Ever since Kaye awoke from being unconscious, she felt incomplete. The guys filled her in on what happened between the time Sana severed her wings to arriving home safe and sound. Things made sense, but it didn't make things better. Kaye would play up being fine in front of the guys when they came to check in on her from time to time. But in truth, they all knew she was far from it. 'I'm thankful they haven't been forcing me to talk about things, at least not yet. If I could talk with them, I wouldn't even know where to start. I'm sure Kento caught them up on what happened when he found out I was her prisoner.'
Kaye pushed herself to sit up on her bed. She winced when she felt the pain in her shoulder blades. Kaye took a little more time rising to her feet. Once she was stable, Kaye walked to the vanity and turned around with her back to the mirror. She lifted the back of her shirt and could see the long scars. Kaye knew Sage tried to heal her the best he could, but the pain lingered longer than they thought. Plus, the wounds on her shoulder blades where the base of her wings rested were noticeable.
She studied the reflection and felt her tears fall when she dropped her shirt back down. Losing her wings would have been like someone losing a leg or an arm for others. 'How can I mourn something I barely knew I had? Will, my wings come back?'
There was a rapt on her door. 'I wonder which one is checking on me.' Kaye wiped her eyes, "Be there in a minute!" She found a bottle of water and a rag. Kaye used the wet rag and wiped her face to try and clean off any trace of her recently crying. She put them on the vanity and walked to the door. "Kento..."
Kento studied Kaye's face. He could easily see she tried to hide the fact she was crying. Kaye should have known by now she didn't have to hide if she needed to shed her tears. At least, not from him. Wasting no words, Kento barged into Kaye's room and swept Kaye off her feet. He secured her to him and backed into the hall.
"Kento! What? Put me down!" Kaye yelled as she tried to get out of his arms. But no matter how hard she struggled, he wasn't going to let her.
Kento didn't answer as he barreled down the stairs with her in his arms. "Door! Now!" Kento shouted as loud as he could.
The guys hurried to the back door and opened it. They blinked in surprise as Kento rushed past them with Kaye in his arms.
Ryo, Cye, Rowen, and Sage blinked and then shrugged as they turned their attention to Kaye and Kento as they were now outside. "This was Kento's big plan to get Kaye out of her room?"
"I guess. Well, it worked." Cye chuckled as he and the others continued to watch.
Kento put Kaye down but readjusted his hold, so his hand grabbed her wrist.
Kaye glared at him as she tried to yank out of his hold. No use. He had it locked in tight. "Kento Rei Faun..."
Before Kaye could continue what she was going to say, Kento yanked Kaye close to him and wrapped his arms around her waist, and kissed her deep and passionately. It was one of the most passionate kisses they shared since they started their relationship. Kaye felt her heart racing a mile a minute. Her body began to relax as she felt her knees buckle. Kaye didn't feel herself fall. She still felt his arms around her.
Kento broke the kiss and pulled back a little once he knew she was no longer tense. But he kept his hold on her.
"Wow... But still... Not fair," Kaye said in a quiet tone.
Kento chuckled, "I think it is."
Kaye smiled back at him as she felt a full-on heated blush.
"There's my angel," Kento said as he locked his eyes with her. He winced a bit when he saw the sadness in hers.
Kaye shook her head, "I'm not an angel. Not anymore."
"Because you don't have your wings? Kaye, to me, you don't need your wings to be an angel. You have been and always will be, my tian shir. There is nothing in this world would have me believe otherwise. You know what else, you are the only one I have ever claimed to be my tian shir. My parents will vouch for it too." Kento told her in a gentle tone.
Kaye was trying hard not to let her tears fall. For her to hear him declare her his tian shir, his angel, made her feel warm. The last time she heard him call her his tian shir was at his parents' restaurant when they told them they were getting serious with their relationship, and she received his mother's family necklace.
"If I let you go, will you stay right where you are and not run from me?" Kento asked.
Kaye looked at him. A bit confused, "Alright, I promise."
Kento let go and reached into his pocket. Within moments, he pulled out the same necklace she received at the restaurant. "Turn around. So I can put it on you."
Kaye complied and turned her back to him. She felt Kento's body close to hers. He brought his arms up and over her head and placed the necklace on her. She felt his hands gently glide from the side of her throat to the back of her neck. The tingling sensation sent shivers up and down her spine.
He fastened it and then wrapped his arms around her. "Right where it belongs."
Kaye reached up towards the necklace and let her fingers danced along with it. "Kento, thank you."
"I kept it with me ever since the day at the airport. I knew someday I would give it back to you." Kento replied as he turned her around to face him.
"You kept it?"
"Well, yeah, I wasn't going to let her take it away from me too. Sana took too much from all of us. Oh, wait, I have one more gift to give you. Close your eyes." Kento responded as a mischievous glint went off in his eyes.
Kaye raised her brow at him, "Kento?"
"Come on, humor me," Kento replied and then smiled when he saw her closing her eyes. "No peeking," He waited a bit to make sure she kept her eyes closed. Again, Kento reached into his other pocket and pulled out something else. "Alright, open your hand."
