Collecting the Pieces of the Shandhi Sword (Book 2 of Mark Series)

Chapter 24

Cameron's brown eyes grew brighter when he saw me at the door to our room. He tried to sit up, but he stopped halfway through before he laid back down again.

Concern filled my body while watching him struggle to sit up, but I made sure that it didn't show on my face. "I see that you survived," I said while I padded over to him. "That is a good thing."

Cameron shrugged. "Barely," he said. He watched me get closer to him and stopped at the edge of the bed. "Would you get over here," he softly scolded, and I raised an eyebrow in question. "I am cleared for you to lay down beside me and cuddle."

A small smirk appeared on my lips, and I slowly sat down, much to his annoyance. "Oh?" I asked and kicked off my boots. "And who says anything about me wanting to... cuddle?" I raised the eyebrow higher.

My mate growled and pulled me the rest of the way beside him. Pain flickered through his eyes, but that was it while he moved until half of his body was over mine and claimed my lips as his.

I placed my hands on his chest and let him have a moment before I gently pushed him away. "We can't," I said, panting and staring into his eyes filled with lust. "You have to rest if you want to come with me to the next part."

Cameron groaned and laid down beside me. He pulled me halfway on top of him and buried his face into my hair. "Can we lie and say that we rested?" he asked, his voice muffled.

I closed my eyes while a wave of exhaustion washed over me and shook my head. "No," I mumbled. Gently, I twisted around until I was comfortable and laid my head on his chest.

Thump, thump. Thump, thump, his heartbeat went against my ear, symbolizing that he was alive and well. Thump, thump. Thump, thump. Thump, thump.

"You need sleep if you want to come with me," I said, my voice barely above a whisper. I closed my eyes but didn't fall asleep while I placed my hand on his chest to feel it while I heard his heartbeat.

Cameron chuckled, and his chest moved up and down, following the path of the chuckle. "Oh?" he asked, and I hummed a confirmation. "What would you do if I didn't rest and then went with you?"

"Tie you to the bed," I replied simply. I shrugged and looked nonchalant while Cameron scowled. "And leave you locked in this room."

"I'll find a way out," he warned.

"You couldn't get to me," I shot back, and he huffed because he knew that I was right. A smirk appeared on my face, and I buried my face into his chest, taking in his scent.

Cameron grumbled and pulled me closer to him. "I don't like the idea of you going out there by yourself with everyone else," he mumbled.

"Then shhhhhhh," I replied, slowly letting myself sleep's warm embrace. "Let's get some rest so that we can get prepared for the next piece."

Cameron chuckled and stroked my arm up and down, up and down. His scent soothed me and made me feel complete and whole, so it wasn't long until I was close to sleep's full embrace.

Cameron stirred and pressed a kiss to my forehead, but that wasn't enough to wake me up fully. "I love you," he whispered, his voice soft and soothing. "I've loved you since the day I laid eyes on you and found out that you were my mate, and I am happy that you chose me as yours."

A smile appeared on my face, and I fully succumbed to sleep, but that didn't stop the small twinge of guilt I felt because I hadn't fully broken things off with Blake...

And, I had no idea when I would be able to do that...

***

I stood in a cave where the sound of silence was deafening. No creature stirred, not even the air that surrounded me.

I looked this way and that and opened my mouth to say something, anything, but no sound passed my lips and could be heard, not even a huff.

I pursed my lips and walked forward in the direction that I was facing. My whole body was tense, and I looked from side to side, making sure that I was alone.

Someone was watching me; I could feel them but couldn't see them. Slowly, the someone turned into two and then four and six.

No one made a sound or stirred to quell this deafening silence, and it drew on and on with each step that I took. They watched and waited for something, anything to happen, but nothing did.

I stopped at an entrance and blinked when a bright light filled my eyes. I hadn't realized that it had been so dark before I made it to the light, and I couldn't help but wonder if it was because my eyes had been accustomed to the dim light before my brain registered it.

Again, I blinked and grew accustomed to the light, at least enough for me to step through with eyes that weren't squinted into slits. I walked through the entrance and looked this way and that to see that the creature that had helped me "gain" my first piece of the sword.

A grin appeared on her face, showing her sharp teeth, and I scowled. "So, we meet again, Shandhi," she said, and the deafening silence ended with her voice. She bowed, and I raised an eyebrow. "I told you that you were a better Shandhi than your great-grandmother," she praised.

I opened my mouth to ask her what she was doing, but still, I couldn't talk. I huffed silently and scowled before I folded my arms across my chest, hoping that she got my message on wondering why she was here.

She frowned and cocked her head and studied me with eyes looking like a snake. She flicked her tail while she studied me, and I had a feeling that she was wondering why I wasn't saying a word.

"The spell is still on her, Korra," a masculine voice said to my left, and I turned in that direction and stared at the male with an open mouth and wide eyes. Samuel grinned and moved a hand through his dark blonde hair that could be mistaken for brown. "Hi, Jasmine," he said, and his blue eyes sparkled with amusement and nervousness. "Long time no see."