Adult-FanFiction.org : Movies

The Arcadia Chronicles	By : Arcadia Category: Star Wars (All) > General Views: 4270 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own or make any money from the starwars characters/universe depicted within. All original characters are exclusively mine and cannot be used without my permission.

Chapter List
- 15
- 16
- 17
Zac drifted in and out of consciousness, at times he could only hear what was going on around him and at other times, he wafted above it all, aware of everything and of nothing. His body, although starting to heal, still refused to respond. It had taken all his strength to whisper her name, strength that he needed to conserve and redirect towards healing, if he wanted to get off this bed any time soon.

�Zac Terran.�

The melodious voice commanded his attention. Turning he was almost blinded by the purity of her glow.

�Nadine of the Enlightened,� he placed his palms together in front of his face and bowed his head, touching his index fingers to his forehead.

She nodded her head slightly in acknowledgement.

�It seems our paths are destined to keep crossing.�

�So it seems,� Zac smiled at her and scratched his head, not that he had an itch, such physical discomforts where not part of this world, rather it was an echo of his persona: a scratch of the head, thumb pressed to the lips, hands running through his hair, all reminders that he was still linked to the living world.

Nadine studied him for a long time, weighing up the consequences of what she was about to do. The sisters had counselled against it, pointing out that his healing was progressing at a satisfactory pace. Under normal circumstances she would�ve agreed with them but as First among the Enlightened she was privy to insights that they were not. Events were unfolding that required her immediate attention. If she failed to intervene the consequences could be dire. No, Zac�s recovery needed to be accelerated. She just hoped that it would be enough.

Making up her mind, Nadine held her hand out to Zac.

�Come with me,� she ordered.

Zac knew better than to argue with the Enlightened, he had tried that once before and it had almost cost Arcadia her life, so now when Nadine said something he did it without question.

Moving towards her he was consumed by her dazzling aura. Waves of colour blazed brilliantly around them. If Zac had been in his physical body he would have felt nauseous. The room shimmered around them then fell away to reveal a perfect peaceful clear night. Suddenly the world seemed to streak by below them only to stop again seconds later. Beneath them was a large rock pool, its serenity broken by the roaring of cascading water crashing into it.

Zac looked around wondering at why Nadine had bought him to this place when he heard the familiar sound of Arcadia�s laughter sparkle through the night. He turned towards the sound eager to catch a glimpse of her, eager to see what had amused her so. It only took a split second for his mood to darken and his anger to boil.

On the edge of the rock pool, with the crystal clear water streaming over her silky hair, her tanned skin glistening in the moonlight, he swore she looked like an angel; an angel that was being defiled by a beast. Time seemed to stand still as Zac watched Luke suck on Arcadia�s neck and slowly lift her out of the water, moving his kisses down to her breasts. If he had been in his physical body, he would�ve been shaking with uncontrolled rage.

He watched mesmerized as Arcadia�s moans became more frequent and almost choked when she whispered his name. The look she gave him nearly sent Zac over the edge. He knew what that look meant, he had seen it in her eyes often enough. Wrenching his eyes from them he glared angrily at Nadine.

�Why are you showing me this?� he growled.

Compassion filled Nadine�s eyes as she felt the extent of his pain. She hated doing this to him but it was necessary, everything hinged on his recovery. With a wave of her hand the world shifted around them again. When the whirlwind stopped, night had turned into day. Nadine floated across the water and stopped at the edge of the waterfall, turning she summoned Zac to follow. He shook his head, not wanting to bare witness to anymore of this.

�Zac,� her voice was quietly insistent.

He stubbornly stood his ground. �No,� he breathed, his voice catching.

Nadine faced the curtain of water and with a tiny motion of her hand, Zac found himself pulled towards her. She turned and looked into his eyes. Anger blazed in them, along with pain and jealousy but she decided that that wasn�t enough. As agonizing as it will be for him, he needed to see more.

She stepped through the waterfall bringing him with her. Zac�s eyes pleaded for her to stop but she turned from him and looked ahead. Closing his eyes, he gritted his teeth and slowly turned his head. It took all his willpower to slowly lift his head and open his eyes. His focus settled on the two people lying on the rug. A low rumble echoed at the base of his throat and his eyes narrowed at the sight of Arcadia snuggled into Luke�s chest, her hair sprawled in a tangled mess over her shoulders and across her face. Raw emotions formed knots within him, tightening to hard clumps as he noticed the smug satisfied smile on Luke�s face. Everything seemed surreal as he watched Luke pull the blanket up over Arcadia�s shoulders, brush the hair off her face and kiss her gently on the forehead before he wrapped his arms protectively around her.

�I love you.�

It was only a whisper but the words struck Zac like an explosion. His head shot up and his eyes widened in shock as the magnitude of the situation struck him. It was one thing to find the woman you adore in another man�s embrace but quite another to hear him pledge his love for her. This was bad, really, really bad. Zac knew that Arcadia had feelings for Luke and he was used to men lusting after her but never had he heard one of them tell her that he loved her and mean it, especially not when she was asleep. Panic began to take over the moment he realised how easily he could lose her, overpowering all the other emotions. For the first time since arriving on Tor�quae he felt a sense of urgency to recover.

