Page 40 of Crossing Between

I woke to the scent of fresh coffee and sunlight streaming through my curtains. Last night with Kenji still felt like a dream with the meadow, the dancing, the mochi that heightened every sensation. My body was pleasantly sore in all the right places, a reminder of how thoroughly he'd claimed me.

Rolling over, I found his side of the bed empty but still warm. The pillow held the faint scent of him, something woodsy and distinctly his. I stretched languidly, feeling more relaxed than I had in weeks despite the looming threat of the Essencefeaster.

After pulling on one of my brightest sundresses, a kaleidoscope of oranges and pinks that would probably make Varon wince (Score!), I padded barefoot through my apartment. The floorboards creaked in that familiar way that always felt like home.

"Morning," I called out, following the coffee scent to the kitchen.

"On the porch," Kenji's voice drifted back. "Brought breakfast for Ruth, too."

I grabbed a mug of tea and Kenji had thoughtfully made for me as well and headed outside.

The morning air was crisp, carrying the promise of a beautiful day.

Ruth sat in her usual chair, a fresh beer already in hand despite the early hour.

Kenji lounged on the step below her, both of them laughing about something.

"Well, look who finally decided to join the living," Ruth cackled, eyeing me over her beer can. "Thought that boy might've worn you out completely."

Heat rushed to my face. "Ruth!"

"What? I'm old, not dead. I can recognize the glow of a woman who's been properly serviced."

Kenji burst out laughing, not even having the decency to look embarrassed. "I like her more every time we talk."

I rolled my eyes, settling on the step beside him. "I see you two are getting along famously."

"Your oni here brought me these amazing little rice balls with fish in them," Ruth said, pointing to an empty container. "Told me all about your date last night. Well, the PG parts anyway."

"I made onigiri," Kenji explained, sliding a plate toward me. "Saved you some."

"Thank you," I said, leaning against his shoulder briefly. The casual intimacy felt so natural now. "Still shocked you can cook."

Ruth watched us with knowing eyes. "So, how long are you staying with us, handsome? Not that I'm complaining about the eye candy."

"As long as it takes to keep her safe," Kenji's playful tone undercut by seriousness.

"From what you've told me, you boys are doing more than keeping her safe," Ruth waggled her eyebrows suggestively.

"Ruth!" I protested again, but couldn't help laughing.

We fell into easy conversation, catching up on neighborhood gossip while enjoying the morning sunshine. It felt blissfully normal, a precious pocket of peace in the chaos my life had become.

The sound of the front door opening behind us made me turn. Ryan stepped out onto the porch, looking surprisingly put-together. Gone was his usual disheveled appearance. He wore pressed slacks and a button-down shirt that I didn't recognize. His hair was neatly combed.

"Hey sis," he smiled, but something about it didn't quite reach his eyes. "Thought I heard you out here."

"Ryan!" I stood, surprised. "You look different."

He shrugged, adjusting his collar. "Second job interview later. Figured I should look the part."

Something felt off. His movements were too precise, his posture too straight. Even his voice sounded slightly different but I couldn't quite put my finger on it.

"That's great," I tried to ignore the uneasy feeling crawling up my spine. "I'm proud of you."

Ryan's eyes flicked to Kenji, assessing him with cold calculation before his expression warmed again. "Hey, how's it going?" He extended his hand.

"Good, kid, good," Kenji rose to his feet, towering over my brother. They shook hands, and I noticed Ryan held on a beat too long.

"Z talks about you guys all the time." Ryan glanced at me with a smirk that was more like him.

He stepped closer to me, wrapping me in a hug that felt both familiar and wrong somehow. His arms held me too tightly, his chin resting on my head as he inhaled deeply, as if breathing in my scent. The gesture seemed brotherly on the surface, but something about it felt possessive.

My magic recoiled.

It happened so suddenly that I stumbled when Ryan released me, a wave of nausea washing over me as my power contracted violently, pulling away from him as if burned.

Kenji's hand steadied me, his expression concerned. "You okay?"

"Yeah," I forced a smile. "Just stood up too fast."

Ryan's eyes narrowed slightly, but his smile remained fixed. "You should take better care of yourself, Z. You look tired."

"I'm fine," I insisted, though my magic was still roiling uncomfortably. "Just been a long week at work."

