Chapter 39

"Little bunny." Kael held his hand out to Rika to help her into the carriage as it started to rain.

I hope it doesn't end up raining too much.

"Thanks," she muttered, taking his hand as she stepped up into the royal carriage. She sat down on the cushy velvet seat, and Kael sat next to her, the door closing behind him.

"Wait, what about Ferran?"

"He's our driver," Kael said, motioning to the front.

"I see." Why can't he sit on the other side?

"Don't think about switching seats; I'll just follow you anyway."

"But isn't nice to have a seat all to yourself?"

"Not when the other option is sitting next to you." Kael smiled and hung his arm on the back of the seat behind her. "I prefer this seat."

"Are you going to hit on me the whole ride there?" Geez, it's rougher than I expected. The bumps in the road jostled her around.

"That sounds like a nice plan, but no. I was hoping we could talk..." He frowned, looking away, out the window at the forest past the cliff beside them as they climbed up a mountainous region. "Since it's just the two of us in here, I thought it'd be a good time to mention a few things."

"Okay..." Rika tensed.

Kael cleared his throat. "I know I tend to push boundaries and have fun doing it, but based on your reaction, it's clear to me that I crossed a line I shouldn't have when I marked you. I'm sorry, but I was worried I'd be stuck here for the rest of my life if you didn't choose me, and the mark felt like a way of forcing you to choose me. I want out of this place. Out of this person's body. You know, I can feel him in here still."

Rika's eyes widened. "You can? I have to ask, has it been you the whole time, or the person who owns the body?"

"He can't take his body back over. I'm not even sure he cares if he does at the moment. I can hear him sometimes, laughing at me or the situation. I can't blame him most of the time, but it can get irritating."

Rika stared at him, her jaw agape as she processed. "That's insane..." she mumbled.

"Indeed, it is."

"I don't even know where to start with all of this. I can kinda get the mark—"

He leaned in closer. "Especially with the boytoy around, my chances aren't great. I mean, I wouldn't mind if you got to choose us both, but I don't know how it'll work for you."

Rika cringed. "Stop calling him that."

"No can do. But does this mean you've forgiven me? When you're as desperate as I am right now, you take a gamble, right? That was my gamble." Though he wasn't sure if it paid off.

Rika stared into his eyes, biting her lip as she felt the mark heat up. Is he actually sorry about it? He's forcing his way in, but would I do anything different in his shoes? "I get why, but that doesn't mean I've forgiven you."

"Oh," he pouted.

Geez, he actually looks like a sad puppy right now. Rika stopped her hand mid-air, her fingers twitching as she resisted the urge to pat him.

"Does that mean if the system asks you to choose one of us, you're going with him then?" Kael asked.

"I haven't figured out what I should do if it asks. I wasn't sure it would, since I've unlocked all but Ferran's routes."

"Is that so?" Kael raised an eyebrow.

"And as far as I know, purifying the water to cure the plague is the last quest I need to complete as a saint. I was hoping it'd send me back after that." Although I can't help but want to stay. An image of Dryden popped up in her mind.

He twirled a lock of her hair around his finger. "What can I do to make sure you pick me, so I can go home, too? I was hoping it would be enough to tell you I'm from Earth as well, but that doesn't seem to be the case."

"I didn't say I wouldn't choose you..." He's right. It'd be wrong of me not to choose him.

"And I put the mark on you, but I don't know if that'll force you to choose me. The quest wasn't clear." Kael hummed.

Wait, did a quest tell him to?

Crackle.

Rika's shoulders jumped. Was that thunder?

She peeked around the curtain at the sudden downpour and touched the cold glass.

"Are you okay?" Kael asked. He saw a flash of lightning and grabbed her shoulder, pulling her close to him, away from the window. "If you don't like thunder, you can use me to hide from it."

"I-I'm fine." Rika swallowed hard and separated from him. Thunder is unnerving because it comes with lightning!

The carriage jostled, throwing her off balance and straight into Kael, who caught her.

"I have a bad feeling about this," Kael muttered and wrapped his arm around Rika, pulling her close again. "Hang onto me, please."

