Wucaii

Chapter Nine

Aelana didn't sleep very well. It was disconcerting being so out of touch with the earth, making her feel vulnerable and exposed. Luckily, Kalen was there to keep her from having a panic attack. She awoke long before dawn and stared out the window, waiting for the first hints of light to come through. The idea of sleeping in the yard crossed her mind, but if she moved, it would wake up Kalen, and explaining her actions might be a little difficult. Again, she didn't want to do anything that might frighten him away.

He had shifted in the middle of the night, and his back was no longer to her. She stared at his face, taking in every contour and line. The two of them being confined to a small couch added to her inability to sleep. He seemed to have no troubles. Her fingertip traced his brow down to his jaw line and around his chin. She didn't want to leave him, just like she hadn't wanted to leave Thoran. She sighed. It was out of her hands. There was no way to stay with him forever. His nose crinkled and his body stiffened. For a moment, Aelana thought he was going to sneeze. His eyes squeezed tighter shut, then he opened them and blinked several times. A smile curled his lips.

"Morning." He raised his arms over his head to stretch. Aelana had to push herself into the couch to keep from being hit in the face. "Did you sleep well?"

"Great," Aelana lied.

"You hungry?"

She shrugged. "Sure. I can eat."

"'Kay. Let me hop in the shower, then we'll grab something on the way out of town." He swung his legs off the couch.

"Where are we going?" Aelana asked as he headed down the hall.

He smiled over his shoulder. "It's a surprise. You wanna join me?" He pointed at the door he stood in front of.

Aelana moved to get off the couch but thought about how her wings wouldn't fit into such a confined space. It took all of her self-control to stay on the couch.

"I'm fine."

"You sure?" Mischief twinkled in his eyes. "There's plenty of room for us both."

She smiled. "I'm sure."

"Okay. But you're missing out." He stepped into the bathroom.

"I know," she muttered under her breath.

Ten minutes later, Kalen was back in the living room, twirling his keys around his index finger.

"You wanna go back to your hotel and change?"

Aelana looked down at herself. "Do I need to? Where are we going?"

Kalen shrugged. "No, you don't need to, but I thought you'd like to. You can do it later, if you want. We're going to the woods."

She swung her legs off the couch and sat up. "I'll do it later." She desperately needed to get back into contact with the earth. Besides, she didn't want to explain why she didn't have a hotel or clothes.

They headed out to the motorcycle and hopped on. Aelana wrapped her arms around Kalen's waist and he grabbed both of her hands before starting the engine.

"You're not going to freak out on me halfway there, are you? If so, tell me now and we'll go back in the house."

Aelana chuckled. "No. I'll be fine."

"You sure?"

"I swear."

He patted her hands before turning the key and backing out of the drive.

The morning was bright and cool, the air refreshing as it blew through her hair. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. The grit and pollutants were becoming familiar, much to her chagrin. They were still present, but they didn't bother her as much as they had before. It was part of the earth, expected. Kalen's house blocked most of the ickiness from reaching her body, which she appreciated, but she discovered she missed their familiarity. Houses were fine; they served their purpose, but Aelana definitely preferred being outside. The earth could still be sensed through the furnishings of the house, but they were muted, interfered with. All of the material came from the planet, so it was all connected, but it formed a barrier against the true spirit of the world. It was almost like someone putting cotton balls in their ears before putting on headphones. The sound was still there, it just wasn't as clear. Plus, a house stifled her, made her feel trapped. Part of that feeling came from her dragon side, which craved the ability to move and fly whenever the desire surfaced, but her human side liked its freedom, too. She knew that would be difficult to explain to a human, however, so she endured the dwellings to be with Kalen.