Nick fixed his gaze on her as a gentle smile washed over his face. I’m the luckiest. The absolute luckiest. He wrapped his fingers around hers tightly and pulled away from the hidden entrance.
She peeked at him as she continued to wave, then smiled up at him as she wrapped her hand around his arm. “What?”
“You caught me.” He laughed quietly. “You’re just always welcoming to everyone. It makes me happy to be included in it.”
She beamed and held his hand between both of hers as she followed him. “Of course you’re included! I love you.”
“More than happy. Just so…” He paused, cupping her cheek and caressing it with his thumb. “It’s hard to explain with words... I love you.” He leaned toward her and brushed a gentle kiss against her lips. When he pulled away, his eyes roved across her face as his smile widened before pressing a second kiss to her lips.
“Nick…” She smiled against his kiss, pulling him closer with her arms draped around his neck.
As his lips lingered on hers, he slowly brushed her hair behind her ear. When he reached the end of the strand, he pulled back and glanced at the skyline. “I’d kiss you all night, but it’d be too dark and we’d miss the mountains.”
“I told you that you got to pick.” She grinned as she nestled in between his chest and arm. “We can always do both if you changed your mind, there’s plenty of time for just you and me here.”
“Sure. Anything for you.” As he started walking again, he laughed quietly and wrapped his arm around her waist. But that’s now and not then...
“It’s pretty…”
All around them, the mountain shimmered in the twilight. The red and orange light glinted against the clouds, bathing the mountains in an ethereal glow. The honeyed clouds streaked across the sky, spreading into the distance and caressing the mountains with a whispered touch. Above them, the deep night began blanketing the mountain and below them, the mountain eclipsed the valley, shrouding it in shadow.
Minako gazed up at Nick with a smile that glinted like the clouds.
He pulled her close and stared up at the sky as he pointed to a thin cloud. “That one looks like a sunbeam. And that one looks like an untied sash.”
“They all look the same, Nick.” She giggled. “They’re all long and streaky.”
“That one looks like a sword without the hilt. And that one looks like Brian’s staff, but without the fancy part on top.”
“Are you just thinking of all the things you know that are long and straight?” She continued to giggle.
He rubbed the back of his neck as he smiled, then started laughing. “You’re better at that game than me.”
She stopped in front of him and stood on her tiptoes, then held his shoulder tightly as she whispered in his ear. “Always time to practice.”
Can I get you more alone than this? I shouldn’t focus on that, but... His heart thudded loudly in his chest, but he swallowed away the feeling, mustering gentleness into his smile as he brushed a strand of her hair behind her ear. “Always.” He grabbed her hand and pulled her down the path.
“So, what’s next in your plan?” Her voice reflected her smile. “Since we already tried to look at clouds, I’m guessing you’re trying to recreate a time when it was just us.”
He wrapped his arm around her waist and laughed. “Caught me again.”
“Are we going to go looking for food too? Summon a rainstorm? Hire bandits to fight? Should I prepare for anything crazy?”
“No, nothing like that...” He laughed again. Maybe I should have planned this better... “Ummm, but we can eat when we go back... unless you’re hungry now… I could find...” His breath caught in his throat, then he pulled his arm from her waist and jogged ahead.
“Nick?”
Just like in Howie’s garden. After pulling a small cluster of purple star-shaped flowers with large, green oval-shaped leaves from the ground, he continued to kneel as he held it toward her with a flourish. "It's pretty, like you."
"Nick…" Her face flushed and she raised her curled fingers to her heart as she caught up to him.
He pulled a couple of the flowers from the cluster as he stood, then tucked them into her hair."I always see you, even in the dark.” He gripped her hands, pressing the rest of the cluster into them. “I would do anything for you."
“They’re just like in Howie’s garden.” Her eyes glinted in the twilight as she swallowed, then smiled. “That’s all I wanted to hear back then.”
“I was always paying attention to you.” He lowered his head. "I'm sorry I… left… earlier..."
"You were mad. Don't be sorry."
"But I wasn't mad at you.” He cupped her cheek. “It just hurt to know that they didn't need you like I did… I guess I already knew that, but… I just thought…"
She brushed his hair back from his forehead.
"Minako, you're more than just someone who can serve others. You're constantly filling the darkness with your own warmth and brightness." He pulled her close to his chest. You’re always focused on me and worrying about me. I just wanted to show you...
"Nick, you're more than just darkness. You're the one constantly lighting up my whole world." She held her hand against his hair, running her thumb along his forehead.
You always know exactly what I want to hear. He tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. “I love you.”
“I love you too.” She wrapped her arms around his neck and brushed a gentle kiss to his lips.
