Note: OMG I have the chapters recovered. I'm so happy I don't have to rewrite them. Also, poor Matt lol
Chapter Eight
The Touch of an Angel
Hay-Lin had not stopped staring at Will. She came to get her to play some games on the boardwalk with the girls. While these activities were very Earth themed, the girls knew Elyon needed this sense of normality. And having her friends spend a summer with her was something Cornelia really pushed for.
Will had resisted, seeing she had just broken up with Matt. And, as Matt and Caleb were best friends, he was coming along too. In the end, Will agreed to tell her family she was traveling with her friends. Yan-Lin and Mira-Lin were sending out postcards regularly for each by using some borrowed magic to mail them from around the globe. The girls even popped back to Earth every few days to call home once in 'cell range', but really at the Silver Dragon.
Irma was reluctant to leave her new girlfriend for so long. Ailani was the first serious relationship she had since Andrew, and she started it off by ditching her for an entire summer. Luckily, Ailani told her not to worry, that she understood things were still new. Just not to make it a habit of dropping off the radar for days where they couldn't communicate.
Taranee was happy to go no contact for a few weeks with her mom. With her boyfriend Nigel used to long periods of not being able to talk, as her mom still wasn't a fan after all these years, there was no issue there. The pressure she was feeling at home with maintaining her academic and sports requirements was taking its toll on her. She was often the last to respond to guardian calls from the simple fact she was exhausted. So she rarely bothered to call home, letting the post cards suffice.
Hay-Lin, currently single, and the only one with permission to tell her parents about her magical life, as the magical clone situation with Yan-Lin showed her family was at far more risk with two generations of guardians, simply told her parents where she was going. Will often opened a portal for Hay-Lin to spend a few hours working a shift at the Silver Dragon.
Cornelia, who was just casual with Peter, Taranee's older brother, had just told her parents she would be back in a few weeks and left it at that. She was pushy with Will and Irma's resistance, but far more understanding with Irma, while telling Will she was overreacting. After all, they forced Cornelia to work with Caleb after their final breakup, so Will could take one vacation with Matt around.
Will agreed, only after having an irrational sense of worry about the fallout of a messy relationship and remembering the horror stories she has heard about friend groups splitting and taking sides.
Just why did Matt have to be so enmeshed in her life?
She remembered when they first started dating, how she near begged him to stay out of guardian business. How he ignored it all and pushed his way in. Everyone, even her, had thought it was a good thing. His stubborn refusal to let her handle it all alone. Yet now, years later, that just felt suffocating. If they had gained their powers now, and events played out the same, Will didn't know if they would have dated.
But that was unfair. People grew, and she was different, more confident, determined, stubborn, hot headed. Maybe he wouldn't have dated her, either? And it was also unfair to act like their breakup was a mutually beneficial choice. Any problems he was willing to work out. She just didn't like the solution.
"Everything okay?" Will finally asked Hay-Lin as they walked to meet the rest of their friends.
Hay-Lin let out a small laugh, her blue summer dress rippling around her as she bounced on her feet. "I was just surprised, by Phobos. I've never felt him so calm." She locked her hands behind her back and looked up at the sky. "Is it actually working? You know? What Elyon is doing?"
Will shrugged, watching her kind hearted friend. If anyone was open to Phobos getting a second chance, it was her. "Maybe. I honestly don't think I can really judge that yet."
"Yet?" Hay-Lin questioned, dark eyes looking at her.
Will cleared her throat. "I just mean, we've seen him for a week? Maybe by summer's end he'll be chilling with Caleb and Matt?"
Hay-Lin laughed. "That would be progress. But he's already chilling with you. So there is that."
Will shrugged. "If that's worth anything."
Hay-Lin hummed. "It's important to Elyon. I mean, he's important. She had thought, for all those months, he loved her. He taught her magic, told her the history of their people, her family, and treated her like a princess. We know it was a lie… but Elyon can't just forget it. I think I might try to. Giving him another chance. Maybe, when we leave, Elyon will have one less thing to worry about?"
Will smiled. "Yeah, that sounds like a good idea. Fair warning, he's an asshole."
Hay-Lin skipped, feet not touching the ground. "I'm friends with you, Irma, and Cornelia! You guys make up the asshole triforce."
Laughing, Will pulled her friend out of the air, arms around her waist as she bent her knees to stay afloat. Her long hair was creating black ribbons around them as the wind curled against them.
"What does that mean?" she playfully demanded, trying to make her voice menacing and failing.