"I bet," Ryan's gaze lingered on me, then shifted to Ruth. "Morning, Ruth. Looking radiant as always."

Ruth snorted. "Save the sweet talk for your interview, boy. I'm immune to your charms."

Ryan laughed, but the sound was hollow. "I should get going. Don't want to be late." He hugged me again, this brief embrace feeling just as wrong as the first. "We'll catch up later, okay?"

"Sure," I nodded, fighting the urge to step away from him. "Good luck with the interview."

He gave Kenji another measured look. "Take care of my sister."

"Always," Kenji's tone friendly but his eyes watchful.

We watched as Ryan descended the steps and headed down the street. He moved with an odd grace, his gait smoother than I remembered. When he turned the corner, I let out a breath I hadn't realized I was holding.

"Well, that boy's different," Ruth remarked, sipping her beer. "Almost didn't recognize him without the usual chip on his shoulder."

"Yeah," I agreed absently, still trying to process my magic's reaction. "He seems better?"

Ruth shook her head. "Different ain't always better, honey."

She excused herself a few minutes later, claiming she needed her "morning nap," which was code for her favorite soap opera. Once she was gone, Kenji turned to me.

"What happened back there? You nearly collapsed when he hugged you." Kenji took my hand.

I hesitated, not wanting to voice my suspicions. "I don't know. Something felt wrong."

"Wrong how?"

"My magic," I struggled to find the words. "It pulled away from him. Like it was repelled or something."

Kenji's expression darkened. "Has that ever happened before?"

"Never," I wrapped my arms around myself, suddenly cold despite the warm morning. "My magic has never reacted to Ryan that way. It's always recognized him as family, as safe."

"And now?"

"Now it's like," I swallowed hard. "Like it doesn't recognize him at all."

Kenji placed his hands on my shoulders, his touch grounding me. "Zoey, look at me. What are you thinking?"

I met his gaze, fear tightening my chest. "I don't want to believe it."

"Believe what?"

"That something's wrong with my brother," I whispered, the words tasting bitter.

Kenji pulled me against his chest, his arms encircling me protectively. "We'll figure this out. You're not alone in this, remember?"

I nodded against his chest, drawing comfort from his solid presence. "I know."

"Come on," he guided me back inside. "Let's get you warmed up."

In the living room, Kenji built a small fire in the old fireplace while I wrapped myself in a blanket on the couch. The flames cast dancing shadows across the walls, reminding me of the lanterns in the meadow last night.

Kenji settled beside me, pulling me against his side. "Talk to me."

"It's not just my magic's reaction," I spoke slowly. "It's everything. The way he moves, the way he speaks. Even the way he looks at me. It was all slightly off, like someone trying to play a role they've only read about. What if..." I couldn't finish the thought.

"We don't know anything for certain yet," Kenji's voice was gentle but firm. "Let's not jump to conclusions."

"But if it is the Essencefeaster doing something to my brother?"

"Then we'll deal with it," he cut me off. "Together. But right now, you need to rest and recover your strength."

I knew he was right, but fear still gnawed at me. If the demon had somehow taken my brother, or worse, then nowhere was safe anymore.

Kenji seemed to read my thoughts. "I'm not leaving your side, Zoey. Not for a second."

His promise loosened some of the tension in my shoulders. I turned to face him, cupping his cheek in my palm. "Thank you."

His eyes darkened as he leaned into my touch. "For what?"

"For being here. For believing me."

"Always," he whispered, closing the distance between us.

His kiss was gentle at first, comforting rather than demanding. But as I pressed closer, seeking the warmth and safety he offered, the mood changed. Heat bloomed between us, driving away the cold fear that had gripped me since Ryan's was here.

I needed this, needed him, needed to feel something other than dread and uncertainty. My hands slid beneath his shirt, tracing the hard planes of his abdomen, feeling the muscles jump beneath my touch.

Kenji groaned against my mouth, his own hands moving to my hips, pulling me onto his lap so I straddled him. The position brought our bodies flush together, his hardness pressing against my core through our clothes.

"Zoey," he breathed against my lips, his voice strained. "Are you sure this is what you want right now?"

In answer, I rolled my hips against his, drawing a sharp hiss from him. "I need you, Kenji. I need to feel something good, something real."