When he pulled back, his fangs glinted in the ethereal glow of the mountains as he smiled. After scanning their surroundings, he ducked into a concave curve in the rock face, pulling her into his lap and wrapping his arms around her tightly as she nestled against his chest.
She smiled up at him. “Star watching?”
“Just in case you wanted to wish on one. Did any of your wishes on regular stars ever come true?”
She hid against his chest. “Can I tell you a secret?”
“Always.”
“I only ever wished for one thing… To see your smile.”
His breath hitched as he pulled her body closer to his, then his lips quirked into a bright and bubbling smile that danced in the fading light.
“Just like that.” Her eyes sparkled as she stared up at him. “And then I didn’t have to wish anymore, because you started smiling more often.” She swallowed, holding her hand against his chest. “I was so excited when they became those gentle smiles that were only for me.”
If we could have been like this back then… His smile softened, then he pressed a kiss to her forehead. “I’ll give you a million of them to make up for it. I don’t know any star stories or I’d tell you one… Can you think of one you didn’t tell me?”
“Did I tell you about Altair and Vega?” She danced her fingers along his chest.
“Not yet.” He leaned his head on hers as he brushed his hand through her hair.
“You might know it. I probably didn’t tell you before because I thought you would tell me it was silly.” She smiled as they stared up at the sky. “Altair and Vega are two really bright stars in the sky, you can usually see them just by looking, especially in the summer. The story says that a shepherd boy and a weaver girl fell in love, but because he was a child of mortals and she was a child of gods, their parents forbade them from being together and separated them with a huge river, just like Altair and Vega are separated by another galaxy in the sky. But in the summer, the stars get really close to each other and that’s when magpies come to help the shepherd boy and the weaver girl by making a bridge so they can cross the river and be together. When Altair and Vega are closer, only the constellation Cygnus is between them, just like the magpie bridge.”
He laced his fingers through hers and lowered his voice to a whisper. “A demon and a priestess fell in love, but they came from two different worlds. The priestess made a wish to rescue the demons and a bridge got made so he could cross into her world and they could be together.”
“You’ll burst through any bridge if it exists, won’t you?” She giggled.
“I would if it meant I could be with you.” He smiled, then laughed quietly. “I probably would have told you it was silly… not because it was actually silly, but because I was jealous of their loyalty to wait for each other for a year every year.”
“I waited for you until we found each other again. Actually, I think I was always waiting to meet you here.”
“Me too. I think I did everything I could to get you here...” He bit his lip. If that’s really a memory and not a dream, I’ve always been trying to find you... “I--”
“I was talking to Madeline today when we got a plant for Kevin.” She glanced up at him.
His arms tensed around her. “Did she want to talk about Ashley again?” I didn’t want to talk about him… I wanted to focus on you.
“No, I asked her about their relationship.”
Nick blinked then started laughing.
“Nick?”
He kissed her temple and relaxed his embrace. “She ran into me when I left and I asked her something similar. She told me to talk to you instead of her, which makes sense if you were talking too. We ended up talking about a dream I had instead...”
“Your family?”
“No… about the castle… I…” He bit his lip. You probably wouldn’t talk about the castle with her… “What did you talk about?”
“I just… wanted to know if she and Ashley had sex. She said she wasn’t a virgin when she became a priestess.” As she stared up at him, her eyes glinted like the stars.
Of course I want you, but… He swallowed, trying to calm the wrenching in his stomach. “But… she’s a priestess…”
“She said she didn’t have the red light powers until after they had sex, but that she could still use their powers in the castle after they died, just like I can make Brian’s barriers. She said everything was fine… I mean besides them dying…”
Having to wait for you again… “But she didn’t get the box.”
“She said Bri didn’t either, which we know, but that she should have been able to if virginity was a requirement…”
I couldn’t be strong like Altair and Vega… Nick frowned again. “I want to, but if you disappear…”
“But Madeline…” She pressed her lips into a thin line as she paused, then ran her hand through his hair. “We’re not here because of any agreement with God… We’re here because of Justin…”
I really do want to… He brushed her cheek with his thumb. “I love you. What if she’s wrong? Or what if she’s tricking you?”
“I love you too. What if she’s not? She’s our friend.”
He pulled her closer to his chest. “I want you to stay… and... I want you…” He frowned. “And I’m trying to make that first want win, but… it’s been harder here… It feels like getting to do you and me again. Things like when it was just us, but better… with all our feelings now... You know I want to give you everything you want forever, but that would be really hard if we were apart.”
“She was so sure… I thought maybe I could stay and be with you...”
“She said she didn’t have the red light powers until after they had sex?” He bit his lip. I know we already talked about it, but… you’ve always had powers, how can Madeline not have them until afterward? What if it wouldn’t change a thing? I’ve always promised you every piece of me...