�Help me, Nadine,� he pleaded gruffly.

Making eye contact with him, she searched his soul and finally satisfied with what she found, she smiled and slightly bowed her head in assent.

�Leia? Is it true?�

Leia looked up to see her sister burst into the room and rush to Zac�s side. Not waiting for an answer she pulled the covers back and examined his wound. A rush of pure joy flooded through her, making her eyes sparkle when she saw how much his wound had healed. The gaping hole in his side was now half the size it had been when she left the room last night. Almost squealing with delight and grinning broadly, she leaned down and kissed Zac firmly on his lips then whispered something inaudible into his ear.

Leia was taken aback by her sister�s complete transformation. The last time she had seen her, only hours ago, she had looked drawn, fragile, lost in the depths of despair. Now she was a whirlwind of energy. The colour had returned to her cheeks, the dark circles had vanished and her previously bloodshot eyes where now bright and clear. She seemed vitalised, more alive than she had ever been.

Out of the corner of her eye Leia saw her brother standing in the doorway, his features noticeably darkening as he watched Arcadia. Thinking that she must have sensed his mood, Leia watched in surprise as her sister, still leaning over Zac, looked across at Luke. Her sparkling eyes changed ever so subtly. They now shone with a mischievous glint that slowly spread to her lips in the form of a smirk. She kissed Zac again and slowly stood up, her eyes never leaving Luke�s. By the time she had straightened, she radiated pure sex, transfixing Luke with a look that was both sultry and feminine at the same time. Leia watched in stunned silence as the darkness vanished from his features, only to be replaced with a look of pure longing.

�Where were you when they were teaching that at Princess school?�

Turning to see a similar look in her husband�s eyes she gave him a filthy look and punched him before striding out of the room.

�Ouch.� Rubbing at his shoulder he sniggered and went after her.

Luke bit his bottom lip as the tingles spread to every cell in his body making him quiver. His eyes roamed over her, taking in every exquisite detail. She wore a white off the shoulder peasant top that laced up in front and left her midriff bare. The flowing white skirt sat low on her hips and was cut to reveal her lean legs as she moved. Her dark curls fell loosely across her shoulders and brushed softly against her back.

Returning his attention to her face he inhaled deeply and slowly shook his head. She smiled as he came towards her, his eyes never leaving hers. Stopping directly in front of her he leaned down to kiss her but she didn�t let him, stepping back each time he moved forward, smirking playfully. By the time he walked her back against the wall, she was laughing softly. Taking hold of both her wrists he pulled them up above her and pressed his body against hers, pinning her to the wall.

�There�s no where else to go babe. Looks like you�re out of options.�

Chuckling she replied, �I�m never out of options,� and although pinned to the wall she avoided his lips.

�You are so bad,� he chuckled looking into her eyes.

Smiling she licked her lips and raised an eyebrow at him.

�You want to play?� he asked. �Okay let�s play.�

He smirked and looking into her eyes he stepped back but instead of her being able to move off the wall she found herself still pinned to it. Biting his lip, it was his turn to raise an eyebrow.

�Hey no fair.�

�All�s fair in love and war,� he replied still smirking.

Moving in towards her again he ran his fingertips from the top of her hands down her arms then lightly down her sides. Bringing his hands in together he ran them up her front, lightly brushing against the exposed skin of her midriff. Moving higher still he cupped her breasts and rubbed his thumbs across her nipples, sending trembling goose bumps across her skin. She closed her eyes and sighed as she felt his warm breath against the soft flesh of her throat. The gentle caress of his breath climbed higher still till it was warming her ear. She tried to tilt her head so she could rest it against his but it wouldn�t budge. Her breathing deepened as his breath brushed across her cheek and mingled with hers. Opening her eyes she gazed into a sea of vivid blue.

�I win,� he whispered and crushed his lips on hers in a deep, long, passionate kiss.

Suddenly Zac moaned and called her name. They froze and Luke broke off the kiss, searching the Princess�s eyes.

�Zac,� she breathed, looking past Luke to the bed.

He felt the wave of hope rush through her, accompanied with both guilt and love. When she looked back up at him he saw her struggling emotions reflected in her eyes. He could feel that she wanted to be with him but that she also needed to go to Zac. Her emotions where swinging like a pendulum and with both men vying for her attention she couldn�t find an equilibrium. Finally loyalty won.

�Luke, please?� She tried to convey so much with those simple words. Please understand, please let me go, please don�t be mad, please forgive me.

Luke knew that he shouldn�t be angry but knowing something doesn�t make it happen. He had been well aware of the situation when he strode into it. He knew that Zac and Arcadia had been an item, that their feelings ran deep for each other but he couldn�t help the way he felt. He had fallen for the Princess from the moment he had laid eyes on her and with each passing moment that he spent in her company, those feelings increased exponentially. He didn�t want to let her go, he didn�t want her to be in love with Zac, in fact if he was honest, all he wanted was to pack her into a ship and get her as far the Hell away from him as possible.