Kaye knew she'd better follow through with his request and opened her hand. She felt something familiar set in her palm. Without even needing to open her eyes, she knew without a doubt what he gave her.
"Now, open your eyes," Kento told her as he waited in anticipation.
Kaye opened her eyes and smiled at him as she saw her orb resting in her hand. "Kento... How?"
"Ammon gave it to me before he left. He found it in one of Sana's hiding places. He knew how critical your orb was and decided to get it back for us." Kento explained as she watched her slide it into her pocket. "Kaye, you know how hard it is for me to express my emotions with words. I'm more a man of action. But it was Ammon who convinced me I needed to tell you what's in my heart. So bear with me."
Kaye gave Kento her full attention.
"You have an easier time expressing how you feel. I wish I could do so as freely, but I do the best I can. There might be times I won't be clear in what I say. So I express by action. It works for me. I know we have a hard road ahead of us to fix our relationship. I believe deep down we will. We will be stronger than before. I don't care what it takes since I want to stay with you, to have a life with you and no one else. You are the most important person in my world. I would never accept anyone else because I have you, now and forever, as long as you let me..."
Kaye leaned up and kissed Kento as passionately as he did when he first brought her outside. During the kiss, she brought her arms up and around his neck and deepened the caress. Kaye broke it this time and slowly pulled away as mischief gleamed in her eyes.
Kento blinked, "So, it's a yes then?"
Kaye laughed, "Of course it's a yes!"
Kento whooped and tightened his arms around Kaye's waist as he swung her around. The two laughed, and then once he stopped, Kento let Kaye's feet touch the ground.
Kaye laid her head against his chest, her eyes closed as she smiled. Kaye felt entirely happy and content. She believed Kento did, too, because he kissed the top of her head. Kaye opened her eyes when she heard the others cheering for them. "So, when should we tell your parents we're back together?"
"I don't think it'll be a problem!" Rowen shouted towards them as he lifted his cell and showed Kento and Kaye his parents brought in by video conference.
"Rowen!" Kento shouted at him. But then Kento laughed as he shrugged when he saw him shrink back a bit from his shouting.
The four Ronins walked towards the two as Rowen still held his cell in front of him. The voices of Kento's parents came through the video call. "We're so happy for the two of you! Come by the restaurant soon, and we'll have a proper celebration!"
"We will, thanks Ma, Pa. We'll talk again soon! Sayonara!" Kento replied as he turned off the video feed.
Rowen slid his cell into his pocket, "Hey, don't look at me. It wasn't my idea," He replied as he gestured towards Cye. "I only provided the means."
Cye glanced at Rowen as he smirked, "Traitor."
Kaye giggled, "It's alright. They were going to find out sooner or later anyway."
Ryo noticed the sky started to change, "No one said anything about a storm."
Sage frowned when he felt out the area, "It isn't a storm, Ryo. It's something else. It's familiar, like how Kaye's power signature kicks in when she had her full Nephilim form."
A tunnel of light shot down from the sky. It was blinding for a brief moment, and then the light vanished and stood was another Nephilim.
Kaye frowned in confusion, "What? How is this possible?"
"My name is Talia. I'm a Nephilim like you, Kaye. Well, not entirely true. I'm a few levels higher and a part of the council."
"Wait, why are you here," Kaye asked as she stayed in Kento's arms.
"We were watching since the beginning. The council knew what was going to happen straight from the start." Talia started to say.
"What? You're telling us all of you knew about Sana, the Jade Thorns. The trap she had for Kento? The betrayal he did to all of us, plus Kaye's capture all of it?" Cye growled as he saw her nod. "Why did you let it happen if you knew?"
Talia showed no signs of being phased by their anger. "We had to let things run their course. The council had to know for sure. If under the direst duress, Kaye wouldn't expose our kind for any reason. If she did, then the consequences would be disastrous."
"I don't understand. You're saying it was a test! Why would you do such a thing? I don't have any memory of my past life. It's been only recently I found out I'm a or was a Nephilim." Kaye asked as she was starting to feel upset.
Talia gave Kaye a sorrowful expression, "Forgive us, but we had to know for sure."
"Instead of your games, why not come out and ask? It would have been easier!" Kento shot at her.
"We are not permitted to interfere directly with the events. We have to allow them to happen as they occur." Talia replied in a calm tone.
"So, you're going to drop this news on us, and then what, leave?" Kaye asked as she was trying to keep it together. "All of our sufferings didn't matter to any of you?"
"Again, we are sorry for all the pain and suffering every one of you experienced. But there is another reason why I've come." Talia replied as she studied Kaye, "I can help you regenerate your wings."
Kaye blinked in disbelief, "Don't mess with me! Sage has done his best to help heal me."
Talia nods towards Sage, "Yes, his healing is mystical and connected to his armor. My healing is from angels. All I have to do is engrave the angelic runes for the symbol of the angel on both of your shoulder blades. The power from the runes will run from the base of your wings to the very tips. It won't be automatic time will be needed for the runes to work at total capacity. But in the meantime, to everyone else, the runes will look like regular tattoos. All I need is your consent."