“Yeah… you know I’m still okay if the opposite happens.”
“If you are, I still am too. I’ll protect you forever, I promise.”
“Do you think I’d still have the power to find you? Like Altair and Vega?” She held his shoulder tightly and stared up at him.
“You’re my brightest star. I’d never stop trying to find you again. I’ll be bright for you too.” He smiled at her gently. “I’m still not sure what happened before you appeared, but I don’t think there’s anything after you for me. I’ll always love you, no matter how hard or easy anything is.”
“Me too.” She laughed. “Nick, you always say the sweetest things and I can’t think of anything good to say back except ‘me too’.” She brushed his hair from his forehead. “As long as you keep being bright too, we can always cross that magpie bridge. More than once a year.” She swallowed. “I want you to be first.”
First? His pulse raced as he clutched her tighter. "Minako?"
“Not just… my first… I want that too, but…” She swallowed and glanced at the ground as she gripped his tunic tightly. “It just feels like I’m acting like being with you is less important than being a priestess. Just like before when I didn’t wish for what you wanted… what I wanted too… But I really did want that, even though…”
I want you more than anything. He gently lifted her chin with his finger, staring straight into her misty eyes. Not just your body. Your heart, your warmth, your kindness, your strength, your brightness, everything you are.
“You’re enough, Nick. You always have been.”
His breath caught in his throat as his heart fluttered. You always say exactly what I’m hoping to hear, even if it’s simple. I always want to tell you hundreds of beautiful things… trying to get out my feelings, but… “You too. You’re all I want… more than anything else. I just…”
“I know you worry, so let’s stop thinking about any of the other things we have to do. Let’s just think about you and me. When I think about just us…” She swallowed. “I know I want to have sex with you. Anytime or anywhere you want. But I know I also want to stay with you and be together, so it’s okay if you want to wait until we’re done with everything… I don’t plan on disappearing, but…”
“Minako… I don’t want to be in charge of deciding. I want to decide together.” He pressed his lips into a thin line as his chest grew tight. “I just… want to get past only worrying… It feels like I’m stuck when I want to be able to go forward with you and keep giving you everything I have.”
“You can have all of me too.” She smiled up at him. “Even if it feels like we’re stuck, we’re together and we’ll get through it. And as long as I have you, I’m happy.”
“Minako… Me too...” He grasped her cheek and pulled her lips into a gentle kiss. As long as I have you.
~*~
Darkness closed in. Nick clawed at his throat, gasping for air. It’s suffocating. I can’t breathe… The large door loomed above him, stretching taller as he peered at its expanding frame. He tentatively reached out his hand and knocked on the door; it creaked open and a shadowed figure with glowing red eyes peered out.
“Ashley?” Nick snarled.
“Oh? It seems the demons brought a pet… or a snack…” The shadow reached its clawed hand toward Nick’s face. “What is your name, precious pet?”
“Ashley doesn’t control me!” Nick growled. “A pet!”
“Of course not, sweet pet, your Master is gone.”
“God…” Heat washed over Nick’s body, his heartbeat rang in his ears and his blood boiled. As he clenched his fists, they began to crackle and glow with sapphire light that flicked against his skin.
“My precious Nickolas, you are not just any demon, but a fledgling cardinal demon. What are your powers, dear sapphire demon?” The voice cooed as the clawed hand continued to brush against his cheek. “I think I shall keep you here until they come looking for you.”
Nick pushed past the cloaked figure and darted into the dark room.
The figure laughed sinisterly as it followed him into the abyss. “You have chosen a dangerous path, my darling Nickolas. It will devour you! This should be interesting.”
Nick raced through the dark. Just like the air, the silence was suffocating; his heartbeat continued to thunder in his chest and ears, filling the emptiness with sound. Minako! I have to find you! I know you’re in here! Waiting and lighting up the dark! Despite his smooth gait, he abruptly tripped and slammed to the ground.
After pushing himself from the ground, he pulled his leg away from the obstruction. A… foot? This has happened before… He tried to scan it, but darkness fizzled across his sight, blocking it from view. He held his head in his hands as he shut his eyes and grimaced. I can’t… remember… something… vague… and painful… Just like… mom… I have to find you, Minako! He fiddled with his ring, then his claws pulsed as he raised his hand to his chest. When a glowing orb formed in his hand, he pulled his palm away and flicked the orb across the room. It lit up the darkness as it shot away from him and flashed across several vague clusters of darkness, then slammed against the back wall. That was…
He formed a second orb, then flicked it across the room and bolted to his feet. As he chased it, he dodged the vague shadowy clusters and scrutinized the increasingly bright edge of the room. “Pandoras?” The two statuary women reached toward each other as they covered their faces. Chains decorated their stone bodies and torn wings sprouted from their backs.
