The Soul Reborn: From Silence to Sovereignty Chapter 92

Chapter 92: Sand Between Her Toes

After about twenty minutes of slowly driving in circles, Noah eventually got the hang of it. The car moved smoother, less like a twitchy beast and more like a docile machine listening to its master.

I watched him in awe for a moment at how fast he adapted and how serious his face looked the whole time. My lips kept curling up as I would giggle from time to time, but he didn’t take his eyes off the road.

“Alright, you’re basically a pro now,” I said with a grin, tapping the dashboard. “Would you like to take us back to the motel?”

Noah glanced toward the parking lot exit… then immediately shook his head.

“No,” he said firmly. “I don’t want to risk it. Not with you and Lyra in the car.”

I laughed, leaned over, and kissed his cheek. “You’re adorable.”

“I’m serious,” he murmured, turning off the engine with deliberate care. “It’s one thing to circle an empty lot, but if something happened…”

“Nothing would,” I cut in gently. “But I get it; not everyone enjoys driving.”

I opened the door and hopped out, coming around to the driver’s side. “Let’s switch. I’ll get us back in no time at all.”

He smirked but didn’t argue, exiting the vehicle much faster than he entered.

Once we were all buckled up and I had my hands firmly on the wheel, I let out a dramatic sigh and muttered. “This is officially our last night in that motel.”

Elowen perked up behind me. “Why?”

“Because it’s trash,” I said bluntly. “The carpet smells like old socks, the water pressure is sketchy, and there’s probably a haunted vending machine in the hallway. We’re going to upgrade to something more suited for our stations.”

Livia raised a brow. “Where would such a place be?”

“Hmm…” My fingers tapped the steering wheel. “Let’s just rent a real apartment, something nice. Like by the beach or something. A house would be even better, but it’s far too soon for that kind of commitment.”

There was silence until Elowen spoke up. “What’s a… beach?”

I nearly swerved in surprise.

“You’ve never seen a beach?” I asked, glancing back at her in disbelief.

Livia frowned. “It’s not a term we use. Please, explain.”

I gasped. “You poor inland nobles… You’ve never stood on a sandy shore with the sand between your toes and a perfect view of the ocean.”

After my jab, I cleared my throat. “A beach is where land meets sea with endless water as far as the eye can see, waves crashing, and the hot sun on your skin. Girls in skimpy bikinis prance on the sand while men wear little more than shorts.”

Livia looked at me suspiciously. “You want to live in such a disgusting place?”

“For a little while,” I said with a grin. “Just think, Lyra playing in the sand while I sit comfortably next to her as Noah’s shirtless appearance is on full display for all to see. Yes, that’s right, bitches; you can look but never touch.”

Noah chuckled, a wary look in his eyes. Of course they wouldn’t understand such a particular fashion sense. Earth is on a completely different level from the prudes of that world.

Elowen’s eyes were wide. “It sounds… interesting.” I could see her bashful face in the mirror as she tried to hide it while looking out the window.

“It is, and tomorrow we will find one, a decent place with a beautiful beach and no more flickering lights or weird stains.”

Livia nodded slowly. “It would be nice to stay somewhere that doesn’t feel like a punishment.”

“Exactly… We’re in another world; might as well do it right.”

Once we pulled back into the motel lot, the familiar flicking neon sign greeted us like an old, mildly toxic friend.

“One more night,” I mumbled to myself while parking in the empty lot.

We booked two rooms. Obviously, I wanted my alone time with Noah and Lyra; the other two could share. They were still quietly reeling from the idea of renting a beachside apartment, probably picturing the obviously overblown descriptions I was giving them on the drive here.

With the keys in our hands, we headed toward the rooms.

I paused outside ours, turned toward my lovely assistants, and gave them my sweetest, most sincere smile.

“So, um…” I began lightly, “Can you two watch Lyra for, like… two hours?”

Both of my hands came together in front of my face, pleading with them to let me have this.

Elowen blinked. “Two hours?” Her naivety was on full display, not picking up what I was putting down.

Livia just stared with a face that knew everything.

“Yes,” I said with a smile, deciding not to answer Elowen’s obvious question mark over her head. “What you’re thinking is probably true, Livia. I’ve been very frustrated for over nine months. Let me have this?”

After watching Livia whisper something into Elowen’s ears and seeing her go bright red, I could only chuckle.

Livia just stared at us for a while. “Alright, two hours is no problem.”

“Bless you both,” After kissing Lyra on the forehead and gently handing her off, we were on our way. “Mama loves you. But right now, I have some very urgent adult business to conduct.”

Noah didn’t say a word as he stood behind me, probably with as much anticipation as I was feeling.

He’d once told me he was counting the days until we could do something like this again. The moment the door shut behind us, everything else faded away.

Nothing else mattered but that chiseled body of a man that is somehow my husband. Sometimes I still pinch myself at how unbelievable this life turned out.

We stripped each other in no time flat as I jumped into his arms, pressing my lips against his. There was no need to think anymore; I just went with instinct and every desire I had for the man in front of me.

