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Del Rey (Love Island)

Marinah

I missed King. Four days apart was too long, and I craved him like air to breathe. My head was clearer now. The meditation hadn’t just helped; it gave me what I’d been missing. Cosway, with her calm understanding, had helped too. She had a different way of looking at the world, and now some of that had rubbed off on me. Or maybe this was the female Shadow essence that Endura had. It didn’t matter; I felt almost like a completely new person.

I knew what we had to do. The Shadow Warriors weren’t ready to attack the Federation on the mainland. The humans at the outposts weren’t ready either. We only had one option, and King wouldn’t like it, but what else was new? No, I told myself, that was unfair. He loved me and worried just as I loved and worried about him. He would understand even if I had to bust my boot against his head a few times. The thought made me smile.

“I pack bags,” Cosway said from the doorway. I hadn’t mentioned we were leaving, but she sensed what was inside me before I even understood it myself. Cosway was special in a way I didn’t quite understand. She seemed at peace with our volatile world and thrived in it.

I held up a hand to stop her before she left the room. “I want to meditate before we go.” She gave me a knowing smile, and I returned it before she walked away.

I picked up her cat, giving it the affection I wished I could give Callie. King was another story entirely. I needed his arms around me. He was a part of me, and I wasn’t whole without him. I was still glad I took this time away, no matter how hard it had been. I needed to find my feet and come to terms with several things.

Setting the cat down, I hiked to my favorite spot overlooking the ocean. I didn’t bring Bertha with me because I didn’t need her now. I had full control of Ms. Beast again. And I had it over my capacity to meditate. The ability had been there all along and now it would stay a part of me.

The breeze swept over my skin and I inhaled the salt air and distinctive taste of the ocean. Closing my eyes, I tipped my head back. The scene that came to mind was the misty corridors of the Federation compound where I’d worked. Slowly, I walked the long the narrow hallways. I had no idea why I came here or what I was looking for. I’d learned while meditating that my mind took me where I needed to go. A door creaked and closed behind me as I passed through it. I continued searching the endless halls that had been my world for so long. Each room was empty. My boots made no sound on the cement floors.

A faint buzzing in the distance made me turn my head. Familiar voices reached my ears. At first, they didn’t make sense. I stood still until the enemy became crystal clear in my mind. One after the other, the pieces of the puzzle fell into place. It had been in front of me all along. Kedorine 5 surged inside me. Ms. Beast growled; her presence a solid reminder that I wasn’t alone.

I moved toward the voices and saw the faces of my enemies. Blood filled my vision. It dripped from my claws and fangs as anticipation surged.

It was pure bliss.