~ MARCUS~

^“Marcus.”

I turned my head to face the blue-eyed brunette calling me from afar, surrounded in a field of sunflowers.

As beautiful as the yellow flowers were, they didn’t compare to the woman a few feet away – my Princess who I’d come to love.

“Makoto.”

I made my way towards her, wanting to pull her into my arms and lavish in her sweet taste. Her vanilla scent was addicting, and I loved how it lingered on my clothes.

I wanted to hold her hand, as we made our way back to the castle. She was home in Heila, and I wanted to enjoy every moment I could by her side.

I continued walking – my long strides should have helped me reach her faster.

Yet, my mind became confused as to why I wasn’t getting closer. No, I was getting farther away.

“Mako?” I called out to her.

She tilted her head in confusion before her eyes grew wide – something plunged into her chest.

I didn’t register the scream that left my mouth as I charged forward, watching as the tip of the blade dug deeper; blood seeped into the white shirt – into the cotton fabric.

She trembled in her spot – her eyes wide with fear.

“Marcus? I…I don’t want to die,” she whispered. Her voice trembled as tears pooled in her eyes.

I cursed, running as fast as I could, yet she was still so far away.

“Firefly, you won’t die! I’ll save you. Hold on,” I begged. I was so desperate to get to her. Why couldn’t I reach her?

The blade pulled out, the blood flowed freely as it stained her shorts and legs, oozing onto the soil beneath her.

The clouds began to darken while the sunflowers, once filled with life, withered away to nothing but ash.

I reached out to her, before my foot got caught in the dead, grey soil, causing me to fall.

I kicked myself back up, the urgency to get to Makoto was far more important than the burning pain in my lungs – the fear of losing her to death tore at my heart.

“Makoto! Makoto!”

I watched her eyes began to dull; her knees dropped to the ground.

She gave me a weak smile; blood dripped down her mouth till the remaining specs of life in those turquoise eyes faded; her body fell forward into the ground as blood pooled around her.

“No! Makoto! No, no, no! MAKOTO!”

I woke up with a jolt; my eyes snapped open as I lunged forward. I scanned my surroundings as I felt the sweat drip down my face; my breathing frantic and quick, as I attempted to catch my breath. My eyes landed on the sleeping figure on the other half of the king size bed.

I sighed in relief, glad I didn’t wake Elias due to my sudden movement. He wasn’t a deep sleeper compared to Daniel, but he’d been so drained the last couple of days. His body worked on repelling the remaining remnants of the poison Blair Aspen inflicted on that bloody lightning spear.

We were all thankful for Elias’ fast action and sacrifice, though I hated the fact he struggled with his own demons. What happened to him and Eli still lingered in his bones, even after sixteen cycles. I didn’t blame him; I was dealing with my own demons – the nightmares resurfaced in the past two weeks after two months of being nightmare free.

The arrival of Mako in our lives had done something to calm me and keep the nightmares away, but now they were back with revenge.

I noticed something move under the sheet at the end of the bed. I frowned, raising my eyebrow at the movement, before my lips formed a smirk and a white, fluffy tail appeared from under the blanket, followed by two more tails.

“Nightmare?” I questioned gently; my voice low enough to not wake up the sleeping fairy shifter next to me. Her furry, white head popped out from under the blanket, turning to face me.

“Mew?” She blinked a few times, her mismatched eyes stared at me before making her way towards me.

She climbed onto my lap, purring as she rubbed her head against my stomach. I struggled to hold back the laughter that wanted to escape; her soft fur tickled me.

“Hey, no more of that. I’ll wake up Elias if I laugh.” I picked her up with my right hand, placing her on my shoulder before swinging the blanket off me. I took another glance at the sleeping Elias; his body wrapped in his portion of my blue blanket. His body stirred, pulling the blanket before nestling back in place. I shook my head in amusement.

After all these cycles, he still continued to be a blanket hog. I wondered if he and Mako fought for the blanket when they slept. Knowing Elias, he’d just cuddle with her and cocoon them in his massive green blanket. Yup, he’d have no problem sharing with our Firefly.

I took a moment to stretch my sore muscles. I hadn’t been working out lately, and my body ached because of it. It had become so use to the multiple stretches and active movements that it now rejected my sudden lack of movement.

I spent more time sitting next to Mako’s bed or resting in our designated room than training. I didn’t have the motivation to workout, fearing something bad would occur if I set foot outside the castle walls. I wanted to be here if anything happened. It was the only thing kept me from shifting.

