Sleep Tight, page 41
“Remember Uncle. I will be joining the family. Not you. I don’t see you marrying anyone.”
“You’re just like your parents. If they had any good sense, they would be grateful for what I’ve done for you but instead they decide to stay home and sulk in protest.”
Bringing up my parents only made this worse. They didn’t believe their son should be used as a piece for my uncle to move around his chessboard. They could do nothing to stop him. The only thing they could do was not come to the wedding as protest in my defense.
I understood and even encouraged them but now I was regretting that decision. I needed them here. I needed their support, and I hadn’t even realized it until this very moment. I wanted my parents here not my self-obsessed uncle.
He continued. “And don’t worry I’ll get back on the council again. Ava’s a rude immature girl who is going to regret ever taking me out. She’ll learn to respect her in laws soon enough.”
“Uncle.” My voice held no love or patience. I moved to face him, and he flinched. It felt good to tower over him. “I suggest you don’t speak about my future wife that way ever again. Now how about we head down.”
He flustered for a bit but recovered quickly. He huffed out his chest and moved towards the door. “Let’s go.”
We moved to the back of the house and when the large clear tent with fairy lights strung around it came into view my heart quickened. This wedding was getting more real by the minute, and I was not ready. For any of it.
I was going to be sick.
I walked around the side of the tent, avoiding the middle aisle. Once I got to the front, I was able to really take in everything. The tent was quickly filling with guests, some were seated while others were standing around mingling. Everyone wore beautiful gowns or tailored clean suits. They smiled and laughed; it was the normal buzz of excitement before a wedding.
My hands started to shake. As I looked around, I made my eyes look at the middle aisle where Ava would walk down in just a few moments.
All I could see was blood. Huge red drops against white. I took a deep breath and realized it wasn’t blood I was seeing. It was rose petals dropped onto a clean white carpet. Who the hell was in charge of decorations? I couldn’t help but think that was a bad omen.
Olivia, Sky and Priya walked up to their seats near the front and nodded to me. Their faces were serious unlike the other guests. Because unlike the other guests they knew how their friend felt. They sympathized with her and pitied me. Blake, Ethan and Caleb walked up next; they each patted my back in silent support.
It didn’t go unnoticed by me how they picked to sit on my side instead of being with the girls. Me and Ava had decided not to have any groomsmen or bridesmaids. This whole wedding already felt so…icky. It didn’t seem right to have them when this wedding wasn’t for love like a wedding should be.
But our friends were still going to be near us silently supporting us. And I needed that. Nikko wasn’t here like he should be.
God this would be so much easier to get through with him here. He always knew what to say. I lifted my head up to keep the tears from falling. Not now.
Something shiny caught my eye.
I looked to my side and saw Clarissa. I held my breath as she moved behind the girls. Her dress was long, and she held the end to keep it from dragging. What caught my eye were the small twinkles all along her dress. It looked like her black dress had been dipped in glitter and each time she moved the fairy lights caught them.
She had given herself big bouncy curls that looked soft. I wondered if I ran my hand through them if they would be as soft as they looked.
When my eyes found her face, I realized she was looking right at me. Our eyes meet and my body instantly relaxed, her golden eyes were shining just as they had been last night in the field. How did she do that?
She was the most beautiful sight here.
“Kenji.”
I reluctantly turned away from those eyes.
“Oh, Lusila.” I stood up.
Calixto was a few feet behind her, just enough to give us some privacy. His eyes met mine and he gave me a small nod. It was only us two left. Maz and Nikko were both gone from our little group.
Lusila’s eyes glanced behind me towards Clarissa for a moment and then back at me. “I’m sorry.” Her eyes softened. “You’re so young. And you should have been given the choice to be with who you love. I’ll never understand this.”
That caught me off guard. “Oh. Thank you. For saying that. But we all have a duty in this life. This is mine.”
“Right.” She gave my hand a squeeze. “I know this isn’t a love match but please take care of Ava. Respect her. Support her. And I know she’ll do the same. She’s always been more of a daughter to me than a niece. And since her mom is gone, I’m speaking on behalf of her now. Watch out for my baby doll.” Her voice cracked as she tried to hold in her tears.