Looking into her pleading eyes he felt betrayed. She belonged to him; he knew it, down in the very depths of his soul. Why couldn�t she see it too?

�Fine,� he said gruffly, glowering at her, his jaw set and his muscles tense. Stepping back from her he spun round and stormed out of the room. As soon as he left, the shackles that had Arcadia pinned to the wall vanished and she all but collapsed to the floor.

�What am I doing?� she whispered as she gazed at his receding form.

�Cadi?�

�Zac!� Picking herself up off the floor she hurried to his side. Leaning down over him she stroked his cheek.

�I�m here baby.�

His eyelids fluttered and slowly opened, his eyes focusing on hers. A smile touched his lips and his eyes fluttered closed again.

�I love you,� he whispered then slipped into unconsciousness again.

Tears welled in her eyes. �I love you too babe,� she sobbed. Sitting in the chair she bought her hands up to her face. �What am I doing?� she asked shaking her head, her emotions in complete turmoil. �What the Hell am I doing?�

�You question me Jedi?� Nadine cocked her head to the side intrigued with the audacity of her guest.

�No Enlightened. I�m considering options.�

�Do you believe that I have failed to take everything into consideration?� she asked.

�Nadine, we have been friends for a long time and you know that I would not be fool enough to doubt your wisdom but��

�But they are special to you and you do not wish to see them suffer.� She nodded sagely, �That is understandable Obi-Wan but my duty is not to their happiness. Far greater issues are at stake here.�

�I�m well aware of that Nadine but this is wrong.�

�Wrong?� she raised her eyebrow at him. �It is necessary.�

�It could�ve been handled differently.�

�Differently? How Obi-Wan? Their life-forces are connected, they would have found each other eventually.�

�Yes that is true,� he conceded. �But to encourage the relationship?�

�It was necessary Jedi, hear you nothing I say? Everything hinges on Zac�s recovery, we were losing him, he needed incentive to stay.�

�Even if he does recover, there are no guarantees that she will choose him.�

�That is why we must tell her.�

�Tell her? No Nadine you can�t!�

�I must.�

�No tell Luke instead. He is a Jedi, he will understand.�

Nadine chuckled.

�True he is a Jedi but his actions are governed by his heart, much like yours. He will spend his time trying to find a way to circumvent it and doom us all in the process. No Jedi, I will tell the girl. She will do what is necessary.�

Arcadia stormed out of the dimly lit cabin into the warm night air.

�Damn it Arcadia, you can�t run away from this!�

Following hotly on the Princess�s heals Luke grabbed her arm and forced her to turn and face him. She met his gaze indignantly.

�I�m not running away, Luke. It was a mistake.�

He shook his head incredulously. �Mistake? No, that was no mistake. I was there, remember?�

She blushed slightly but in the darkness it didn�t show. �It shouldn�t have happened Luke. Zac�s in a coma and I�m off fucking some guy under a waterfall!�

Luke�s blue eyes blazed angrily and his grip tightened on her wrist. He pushed her hard up against the wall, pinning her there with his body. His voice was a soft growl, �You weren�t fucking some guy. We� were making love.�

Arcadia closed her eyes and shook her head, in a whisper she replied, �It shouldn�t have happened.�

�But it did. You can�t hide your feelings Cadi. Not from me.�

She looked up into the depths of his blue eyes again and saw them soften.

�I love you.� The words struck at the very core of her being. �And I know you love me.�

Shaking her head slowly, Arcadia tried to look away, tried desperately to hide from the truth. She had decided earlier that she was going to end it, that it was just a passing fling, pure lust combined with the tumultuous situation and the liberating effects of the planet. Why did he have to go and complicate things by dragging her deepest emotions to the fore?

�I�� she breathed.

�Sh�� Luke brushed his thumb across her lips, �no more arguing,� he whispered.

Sighing Arcadia closed her eyes as he pressed his lips on hers in a soft, gentle kiss. She tried to fight her own emotions but Luke�s words kept echoing in her head that combined with his persistent ministrations soon weakened her resolve. Her breathing deepened as he began to entice a response from her. She moaned at the feel of his tongue stroking hers. It wasn�t long before she felt the heat start to rise within her. The kissing became more insistent as they both surrendered to the passion that was slowly building between them.

Luke still had her pressed up against the wall. His hand was entangled in the silkiness of her dark locks ensuring that she couldn�t pull away. Not that pulling away was something that Arcadia wanted to do. In fact she longed to get closer to him. She pressed her body up against his, feeling his hard muscles contract under supple skin as he moved against her. She ached for the feel of his flesh against hers.

Pulling back, Luke searched her eyes. He wanted to make sure that the decision was actually hers and not somehow transferred to her from him. Time seemed to stand still as the feelings she projected washed over him. �Patience,� he told himself as he waited for her to make the decision.

Arcadia�s heart was pounding as they contemplated each other, both breathing heavily. The heady desire coursed through her veins inflaming all her senses. She didn�t want him to pull away, not now, not ever. Somehow it felt wrong.

