This is Book 1 of the Arcelia Series.* Book 2 is in the works!
*Can be read as a stand-alone
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Malik Jackson needed help. After being exiled from the ocean, he washed up on the beach covered in injuries and missi...
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I had a lot of happy moments in my life that stuck with me for a long time. Meeting my soulmate, Leslie, getting married, and starting our charity. I knew the moment Virgil opened his eyes almost three days later, this was one of those core memories.
My medical skills had really been put to the test when he got shot, and I nearly choked completely. Had I not kept a level head, Virgil would've died. Needless to say, when he woke up, relief and joy flooded through me like a tsunami of emotion. I'm not ashamed to admit I even cried a little.
The first thing he asked was, "what happened? Is everyone okay?"
I briefly explained to him how I found him, and how Leslie and I brought him back to Xander's mansion. I breezed over the details of how he almost died, knowing he didn't want to hear it, and told him everyone was fine now.
As Xander and Malik walked in, Virgil sighed heavily at the sight of them, preparing himself for his next words. "I have bad news."
They sat down in chairs beside his bed, keeping their hands linked. I loved seeing how close the two of them got already. Xander had always been reclusive and private, but we knew he wanted a soulmate as much as anyone else. It warmed my heart knowing they were doing well, even with all the bad things happening around them.
"What's wrong?" Malik asked. "I mean.. besides the obvious." He shrugged, his lips in a half smile.
"Cleo is really sick," Virgil shook his head, taking a sip of the blood I gave him. "I wondered how she was able to pull off everything she did with how fragile she looked. I know now."
Xander narrowed his eyes, leaning forward in his seat as he came to a realization. "She has help, doesn't she?"
Virgil hesitated as we watched him closely for answers. The silence spoke volumes, almost confirming Xander's fears. Finally, my brother nodded his head. "Yeah. I didn't get to see their face, I'm sorry. I have no idea who it was."
"Dammit!" Xander stood up, storming off in frustration to the doorway of the room.
"Xander, wait," Malik jumped to his feet, following him out of the room. His soulmate already left, so he stopped and turned to us. "We're gonna discuss this, okay? We'll check in on you later, and hopefully we'll have a plan."
I nodded and said, "yeah, don't worry about it. We know how easily frustrated Xander can be, and we learned to be patient with him."
Malik nodded, smiling gratefully at me, and then left to follow his lover.
In the meantime, I busied myself with checking Virgil's vitals again, making sure he could make it through the night.
