Hey guys. this chapters kind of short. but its one of my favorites, so yay!

Okay i got a contest for all of you...i am currently working on the REAL sequel to both Untamed Soul and this story and i need your help. This contest has 2 parts:

Part Numero Uno: in the wedding: traditional or those custom written vows? you gotta answer this question.

Part Number Dos: if you answer custom, you have to write them, 'cause i am drawing blanks. you have to write both Kalte and Zhay's vows.

Just enter in your review and who ever wins gets a character in the sequel (that you will get to make up and i will provide a series of custom names for that you get to pick out of.) and a chapter dedicated to them. good luck guys and on with the story!

Chapter Three: Sleepless Night

As I lay down on my bed still in the clothes I had been wearing all day, I realized what had happened today. The day I thought would never happen, happened. I thought, for a long time actually that I would never get to see, let alone meet Kaltezira. I got to do that and so much more.

Now, what lay ahead for me, and her, was a confusing road with a ton of danger. A war lay on the horizon, both for us and the entire avian nation. By the look of her and only knowing her for a day, that was right up Kaltezira's alley. She was used to the constant danger, accustomed to not eating for days at a time, to having to survive to see the light of the next day. She was used to all of this danger in her life because she had grown up around it.

I, on the other hand, had no idea what I was getting myself into by loving this girl. And since she had to escape from the hands of Itrantia, I guessed it was only a matter of time before I found find out how deep this ocean really was.

But I did know one thing that I knew she didn't. I knew how to live, well, the way I lived, even if I didn't really like it. I had grown accustomed to people treating me differently because of who I was. I knew how to not lose your sanity in the craziness of this city, or how to make an entrance without making people think you were there to kill them. Oh, what the hell was I thinking? None of the shit I had been taught in my life was important.

I sighed and sat up in bed. I was not going to be able to sleep like this, my thoughts racing at one hundred miles an hour. Then Kaltezira's words echoed in my ears. Whether they were from only minutes or hours ago, I didn't know:

"If I leave, will you sleep?"

"No, I'll just stare at the ceiling all night."

"And if I don't leave?"

"Then I'll stare at you."

Knowing that she was just in the room next door, less than twenty five feet from me only separated by a wall, wasn't good enough. I needed to see her again. If I didn't, I was just going to continue to stare at the ceiling all night and not sleep.

Goosebumps trailed up my legs as my feet crossed the wooden floor and then moved to the stone as I walked into the hall. I took two steps before I was standing in front of Kaltezira's door. I paused outside the door, sighed, and gripped the golden doorknob. The door creaked while I swung it open just enough to enter the room. As I shut the door behind me, I glanced over at Kaltezira.

She had barely moved from where I had left her and the squeaky door had no affect on her even breathing or her still form. Even as the floor boards squeaked beneath my feet with every step I made towards her, she slept on, undisturbed. Against the pillow, her hair was splayed in every direction as she slept on her side, her back to me. As I stood at her bedside, Kaltezira shifted her weight so that she slept on her back. Somehow, I could tell that this wasn't her most restful sleep. Maybe it was the somewhat pained expression on her face.

I considered waking her up, but sided against it. I doubted she was much of a morning person, even if it was still dark. I knelt next to the bed and rested my head on my hands, just watching her sleep, for the longest time.

I could have stayed there all night if I felt like it, but eventually, the wood pressing into my knees was going to drive me crazy. By then, Kaltezira had returned to sleeping on her side so that I could watch her wings fidget every few moments. Even in the faint moonlight, I could make out the red tips of her feathers. My fingers itched to reach out and stroke the pure black feathers, to make sure this wasn't some crazy dream, but I remembered that today had been just too perfect to be a dream.

Careful not to wake her, I climbed up onto the bed next to her. I laid there, my hands behind my head, just watching her sleep. My eyes drifted closed after several minutes, but shot open instantly as I felt a new weight against my side.

My whole body stiffened as I realized what its source was. Kaltezira was still sleeping on her side, but this time facing me. She had rolled over so that her head rested on my chest and her body pressed against my side with her left palm flat on my chest not far from her head. For a moment, I wondered if she had woken, but the thoughts were pushed away as a soft sigh escaped her lips and she smiled. I smiled back, even if I knew she was still asleep and wrapped my arm around her, my fingers running through her soft hair. She seemed so peaceful now, as if she knew I was there.

I pressed my lips into her hair and let my eyes close, finally being able to sleep.

wasn't that cute? and now you know...lol :) the review button doesn't bite now...press it..u know u want to.