Page 245 of Nobody's Girl

Beating wings pass by me again. This time I catch a glimpse of a dark blue eye.

Could it really be her?

‘It really is me, Kyle. Now some of our stronger male protectors are going to help you out of there. Promise me not to start trying to fight them. I promise nothing is going to happen to you. You are part of me and they cannot hurt you. Since I fell in love with you, Our Creator had to make adjustments for that. Though I cannot see the future, I can see you are to be asked if you’d like to join this society as my primary protector.’

I can’t believe I’m saying this out loud. They must be pumping the drugs into this glass cage, because I’m starting to believe the voice in my head.

“So, I have a choice?” I ask.

‘Of course, Kyle. Eden and I had no choice. We’re not completely mortal. You are, and mortals always have a choice in what they do. The only thing is, this is your one chance. It can’t be offered to you again, and if you decide not take the offer, your memory of this whole event will be taken from you. You’ll wake up in your bed back in Cloudcroft.’

“Where’s Laura?” I ask, feeling kind of dumb for talking to myself.

Maybe they need to pump some more drugs in here, because I’m not all the way mindless yet.

‘She’s asleep in one of the bedrooms at our mansion. She’ll be told she drank too much and had to be taken home. I’ll implant some fake memories of a reception which never happened in her mind. Also, at this point, she’s not to be told about what we are,’ the Ally voice tells me.

I settle into a squat as I lean against the glass wall and contemplate her offer.

Be a permanent part of my Ally’s life, or go back to my normal life, go to college, probably marry Laura. Or is that even possible?

‘You can marry whomever you want, Kyle,’ Ally’s voice tells me.

Okay, so I can still live my life how I want to and live this crazy life as some type of protector to Ally.

I ask out loud, “If I decline your offer, will I forget that I love you, Ally?”

‘You will.’

The silence after her simple statement fills my heart with a sadness I’ve never known before. That’s saying a lot, because I thought only minutes ago that my Ally was dead.

I can start over. I’ll forget about my love for her and be able to move on. How come that makes me sick?

“I want you in my life, Ally. If this is real, which I highly doubt, I want to be your protector. Hell, I always have been in a way. Tell them to come get me out of here and let’s get this show on the road. Wait! I have one more question. This just came to me,” I say.

Before I can ask the question, her voice interrupts me, ‘I will not always be a bird. I can transform back and forth.’

“Okay, then. Yes, I will take the place as your primary protector, Alyssa,” I say, and find a place in the glass squeaks as an invisible door opens. Four men, much bigger than me, wait for me on the other side.

I hope I’m not dead already. This is not my idea of heaven.

CHAPTER 36

ALYSSA

I follow Eden as we fly through the night, which is lit up by the full moon. The transformation is complete and our full powers given to us. I can communicate with Kyle telepathically as well I can with Eden.

Kyle’s agreed to be my primary protector, something I’m very happy about. Eden, not so much.

‘Stop thinking about it, Alyssa. You had to offer it to him. You had no choice,’ Eden sends to me.

His words tell me he’s taking it as best he can. I can feel what he feels though and his heart is aching.

‘I love you more,’ I send to him.

‘I know you do, princess. I’ll get used to this. Just give me time.’

Cool air blows past my face as we fly over Lake Pontchartrain. A fish jumps, a spark of silver against the dark surface. My imagination was nothing compared to the reality flying is.