"How are you doing that?!" I shouted in shock, then got up to touch his wings.
"Well... wings are just a materialized rune," Zai explained. "With just a slight alteration of the internal incantation, I can change the color. Convincing, right?"
"I thought Afarions' wings were permanently attached... and that they couldn't use wing runes..." I noted.
He laughed and said,
"The Chosen are less... restricted than regular Afarions. In fact... we're more biologically similar to Infaniyans than Afarions."
The fact that he had feathers was already unique enough.
Regular Afarion wings are more like bat wings and serve as a mark of betrayal, for the ancient initiation of The Ten Thousand Year War.
If removed, the Afarion suffers chronic pain for the rest of their life.
They can't make them disappear completely, only shrink them until they resemble two beauty marks.
It's one of the easiest ways to identify them.
Like this, he was indistinguishable from one of my kind.
... He could have just lied to me about his race, so I wouldn't feel as stressed when we first met.
I wonder why he didn't.
"I also have reasons to visit your planet. You're okay with me coming, right?" he inquired.
I nodded rapidly.
"I don't want to show up at a party without you! I don't even know why I'm invited… I'd have no one else to talk to. If you couldn't come, I'd rather stay home… and I trust you," I answered him earnestly with a smile.
Zai stared at me for a moment.
I was mesmerized by his eyes, gazing at his face. Only when he blinked did I snap out of the trance.
His lips curved into a smile, and I looked away bashfully.
Then he sat back down beside me.
"I'm glad you feel that way," he murmured... and in the same instant, his wings vanished, his lips pressed to my neck, and his right arm slid over my shoulder to pull me close... while his left hand slipped into my underwear.
"Umm… honey?" I murmured, my voice trembling, somehow still caught off guard by his behavior.
He paused for a moment. His eyes were wide, and his face slightly flushed.
"...You've never called me that before..." he mumbled.
"Zai?" I whispered, confused. He didn't move a muscle, and I wondered what he was thinking.
That's when he started rubbing me, slowly massaging my most sensitive areas. I squealed loudly in surprise.
"When is the party?" he muttered before sucking on my neck.
I placed my hand on his and clamped my legs shut.
"It's next week," I replied in a squeaky voice.
After my answer, he paused again and stood up.
I watched him breathlessly... then he began removing his clothes.
I quickly closed my eyes.
He turns me into such a shameless pervert!
"What day?" As he asked this, I peeked out at him.
Yep.
As expected... he's completely naked.
I don't know when I'll get used to that.
I hope it's soon, because my mind and body can't handle all these intense emotions forever.
"It's on a Friday!" I said a bit too loudly. Zai chuckled, stepping closer to me.
"Oh, the 17th… We should clear our schedules for that week then."
I nodded, still shivering from all the hormones.
"Snowe… take off your clothes," he demanded.
I pressed my lips together into a hard line and, with trembling hands, unbuttoned my shirt.
I'm still too nervous to look up at him.
"Now... Call me 'honey' again..." he commanded as I stood to drop my shirt on the floor, then started pulling down my skirt.
"Honey..." I said softly and obediently.
He bit his lip, watching patiently as my underwear was taken off.
The moment I was done, his mouth was on mine, and we were locked in an embrace.
Zai picked me up, holding my legs around his waist, as he pinned me to the wall.
"Again… but look into my eyes this time," he ordered in a low voice.
My mind screamed.
Looking into his eyes only made me feel hotter, but I did my best to do as he asked and said in a louder voice,
"I love you, honey!"
It was like my words flipped a switch in him.
His eyes lit up, showing how intensely his emotions had been stirred.
And with each of his thrusts, my mind debated whether I should call him honey every day from now on... or never again.
The next evening, I realized Zai had me so distracted that I forgot to check my social media.
The sudden realization woke me up.
When I cracked my eyes open, Zai was sitting next to me in bed, reading a book.
He had glasses on again today… I admired him for a moment but avoided talking to him until I checked my phone.
I made a post announcing that my album was set to be released soon, including a small clip of the demo Richard had sent over.
This makes me feel excited all over again.
"Good morning, honey," Zai said, closing his book with one hand.
For some reason, that word gave me intense flashbacks that made my heart race.
"Hey, you!" I replied, awkwardly.
He smirked, moving closer, and reached behind me to place his hand on my hip.
"Am I just 'you' today?" Zai teased.
I gulped loudly before replying,
"I ho-ho-ho-hope you slept well, Za-za-zai!"
I couldn't help but stutter, and he chuckled heartily, pressing his face into my neck and tickling me with his teeth as he whispered,
"Am I just Zai today?"
So I screamed internally.
"I need carbs!" I declared aloud.
He backed up and gave me a long look.
Afterward, he removed his hand from my hip.
"Let's go get you some. We'll finish this conversation after you eat," he whispered, while planting kisses along my jawline.
