Rakshasa Book I, Part #3: Tigerheart (5 page)
Read Rakshasa Book I, Part #3: Tigerheart Online
Authors: Alica Knight
Ishan smiled widely at me, but there was a sadness in his eyes, too. “I understand. But, listen to me, I want to stay here… but I can’t. Not because of duty, or because of Hailstone, or any other reason except… the fire of love can burn strong. Too strong. It can overheat, burning you out, consuming all your fuel and air in one swift blow. I want our relationship to be real, too, and I want it to last… but that means I have to hold off. I have to be the one to wait, because if I don’t, I’m afraid we’ll move too fast and I’ll lose you. I can’t have that, I just can’t.”
It hurt to hear him say that, but I could understand his reasoning. Katelyn’s nightclub hookups, although they seemed to work for her, never lasted very long. She was usually single again within a month, tops, assuming it even got to the relationship stage. That wasn’t the kind of lifestyle that I wanted. I wanted Ishan and I to last the distance, and although I didn’t think I could ever ‘burn out’ on him, the fear that I could was something very real to me as well.
“I understand,” I said, “but… that doesn’t make trying to avoid jumping you any easier.”
He laughed, kissing me again, and I gave him a tight squeeze. “I’ll stay tonight, but seriously, I’m sleeping on the couch.”
“Katelyn’s in my bed, so conveniently, I was thinking of sleeping on the couch too, so—”
“Nice try,” he said again, giving me a playful swat on my backside. I grinned, resting my hands over his chest.
“It was, wasn’t it.”
“Eight out of ten.”
I raised an eyebrow. “Guess I’ll have to work my way up to ten before it all happens.”
He laughed, kissing my forehead. “Something like that.”
“Sleep?” I asked, hopefully, smiling up to him.
His eyes told me everything I needed to know.
Epilogue
The Emptiness
I entered the dreamworld quickly and easily, and this time there was no snow, no ice, and the air was crisp and clean.
“Ishan?”
I sat up and, right away, felt his hand rest on my shoulder. I turned to him, smiling widely.
“That was fast,” he said, “you must really have been tired.”
“I felt like the walking dead,” I said, laughing and resting my hand on his thigh. “But here I feel great.”
“There’ll be time for play,” he said, leaning forward and rubbing his nose against mine, “but I don’t want to over-exhaust you…”
“We discussed this before,” I reminded him, “and it turned out okay then.”
Ishan gave a cheeky grin. “Just okay?”
My smile turned coy. “A little more than just okay.”
His hand stroked across my body, cupping my left breast and giving a firm squeeze, his thumb stroking across the nipple. I arched my back, lidding my eyes, giving a soft rumble of pleasure.
“Why is Asena keeping secrets from me? Why didn’t she trust me with her plan?”
“I don’t know for certain,” Ishan said, moving his digit in slow, teasing circles, “but I know she worries about your dreams. The eclipse… only you see it.”
“Why is that a problem?” I said, suppressing the urge to grab Ishan and have my way with him. “Aside from the obvious link to
him
…”
Ishan took in a breath, holding it for a moment as though reluctant to tell me something important. The affection stopped and I opened my eyes fully. I sensed that he had something serious to say and, quickly, the mood evaporated.
“You know I can predict the weather, yes?”
“Yes, I do, a talent you showed me when we first met.”
He leaned forward to kiss me, his face hovering close to mine, concern in his eyes. “In two months, a full solar eclipse is coming. But from that point on… nothing.”
“Nothing?” I blinked, shaking my head. “What do you mean, nothing? There’s no weather after that?”
“What I mean is… I can’t predict what will happen beyond that point. Everything up to the eclipse, I could tell you everything: how many clouds in the sky, how many drops of rain, the wind, the humidity, everything.” he took a breath, looking me in the eye. “But not beyond the eclipse. There’s just nothing, an emptiness that I don’t understand.”
“Why?” I asked, reaching out for him, my hands gripping his shirt and giving it a shake, “why can’t you see beyond that?”
He rolled his shoulders, looking away from me, over the beautiful landscape that comprised out dreams, at the gently blowing grass and the single tree that stood at the top of the hill, the crown of our piece of fantasy.
“It’s possible that… its because when the moon covers the sun, I’m going to die.”
To be continued in Rakshasa: Shadowfall…
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