Druidess Found (Druidess Trilogy Book 1) by Machelle Hanleigh (interesting novels to read txt) 📕

said as he handed her a water skin. "You don't seem to travel well in the portals."

"You could have warned me." Kaily drank the contents. She already knew what foul tasting medicine was in it. She needed the stuff too many times.

"You're right I could have."

She handed the water skin back to him. "What no apology?"

Moto shook his head. "No. Better?"

"Getting there," she said.

He stood taking her with him and set her on her feet.

She kept her hand on his arm as she found her balance. She looked around her to see where they were. They seemed to be in deep forest in a tiny clearing. There was a huge stone arch like the one at the Agenors castle and back on her home planet. She turned to look him in the eyes. "That's like the arch at the ruins of my home."

Moto nodded.

"Why take me home now? That is what we are doing here, isn't it?" She noticed a brief flicker of sadness pass through his eyes, before he could shield his emotional expression from her.

He nodded. "I should have taken you home a long time ago, and for that you have my apology."

She stepped close to him and touched his cheek with the palm of her hand. "You have no reason to apologize for that. I agreed to stay."

"You did." Moto took her hand and kissed her palm. He turned his attention to the Gateway. He placed his palm on the rune that would open the Gateway to Kaily's home and looked back at her. "Ready?"

Kaily nodded. There were tears in her eyes. "Yes." She wiped the tears that escaped her eyes. She shouldn't be crying, this was what she wanted most, wasn't it?

He nodded and focused on the Gateway.

She felt a surge of power and saw the runes light up with a silver-blue light. She thought she saw a slight shimmer within the interior of the arch, but she didn't know. She took the hand he held out to her.

"Let's get you home." Moto softly said and stepped into the Gateway with Kaily in tow.

She emerged with him on the other side in the ruins she loved so much. Home! She was finally home. "Thank you, Moto, thank you so much." She wrapped her arms around him. She let out a sigh of relief when he wrapped his arms around her.

"I should have brought you home sooner." He rested his chin on top of her head. "I was selfish to keep you away from your home for so long."

She lifted her head so she could look into his eyes. "It's not your fault. I wanted to stay." She didn't tell him that there was a part of her that wanted to return home, but she could tell from the pain in his eyes that he knew already that part of her.

Moto kissed her hard full on the lips.

Kaily's heart caught in her throat. He was saying good-bye. She could feel it to the very depths of her soul. She grabbed his hand when he broke the kiss. "I want to show you my world." Maybe if she showed him her world and the life, she built for herself he would want to stay with her on her world.

He looked back at the Gateway.

"Please." She didn't bother to keep the pleading out of her voice. She would be vulnerable if that would be what got him stay. Despite everything between them, she didn't want to let him go. She couldn't imagine her life without him. Somehow their lives became entangled and she wanted to fight for what began to build between them. She just hoped he did too.

He looked back at her. She could tell the moment his resistance faded. She was careful not to show triumph in her facial expressions, not that it mattered, being Kahoali and empathic Moto probably already knew how she felt. She made the effort anyway. She looked him up and down and frowned slightly.

"What?" Moto asked.

Kaily shrugged and shook her head. "It wouldn't matter anyway. A change of clothing is not going to make you look less intimidating. Try not to scare the Fergusons when you meet them. They are important to me." Kaily saw a real smile cross Moto's facial expressions and amusement lite up his eyes. It had been probably the whole week since she saw her favorite expression from him.

"I'll try not to." He followed her as she led the way.

They walked in silence for a while. She took in the sights and sounds of her home. It felt beyond belief to be home. It was as if a burden had been lifted from her shoulders, most of the burdens she felt anyway. "Moto?"

"Yes?"

"I," she wanted to say that she was sorry she used her abilities against him, but she didn't want to spoil the fragile peace between them. "I don't want to hurt anyone here." She didn't know what she was trying to say or ask even. She just knew that she didn't want to lose control and hurt someone. She just needed to know that he could help her in some way to keep that from happening.

Moto was silent.

Kaily stopped and turned to him. "How do I keep that from happening?"

He looked down at the ground for a moment, and then back to her. "I don't think that will be a problem here. Can you feel the energy of your world?"

She frowned. "I don't know."

He stepped up behind her and pulled her close so that her back rested against his front. "Close your eyes."

She glanced up at him, but quickly turned around and did what he asked. She didn't like that she seemed to frustrate him at every turn. Was it so difficult to trust him? She kept saying she trusted him, but he was right, the last time she gave him unconditional trust had been the first time when he rescued her from the Agenors.

"Find the place in your center where you feel at peace." He