"But—"

"Rika," his sharp tone stopped her. "We're riding up with a cliff beside us in the middle of a storm in a video game; isn't this the perfect time for something to happen? One last trial before you finish your duties. You may be the saint with extraordinary powers, but I'm a superpowered prince with a body and mind trained for war. Stick to me like glue."

He might have a point. Rika took a deep breath and leaned closer to him. "Oh," she gasped as he pulled her onto his lap. Is that necessary? She wrapped her arm around his neck as the carriage jumped and wobbled.

"I'm sorry, Miss Rika!" Ferran yelled back. "The storm came out of nowhere, and it's not safe to stop here. We just need to make it to the top!"

Rika's stomach dropped. Even Ferran was worried about it.

Crackle. Boom.

Lightning struck in front of the carriage. The horses kicked up, and the carriage tilted to the side.

Crack. The wood of the wagon tongue broke as the carriage fell onto its side, sending Ferran flying.

"Ah!" Rika and Kael cried out in pain as they slammed into the side of the carriage, and the door opened.

His arm clamped around Rika's waist, Kael held onto the carriage with his free hand as he tried to keep his feet in the carriage.

"Dammit," Kael cursed under his breath. "Can you try to climb out the other side?"

Rika kept her arm around his neck as she reached out to the opposite door.

The carriage shifted.

"Agh!" Rika fell back at Kael, and their feet went out the door.

Kael clung on with one hand. His other arm locked around Rika, holding her tight.

"Urg." Kael groaned as he dug his nails into the wooden frame of the carriage.

The wind picked up, shifting the carriage closer to the edge.

"Oh no!" Rika cried and looked at the trees below the cliff they were hanging over. Crap! What do we do now? She wrapped her other arm around his neck, clinging to him. I don't think he can hold on long while holding onto me. "Ferran!" Rika yelled, knowing he was nearby, hoping he was awake and could hear her. "Help!"

Ferran slowly opened his eyes, hearing Rika call out to him. "Miss Rika?" he mumbled as rain pelted him, blood trailing down the side of his head. He forced himself up, legs shaking, and pulled at the carriage. "Ugh. I'll have to use magic," he huffed, struggling to focus as everything blurred.

"My hand won't last much longer. Rika, you better not let go," Kael warned her, hoping he could at least soften her landing with his body.

Rika bit her lip as she clung to Kael. "Technically, you could probably pull yourself up if you weren't holding onto me."

"What?" His eyes widened. "Are you crazy? I'm not doing that."

"Don't let go quite yet," Ferran yelled and mumbled a chant under his breath, hoping it would strengthen his magic.

"I won't last much longer," Kael said, as his hand started to slip.

Ferran glowed and wind gusts swirled around, under the carriage, around Kael and Rika.

"Let go," Ferran said as Kael's fingers slipped.

"Ah!" Rika screeched, clinging to Kael as the wind moved them over to the cliff, beside Ferran.

"Oh, solid ground again," Kael sighed, his grip on Rika as tight as hers was on him. "Thanks."

Holy crap... She pulled her shaky hands off of Kael. "T-thank you, Kael, Ferran."

"I'm so glad you're okay." Ferran sighed and used his magic on the carriage to put it upright.

Rika spotted the blood on Ferran and rushed up to him. "You're hurt!"

"I-I'll be fine." He focused his magic on repairing the wagon tongue, glad the horses hasn't run away.

"One moment." She touched the side of his head and closed her eyes. Heal. Light erupted from her hands and vanished.

"Oh!" Ferran's eyes lit up. "The pain is gone. T-thank you, Miss Rika." He smiled at her as the rain continued to pound on them.

The yellow rose above his head glowed.

Click.

A screen appeared.

'Ferran's Route Unlocked.'

'Special Quest Completed: Unlock All Suitor's Routes.'

So that was one of the quests? Rika remembered the blank quest that had popped up. It had to have been that.

"The carriage has been repaired. We should continue." Ferran opened the door.

"Even in this weather?" Kael asked, staring up at the dark cloud as the rain got harder.

"It's best if we don't stop here. I'll go slower and be more careful with the carriage." Ferran took his spot as Kael helped her back into the carriage.

We must be crazy.