“You have my word. I’ve always respected Ava and I’ll continue to do so.”
She pulled me in for a hug. “Thank you.” She gave my hand one last squeeze and left to take her seat, Calixto close behind her. I looked to my left and saw him helping her to her seat before taking his own in the front row on Ava’s side. Jesse and Daniel were already seated next to them.
The music signaling that Ava would be walking out started and the rest of the guests took their seats. I saw my uncle’s smug face and had to look away or else I would punch him. I stood up and took my spot. Wendy was officiating the wedding, she quickly leaned towards me to whisper to me.
“Just breath. This will be over soon.”
That was the problem. This was only the beginning of a very, hopefully, long life with someone I didn’t want anymore. With someone who didn’t want me either.
As I looked around at the guests, I couldn’t help but notice that Elijah was nowhere to be seen.
And then there she was.
She was holding onto Cass’s arm. They stopped at the end of the aisle for a few seconds before they started their walk towards me down the aisle.
They took slow and steady steps. And I took slow and steady breaths. Ava was holding onto a small bouquet of roses. She wore a white long sleeved velvet dress with a long veil that reached almost to the ground.
I couldn’t help but move my gaze towards Clarissa. I was drowning up here alone in front of everyone and she was my only anchor. Her eyes grounded me, telling me she was here for me. While everyone looked at the bride, she looked at me. Her unwavering loyalty showing on her face.
Before I realized it, Ava was facing me. She gave me a hesitant smile. And in that smile, I saw the words she couldn’t say right now.
We will be okay.
A movement caught both of our eyes. I discreetly turned to my left and saw Elijah taking a seat in the back. So, he decided to show up. Good. Ava might not realize it, but she needed him here.
When I turned back, I knew Ava had seen him too. She bit her lip to keep it from quivering and quickly took a deep breath. I take her hands in mine and we held onto each other tightly. I never would have thought that marrying Ava would feel like this. Both suffocating, and no one could help us.
Her eyes meet mine through her veil. We’d get through this, not as lovers but as friends.
Wendy began the ceremony. I blocked out most of everything she said, just waiting until it was my turn to say my part. I think Ava does the same.
Both of us dreading those final words.
“Do you, Kenji Nomura, take Ava Luna to be your lawfully wedded wife?”
I looked at Ava. At the eyes I once loved.
My breath caught in my throat. The rest of my life started now.
“I….do.”
Wendy turned to Ava, her eyes softening. “Do you, Ava Luna, take Kenji Nomura to be your lawfully wedded husband?”
Ava met my eyes. “I….”
Her mouth stayed open as if she was willing that last word to come out.
Her green eyes flashed a bright white before dimming. No one else was seeing what was happening and I could hear the murmurs already starting in the crowd.
Then she started to laugh.
“Ava?”
She kept on laughing and laughing. And that’s when I finally noticed her eyes. No longer their bright green color. Dark murky clouds that were moving covered every inch of her eyes, I couldn’t even see the white of her eyes anymore. I took an involuntary step back.
A black tendril pushed out of her back. Followed by another and then another. They reached high and far. There was screaming behind me as the guests started getting up from their seats, some were running, others were ready to fight but their confusion was evident. Did they fight Ava?
The black shadows started to twist and turn on each other. And then Ava started to rise from the floor. When she was in midair above us, we all saw what the shadows were forming.
Huge black wings. Butterfly wings.
My friend Ava was floating in midair, butterfly wings made of shadow holding her up. Her white veil floated and waved in the air, blanketing her laughing face. She was haunting.
I took in the scene before me. My friends looked up in horror at their friend who was no longer Ava, she was now a monster. And none of us knew how to stop this. How to help her.
Children were crying, parents were covering their faces and lifting them into their arms. The sky was quickly darkening. To the north a huge wave of black was rushing straight to us. Kryps. Thousands of them.
Elijah was suddenly at my side. He took a step closer to Ava. His face devastated.
“How?” He whispered.
Ava stopped laughing and looked down at us as she heard him.
She lowered herself closer to us, her head tilting back and forth, the sound of bones cracked with each movement.
“We finally have you. I can make a hundred of my kind with a snap of my finger now. You’re outnumbered.”
