Page 26 of Awakened Light

“Hang on, Cat!” he called over the noise.

The dirt bike started forward, and I shrieked.

“You okay?” he asked as we crept forward.

After exhaling a breath, I gripped him tighter. “I’m okay.”

“I’m gonna go a little faster. Just keep holding on. I won’t let you fall.”

I did as he said and tightened my grip around him. The dirt bike took off, and the wind whipped against my face as we reached speeds even my fastest race pony would envy. I’d never felt more exhilarated in my life as we flew across the moonlit field.

“You doing okay?” he called back.

The huge smile plastered on my face made it difficult to answer, but I finally managed to shout back, “Yes!”

“Having fun?” he called again.

“Yes!” I shouted louder.

I heard his laughter as the dirt bike picked up even more speed, though I found that increased pace impossible to comprehend. It bumped and bounced as we hit ruts on the ground, and each time it did, I laughed even harder. I hadn’t even been on the mainland for twenty minutes, and already I was having more fun than I’d ever imagined possible.

The scenery streaked by as we drove across the moonlit countryside. Despite the darkness, I could still make out enough of my surroundings to be in awe of the world around me. It seemed to stretch on for eternity, and everything looked so different from the small world I’d known my entire life. It invigorated me even more. The intoxicating combination of having Thorne in my arms, the feelings of speed as we raced along, and the excitement of seeing this unfamiliar world nearly took my breath away.

After we had raced on for a while, Thorne drove the dirt bike up a long sloping hill and slowed to a stop when we reached the top. A stone building so large it seemed impossible it existed sat at the top of the next hill on the horizon.

He pointed to it. “That’s our home. Castle Mackay.”

“That’s a home?” I asked in disbelief.

“Not exactly a hut, huh?” He smiled back over his shoulder.

“No. Not a hut at all.”

“We’re almost there.”

The dirt bike grew louder as he twisted the handle, and I knew by now that meant to hold on. Gripping him tight, I pressed against his back as we surged forward. The dirt bike crossed the space to the castle with speed even faster than we’d hit before. I’d never felt more awake or more alive than I did as we raced across the field with my hair flying wildly behind me.

We wound up a long stone path until he pulled up in front of the castle. My eyes widened as I took in the sheer size of it up close.

“Welcome to my home.” Thorne swung his leg over the front of the dirt bike and stood up. He held out his hand and helped me off. My legs wobbled when I stood, and it caused me to a stumble a step. Before I could wobble even once more, Thorne snaked an arm around my waist and held me tight against him.

“Careful, there. The vibrations can do strange things to your legs. They’ll feel better in a minute.”

It wasn’t the dirt bike making my legs weak now. As he held me in his arms, I felt boneless and dazed. When I looked up into his incredible eyes, my body slackened even more.

“You okay?” He brushed a piece of hair from my face. Concern brewed inside his eyes as he held me suspended in his embrace.

I tried to answer him but struggled to form words. It wasn’t just being in his arms that made speaking difficult, though it did. It was that my lips were dry and sticking to my teeth. I ran my tongue over them and swallowed before answering back.

“I’m okay. Thank you.”

The mischievous sparkle lit back up in his eyes. “Are your teeth dry because you couldn’t stop smiling back there and the wind dried them up?”

The smile I’d worn the entire ride returned, and I laughed. “I think that’s exactly what happened.”

“Fun, right? I take it I can add dirt biking to your list of things you like in the real world?”

I nodded, and my smile stretched wider. It was the first time in my life the muscles in my face felt strained from overuse. I’d never smiled so much in my life. “It was amazing. I never knew such a thing could exist. Humans really are quite inventive, aren’t they?”