I would pat my dragon on its scaly back if I could for being so cooperative these past few days. I knew he struggled with the same fears I dealt with, but he tried to stay calm, so we would be allowed to stay close by. We both came to the conclusion that losing control would only put Mako and anyone else in the castle at risk. If it came down to the point we felt like we’d lose control, we’d leave and fly somewhere that would be safe to shift.

I walked towards the drawer. I opened it, grabbed a pair of black sweat pants and a grey fitted top; slipping them on quietly.

Nightmare nestled against my neck; her tails secure around my neck, keeping her steady on my shoulder. The small, white ball of fur had rotated amongst us during the night, offering us some comfort with her company. During the days, she would rest next to Mako; her grey markings glowed a soft blue or yellow every so often.

We figured out blue meant she was sad; her soft whimpers pulled at our heart strings. It usually occurred when Mako’s breathing lowered, which prompted Karen to apply the oxygen and assist her body from working too hard.

The light-yellow glow, apparently some type of healing spell, or that’s what Karen and Daniel both agreed upon. The small familiar would do it three times a day; its effects usually helped Mako breathe on her own. We all loved her for her immense devotion to Makoto and Midnight. She’d done her portion in fighting off King Aspen. Even though, she was exhausted from the energy loss after the weapon modification, she still summoned Matthew and the others.

It was thanks to her, we were able to revive and stabilize Makoto as well as Elias. He had waited until Karen assured us Mako would survive the transfer back through the portal before losing consciousness.

I could still see the relief in his emerald eyes before they closed; his body fell forward. I never lunged so fast before; his body temperature felt like he was burning up from the inside out as he struggled to breathe. We had to rush them through the portal before Kai helped teleport Mako, Elias, Daniel and Karen to the medical center.

Kai’s teleportation gift was a blessing in times like these. He’d not only teleported Karen into Realm One with ease but was able to bring all four of them to the medical center for treatment. He had informed us later on that he’d arrived at Minato by teleporting there an hour before our exam, reaching Knightwood a few minutes after we’d made our way to the portal entrance. It was extremely draining on the average shifter to use their powers that frequently, yet he was still able to stick around and ensure everything went smoothly, before he finally rested. He was definitely the strongest in our group, though Ryder and Elias weren’t too far behind.

I was stronger in physical combat than in magic casting, but Elias with Eli made him a double threat, and Ryder’s dark flames were a rare trait few demon shifters possessed. I didn’t even know if Mako’s demon, Rose, could call upon those demonic flames.

“Mew Mew.”

I smiled as my hand unconsciously petted the familiar. “You want to go check on our Princess?” I asked softly.

“Mew!” she replied; her tails unlatched from my neck to wave frantically side to side. I chuckled quietly at her excitement. She was probably worried sick.

“Okay, let’s go,” I whispered as I pulled my shirt on; Nighty jumped down to the floor, waiting for me to finish before she climbed up and back onto my shoulder. I tiptoed out of the room before closing the door gently.

It didn’t take me long to reach the medical center. It was on the other side of the gigantic castle the King and Queen resided in. I pressed my hand against the transparent door; the magic circle lit up before sliding open, allowing me entry.

Once closed, I made my way to the side of the bed, the chair neatly placed along the wall. I knew Karen was probably awake, watching Mako’s vitals through her device in her office. She had probably forced Kai to go rest up, by reassuring the phoenix shifter she’d awaken him if necessary.

Kai was just as stubborn as Ryder, both of them willing to push themselves till their bodies begged for rest. The number of times we scolded them during our younger training days was ridiculous. They simply went on the motto, ‘Sleep is for the weak’ and kept striving forward to excel in their skills and abilities.

I pulled up the chair, placing it next to the bed. I allowed my body to relax as Nightmare jumped off my shoulder and onto the bed. She made her way to Mako’s neck, cuddling against Mako as her tails lay softly against Mako’s chest. Her grey markings soared to life; the soft, yellow glow made another appearance as she purred quietly.

I smiled; my hand reached out to cradle hers. I noticed her hand felt slightly warmer than the last time I held her. Was she healing?

“Mako, Firefly? Won’t you open your eyes? I miss you,” I confessed, allowing myself to lean over and kiss her gently on the lips. I wished she could hear me or feel my acts of affection. My heart begged for her lively conversations and humorous remarks.

“Keep fighting sweet Firefly. We have to venture to Realm Six for your gift, remember?” I whispered in her ear. I knew she wouldn’t reply, but I hoped my message went through to her. I prayed she wouldn’t give up.

