Read Online Moon's Flower: Book 6 (Kingdom Series) by Marie Hall - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Marie Hall
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time, which made her pout. But only a little.
“I’ll wear it like a badge of honor, my beautiful, sweet Calanthe.” And with a long sigh, and one final kiss to her brow, he made to stand.
Jumping off his lap, she scrabbled to her feet. “You’re leaving?”
Even as she said it a glimmering blue veil shimmered beside him. It was a long tunnel that drew up into the very heavens.
“I don’t have a choice, or trust me, I wouldn’t.”
“Then let me come with you.” She grabbed his hand, bold in her declaration of love.
Brushing his knuckles along her cheeks, he sighed. “I wish you could. But the magic would never allow it.”
Where just seconds ago her heart had been ready to burst with joy, it was now squeezing with pain. “You will come back to me, yes?”
Releasing her, he walked toward the veil and her heart was literally breaking. It felt like ripping a part of her soul in two and watching it float away, helpless to stop it.
“Always,” he whispered and then he was gone and there was nothing to show he’d ever been. There wasn’t even a footprint in the grass.
Calanthe stood in the middle of the woods with a dumbfounded expression. Jericho had excited a passion in her, a desire that (while she couldn’t completely understand it) made her want to be reckless and free and now it was all gone.
Just gone.
There’d been so many questions and not nearly enough time.
The rustling of a bush snagged her attention. She didn’t turn because she already knew who it was. “June,” she whispered.
June’s eyes were bold and bright. “Calanthe.”
And she knew by the way her friend said it, that she’d seen it all. There was no excuse to give; there would have been none anyway. June’s countenance was practically dumbfounded as she said, “My friend, what are you doing?”
And though it grieved her that Jericho was no longer here, she could smile, because the mere fact that June had seen him too was proof that he wasn’t a dream, wasn’t a façade of her most secret yearnings, he was a man and he was real and she loved him. Desperately. And in one month he’d be back.
“Falling in love, June,” she whispered and tipped her gaze heavenward. “Completely, madly, wildly in love.”
~*~
The next month was excruciating for Jericho. Watching Calanthe day in and day out, desperate to touch her. To hold her. To kiss her as he had. To feel her tiny shudders, the way she trembled in his arms… it was painful. The forced separation only increased his need, his obsession to be with her.
His moods were foul, every night that he had to share space and time with Siria only increased his agitation. He did not want to be with her. Did not want her company… she’d forced this existence upon him, and granted, had she never brought him to Kingdom he would never have met Calanthe but that was a very small consolation prize. Because being unable to have and hold the treasure you craved most in life was a torture all its own.
Tomorrow he could go back to her. Somehow they’d gone through another month and he was so grateful that Calanthe hadn’t created another moon flower because that would have been so much worse. To have her touch his body, but him be unable to touch hers…
Gripping the railing, he stared hungrily at the scene below him. Every night Calanthe returned to their woods. To their knoll, she sat and she stared up at the moon and sometimes would even wave.
One time, she’d laid on her back and held up a thin sheaf of bark with an etching that read, “I miss you,” and it was like someone had ripped his heart from his chest. He’d watch as she’d create the most amazing blossoms of pinks and blues and violets and silver. In short, he was awed and fell more surely and deeper in love.
He stayed where he was at, until he no longer could. Until the navy blanket of sky began to pierce through with bolts of pink and orange, until his body trembled from the ache of standing too close to the
“I’ll wear it like a badge of honor, my beautiful, sweet Calanthe.” And with a long sigh, and one final kiss to her brow, he made to stand.
Jumping off his lap, she scrabbled to her feet. “You’re leaving?”
Even as she said it a glimmering blue veil shimmered beside him. It was a long tunnel that drew up into the very heavens.
“I don’t have a choice, or trust me, I wouldn’t.”
“Then let me come with you.” She grabbed his hand, bold in her declaration of love.
Brushing his knuckles along her cheeks, he sighed. “I wish you could. But the magic would never allow it.”
Where just seconds ago her heart had been ready to burst with joy, it was now squeezing with pain. “You will come back to me, yes?”
Releasing her, he walked toward the veil and her heart was literally breaking. It felt like ripping a part of her soul in two and watching it float away, helpless to stop it.
“Always,” he whispered and then he was gone and there was nothing to show he’d ever been. There wasn’t even a footprint in the grass.
Calanthe stood in the middle of the woods with a dumbfounded expression. Jericho had excited a passion in her, a desire that (while she couldn’t completely understand it) made her want to be reckless and free and now it was all gone.
Just gone.
There’d been so many questions and not nearly enough time.
The rustling of a bush snagged her attention. She didn’t turn because she already knew who it was. “June,” she whispered.
June’s eyes were bold and bright. “Calanthe.”
And she knew by the way her friend said it, that she’d seen it all. There was no excuse to give; there would have been none anyway. June’s countenance was practically dumbfounded as she said, “My friend, what are you doing?”
And though it grieved her that Jericho was no longer here, she could smile, because the mere fact that June had seen him too was proof that he wasn’t a dream, wasn’t a façade of her most secret yearnings, he was a man and he was real and she loved him. Desperately. And in one month he’d be back.
“Falling in love, June,” she whispered and tipped her gaze heavenward. “Completely, madly, wildly in love.”
~*~
The next month was excruciating for Jericho. Watching Calanthe day in and day out, desperate to touch her. To hold her. To kiss her as he had. To feel her tiny shudders, the way she trembled in his arms… it was painful. The forced separation only increased his need, his obsession to be with her.
His moods were foul, every night that he had to share space and time with Siria only increased his agitation. He did not want to be with her. Did not want her company… she’d forced this existence upon him, and granted, had she never brought him to Kingdom he would never have met Calanthe but that was a very small consolation prize. Because being unable to have and hold the treasure you craved most in life was a torture all its own.
Tomorrow he could go back to her. Somehow they’d gone through another month and he was so grateful that Calanthe hadn’t created another moon flower because that would have been so much worse. To have her touch his body, but him be unable to touch hers…
Gripping the railing, he stared hungrily at the scene below him. Every night Calanthe returned to their woods. To their knoll, she sat and she stared up at the moon and sometimes would even wave.
One time, she’d laid on her back and held up a thin sheaf of bark with an etching that read, “I miss you,” and it was like someone had ripped his heart from his chest. He’d watch as she’d create the most amazing blossoms of pinks and blues and violets and silver. In short, he was awed and fell more surely and deeper in love.
He stayed where he was at, until he no longer could. Until the navy blanket of sky began to pierce through with bolts of pink and orange, until his body trembled from the ache of standing too close to the
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