Immortals Of Byolla Bay
Chapter 9 - Rikki

I stood there gaping at my mother, “But we only met hours ago? How can I be sure that she’s the one I’m supposed to be bound to? It doesn’t seem logical.”

She chuckled, “Your description seemed pretty vivid. It sounds like a man in love to me. I know this is easy for you to accept because you know our lore’s and believe in the power of our stars, but remember how timid humans are to fast love. They shy away from it and don’t understand how the binding of the soul works. That being said, don’t show up at her door when the sun rises confessing your eternal love. Humans take things slow, whatever that means. Your father and I were married the next week, and I was pregnant with Gene the next month, and this was over 950 years ago. Now we most definitely have to meet Kinsley. I need to see the woman who will make my boy the happiest in the world, even though she is human. That’s the part I can’t get past. Your bindende sjel is supposed to live as long as you do. I guess the stars know what they are doing though and who am I to question it?”

My binding soul. Once I accepted what my mother said, everything made sense. The way I couldn’t get her off my mind, the thoughts of being alone with her, the way she made my face heat up with just a smile, the way I wanted to tell her everything about me and the way I wanted to hear every detail about her.

Suddenly a warmth spread through my body that had me wanting to break through her window and confess everything to her. But I stopped myself. Mother said humans need time before they fall in love. Well, Kinsley is in luck because time is all I have.

“By the way, Rikki, I meant to tell you. I did a perimeter run when I got here and I seen the same boot prints over there beside her back door. They were recent. I think he sensed me coming and left before I could spot him. It’s a good thing I showed up. I don’t know what he was planning, but it wouldn’t have ended well for poor Kinsley.

A growl escaped my throat at the thought of him touching her. “Patience son. He will get what’s coming to him in due time. Until then, go home and get a few hours rest. Now that you have seen she is safe with your own eyes I think you may be able to sleep.”

I laid in my bed with my head spinning, but just as my mother said, I fell asleep quickly after seeing Kinsley was safe. I awoke with the rising of the sun, ready to run back to Kinsley. It’s like as soon as I accepted what my mother said about the binding soul everything inside me that I was unsure of about her became clear. I quickly dressed and jumped off my balcony.

Mother met me at the edge of the woods in front of her house, “Her mother just left a few minutes ago so now would be a good time for you to knock on her door. Remember what I said son, you must not mention our lore or who you are right now. Humans need space and time. Luckily for you we have plenty of the latter.” She kissed me on the forehead and ran home.

Taking a deep breath, I walked across the street to her small brick home. Her house was old and starting to fall into disrepair. I could fix all of this for her and it may grant me in her mother’s good graces.

I shook the thought out of my head, remembering how timid humans are about moving too fast. Knocking twice on her door with the paint peeling off it, I added another thing to fix to my mental list.

When Kinsley opened the door I lost my breath. She smelled of honey and strawberries, her wet hair had stray strands fall widely across her face that I wanted so bad to reach out and tuck behind her ear. Those sky blue eyes were wide with surprise showing me that she had the smallest hint of amber mixed in the top of her pupil.

My stars was she the most beautiful creature I had ever seen in my life. Mine. My bindende sjel. After agreeing to walk to school with me and show me around, she grabbed her bag then we walked down the sidewalk.

She kept looking down at her feet and rambling on about the teachers and what to expect. All I wanted was to reach down, grab her chin and force her to look at me. It should be a sin to hide eyes as breath taking as hers.

She pointed out her best friend’s house, Meshella I believe that’s her name, who lived in a much larger and more up kept house than Kinsley. She said she normally walks to school with her friend, but she got home late from a shopping trip last night and would be dropped off at school by her mother. That means Kinsley would have been alone walking in the woods again if I hadn’t knocked on her door. I did my best to suppress a shudder at the thought.

Kinsley then went on to tell me about the road names and how they were all named after the original founders of this town’s children. This town seems to flourish and thrive on status and popularity. I can’t help, but sense that Kinsley isn’t that interested in either of those things. She seems almost bored telling me about how the town came to be.

Deciding to put her out of her misery, I asked “So what is it that you like to do for fun?” She looked at me as if I had grown three heads, “I don’t really do what other people here consider fun.” She muttered as her right arm raised up to grab her left arm. That’s the human pose for insecurity. I wonder why she would feel insecure about my question?

“I didn’t ask what they did for fun Kinsley, I asked what you liked to do.” We had just got to the edge of the woods and my senses were on high alert. I knew my sister had gotten up earlier than me and ran the perimeter of the school. She was suppose to meet me at the back of the gym where this trail ended, but until I got Kinsley safely away from these woods I would not be able to relax.

The wind picked up a little as the red, yellow and orange leaves fell from the trees, swirling around us like a colorful tornado. She had been quiet and it didn’t escape my attention that she hadn’t answered my question either. I decided to try a different approach, “If I made you uncomfortable by asking what you liked to do for fun I’m sorry. It was definitely not my intention.”

She shook her head, “It’s not that. I just wasn’t sure how to answer you. Most of the people at our school go to parties and bonfires or go on some rich boy’s yacht drinking every Saturday night, but that’s not my scene. I like to read and watch movies. I like to go with Meshella to Zephyr’s Landing and go to the mall. The only time I do party is when Meshella drags me to the ones she throws herself. I am the most boring teenager on the planet.”

My heart swelled. She just didn’t realize how opposite of boring she was to me, she was perfect. I smiled as we reached the forest edge, “You know Kinsley, I guess that makes me classified as boring as well. I love reading and watching movies, especially pertaining to the history of earth. I am not a mall person and I have never been to a party or bonfire. My sister on the other hand..” As we emerged from the brush, my sister was waiting for us with her arms crossed. She didn’t like to be kept waiting and I did take my time coming here because I wanted to talk with Kinsley alone as much as I could. Her crystal blue eyes looked Kinsley up and down then turned to me, “You are late, brother.”

I chuckled, “Surely not that late? My apologies. Kinsley, this is Maggie, my sister. Maggie this is Kinsley.” Maggie smiled politely and nodded her head, “It’s lovely to meet you, Kinsley. Now, would you please show us around this place, I’d be ever so grateful.”