All hell would break loose if she didn’t overcome this ordeal, starting with my rampage. I knew what my dragon was capable of...but I was less afraid of his outbreak. Ryder on the other hand...or even Elias. No, Daniel was the worst out of all of us. Nothing would end well if he allowed himself to let loose. We knew what he could do, but it took a great deal to push him to the edge and no one wanted him to reach there. His actions could very easily affect ours and that was something no one – not even the gods themselves – would want to happen.

I grasped her hand tightly and decided to stay with her until one of the others came to take over. I felt less restless when I knew one of us was with her. She needed as much moral support as possible to win whatever battle she faced within, and I’d do anything to assist her in becoming victorious.

~ ELIAS~

“She probably hates me.”

I allowed my heavy eyelids to open; Eli’s agonizing voice stirred me awake. I peeked out of the blanket made cocoon I created to look over my shoulder.

I frowned at the empty wrinkled side of the bed; my dragon shifter partner in crime, absent. I glanced at the electronic clock on the side of the bed; the miniature, electric blue guitar hosted on top of the rectangle contraption displayed 4:15 AM in light blue.

It shouldn’t surprise me that Marcus was already awake, probably at Mako’s side, instead of his usual training activities.

I knew he was way too stressed to work out, let alone carry out his regular activities. His body showed signs of his absence from training, looking slimmer each day. We’d all lost weight from the lack of sleep and eating.

If it wasn’t for Matthew forcing us to eat, whenever he came down from Knightwood every evening, I bet we wouldn’t eat at all. Regardless of the food he brought, it all tasted the same.

My meals were better when Mako was present. I loved that she’d idolized my cooking, begging me to teach her my ways once exams were over. I still couldn’t get the image of her wearing my apron that fateful day, her curves pushed the “heavenly baked” fabric to the test.

The way it covered her, gave off the image of her being naked, allowing my imagination to presume the apron was the only clothing preventing me from viewing her glorious figure.

I was glad I wasn’t wearing grey sweat pants, because I knew for sure my hardness would have been apparent as my eyes roamed over her body. I would never have imagined being in love with a girl who would even want to cook for me.

With all the girls at Knightwood, begging for a rich man to come sweep them off their feet, I had little to no hope that my future lover would attempt to learn how to cook.

Yet, Mako appeared. She was isolated from the world for sixteen cycles with not much cooking knowledge, but she woke up and cooked for all of us.

All the female shifters at Knightwood should stop and take notes. They would learn a few things.

I let out a sigh as I sat up, my body protested my movements. I still felt like I got tackled by those bloody bear shifters and left on the side of the road. As much as I wanted to sit here and mope, I needed to calm the feeling of sadness flooding my hazy mind.

“Eli, please. Mako doesn’t hate you.” I allowed my body to lay back into the soft mattress, unable to sit upright any longer. I’d slept a solid six hours, yet I still felt like I’d just closed my eyes moments ago.

“Of course, she hates me. I didn’t tell her. I should have. She’s my best friend Elias. I’ve never had...I’ve never been friends with a female shifter like her. You know how the other females are at Knightwood. Intolerable, selfish, gossip girls who would sell their bodies with the snap of their fingers for popularity and fame. Mako isn’t like that. She’s so different and unique...I love that about her. Yet, I couldn’t even be honest with her. How about if she doesn’t—” Eli began before I cut her off.

“She’s going to live EliaseAnne. She isn’t going to leave us. She can’t...Mako is stronger than this. So is Midnight. They won’t succumb to this. The Starlight gods wouldn’t take her away from us. We just have to have faith...okay?”

I couldn’t stop the pain from flowing into my mind at my declaration. I couldn’t even think of Mako not being by our side now that we experienced the liveliest two months in her presence. She was the fresh air we all needed.

“Okay...sorry,” she apologized softly.

I closed my eyes as I laid my arm across my face. Fuck, I don’t want to be alone right now.

Ever since waking up to the chemical rich, hospital smelling, medical center, my anxiety and fear of being alone in a room came back in full force. I didn’t want to bother the others; all of them dealt with their own problems in our current situation, but I was scared shitless.

Switching to EliaseAnne only heightened my fears – her reactions to being in this environment for too long were far more physical.

She couldn’t last longer than fifteen minutes till her breathing would elevate; her anxiety increased as her hands shook. It wouldn’t be long till she went into panic mode and that was draining for both of us.

Marcus truly understood what I was going though. I couldn’t help but remember all the times during our younger cycles where he’d leave his door unlocked, knowing I’d barge into his bed an hour after bed time. He didn’t mind in the least, always leaving a spare blanket at the edge of the bed.

