, Horus would immediately put out his claw in front of me and keep me away.

The trees disappeared, and the light shone brighter. I could hear splashing and the rushing of water in the distance. Once we went toward the sound, we arrived at a beautiful spring. The small waterfall barreled down several levels of rock and stone that glistened as the crystal clear water fell into it.

Immediately thinking of Tulip and our last encounter together, I sighed heavily. I missed her, and I hoped she was all right. Feeling the cool water on my feet, I was excited. Swimming sounded so good right now. I smirked. There are no other people here, so I reasoned it was fine, only Horus, and he was a dragon. Who was he gonna tell? I wasn’t near an ocean, so there was no danger there.

Famous last words.

Ignoring the thought, I stripped down to my bra and underwear. Running toward a rock and finally jumping in, I let out a small scream of laughter. Horus purred deeply in his throat as he sat by the water’s edge. Both claws were one on top of the other, giving him more of a catlike appearance.

I laughed and swam back under the water, swimming toward the bottom. The rocks were different colors that looked polished. One would look at them and think they were polished jewels for a royal treasury. Picking some up and bringing them to the top, I looked at them in the sun. The one I picked up was a royal blue color, a sapphire. My eyes were mesmerized by the color until I heard a voice behind me.

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