"It means I'm nice, but not a pushover! I can handle the big grumpy pants just fine."
Grinning, Will responded. "Oh, please call him grumpy pants to his face. That will get you on his good side."
Hay-Lin rolled her eyes. "I'm nice, not stupid."
Laughing, they let the topic drop as they approached their friends. The five played the games available, with Will using her super strength to knock over a once glued set of pins, and won a cute cat plush that Cornelia was excited to give to Lillian.
They followed the sound of music from a live band, using classic instruments to play modern songs from Earth. It was cute, a small dance floor with the people their age enjoying the music.
Irma grabbed her hand and pulled her onto the dance floor.
"Come on, babes, you know you want to dance!" Irma said with a wink, pulling her and Taranee along. They danced as a group of five for a while.
Will noticed Matt's group from time to time. There were moments she almost gave into the weight in her chest and walked over to him. But a set of icy eyes haunted the edges of her vision. Enough that she found turning away from Matt a little easier than just that morning. Elyon joined them halfway, staying glued to Cornelia and whispering something that turned the earth master frosty for a while.
As they still had another full day scheduled for the beach, they headed to the estate before the sunset. They split for their rooms to rest before dinner. The guest rooms were in blocks of four rooms with a common area. As Cornelia was staying at the royal suite with Elyon, Will assumed she was going to block with the other four girls.
Hearing Taranee talking, Will changed into comfy shorts and an old tee and headed to the common room. She hopped over the back of one of the two couches in the middle of the room, with a coffee table between it, and landed next to Matt.
Taranee was sitting across with Caleb next to her.
Ah, who arranged these rooms?
Sorry, Will, Taranee said in her mind. I should have warned you.
Will didn't answer. There was nothing to apologize for. After all, they were all friends here.
Yup.
Friends.
Friends that, nonchalantly, yawned and put an arm across the back of the couch where she was sitting, and moved so they were just a hair's breath away.
Will hated that she still cared for him because they just didn't have a future anymore.
Choosing between the Heart and him was a simple choice. So easy that no one understood the finality of her decision.
"Will is such a sore loser," Taranee said while smiling at her, trying to get her to join in the banter. "She was ready to yeet that ball into the ocean when I didn't let her have a rematch."
Will knew it was bait, but her temper still flared. "Was not," she countered. "The sun was in my eyes!" she argued, and Matt chuckled.
"If I had said that after you guys won, you would have laughed in my face."
She rolled her eyes. "Well, you were holding back in that first match! Rude as hell in my book."
"You know, some things can be just for fun. You don't have to go a hundred percent all the time."
Taranee interrupted, glasses flashing with fire. "Against the Guardians of Kandrakar, you do."
Caleb snorted. "You girls always milk that. Try and deal with half the shit I do with no powers and see how you survive."
"Didn't you just raid a Passling den for stolen goods? Yeah, I'll pass on that," Taranee said, turning her nose up at the imagined smell.
"See, you guys are soft. Can't handle the gritty stuff," Caleb said, part teasing, part smug. Will bristled at the word 'soft'.
"Hey," Matt said, a little miffed. "They handle large-scale problems like world ending comets and ancient curses. We are here to handle the everyday stuff so they get a break. They don't have to do the gritty stuff."
Will and Taranee exchanged looks. Taranee got to it first as she said, annoyed, "Wow, thanks. You know us, flying right past burning buildings to punch the dragon in the face."
"You know what I mean," Matt defended. "You guys can't be everywhere at once. There are others, working hard too."
"And we know that," Will assured, reflexively reaching out and squeezing his leg in a comfort gesture without thinking. "And we know the little things add up. We all just have different roles."
Caleb actually snorted. "Ah, the little things. Glad I can make a difference."
Matt actually narrowed his eyes at the other man as he said, "Caleb, enough. Let's talk about something else." He placed a hand over Will's and she stiffened, realizing what she had done, as the conversation changed to the bonfire and fireworks tomorrow.
She didn't pull free right away, as she was the one who crossed the boundary first, and it could just be innocent on his end. But, as his thumb traced the back of her hand, and the arm at her back slid down on her shoulders, she knew it wasn't.
She could let it happen.
His embrace was familiar, safe, warm.
They had so many wonderful memories and could probably have so many more.
He was her first everything. First crush, first kiss, first boyfriend, first time.
It was fitting he was her first breakup too, right?
They taught each other a lot about being happy. Maybe that lesson included how to move on?