�Luke,� she breathed, her soul begging for him to touch her.

That was all the prompting he needed. A soft smile touched his lips as a feeling of relief and satisfaction washed over him. �Mine,� he thought, his primal side taking over. Reaching out he pulled her into him pressing his hips against hers, arching her back until her shoulders pressed against the wall again. His lips urgently sought the plump fullness of hers.

She returned his kisses with the same fervour, her hand running up the back of his neck and grabbing a fistful of hair. The butterflies fluttered madly in her stomach as he trailed a wet path down her throat with his tongue. Soft moans of pleasure reverberated at the base of her throat. He ran his hands down her body and then slowly back up, watching intently as the laces on the front of her top magically came undone, revealing the tanned firmness of her breasts. She moaned as he rubbed his thumbs over her nipples before taking them into his mouth.

Reaching down she pulled his shirt out of his pants and up over his head, tossing it to the ground before running her fingers over the contours of his muscular chest. Moaning at the feel of her nails grazing his skin, Luke reached out and cradled Arcadia�s face in his hand, taking a step forward, he pressed his bare chest against hers, savouring the feel of the warmth of her skin.

�I want you now Luke,� she whispered in his ear and nibbled his earlobe.

A deep moan escaped from Luke�s throat and he held her tightly, afraid if he let her go that he would totally lose control and ravish her. Taking some deep steadying breaths he pulled back from her and gazed into her eyes. She returned his gaze, her breathing shallow.

�Come here.�

It was a command, a royal decree. She reached out and pulled him towards her. He crushed his lips on hers, his hands frantically pulling her skirt up and removing her underwear. She pulled at his belt buckle and unzipped his pants, reaching in and rubbing at his straining erection. Moaning, he picked her up and pressed her against the wall. She wrapped her legs around him as he entered her, her velvety smoothness encircling him. Their breathing was coming in ragged gasps as they moved against each other. The rising heat covered their bodies in a soft sheen that glistened in the moonlight. Arcadia could feel the rough surface of the wall against her back and see the rhythmic contracting and relaxing of Luke�s muscles as he moved.

�Look at me.�

Arcadia stopped sucking on Luke�s neck and lifted her head so she could see his eyes. Pools of clear blue crystal looked back at her. He stopped straining against her for a moment, giving them both a chance to regain some control.

�Ready?� he asked

�Yes,� she replied hoarsely between shallow breaths.

He leaned in and kissed her passionately, opening a connection up between them. She gasped as she felt a wave of emotions flow through her, love, lust, need. �I love you,� he whispered as his lips left hers and she knew that it was true. He had opened up a link between them, she could feel what he was feeling, and he could sense her. The added dimension quickly increased the desire they both felt. It wasn�t long before their hearts were pounding in unison and their breathing was ragged shallow gasps. The tingling heat began to grow between them and rise over their bodies. Arcadia bit her bottom lip and tried to control the sensation, tried to prolong it.

�Don�t,� he whispered opening his eyes to look at her. She moaned as she met his gaze, feeling his overwhelming desire to please her, to make this encounter magical. The look he gave her melted all remnants of resistance and she surrendered completely to the sensations, surrendered completely to him. Moments later they both cried out as explosive waves of ecstasy shuddered through their bodies.

Opening her eyes sleepily she tried to adjust to the darkness of the room. She felt the warmth of his body pressed up against her side; his arm was draped protectively over her. He was snoring softly, his chest rising and falling rhythmically. She turned her head so she could look at him. He looked so peaceful, so content, so adorable.

�I love you,� she whispered, finally admitting to herself that it was true.

She had been trying to hide from it since she first met him, not being one to lose her heart over someone so quickly and besides, she was in love with Zac. How could she possibly have such strong feelings for another man? Was it possible to love two men with equal intensity? Obviously it was because she did. The more she tried to sort through it the more confusing it got. She couldn�t choose between them, she didn�t want to. She even toyed with the idea of having them both. There were numerous cultures where people had multiple consorts but she decided that it wouldn�t go down too well with either of them. Both were too stubborn, jealous and proud.

Finally she concluded that she needed some guidance. Pulling back the sheet she slowly lifted Luke�s arm and slipped out of the bed. He moaned and rolled onto his back, the sheet falling around his hips to reveal rippling muscles under taut skin. Catching her breath at how tempting he looked, she suppressed the urge to climb back into bed with him.

Searching around in the darkness she retrieved her clothes and put them on, quietly padding out of the cabin. Once outside she looked up at the stars and breathed in deeply, taking in lung fulls of the calming air. She wanted to find Nadine but before she did that she went to check on Zac.

According to the Enlightened that she encountered there, he was still drifting between the two worlds. He hadn�t regained consciousness since she spoke to him earlier but his wound had almost completely healed. At his current rate of recovery, the sister anticipated that he would be up and around in a couple of days at the most. She had thanked her and sat beside Zac�s bed for a while, contemplating him and her situation hoping that some great revelation would present itself and clear everything up for her. Nothing did.

