"So...new...and different." I was trying to figure out the right words to explain its uniqueness.
"It's not from this universe, that's why," he revealed. "It's from the one we came from. Lisette has the ability to go back and forth. Their phones have special cameras that take good quality photos. You enjoy taking clear pictures. You deserve a device that can do that."
"Christmas gift," I whispered and gave him a beaming smile. "Thank you, Ceil."
He seemed astonished by my spike in happiness, his cheeks beginning to grow redder before he turned right around.
"You’re...welcome."
I knew he was embarrassed, which seemed extremely cute to me, but I decided this was a good moment to give him something in return.
"Ceil."
He turned back and noticed the new item in my hand as I presented it to him.
"For...you. Christmas gift...and for protecting me."
He was even more shocked than before as he lowered his gaze to the big plushie unicorn I'd made myself. Since I didn't have any more money to buy something bigger for him, I’d used the remaining change to get the materials to make my own.
It was hard and took lots of time during Jade's meetings, but the dark unicorn with navy blue eyes and a black top hat was the result.
He reached for the doll and slowly took it in his hands. He stared at it for what seemed to be a long time, which left me wondering if he didn't like it.
"If no like, can kill it?"
"No." He shook his head and hugged it to his chest almost protectively. "It's perfect."
"Really? No kill?"
"No kill," he said and allowed me to see his face shimmer with joy for five seconds. "Thank you, Shadow Jade. I'll always protect you when in need. Remember that."
"Protect. Always?"
"Protect always," he repeated.
I moved to stand next to him as I hugged the new gift in my arms. He remained holding his new plushie doll as we both stared up at the sky while the cranes floated around in what seemed like a soothing dance.
I may be a novice in this game called love, but I was willing to play as long as Ceil was the winning prize.
Shadow blooming of love.
To Remain As What You Hate
~JADE~
* * *
"Calvin?" I poked my head into the room where he was lying down while staring at a holographic screen projected above him. "Have you seen Lisette?"
He paused in his scrolling to look my way, his eyes taking in my two-piece red bikini that was decorated with black rhinestones.
"Are those waterproof?"
I blinked and looked down at my bikini before glancing back at him. "Yes."
"Which of the Troubled bought you that? I doubt it was Zeke or Zeus. They like to keep you to themselves, thus they wouldn't buy something that attracts attention to their Queen."
His reasoning was exactly on point.
"To my surprise, it was Zion. He said it matches my eyes,"
He looked up to stare into my eyes for a long moment. "Sure."
"My eyes are black when I'm not using magic, Calvin," I reminded, but I'm sure my eyes would change color whenever they felt like it, though red had seemed to become the usual choice when my magic was thrumming through my veins.
"True," he replied. "But anything you wear complements bits of you that I like. Your eyes being one of them."
Smooth talker.
"You're a born flirt," I commented and walked into the room, closing the door to give us some privacy. Heading over to the bed, I crawled right onto the soft white sheets.
Calvin seemed to get what I wanted to do as he lifted his left arm up in time for me to snuggle right against his side before his arm lowered and wrapped around me in a comforting hold.
"Hey," he whispered.
"Hey," I replied and leaned in to give him a soft kiss. "Have you seen Lisette?" I repeated.
"No. Not since this morning," he replied.
"Wasn't she feeling a little under the weather?"
"Ya," Calvin replied as he paused his work and tapped the sleep button on the side of his glasses. He pulled the spectacles off to give me his full attention as he turned just a little bit so he could look at me better. "She said her stomach hurt or something?"
"I don't know where she is," I admitted. "Shadow Jade hasn't said anything, but she seems a little uneasy. Like something is happening under our noses that we don't know about."
"Hmm. Do you want to go search for her? We could. She's nowhere inside or around the house?"
"Nope. I know she didn't go with the Trouble Four to the surfer competition. I also asked the staff and they confirmed no one else left the island. Her energy feels like it's still here, but I'm not exactly sure where, and the island is a little big. I don't want to venture out alone," I confessed the last part since it was definitely true.
We may have been out of Charles’s clutches and off his radar, but who knew what enemies still lingered hidden in the shadows?
Waiting for the right moment to attack us when our guard was down.
"We can search together," he admitted. "Do you mind waiting five minutes though?"
"I don't mind. Why?" I replied before asking.
"Hmm. I was feeling a little dizzy earlier so I decided to lay down and work. I think the heat is making me feel a little light-headed. I drank water, but it doesn't seem to give me a boost of energy like it should."
"Did you try orange juice?" I suggested. "Maybe your sugar is low."
"I don't have diabetes," he pointed out.
"You don't have to for your sugar levels to be low, silly," I commented and encouraged him to lay down flat on his bed. "Give me a moment. I'll grab you something."
"It's not that serious," he reasoned with tired eyes.
"Let's try and see if it'll give you a boost. If not, we'll have to up your coffee intake," I teased.
"That's a good idea," he commented quietly. "Let's try that then."
I got up and headed out to get him a fresh glass of orange juice that had been retrieved yesterday during our scavenger hunt for various fruits. We had a personal chef assigned to us, which left me feeling relieved since it allowed us to focus on all the various events, celebrations, dance parties, and magical trails opening up during this special week.
Bora Bora was a place that seemed to be an oasis paradise to those without magic, but for us gifted with elemental magic, it was a thrilling set for discovering all the bonus options we received.
Adding the fact that the tickets were bought by the head council themselves, we received the best greeting we could ask for.
Due to the flight, we'd taken a day off when we arrived to catch up on much-needed sleep. Once all of us were well-rested, we went right into exploring, which led us to various tour guides who were pumped to show us to different locations that were connected to or in close proximity of our island.
The following days found us doing a five-day adventure week where we jet skied, jumped off cliffs into the vast ocean, hiked on various trails through a vast forest, and enjoyed a full, dedicated course for anything your heart desired, including golf, tennis, playgrounds, and other activities that could take place indoors.