Page 9 of Bound By Destiny
Destiny
All I recall from the past day are those moments I woke up from the agony and asked myself:how could I be so stupid to trust those incredible grey eyes?Because all along, his crystal beams never left me. Even when I wallowed in the deepest throes of anguish, it was like he was always there, even in my nightmares.
But today, as my eyes blink open, I feel fine.
Or maybe glorious would be the more appropriate term.
In all my thirty-three years of existence, I’ve never had this sensation of utter wellness. My body feels perfectly rested, yet I know I could spring up in a heartbeat and hunt a lion if I needed to. Even a whole band of them, I’d wager.
As I hop out of bed to do as much – my stomach feels dreadfully empty – my theories are proven wrong the instant my feet touch the floor. I fall to the ground in a graceless lump, a tangle of limbs and… something else.
I catch a glimpse of feathers and I can’t stop myself. I let out an uncontrollable wail.
“Destiny! Are you okay?!”
A hand appears out of thin air, stretching towards me. My gaze travels up a brawny arm to the face that haunted my feverish dreams.
Huh. So he’s real after all.Part of me believed I’d made up this superb winged specimen in my feverish dreams. This morning his wings aren’t splayed. Somehow he looks even finer than in my hazy memories. His burnished hair is all tousled like he just woke up, and his lids sit low on his clear grey eyes.
“How come you know my name and I don’t know yours?”
A ghost of a smile tugs the corner of his lips, and it’s obvious it’s a pretty rare phenomenon.
“I’m Dane.” That deep voice vibrates within me in a way that’s wholly disturbing. “Are you going to get up?”
I accept his help, only to slip and fall again halfway through.
“You’ll get used to those very soon, it’s just a question of finding your balance,” he comments with a jerk towards the strange new appendages on my back. And then, almost reluctantly, he adds: “Pretty color, by the way.”
On my third attempt I manage to stand on my own two feet. I let go of Dane instantly – what’s with the static electricity whenever we touch? – and venture a peek behind me.
What I see makes me gasp. Two wings, almost as wide as the ones Dane showed me the other day, rest conspicuously on my back. They’re not copper and gold like his, but more of a purplish color, peppered with flecks of blue and streaked with a vibrant iridescent sheen. Even I have to admit they’resomething.
“Thanks, I guess.”
For whatever reason, Dane avoids my gaze. He clears his throat while fixating at some point above me.
“I was making breakfast. I remember I ate a whole grilled boar when I woke up from my transformation.”
Definitely a bizarre choice of foods, but in my current state, anything seems delicious.
“I’m a vegetarian, but I’m starving so much even that sounds great.”
My words are soon confirmed with a loud grumble from my stomach. I’m so famished it doesn’t even make me blush.
I wordlessly follow him to the kitchen, where Dane has prepared a small feast. Toast, jam, and…
Eggs. Usually I love eggs in any form or fashion, and Dane cooked them sunny-side up – my favorite. Yet the more I stare at those bright yellow yolks, the more my stomach rolls. For all my hunger, nausea rises in my throat and a bitter taste fills my mouth.
Dane is studying me with a lifted brow. “Are you okay?”
I can’t afford to answer. Instead, I dash to the bathroom and kneel by the toilet, heaving. It’s only when I’ve spit out the last of the little food I had inside me that I notice Dane looming in the background. He looks cool and composed as ever, while I don’t even want to think of my appearance right now.
I rise unsteadily to my feet to rinse my mouth.Oh well. It’s not like I was exactly charming yesterday either,I think to myself as I recall the tatty pajamas and overworn slippers I wore when I opened the door.
“What’s wrong with eggs?”
The mere thought makes me gag. “I think I’m going to become vegan from now on.”