Nadine found her sitting on a flat rock overhanging the bubbling river. She seemed lost in thought as Nadine silently approached her. Stopping a short distance behind her, Nadine scrutinized her soul, ensuring that she hadn�t missed anything the countless other times that she had done it.

�Nadine.�

A raised eyebrow was all the evidence of her surprise. �Interesting,� she thought. Arcadia hadn�t moved.

�Arcadia,� she replied in acknowledgement.

The Princess opened her eyes and turned to face the Enlightened.

�I beseech your guidance.�

Nadine bowed her head faintly in acquiescence.

�I�m in love with Luke.�

�Yes,� she agreed. �Your life-forces are intertwined.�

Arcadia looked at her quizzically.

�Intertwined? But you told me that Zac was my soul mate.�

�He is.�

�He is�and Luke is?� She asked thinking that she must�ve misunderstood.

�Yes.�

�Yes? They are both my soul mates?�

�Yes.�

�Two soul mates? How is that possible?�

�It is possible Arcadia, although rare.�

She took a minute to assimilate the information.

�Then how do I choose between them?�

Nadine smiled sagely at her. �You have a visitor.�

The air beside her began to shimmer then slowly solidified into the form of a man.

�Obi-Wan!�

She jumped to her feet and embraced him warmly. �I missed you so.�

�And I you, little one,� he replied smiling, thankful for the unique properties of this planet that allowed him to take solid form.

�Come sit with me, we have much to discuss,� he took her hand and led her to the edge of the river, sitting her down next to him on the lush grass.

�I hear you�ve finally met Luke,� he smiled at her knowingly.

�Yes,� she blushed and lowered her eyes.

�And?� he prompted

�And�� she paused, picking at the grass around her. �Nadine tells me that our souls are intertwined.�

�It is true, little one.�

�But I am also in love with Zac.�

He nodded, �Quite a dilemma, my sweet.�

�How can I possibly choose between them?� She asked looking into his eyes.

�Perhaps I can help.�

�Please,� she begged.

�Are you certain you want to hear this?�

�If it will help me make a decision then yes.�

Obi-Wan looked up at Nadine then nodded.

�Whichever path you choose, you will be happy. Life will be fulfilling with either of them. Both will make attentive husbands, wonderful fathers and creative lovers, although there is something to be said for Jedi sex.�

She smiled shyly and nodded thinking he wasn�t being very helpful yet.

�But the future holds a great danger.�

Both Arcadia and the Jedi looked up at Nadine, Obi-Wan giving her a stern look.

�Danger?� she asked knowing that the crux of the conversation was rapidly approaching.

�Yes,� Obi-Wan continued, hesitantly. �The Skywalker children will become Jedi like their father and it will fall upon their shoulders to fight the great evil that will threaten the galaxy.�

�My children?� she asked.

�If the Skywalker offspring are not borne of a Jedi mother, they will not be strong enough to defeat the malevolence and they will die, dooming the galaxy in their wake.�

Obi-Wan glared at the Enlightened but she ignored him. The Princess sat in stunned silence as the information slowly sunk in.

�Oh-kay,� she said finally, staring out across the river. �Does Luke know?�

�No,� they said in unison.

�And he must never be told.� Nadine�s concentration focused on Arcadia until she was satisfied that she understood.

�You must end the relationship, little one. Leave no doubt in his mind that it is over.�

�Yeah, that�s easy for you to say,� she told them. �You�re not the one that has to go break your soul mates heart. How do I justify that?�

�Sometimes the individual must be sacrificed for the greater good of the whole.�

�Oh stop spouting crap at me Obi-Wan. It may have sounded oh so wise when you and father walked around the palace exchanging your little sayings but I am not a child anymore. I didn�t like it then and I sure as Hell don�t like it now.�

Suppressing a smile at her feistiness, he exchanged a glance with Nadine.

�Be that as it may, Arcadia, it doesn�t change the facts. Luke must unite with a Jedi. The fate of the galaxy depends on it.�

She looked at them and sighed. She was so angry that they had burdened her with this information, yet also relieved that she now could make the �right� choice, not that she really had much of a choice. Marry Luke, have kids, see them die and doom the galaxy in the process�some choice. The decision had been made for her but now the hard part was up to her. How does she tell Luke, a man that she loves, a man that under different circumstances she could spend her life with, that she doesn�t want to see him again? Suddenly a glimmer of hope shone brightly in her.

�If I have two soul mates, does that mean that Luke has two too?�

The Enlightened and Jedi exchanged a glance then Nadine shook her head.

�No Arcadia, his life-force is only entwined with yours.�

Arcadia�s heart sank.

�What about Zac?� she needed to know.

�Only you.�

�How can I deal with this?� she asked no one in particular. �How can I go in there and break his heart knowing that he will never find this kind of love again?�

�It is tragic little one, no one is denying that.�

�You will do what you must,� Nadine told her bluntly.

She nodded slowly, resigning herself to her fate. �Yeah well you can tell the powers that be to bite me.�

Nadine raised an eyebrow and Obi-Wan chuckled thinking that Nadine was right; his favourite little Princess was definitely a force to be reckoned with. Putting his arm around her, he hugged her tightly.