That was all the permission he needed. His mouth claimed mine again, hungrier now, more demanding. His hands slid up my thighs, bunching my dress around my waist as they went. When his fingers found the edge of my panties, he paused, looking up at me with a question in his eyes.

"Please," I whispered, lifting my hips to help him.

He slid the fabric down my legs, his eyes never leaving mine. Once they were gone, his hands returned to my thighs, stroking upward with agonizing slowness. When he finally touched me where I needed him most, I gasped, my head falling back at the sensation.

"So wet already," he murmured, his thumb circling my clit as one thick finger slipped inside me. "Is this what you need, Zoey?"

"More," I demanded, rocking against his hand. "I need more."

He added a second finger, stretching me deliciously as his thumb continued its maddening circles. My breathing grew ragged as pleasure built, coiling with each stroke of his skilled fingers.

"That's it," his voice rough with desire. "Let go for me, beautiful."

The orgasm crashed over me suddenly, intense and all-consuming. I cried out his name as my body convulsed around his fingers, wave after wave of pleasure washing through me. Before I could recover, Kenji was shifting beneath me, unzipping his jeans and freeing his impressive cock.

"I need to be inside you," he growled, positioning himself at my entrance. "Need to feel you cum around me."

I sank down onto him in one fluid motion, both of us groaning at the sensation. He filled me completely, stretching me in the most perfect way. For a moment, we stayed perfectly still, foreheads pressed together, sharing breath.

Then I began to move, rising and falling on his length, setting a pace that quickly grew frantic. His hands gripped my hips, guiding my movements, occasionally thrusting up to meet me. The new angle hit spots inside me that made stars burst behind my eyelids.

"Fuck, Zoey," Kenji's voice was strained, his control slipping. "You feel so good."

I couldn't respond, too lost in the sensations flooding through me. Every movement sent electricity racing along my nerves, the building pressure inside me growing tight again. My fingers dug into his shoulders, anchoring myself as the world narrowed to just this, just us, connected, moving as one.

When Kenji's thumb found that sensitive bundle of nerves, circling with perfect pressure in counterpoint to our rhythm, the tension snapped.

I shattered completely, my second release even more powerful than the first. A broken cry tore from my throat, my body trembling uncontrollably against his as waves of ecstasy washed through me, erasing everything but this perfect moment.

"That's it," he whispered against my ear, his voice strained with his own approaching climax. "God, you're incredible."

This time, Kenji followed me into bliss, his powerful body tensing beneath mine.

His hips jerked upward one final time as he came with a deep, guttural groan that reverberated through both our bodies.

His strong arms enveloped me completely, pulling me against his chest as we clung to each other, breathless and quaking through the lingering pulses of pleasure that bound us together.

For those perfect moments, all my fears and worries disappeared, replaced by nothing but sensation and the overwhelming feeling of safety in his embrace.

As we came down from our high, something unexpected happened.

My magic, which had been dormant since my encounter with Ryan, suddenly flared to life.

Golden light emanated from my skin, enveloping both of us in its warm glow.

It wasn't the controlled power I'd used against the Essencefeaster, but something deeper, more instinctual.

Kenji's eyes widened in wonder. "Zoey? What's happening?"

"I don't know," I whispered, equally amazed. "My magic, it's responding to you, to us."

The light pulsed between us, creating a connection I could feel deep in my soul. It was as if my power recognized him, reached for him, wanted to bind itself to him in some fundamental way.

As quickly as it had appeared, the light faded, leaving us both breathless and stunned. Kenji's hand came up to cup my cheek, his expression filled with awe and something that looked remarkably like love.

"That was..." he seemed at a loss for words. "Beautiful."

"Yeah," I was equally speechless.

We stayed like that for a long moment, still joined, foreheads pressed together, breathing each other in. Whatever had just happened between us felt significant, powerful in a way I couldn't quite articulate.

Finally, reluctantly, we separated, cleaning up and rearranging our clothes. But something had shifted between us, a deeper connection forged in that moment of magical communion.

"Zoey," Kenji took my hands in his, his expression serious. "Whatever's happening with Ryan, with the Essencefeaster, with your powers, we'll face it together. You and me, Elias and Varon. We're stronger together than apart."

I nodded, squeezing his hands. "I know."