“My sweet Nickolas, they spared you the pain of dying here. If you wish to honor that action, end your imprudence.”
Were those shadows… demons? Nick formed another orb of light and flicked it again, before running toward it. Maybe, but I definitely know what’s back there behind the throne! The Pandoras and the Box! I know Minako is here too! I’ll get you the box and you’ll always come help me!
“My darling Nickolas, you cannot open it! You are merely a demon and not a Pandora.”
Nick grabbed the box from the altar and held it tightly to his chest. “I’ll wait for her with the box! We already defeated you and she opened it! If Justin can corrupt it and hold it, then I can keep it safe and return it to her!”
A blast of energy hit Nick’s back and tossed him against the wall filled with limitless rows of black boxes from floor to vaulted ceiling. As he hit the wall, he knocked a few caskets loose and they crashed to the ground around his body.
“Sweet Nickolas, demons cannot have the box. It remains here.”
Nick dug his claws into the box as his eyes burned with sapphire and his fangs protruded from his mouth.
“My darling Nickolas, yes, show your powers. Change their raw energy into angered strength.”
A bright sapphire light burst around Nick, surrounding him in a blazing glow. He gasped and scraped the casket beside him; like his skin, it was filled with bursts of a faint sapphire glow. Minako! It’s you! Minako!
“Sweet pet, you have found her in this cavern of death again? She is but a child. What can mere children do?”
Nick growled and flattened his hand against the casket. “She will always come and save me!” Bright sapphire light began pouring from his hand and filled the casket. No matter where you hide her! No matter how difficult things seem! No matter what tragedies we face! No matter the obstacles you lay in front of us! Minako will always come to help me! And I will protect her with everything I have! “Minako! Hurry and come out! I’ll give you everything!”
“My darling, Nickolas, you are too late!”
A burst of red light pierced Nick in the chest, stabbing him with hot energy and pushing him back from his perch on the casket. As he fell and plunged into darkness, he reached back toward the casket. Minako! Save me…
His pulse raced as the shadows consumed him. It’s dark… Where is this? Is it the altar room? He began moving his hand toward his face, but it froze with a loud metallic scrape and clank. The chains… Large metallic cuffs wrapped his wrists and ankles that connected to snaking chains bolted to the wall. They made a grinding groan as he simultaneously pulled on them and growled. “Minako!”
A clawed hand gripped his cheek. “Do you like your new home, my dear sweet Nickolas?” The box glinted with an ethereal light in its other hand.
“That’s Minako’s! You can’t have it! She sealed you! You’re nothing but a fake!” Though he growled, his eyes widened in panic and he began thrashing again.
The clawed hand caressed his cheek, leaving bloody gashes in Nick’s cheek as it pulled away. “Pets need to be kept safe in places where they can follow the rules. Please enjoy this new home, my darling Nickolas. You will be well cared for here.”
“I’ll tell her! You’re a false God who murders demons and turns Pandoras to stone! Give back the box! It belongs to Minako! You can’t keep hiding it in your castle on the mountain!” Nick growled and slashed his claws toward the cloaked figure, but the chains imprisoned his wrists as he pulled them taut.
“You’re safe and far away from that dreadful place, my precious Nickolas. You are protected here.”
Nick breathed heavily as he continued to pull on the chains and hung his head. As his panicked breathing grew louder, the cloaked figure and its voice faded into nothingness. I feel it… The darkness… Surrounding me… Trapping me… Poisoning my mind… All alone in the darkness… Questioning constantly...
His voice was a low whisper as he shut his eyes. “Master, the castle on the mountain… The box… Master, save me… Are you close, Sapphire Pandora… Where are you? Wake up and save me… It’s dark and lonely here, come save me… And we’ll get the box together… And God is…”
He pulled on the chains again, kicking and thrashing. Things I said so many times… Things I tried to scream in the dark… Things I forced myself to remember as long as I could… Then only a shell of myself… Feeling my mind slipping away while repeating my name and Pandora… Over and over again in the dark… Constantly forcing myself to remember you and me… Constantly screaming for you over their whispers...
“Sad creature...” “Pathetic creature…” “Monster…” “Nightmare…”
I couldn’t listen anymore then… Hearing those things over and over was agony, but… He let the chains fall slack as his limbs became calm. I wasn’t sure then. I’m sure now! His eyes flashed open and his irises gleamed with sapphire light. I definitely know that you will always find me!
“Nick!”
Pure and clear, warm and bright, your voice always illuminates the darkness. His limbs lit with blue light as he pulled at the chains again and they snapped. He fell to the ground in a heap, then gripped his claws into the stone and pulled himself up. There will always be light when I have you! He began running down the corridor toward the distant, but radiant light. “Minako!”