Matt's form felt bulky next to her, always needing to shield her, using his wings to block out the world. But she didn't want to be shielded. She wanted to spread her own wings and explore. Will wanted her freedom. She didn't want someone who stood behind her, watching her every move, like she needed protection. But someone who stood next to her, confident in her abilities, confident in her.
"We should head to dinner," Will said, trying her best to look casual as she pulled away.
The other three agreed, and they left the room.
Dinner was uneventful. Matt hovered near her and she didn't want to make it a big deal, feeling guilty over how she ran away from him that morning. And they ended up having a pleasant conversation about their trip so far. Of course, she left out the more personal details of her interactions with the prince of Meridian.
The dining room was smaller than the ones at the castle, so they were all scattered at two small tables and a couple small couches with coffee tables. Will and Matt were on a couch that somehow only had the two of them there, even though the other couches were crowded.
Will was grateful their couch was near the kitchen door, as they were served first with the food, earning some miffed looks from the other groups, but Will didn't care, as the food was always new and delicious thanks to the alien ingredients. They ended up finished eating first, and they headed to their rooms together, as Will was feeling pretty tired from her exciting day.
"So, what's the deal with chilling with the very embodiment of evil?"
"Phobos?" she questioned as they walked down the halls, passing a few butlers and guards. "He's fun to talk to," she admitted, not seeing a point in lying.
Matt raised a brow and asked, voice disbelieving, "Fun? Did you have a heat stroke?" He reached out and pressed a hand to her forehead.
She rolled her eyes and shooed his hand off. "Well, have you talked to him? I could tell you he now spoke only in riddles like a comic book villain and you wouldn't know if I was lying," she pointed out.
Matt frowned. "I mean, its Phobos. How many times did he kidnap you?"
"That was Cedric and… that one time with Frost, but that one hurt my pride too much to talk about," she laughed.
"Still, who ordered Cedric to do all the evil shit? Phobos."
Will sighed. "Okay, I never said he…" she frowned. "I just wanted to see if Elyon was right? That he deserved a second chance."
Matt gave a sheepish chuckle. "Oh, I get it now. Sorry. I'm sure Elyon appreciates someone backing her up. I know she still gets a lot of pushback over… him. Even Caleb doesn't understand what she was thinking."
They walked a little longer in silence before Will felt a hand on her hip, guiding her to stop.
"Actually, I still wanted to talk about something," Matt said, standing next to her, frame leaning slightly over her. "You kinda ran away, earlier."
Will folded her arms, looking to the side. "Sorry, I was just… sorry."
Matt released a deep sigh, gentle hand on her hip. "I was thinking maybe we can take a pause on the pause?"
Will looked back at him, eyes wide. "This isn't a pause."
Pain filled him as he went on. "So everything is just gone? Like that?"
"No," she said, shaking her head, heart breaking. "I still care about you. I do."
Matt moved closer, his other hand coming to touch her jaw. "Its okay if you need to have some space. But I thought maybe this trip doesn't have to be so… tense. We can have fun, like normal. You don't have to keep hiding from me. From the girls."
"I'm not hiding," she argued, but it sounded hollow to even her own ears.
His hand was hot on her face, calloused fingers scraping her skin. "Will," he said, voice soft. "You don't have to do this alone. You don't have to be alone. I just want a future with you, just you. No more magic. No more danger. Just you."
And he kissed her.
Mouth hot and urgent. Hands hard and familiar.
Her response was automatic, mouth opening as he pressed his tongue to her lips, legs wrapping around his hips when he lifted her to adjust for their height difference. One hand on her ass, the other holding her head to his.
Will felt… hollow.
She knew what to do next. Where to touch, what to say, how to move. There was fire at the action, as she knew he could please her, leave her withering and panting, but there was a hollowness in her chest.
There was a gasp from down the hall, and Matt pulled away as a few maids giggled and ran around a corner.
"Ah, sorry, I forgot about… people," Matt said, pulling away. Will composed herself and turned to head to her room.
"It's fine," she said, voice weak. "I'm going to head to bed. We can talk some more tomorrow."
"Sure," Matt said, hopeful.
They entered the common room and then parted ways. In her room she collapsed on her bed, rubbing her mouth, and cried.
The Heart flickered to life, releasing a soothing pink light, a strange note hanging in the air like a sweet song.
Will felt magic flow through her, filling her eyes, drying her tears, and luring her to sleep.
The Heart would protect her.
It always protected her.
From everything.