�I must go now, my sweet,� he said, kissing her forehead. �Don�t worry, everything will work out.�

She nodded and smiled weakly. �Bye General Obi-Wan Kenobi.�

�Goodbye Princess Arcadia Organa,� he said bowing.

They smirked at each other and the Jedi slowly turned opaque, then shimmered brightly then disappeared.

�It is time.�

Arcadia shook her head, �No wait. I want to see them. I want to see the family that I will never have.�

Nadine studied her for a moment then nodded. �Come,� she said, leading her back onto the rock overlooking the river. With the sweep of her arm the dark water in front of the rock turned bright and an image began to form. Arcadia watched in awe as she gazed at her own reflection cradling in her arms a tiny baby boy with bright blue eyes. Next to her stood Luke holding a young girl. Her hair was light yet she had Arcadia�s curls and brown eyes.

Tears gleamed in Arcadia�s eyes and she tried to suppress a sob, �they�re so beautiful.� Her heart ached for them, two tiny lives that will never be, the family that Luke and she will never have, the life they will never share. She longed to take them into her arms and hold them tight if only just once but knew that wasn�t possible. Those little angels will never feel her gentle touch or know the extent of her love.

�Come Arcadia, you need to go to him now.�

The image in the water vanished as the sky began to lighten in preparation for the dawn. Turning to Nadine, her eyes glistening with unshed tears she nodded.

�Won�t he be able to sense this when I�m with him?�

�I will shield it from him, Arcadia. Now go.�
Standing in the doorway Arcadia was surprised to find Luke busily packing.

�What are you doing?� she asked.

Without pausing or turning to look at her he replied gruffly, �What�s it look like I�m doing?�

�Why are you packing?� She asked walking into the room.

�Something�s come up.�

�So you�re just leaving?� she watched him stuff his clothes in a knapsack and pick it up. �Where you even going to say goodbye?�

Looking up at her angrily he growled, �You walked out on me! I woke up last night and you were gone. I waited all night for you to come back but you didn�t. Where were you?� Shaking his head he changed his mind. �No don�t answer that I don�t want to know.�

�I�m here now,� she said ignoring the little voice in her head that kept telling her to just let him go.

He glared at her and shaking his head he brushed past her.

�So that�s it huh? And here I was thinking you were different.�

Throwing his knapsack down on the bed furiously he turned and stared at her in bewilderment. He couldn�t believe that she just made him sound like the villain.

�Damn it Arcadia! I love you. Why is that so hard for you to understand? You�re not some fling for me. You will never be �that girl that I fucked on Tor�quae.� I know we haven�t known each other for long but I�m talking spending the rest of my life with you, marriage, kids the whole deal. How many different ways do you want me to say it? I. Love. You.�

�I love you too,� she told him softly. She knew that she shouldn�t have said it but she couldn�t help herself, it just came out. The little voice in her head screamed �NO!�

He stared at her for a long time, looking into her big brown eyes. All the anger that he was feeling magically dissipated with those three little words. He was amazed at just how powerful they could be. His heart soared as their sweet sounds settled on his ears. It was one thing to know that she loved him, quite another to hear her say it.

�What?� he asked, simply because he wanted to hear her say it again.

She gazed longingly into his eyes, unable to hide her feelings for him but struggling with the wisdom of her actions.

�I love you,� she repeated her voice full of emotion.

His heart fluttered in his chest and a profound sense of joy swept through him making him feel giddy. His eyes sparkled with delight and he couldn�t keep the smile from forming. Pulling her into his embrace, he kissed her passionately, losing himself in the exquisite perfection of the moment. She returned his fervent kisses with wild abandon, telling him over and over that she loved him. She needed him to feel, at least once in his life, the purity of emotions that only she could give him. When he finally pulled back to look into her eyes, they were both breathing heavily.

�Come with me,� he pleaded.

�I can�t,�

�You can�t or you won�t?�

�I can�t leave Zac.�

�Zac? Why does everything always revolve around Zac? Forget Zac and think about yourself for once.�

�I can�t Luke, he needs me.�

Grabbing hold of her shoulders he looked deep into her eyes, �I need you. Baby listen to me, we can be happy you and I, we can be a family. We belong together. All I�m asking for is a chance to prove it. Come away with me, just for a few days. Let me spoil you for a while. I know this place that has the most amazing retreat, everything there is pure indulgence. I promise you�ll love it.�

It sounded so alluring. What harm could a few more days in his company do? After everything she�d been through, she so wanted to be spoilt. �Arcadia!� the little voice in her head sounded remarkably like Nadine.

�Oh Luke I wish I could. You have no idea how much I want to but I can�t. Not now.�

�Not ever,� she thought dismally.

�Then when?� He looked expectantly into her eyes.

�How do I explain this to you Luke? I love you, I do but I can�t go with you. Not now, not ever.�

His heart sank. �Why not?�

Closing her eyes she took a deep breath and sighed.

