Karizma

Chapter 20

Ryleigh jolted awake with a gasp. Her magic was burning her horribly as the cloaking spell worked even harder to mask her scent. Now that she had ascended into the fullest extent of her magic, it had to work even harder to hide it. Sweat began to roll down her skin in an attempt cool herself. She instantly looked beside her and found Kristopher asleep on his stomach, his arms entangled in the pillows. She exhaled in relief. Her magic felt like lava in her own veins, she feared what it would do to Kristopher right now. She tossed the blanket off her body and rose to her feet.

Her and Kristopher had only been in their new motel room for a few hours. After Kristopher's friend had found them, they packed up their belongings and ran four towns over this time. Kristopher's speed was an advantage to running from their enemies, but Ryleigh knew that it was only a matter of time before someone else found her. Kristopher kept swearing to protect her, and, while Ryleigh appreciated his words, she knew that he could not truly hold to them. There were vampires hunting her that were much stronger than he was, and it terrified her; one of those vampires would find her, and he would kill Kristopher to get to her.

Ryleigh's sweat-drenched body entered the cold shower. She gasped as the ice-cold water caressed her skin. She rested her forehead on the wall beneath the showerhead, and the ice water blanketed her scorching back. She felt Bailey's magic tug at her own, and Ryleigh smiled. She sent a light response to Bailey's magic, just to assure her that Ryleigh was still alive. Ryleigh longed for her sister, but at least their connection was there. Their magic allowed them to communicate with each other, but, if absolutely necessary, they could track each other that way as well. Ryleigh had made Bailey swear to never find her after her ascension, and Ryleigh vowed to never find Bailey, either; their connection made them stronger, but it was also their weakness, and they could not afford any weaknesses after their ascensions.

Kristopher is my weakness, Ryleigh thought bitterly. She closed her eyes and sighed. She would do everything in her power to protect him, but she knew that he would need to live without her. If she could trade herself for his life, she would. Before him, the only person that she cared for was Bailey, and she was able to leave Bailey behind after years of training her to be ready for a life without her. But Kristopher is different, Ryleigh thought. Kristopher has lived centuries alone and has found something with me. She knew that Kristopher would rather die than to live without her, and her heart ached at the thought. I'll be doing the dying for the both of us, she thought.

"Don't," Ryleigh whispered as her magic flared. Her magic sensed Kristopher as he entered the bathroom. "I'm sorry for waking you."

"Your magic is incredibly restless, pet. Are you all right?" he asked.

"As all right as I can be," she muttered. "It's nothing I can't handle." She rolled her shoulders as the water attempted to penetrate the tension between them. Guilt, worry, fear, remorse for what is to come exploded within her, and she choked back a sob. His death will be my fault, she thought. I can't let that happen. Her magic flared again in response to her emotional state, and she heard Kristopher speed into the shower.

"Dammit, I told you not to," Ryleigh snapped. "I need to cool down."

"Baby, I don't think you can in the shower," Kristopher said softly.

"What makes you say that?"

"Open your eyes."

"Why?"

"Baby, please, just do it," Kristopher whispered. Ryleigh sighed and pushed herself off the fall. She turned around to face him and opened her eyes.

Steam clouded the entirety of the shower and spilled into the bathroom. Ryleigh looked down at her skin at the steam that erupted from her skin. The water continued to land on her skin, but steam sizzled in response. "I didn't even notice," she mumbled. She raised her hand to her face, and her magic crackled again in acknowledgment. She looked down at her feet and saw the water at the base of the bathtub undisturbed. So my heat isn't that far yet, she thought. It's contained just to me. For now.