Protected by Watchful Eyes: Chapter 20- True Love

The tears burned at her red eyes as she stumbled through the woods. She didn't know how to get here, but she only wanted to be able to relive that first kiss at the edge of the cliff with Kael. She couldn't speak as her tongue lost its ability to form words and her feet grew numb, but she forced herself forward, his name running through her mind constantly, refusing to stop. It drove her on, made her continue her push forward into the woods. She couldn't feel anything but a feeling of loss of need; desperation. She pushed out of the woods, falling to the ground as her body let out. 'Where am I?' she wondered unable to move her body. She closed her eyes and let her surroundings take over as she gave up, 'I have nothing left to live for... I can't forget and I can't move on...' The sound of seagulls calling and the ocean pressing against the rocky edge. She smiled as she realized she made it, but just laid limp and weak against the ground.1

The figure had been sitting in a large tree looking over the ocean watching the sun begin to set. He was lost in thought, to deep to realize what was going on in his surroundings, too depressed for his senses to work properly, and too hopeless to care much anymore. Faintly a familiar voice could be made out in the back of his mind, words formed as his mind taunted him with the very voice he yearned to hear again. His eyes snapped open as he realized what the words said, what they meant. Suddenly the world struck him all at once, the seagulls' calls, the salty ocean waters, the rush against the cliff's edge, the bright skies filled with wondrous colors as the sun set across the distant ocean, and the smell of blood nearby. "Heilia!?" he voice shuddered, startlingly. 'Is she really here? Has she truly given up all hope?!' he thought, turning to the limp figure laying at the edge of the forest. His mind raced, she was really there, it was really her thoughts. 'Why isn't she moving!?' he felt tears sting at his eyes. He jumped from the tree with a silent perfect landing. In less than a second he was at her side, kneeling before her.2

"Heilia?" His gentle silky voice was was concerned and urgent.3

She had been barely conscious, 'I must be near death... His voice is so near, but he can't really be here...'4

"Heilia, your aren't dead, you aren't dying, I really am here! Please, Heilia..." He rested his hand on her shoulder.5

Her eyes opened into slight slits, her vision making out only blurs, but the fuzzy figure hovering over her she could make out. "K-" She choked, she couldn't make out the word. She couldn't tell if her mind was teasing further by fabricating his appearance or if he truly was there. Warm tears rolled down her cheeks.6

"I'm here Heilia... I really am here..." He gently wiped salty tears away from her face.7

"Kael!" she pushed herself up as well as she could, then fell back down, her muscles weak.8

He pulled her into his arms, cradling her affectionately, "Don't stress yourself anymore than you already have Heilia..."9

She clung to him, unwilling to let go, afraid of loosing whatever fantasy fabricated his appearance. She pressed her head into his chest, crying. "Don't leave... Please, Kael... Please..." She begged for him to remain, desperately pleeing.10

He held her closely and kissed the top of her head, "Heilia... Relax, I'm here..."11

She simply wept, soaking his shirt with her tears and clinging to him refusing to loosen her grip until sleep took over. Her face stained with tears she still held onto him, with a loosen grip, and rested her head against his chest. He stood looking down at her, "Heilia... I'm sorry for everything..."12

Heilia moved uneasily and awoke. She expected her dream to be over, she expected Kael to be gone and the entire venture into the woods to have been her overactive imagination taking over as she slept. Her numb body seemed to disagree, but even so she knew Kael would still be gone, still be someone she would never be able to find him. She brought herself to sit up, finding herself on a bed; his bed.13

"You're up!" She heard a familiar voice call and suddenly Kael was at her side, his hand on her forehead, "How are you feeling?!"14

"Kael!" She had forgotten her pain and threw herself at him, wrapping her arms around him in an embrace. "Oh Kael, you really are here..." She felt tears roll down her cheeks, but they weren't tears of sorrow.15

He hugged her back, "Heilia? Why are you crying?"16

"You're here..." she repeated, hugging him tighter. "You really are here..."17

"I really hurt you when I left, didn't I?" just knowing the pain he caused her hurt him.18

She pulled away and looked at his perfect features, distraught, and nodded.19

He pulled her back in the embrace, "I'm so sorry Heilia, the last thing I wanted to do was hurt you..."20

"You don't have to apoligize, I know you didn't mean it... The only thing that matters is that you are here... with me..."21

"I won't leave you... never again... If not to prevent you from pain than for my own selfish reasons... I'm here for good..."22

She looked away and gazed into his captivating amythst eyes, "Never? Never again?" she asked.23

"Never." he promised.24

"Can... You take me back?" She finally asked,25

"Take you back?"26

"To the cliff... Where we watched the sunset together..."27

"Heilia its late at night... Tommorrow..."28

"Please?" she pouted, making an adorable expression.29

"You're not fair, how can I resist whats irresistable?!" He sighed lifting her off her bed.30

She wrapped her arms around his neck and rested her head on his chest, "Thank you Kael..."31

He smiled and took off into the night, the darkness swallowing the two figures. He came to an abrupt stop and set her on her feet, his arm snaking around her waist to ensure she wouldn't fall and for other reasons besides just a concern for her safety. He pulled her closer to him, closing the gap. "Here we are."32

She felt dizzy, she hadn't experienced that in such a long time, but it wore off fast. She looked over a the silvery moon glistening onto the surface of the calm water. It was full tonight and held a soft glow in the dark sky. She took a step forward, "It's so beautiful..." she told herself quietly. He moved with her and they both sat, he pulled her onto his lap and wrapped his arms around her comfortingly. They watched the moon in a serene silence.33

"Heilia?" he finally broke the silence.34

"Yes?" she snuggled closer against him.35

He wrapped his arms around her tighter, "I... love you..."36

She blushed a light pink, "Kael... I... I love you too..."37

She looked up at him and their eyes met in an intense gaze, then there lips pressed against each other's and their eyes slipped shut as the held each other. He caressed her face, she traced every muscle on his back and the moon cast a brilliant illumination on the two as the kissed under its light with a blissful passion as loving feelings entangled the two into each other's arms and refused to release them, caught in each other's destinies, intertwining them.