In the space between breaths, I remembered what it meant to feel truly alive. The room was a complete mess in no time.

Blankets were spread out all over the floor, the pillows scattered, and the air thick with warmth, softness, and the quiet hum of satisfaction.

I lie curled against Noah’s bare body as his strong arms wrap me tightly. My head lay flat on his stomach, his fingers idly tracing slow circles on my back.

We lay breathless after an intense make-out session; the room was collateral damage, and hands explored every inch of each other.

“I missed this,” I murmured, eyes half-lidded, “Missed you.”

Noah stared into my eyes. “I was losing my mind,” he breathed, hoarse. “We’d always been so close, and suddenly we couldn’t take another step.”

I smiled seductively and tilted my head at him.

“Let the beast out, Noah. I’m ready to make this… few hours—something to remember.”

Once again I felt what it was like to be at the full mercy of such a powerful man. He put me in every position he could think of as I willingly allowed it all without complaint. My body seemed to hold up extremely well, even though it was quite rough.

Before I knew it, there were nine condoms thrown into the trash can. Yes, condoms… There’s no way in hell I want to get pregnant anytime soon.

When Noah first saw them, he just smiled and kissed my shoulder. “I can see you’ve come prepared.”

“You think I would bring you to the modern world and not plan for something like this?” I snorted.

After everything, we were wrapped in each other’s embrace, tangled in each other’s sweat, skin, and soft sheets.

Until a sudden knock sounded at our door, taking us out of our own personal erotic world.

I blinked and groaned. “Ugh. Who dares?

My body was still in ecstasy from the past few hours, not thinking logically at the moment.

After a sigh and realization of who it could be, I grabbed one of Noah’s shirts from the foot of the bed and threw it over my upper body. My legs were still shaky, but I still wobbled to the door and cracked it open.

There stood Livia, holding a very sleepy Lyra in her arms.

After I was stared down for a few seconds, she took in my whole appearance. Messy hair, flushed cheeks, and a barely buttoned-up shirt.

She didn’t say a word and just handed me Lyra.

“Thank you, Livia,” I said sweetly, hugging my daughter to my chest. “I feel so much better.”

Livia couldn’t hide the faintest of smiles on her face. The kind that said, ‘I know everything, and I will never bring it up.’ Then turned and walked away.

This is why she’s still my best girl.

I closed the door, carried Lyra back to the bed, and crawled in beside Noah, who was already sitting up with a smug expression. I’m sure he’s thrilled with having the chance to get out all his pent-up frustration.

He kissed the top of Lyra’s head and then pressed his forehead to mine.

“Our family’s all here again,” he murmured.

I smiled and let myself once again melt into his embrace.

“Tomorrow,” I whispered, “we find a good place to seriously set up roots for a while.”

It didn’t take too long after that to drift off into dreamland.

I slept like a log as if we were in our castle.

After we all woke, I was back at the wheel, leaving behind the place I hoped never to see again. I put on the stylish sunglasses I had bought and rested one hand casually on the steering wheel as we cruised down the highway.

The windows were cracked just enough to let in the ocean breeze.

Livia and Elowen were staring out the windows like wide-eyed tourists when they saw the water. I guess that makes sense… because, well, they were.

High-rises towered above beachgoers in shorts and bathing suits, and palm trees lined the road. It was a world away from the North’s cold, cobbled streets.

I couldn’t help but smirk at their stunned silence. They were that way most of the time since they arrived in this world; it didn’t mean it wasn’t any less fun seeing their expressions.

“You two should really keep your eyes open,” I said casually, glancing at them through the rearview mirror.

Elowen tilted her head, blinking, “For what?”

"Something suspicious…" Livia chimed in, looking at me with a stoic face.

I laughed. “Not quite. I mean… maybe? I was thinking more about stuff like… possibilities.”

That got a tilt of the head from both girls. “What kind?”

“Romantic ones,” I said, like it was the most obvious thing in the world.

Livia gave me a sidelong glance. “You’re suggesting we, what? Find suitors while we’re here?”

“I’m just saying,” I shrugged, “guys in this world are a little different. Most of them don’t walk around thinking women are supposed to sit in a corner and smile quietly.”

Elowen looked hesitant. “But they’re from another world. Isn’t that… I don’t know… risky?”

“Of course it is… But so is everything we’re doing. I’m not telling you to marry anyone. Just… keep your hearts open if someone interesting comes along.”

Livia leaned back slightly, “What if one of these individuals gets attached to us?”

“Then we deal with it,” I replied. “But you two deserve the same happiness I have. I’ve already gotten lucky and found my happily ever after. You two shouldn’t just… stand still because the world is complicated.”

I reached over, squeezing Noah’s hand gently as he gave me a warm glance.

“I’m taken for life,” I added, with a small smile. “That won’t ever change. But if you two find something here, it might be worth holding onto.”

Elowen leaned her cheek on her hand, thoughtful.

Livia looked out the window and after a moment spoke, “I’ll think about it.”

“Good,” I said, refocusing on the road as we were almost to our destination.