Inked

Chapter 24

Chapter 24

It wasn't until I was left gasping on the ground in the space that was my own soul, that Zane let go of the area around us. He squatted down beside me as I shuddered in pain. Releasing each soul had caused me an unfathomable amount of pain, so much so that it felt that I had to pause nearly twenty minute in between each soul. I gripped my knees to me, shuddering as all my nerves screamed.

"Kei mou." Zane whispered, his hand lightly touching my back. I breathed in and shuddered once more before turning my head to look at him. To see him shudder and slightly pull back his hand made me want to cry out as loud as my nerve endings.

"What's wrong?" I whispered, seeing the uncertainty within his eyes.

"Your eyes," he whispered, reaching out the hand he had pulled back to lightly touch the cheek beneath my right eye. "They've changed color.."

"They did?" I asked skeptically. "You sure you aren't seeing anything?"

"I'm sure Kei mou, they are the brightest blue, like that of a summer's sky." He smiled at me, his hand running lightly down my cheek, a caress between our souls. With that touch, I felt my heart shudder, and from it, black ink seeped out from my skin, releasing into the air to slowly enter into Zane's soul. Unlike all the other souls, that one did not hurt.

"Why?" I pondered aloud, touching my chest as warmth swept through my body, erasing all of my pain.

"It is because I am already linked to your soul. You do not need to trap me, I will go willingly." He really did say the sappiest things at times, the bastard. "That reminds me," his eyes became sharp as they focussed on me. "Why did you leave without telling me?"

I backed away from him, terrified of his anger. "I thought it would be easier."

"Do you know what would have happened had our souls not been connected?" I shook my head no in response and waited for him to continue. He moved closer to me, taking my cheeks into his hands like my mother's soul had done before. He moved in closer and his lips gently touched mine. I felt my soul ignite and warmth spread through me. "All the souls in here could have eaten your soul, then you would have become nothing but a breathing corpse. A zombie."

I frowned and muttered to myself, "Can zombies still have sex?" Zane bit my lip, and I yelped in response.

"You want me to become a necrophiliac?" He asked, a bright look in his eyes. His hand stroked underneath my chin and slowly moved down my collarbone, enticing me.

"Well..." I whispered. He bit my lip again and I said instead, "No. I was just wondering."

He chuckled and kissed the tip of my nose. "Don't wonder. You're alive and I will come get you."

I tilted my head questioningly at him. "You're going to come to Elysium?"

He looked at me as if he was looking at a stupid child. "How else would I be able to pick my wife up?"

"Wife?" I grunted and shook his hand away. " I'm a wife now. Huh. You can make your own sandwiches." Zane chuckled and noticed I wasn't truly angry, then he kissed me once more.

"Then I will eat you instead." His voice was husky in my ear and I shuddered from something entirely different than the pain I was feeling earlier.

"Hmm." I crooned, "Go ahead. I'm up for it anytime."

~~~

My soul floated back into my body and when I opened my eyes, I felt the caress of feathers against my skin. I knew they were my own wings, but when I looked at them, I couldn't help but wonder if they were really mine. They had seemed to have grown to almost twice the size they had been before. And now, just like my eyes, apparently, they were a cerulean sky blue. If I were to fly in the sky, they would blend in and no one would be able to tell the sky and me apart.