Now that my issues had resurfaced, he didn’t mind me sharing his bed. I was blessed to have him as my best friend, along with the other three knights.

We all didn’t understand or know what the Starlight gods had in store for us, but I knew we all were thankful for each other’s presence. We all contributed in some way in our little group dynamic. Mako fit perfectly within our circle – the leader of our pack.

“You want to go see her?” I asked softly.

I hated entering that sterile environment, its purpose to simply induce nightmares and unwanted memories, but if it was for Mako, I’d do it in a heartbeat.

“Yes...are you sure though? I hate that place, but I miss her,” Eli questioned; her soft admission made my heart ache.

I couldn’t handle Eli being sad. We’d gone through so much shit in the past, especially with our family. I wanted her to be happy and enjoy life now that we were out of my father’s clutches, but some days were harder than others. I’d do anything to please her and help us enjoy the new life we were privileged in receiving, thanks to the gods.

“It’s fine. Why don’t we give Marcus a few more moments with her and then we’ll go see her?” I suggested. I figured Marcus probably hadn’t awakened much earlier than me, so I wanted him to have a bit more time.

“Elias, you okay?”

I couldn’t stop the smile that formed on my face as the low, alto voice entered our knight bond. Speak of the devil.

“Ya, I’m fine. Um...” I struggled for words as I held my tongue. I didn’t want to intrude on his alone time with Makoto. We all took turns watching her, each of us needed a moment to pray and allow the sound of the pulse monitor to soothe our anxieties.

“Come here.” I sighed in relief at his approval. He understood me and Eli well, just as Daniel understood Ryder.

“You both better promise to sleep later or I’ll ban you from seeing the Princess.” Kai’s voice entered my mind.

I felt myself shoot up, swinging my legs to land on the ground before rushing over to the lower drawer, pulling it open to retrieve my set of spare clothes. I always had a few sets of clothes in Marcus’ room for when I randomly slept over.

“Yes, Sir Kai. We’ll make sure to rest cause none of us want to lose our visitation rights,” Marcus acknowledged.

“How’s Daniel?” I questioned.

“Sleeping like a log after working his ass off in the training centre, again. He’s pushing himself. I’m worried,” Kai admitted.

“It’s a good stress reliever right now. Maybe if it gets to a point where it’s taking a negative toll on his body, we’ll talk to him. But, for now, let’s leave him alone,” Marcus suggested.

I shook my head as I slipped my dark grey sweat pants on before pulling the dark, mustard coloured shirt over my head. I took a moment to calm myself, feeling afraid of leaving the secure walls to walk through the empty castle towards the ward.

“Mewwwwwwww.”

I turned my head to the sound; my eyes landed on the ball of white fur sitting in front of the door; her multiple tails wagged from side to side as she sat patiently.

“Sometimes I question if what Mako said about you is true. You being a Starlight god and all.” I whispered more to myself than to the foxshier familiar at the doorway, unable to stop the smirk that formed on my lips.

I could already feel a wave of calm go through me as my mind recognized I wouldn’t be walking through those dark halls alone. Having a companion is nice, especially if she is a Starlight god.

“Mew Mewwww.” She jumped in place before tilting her head to the side. She clearly was asking me what was taking me so long.

“Ya, I’m coming,” I replied to the impatient familiar, making my way to the doorway.

“Let’s go see our princess, shall we?”

I sat next to Mako’s bed; Marcus had left to go for a run. He said he wanted me to have a bit of alone time before Kai forced us to leave. I sometimes despised that phoenix shifter.

I don’t know where he got all his energy from. He was like Ryder, except he could literally function on two hours of sleep every day for an entire cycle and not lose his shit. He always had to make sure the group got enough rest.

I turned my attention to our sleeping beauty; my hand in hers. I stood up, leaning over to kiss her lips gently, before pressing my forehead against hers.

She became warmer each day; her breathing became stronger. I just wanted her to open her eyes, so I could get a glimpse of those turquoise irises that projected kindness and love.

“Mako babe, I beg you. Don’t let the darkness win. You’re strong, both you and Midnight can fight this. Come back to us, won’t you? I’ll make your favourite blueberry pancakes,” I whispered.

I could feel Eli brush against my mind; her sorrow made it even harder to stay composed. Nightmare raised her head; her small, furry body snuggled against Mako’s neck. She stared at me quietly. I smiled, petting her head gently before sitting back down.

I had to be strong for her. By the Starlight gods, she will make it...