I don't believe he wants to have a conversation!
Zai made us pizza since it wouldn't take long and because it would be filling.
My eyes followed him around the kitchen. I couldn't help feeling completely enamored.
Then a thought came to me.
Something about what he said yesterday was odd.
"What do you want to do on Infaniya?" I asked.
He placed the pizza into the oven and set a timer.
"You can ask me questions after we finish our talk from this morning," he answered playfully.
If he can say that, he can answer me now!
Once the food was done, we ate together silently.
I ate far more than he did, but that was normal.
I know he doesn't need to eat as often, or as much, and just eats with me so I won't feel alone.
All the chosen get the majority of their nutrients from things other than regular food. Zai gets his from the air and light.
Once I was full, he cleared the table and put the leftovers away.
Even then, he said nothing.
But once he was finished, he walked back to me and rested his forehead on mine.
"If you don't want to talk here, you'd better hurry upstairs," he warned in a seductive voice.
So I had no choice but to understand the implications.
I became flustered and bolted to our bedroom.
As soon as I sat down, Zai was already beside me.
A thunderclap and a gust of wind came with him.
I'd almost forgotten how fast he was...
We got back in bed, with Zai on top of me.
Trailing light kisses down my body.
It's a good thing I decided not to get fully dressed again.
Every time I think I've caught up to his pace...
He reminds me that he's been holding back this whole time.
I don't know how much time had passed when Zai agreed to take a break.
At that moment, I was a trembling mess, but I tried to repeat my question.
"What do you want to do on Infaniya?"
My words slurred together, but Zai seemed to understand me somehow. Still, that didn't stop him from groping my breasts before he answered,
"There's a person I want to see."
"Wh-who..."
I hated how I stuttered every time, but I was shaking too much to stop.
"Is it my… m-mom?" I inquired further.
"...That's one of the people. Yes," he admitted, then he smiled slyly, saying,
"I should meet the parent of the woman I love, right? Before she gets executed, that is."
His eyes roamed down my body. I looked away from him.
He wants me to introduce him to my murderous mother?
I love Zai, and I'm not ashamed of him, but I don't know how I feel about the two of them meeting.
Will he think less of me once he's actually face-to-face with that woman?
"Do-don't look at me like that when talking about my mom," I scolded.
"Aww... but I can't look at you any other way, so... I'll close my eyes," Zai replied.
He really shut his eyes, and I started to relax…
Until he started touching me again, as if he could still see me vividly, and started sucking on my neck.
"Ahh! Zai!" I moaned out involuntarily.
He chuckled and stopped himself.
"I want to see the place you grew up in with my own eyes… and one day, I'd love to take you to my hometown," he admitted softly.
I peered at him... his eyes were still closed, and his fingers twitched. He was struggling to restrain himself while waiting for my answer.
"If… it's possible and safe. I will go with you."
He opened his eyes and grinned at me.
I can barely think of a reason to say no… but did I just agree to go to Afaria?!
Have I lost my mind?!
Shouldn't I ask him more questions?!
"Break time is over," he stated casually, before resuming our earlier activities.
All reasoning left my body.
I couldn't remember a single one of the questions I meant to ask.
By now, I should've known that smile meant... he was done letting me rest.
We continued until I was so tired I didn't even remember falling asleep.
My mind felt numb, and everything went black.
When I awoke, there was a glass of water on my bedside table.
I rushed to chug it down. I was still feeling the effects of my... time with Zai, but at least I was alone.
Hopefully, long enough to sort out my thoughts.
Ten seconds later, Zai returned to our room.
He had a tray of food, which he placed on the computer desk.
"How are you, Snowe?" he asked sweetly.
The way he said my name triggered something.
I was instantly turned on... even though I was reasonably tired.
What has this man done to my psyche?!
Zai looked down and gave me a smug smile as if he knew exactly where my head was at.
He began approaching, so I had to get my question out before he got closer.
"I'm… okay… um… aren't you banished from Afaria?" I asked.
"Yes," he said casually, "but my hometown isn't closely monitored. The king rarely leaves the Glass Castle.
I've actually visited before, even after my banishment.
I still have cousins and aunts I want you to meet.
Old friends, too.
I want everyone there to see my wife.
That way, they can get a sense of how good my life is right now," he explained in a gentle voice.
I blushed lightly.
Part of me is still wary about possibly going there… but if Zai says he'll watch over me, he will.
I need to trust him and make sure I stay within his sight.
"I want to meet them, too," I said.
I stared down at the floor, awaiting his response.
Seconds later, I jolted, feeling his fingers stroking my inner thigh. I glanced up at him, flustered, but his eyes were fixed on where his hand was.
Before I could make a sound, his lips were silencing me again.
I'll just need to believe it.
That I'll be safe, even on Afaria, because I won't leave his side.