�Remember back on Serillia, after you kissed me for the first time and Zac saw us?�

�Yes,� he nodded.

�Remember I went after him?�

�Yeah,� he nodded again.

�When I found him he was furious. I had never seen him like that before. He told me that he was so afraid of losing me, that never in his life had he felt so threatened by anyone than he did by you. He asked me to marry him, Luke. When he recovers I�m going to tell him yes.�

�No you can�t!�

�I�m so sorry baby.�

�NO!�

�Please Luke, it breaks my heart to do this but�

I have no choice

�When did you decide this?�

�Last night.�

�Last night while we were making love?�

�No! No baby. No. Last night while I was sitting by the river wishing for answers.�

�And that�s your answer? Marry Zac without giving us a chance?�

�Please Luke, don�t make this harder than it is.�

�Why the hell not? You seem to be able to dismiss it all so easily.� He wanted to hurt her with his words the way that she had just hurt him.

�That isn�t fair Luke. You know that isn�t true.�

�Do I? I�m not so sure anymore.�

Grabbing his hand she pressed it to her chest. �Then search me.�

�No!� he pulled his hand away.

She reached out and pulled it back against her again.

�You want answers Luke, this is the only way that I can make you understand.�

�I said no.�

�Do it!�

They glared at each other for a long time, Arcadia willing him to do as she asked. She wanted so desperately for him to know how deep her feelings where, wanted him to feel the purity of her love. Her heart broke with the knowledge that he was doomed to never find another woman who would adore him like she did. There would be other women, she was certain of that but he would never find someone that would speak to his soul.

Luke glowered at her. He couldn�t understand why she would do this to him. They were meant to be together, he knew that for a fact. He kept asking himself why she wouldn�t give him a chance. Why after all those years of being with Zac, she suddenly decides to commit to him? Why now? Why so suddenly? Why, when everything was going so well between them, did she want to end it? Why tell him she loves him only to break his heart? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Finally it all got too much for him, if only for his sanity, he needed to know.

�Fine,� he growled.

Placing his hands on either side of her head he pulled her roughly towards him. Looking into her eyes, he pushed his energy into her. She gasped at how abruptly he invaded her, forcefully penetrating through her barriers. She knew he was angry and he had every right to be. She could feel it in the way his energy moved through her. Instead of fighting him she tried to relax, tried to remain focused on his clear blue eyes. Staring into them she noticed that they blazed a deeper, more vivid blue but they were distant, not looking at her but looking through her.

She thought about focusing her emotions, trying to concentrate on how much she loved him. She tried to convey to him how intense her feelings were. Tried to make him understand why she needed to choose Zac without telling him about his fate, all the while hoping that Nadine�s shield would hold. Gradually his probing became less insistent. He had stopped rampaging through her and now flowed gently, tenderly touching parts of her. She felt him quieten and he remained in the one spot for a long time, flickering every so often.

She kept her eyes focused on his letting him have free reign to her soul, succumbing completely to him, the intimacy of his energy mingling with hers, bringing choking tears to her eyes. After a while she felt him move again, slowly backtracking through her. He withdrew from her gently, the feeling of emptiness her first sign that he had gone. Closing her eyes she gasped as her soul screamed at the loss. Taking a shuddering breath her eyes opened to focus on his. He blinked a few times then his focus settled on hers. She watched as his eyes softened and welled with glistening tears. Taking a step forward he pressed his forehead on hers.

�Oh baby I�m so sorry,� he said fighting back the tears.

�Luke,� she sobbed as he wrapped his arms around her and held her tight.

�It�s alright baby. I understand. I love you,� he told her, then softer, �I love you.�

The welling tears spilt from her eyes, leaving wet streaks down her cheeks only to continue their journey down the side of Luke�s neck. He held her close; her body trembling as she struggled to deal with the overpowering emotions, tried to deal with the longing deep inside her. She felt incomplete without him, like a chunk had been torn from within her. Her heart begged for the exquisite intimacy of his soul mingling with hers.

Luke�s heart ached and sang at the same time. He felt like a complete jerk for the way he had treated her. Forcefully storming through her in anger and frustration was unforgivable but she took it in her stride, willingly relaxing her defences where the instinctive reaction would have been to fight. He was amazed at her courage and strength. She had endured so much. There were so many secrets that she kept hidden, but by far the most painful was the one she had just shared with him, the one that she had never revealed to anyone, not even Zac. As soon as he touched that part of her, he realised how implicitly she trusted him. In that moment he knew how pure and genuine her love was.

He wept for her, for her agony, for the violent loss of her innocence, for the unrelenting torture that she had to endure but most of all he wept for her loneliness, for the fact that she had suffered this pain in silence, sharing it with no one, keeping it hidden, buried deep within her until now. Willingly revealing something so personal, so profoundly horrifying cemented the bonds between them. She had given him something that was exclusively his, a part of her that she wouldn�t or couldn�t reveal to anyone else, not even the man she planned to marry.

He tried to pull back so he could gaze into her eyes but she wouldn�t let him, clinging to him with all her strength, so afraid of letting him go.