The voice coming out of her wasn’t hers anymore. It was hundreds of deep gravelly voices fighting to come out all at once.
“I didn’t think it would work but it did. When Ava lost her dear mother, it opened her soul and her power finally showed. I was there when it happened. I thought why not try and take over her body at the same time? Never has an opportunity like that been there for us. And what do you know.”
She lifted her arms and extended them out to show case her wings. “It worked. The start of a perfect union. The start of her sorrow and power at the same moment left an opening into her soul. She’s mine now.”
The wave of Kryps was getting closer.
The sounds of screams, laughs and whispers gained more and more power.
“She’ll never be yours.” Elijah’s face was pure steel. His eyes were the only thing soft, torn between wanting to destroy the Kryp inside of her but not knowing how to save her.
“She already is.”
One second, she was hovering above us, the next she was right in front of Elijah’s face, her movements swift and silent. Her veil moved in soft waves against her face.
“Would you still follow me anywhere, lover boy?”
She lifted her hands, pure silver light flickered around her hands for a moment before it was muted by shadows, almost completely taking over leaving only a slight silver glow, while specks of blue light danced around it.
The sun disappeared entirely. Pure pitch black took over the sky.
We were trapped. Flashes of light burst into the sky as other Leki’s tried to fight back.
More black shadows shot out from Ava’s back, they wrapped around her body, enveloping her in a cocoon of shadow.
I looked around for Clarissa. She was already watching me, her eyes wide, her body visibly shaking as she ducked away from the shadows already sweeping down on us. I had never seen her so scared. I wanted to run to her more than anything, but it was too late.
Whispers and screams filled my ear before a rush of darkness enveloped us all.
There was a moment where I thought this book would never be finished. Years ago, on a random day I decided I wanted to write a book. I loved reading them so why not write one, right?
This has been a long, wonderful, hard, and magical journey. From the first draft to the final product so much has happened in my life and I have some people to thank.
My husband, thank you, for absolutely everything. It can’t be said enough how wonderful you are. When I told you I wanted to write a book all those years ago you never batted an eye. You took me seriously and encouraged me the whole way through. When I worried about self-publishing and how much money that would be from our own pockets you eased my mind and said you would take care of it. You’re my inspiration, you work so hard (a true workaholic) sometimes I watch you and I can’t fathom or understand how lucky I am, you are the most patient man, you show your love for me every. single. day. And even though you are not a reader I appreciate you willing to try just for me. I love you, my darling.
When I was little my mom began forcing me and my brothers to read before bed every night. I hated it. But after a while I would disappear into those stories and I was learning new things and imagining those stories in my mind like a movie. And I realized this was just like watching TV! I loved it and I never went back. I was always known as the reader in the family and I still am to this day. Mom, thank you for forcing me to discover my love for books and for encouraging me to write and live my dream.
I would say about a year or two after I started writing this book, I meet Rebecca. We meet when I starting working at a public library and quickly discovered how much we had in common, including our love for books. When I mentioned I was writing a book of my own she was immediately interested in it and never once made me feel stupid for wanting to follow this dream. We’ve been best friends ever since. And when you’re an adult who doesn’t like socializing, finding a best friend is hard y’all. She has constantly encouraged me to keep up my writing, especially on the days where I felt like an imposter and thought my writing was something no one would ever want to read. She was my go-to person to bounce ideas off of and I’m grateful for her honesty and empathy. She’s my unofficial editor and proof reader, and I say this without exaggeration (I know she won’t agree) this book wouldn’t be where it is today without her. There are not enough ways to thank you for going on this roller coaster journey with me.
To the rest of my family, thank you for always being there and encouraging me. None of you ever laughed when you found out I was writing and I’m proud to have been able take my mother’s maiden name and use it as my main characters family name. It was my way of honoring my mother’s side. They have been there for me my whole life and I cherish the memories we have created and will continue to create. Y’all are the best!
And to my brothers, thanks for letting me use your names for this book. One of you already gave me another great story idea to write in the near future so thanks for giving me the rights to that, I hope to make your crazy dream a reality one day.
To anyone out there who has a dream, no matter how small or big it is, you can do it. Go after it. Don’t ever let anyone make you feel otherwise.
M. A. Cortes, Sleep Tight