�Sh baby, it�s alright,� he whispered. �I�m not leaving, not yet.�

Slowly she relaxed her grip, letting him pull back enough to look at her. He gazed into the depths of her glimmering eyes, stroking her hair, then brushing his fingers across her cheek. Closing her eyes, she tilted her head pressing it into his hand and sighed. She moistened her crimson lips, her dark lashes slowly parting to frame the chocolate warmth of her eyes.

�Come here,� he murmured.

His lips closed over hers in a kiss that redefined the word tender, their salty tears mingling in a sensual sea of passion. Taking her hand he led her to the bed where he made slow agonising love to her, reverently worshipping not only her body but her spirit as well. They spent the entire day and night together, reaching new heights of ecstasy and understanding, forming a union that no one or thing could dare try to unravel. Nothing could ever compare to the time they shared. They poured a lifetime of love into a single planetary cycle, celebrating an intimacy that most lovers never attain.

Luke smiled contently as she slept in his arms, snuggled warmly against his chest, her soft skin bathed in a honeyed glow. He inhaled deeply, breathing her in. She smelt so good, so sexy, musk mingled with vanilla, him mingled with her. Nothing else in the universe mattered now that he had found her. He knew that she would always be a part of him, no matter what. Gently running his hands over her velvety skin, he sighed, thinking he could happily stay here forever, burying for as long as possible the inevitable. He didn�t want to think about that, not now, not while her bare skin was pressed against his own and her heart beat in time to his. Now he wanted to savour the moment, lose himself in the dream, commit every inch of her to memory, every touch, every sigh, every caress. The silkiness of her hair, her luscious full lips, the dark lashes that framed the warmth of her eyes, the small dark mole that sat on the top of her left breast, he smiled, the way she trembled when he kissed the back of her neck.

Luke�s body shuddered as he felt Zac regain consciousness, shattering the perfection of the moment.

�No! Not yet!� he thought

The time had come too soon. Luke didn�t want to let her go. He struggled with his emotions, toying with the idea of simply taking her with him, of bundling her up into a ship and just leaving, to Hell with the consequences. In that instant he realised just how seductive the dark side actually was. Shaking the thought from his mind he tried to work up the courage to leave. �One step at a time,� he told himself. First he needed to get out of bed.

�Baby,� he whispered stroking her back.

She moaned softly, slowly coming awake. He rolled her over gently, resting on his elbow looking down at her until she opened her eyes. She blinked sleepily finally managing to focus on his face.

�Luke,� she whispered.

He smiled at her, his eyes so full of love. He adored the way she said his name. She made it sound so sweet, so perfect, like the gentle caress of a summer�s breeze. He leaned down and kissed her, pouring every part of himself into that kiss, filling her with his love, knowing that it was the last time he would taste her sweet lips and feel the warmth of her body against his. When he finally found the strength to pull back, they both had tears in their eyes.

�Goodbye Cadi,�

�No Luke,� she sobbed.

He closed his eyes and tried to block the pain.

�I love you, always.�

�No,� she choked and pulled him into her crushing her lips on his.

�Sh baby,� he said holding her close, tears spilling from his eyes. �Sleep,� he ordered, knowing that would be the only way she would let him go.

�No,� she fought it.

�Sleep baby, I love you.�

�I love you Luke,� she managed to get out before she succumbed to his will and crumpled in his arms.

He held her tightly, not wanting to let her go, the tears streaming down his face, the ache in his heart unbearable. He realised the more he prolonged it the harder it would be but even with that knowledge it still took him a long time before he was able to lie her down and climb out of bed.

Taking deep steadying breaths he managed to focus on what he had to do. With a thought he turned off the holorecorder. Finding his clothes, he pulled them on then checked his knapsack to ensure that everything was in order. Once satisfied he stood before the machine and inserted his message at the front of the recording then made a copy. Placing one of the pyramid shaped crystals into his pocket, he held the other one up to the early morning light and studied it intently. Out of the corner of his eye he saw something move on the bed. Turning he was surprised to find the little black kitten curled up on his pillow almost asleep.

�Where did you come from?� he asked it smiling.

The kitten opened her eye sleepily and meowed softly. He leaned over the sleeping Princess and tickled the kitten behind the ears. She purred noisily.

�Here, keep an eye on this for me until she wakes up. Make sure she gets it ok?�

The kitten meowed and readjusted its position, curling around the crystal as Luke placed it on the pillow.

�Thanks,� he smirked, �I�ve got to go now. Take care of her for me.�

Still purring the kitten closed her eyes and fell asleep. Looking down at the Princess, Luke inhaled sharply biting his bottom lip. He took one last longing look at her, taking in every detail then leaned down to kiss her for the last time, sending her all his love through the force. She smiled in her sleep and moaned softly.

�Bye baby, I love you,� he whispered and picking up his knapsack he turned and walked out the door.
- 15
- 16
- 17
You need to be logged in to leave a review for this story.You need to be logged in to leave a review for this story.
Report Story

The Arcadia Chronicles