Ch.32 Boundaries

Chapter 32

Maya sat under the large oak tree in the garden with her boots dug into the snow. The December air tickled her nose and sent a toe curling chill down her back. Her eyes watered as she pushed her knit scarf up and lowered her face into the scarf.

All around her, the garden was dead. The snow covered and muffled all the houses of the birds in the woods. To Maya, it felt as if the word had stopped spinning and she was the only soul left alive. Steam rose from the koi pond and the shadows of the orange fish underneath danced right below the surface.

"What are you doing out here?"

Maya's back stiffened at the voice. Heyder was the last person she was expecting to. With sudden exhaustion that covered every cell in her body, Maya looked over her shoulder.

"It's about to snow," Heyder said as he pushed his hands into the side pockets of his coat. It was left open and the thin sweater underneath didn't look as if it was doing much. He leisurely walked over to the bench Maya sat on and took a seat.

"I'm surprised they let you out of the hospital already," Maya said eyeing him.

"Sure, let's go with that," Heyder smirked, looking out at the pond.

Maya narrowed her eyes but didn't argue. She followed his gaze and turned away to look at the pond too.

"You didn't answer my question," Heyder said.

"What question?"

"What are you doing out here?"

"Just...." Maya took in a deep breath. "Thinking, I guess."

"No wonder I couldn't stay still in my room," Heyder smiled. "Your thoughts dragged me out here."

Maya turned her head to look at the jinn beside her. She scrunched up her nose and shook her head.

"That was very bad," she said.

"I thought it was excellent," Heyder replied.

Maya looked away when he started to turn his gaze. She felt the warm chocolate brown of his eyes lock onto her face. It was almost as if she could feel his touch everywhere his eyes moved. When her body betrayed her and she felt goosebumps start to rise, Maya folded her arms over her chest tightly and inhaled a long deep breath.

"It's rude to stare, you know," she said after a short while.

Heyder's lips pulled back into a smile, "Please don't ever back me a cake."

"What?" Maya looked at him in confusion.

"Don't put yourself and others through that stress."

"What others?" Maya raised a brow. "Fiza?"

"No," Heyder frowned, shaking his head.

"She's worried about you," Maya once again looked away. The wind started to toss around her little pompom on top of her head and she could feel Heyder's eyes on it. "She wanted to know how badly I had hurt you."

"What?" Heyder felt his eyes darken.

"Apparently you didn't recognize her when she went to visit you," Maya said. "So she wanted to know if I did anything to your memory or head."

Heyder shook his head, mumbling under his breath. Maya watched him from the corner of her eyes as he spun the rings on his long fingers. A part of her wanted to reach across the distance between them and take his warm hands and place it against her cheek, but the thought of it didn't sit well with Maya's heart.

"I'll speak to her," Heyder said after a pause.

"Don't tell her I told you anything," Maya kept her eyes on his hands. "I don't want her to think I'm snitching about her to you."

"Why does it matter what she thinks?"

"It matters," Maya lifted her eyes to find Heyder watching her.

"Why?"

"Because I want you to be happy," Maya couldn't stop herself. "I don't want you and Fiza to fight over me. You deserve to be happy with her."

"And what about you?"

Maya looked away, "I am happy."

Her words caused Heyder to flinch. He envied her for the ease she lied with.

"Look at me and tell me you are happy," Heyder's jaw hardened. Maya turned her head to glare at him before she looked away again.

"Say it to my face, Birdie," Heyder pushed.

"You know, I came here to get some peace and quiet," Maya began to rise from the bench. Heyder's hand shot out and grabbed her arm before she could rise.

"Look me in the eye and tell me you are happy with what you are doing," Heyder pulled her closer.

"I am!" Maya said in anger. She tried to pull her arm away but struggling only made Heyder hold on to her tighter.

"Look at me, Maya."

"Stop it, Heyder!" Maya pushed him with her free hand.

"You can't do it, can you?" Heyder pulled her closer and whispered against her ear.

Maya stilled. His warm breath tickled her neck and made her whole back tingle. She unwillingly moved closer to his chest as his arms wrapped around her. The silent air around them held its breath as Heyder placed his fingers under Maya's chin and lifted her face.

"I need your help, Birdie."

"Let go of me," Maya wiggled in his arm.

"I will let go of you as of right now in this situation," Heyder smirked. "But I am not letting go of you."

As soon as he released Maya, she jumped to her feet with a deep frown and began to move towards the path that led back to the palace.

"Maya," Heyder called after her.

"What?" Maya looked over her shoulder.

"I was serious about needing your help."

"With what?" Maya paused and turned. Heyder pulled in his long legs as he rose from the bench and walked over to where she stood in the snow covered field.

"The ophiotaurus," he said as he approached her.

"Why do you still need that?" Maya frowned. "There is no curse."

"It's much bigger than the curse," the image of the golden arrow flying through the air and plunging into Maya's chest flashed before Heyder's eyes.

"What is it?" Maya took a curious step forward as she saw the fear flash over the jinn's eyes. It was quick as a heart beat. Maya would have never seen it if she hadn't been watching.

"Something big is coming," Heyder said. "We need to find the ophiotaurus and get it to....somebody."

"You still won't tell me who you are taking it to?"

"I can't," Heyder said, looking at the palace. "Trust me, if I could, I would tell the whole world."

"Heyder....." Maya took a step closer. "You can tell me."

With a heavy sigh, Heyder shook his head. He reached out and took Maya's hand. She let him bring it up to his lips, but pulled away when he tried to place a kiss upon it. Heyder, heartbroken by her action, let her hand go. He watched her pull away and stick her hands into her pockets.

"I can't do this on my own," he said looking into her blue eyes. "I need your help."

"I can't help you if you won't tell me anything," Maya turned away and took several long steps through the snow. Heyder felt his chest tighten with every step she took away from him.

"There's a war coming, Maya," he finally said, his voice loud and clear over the howling wind.

Maya paused once more and looked over her shoulder, "What?"

"We need to get the ophiotaurus," Heyder said. "I think it will be our only chance at winning."

"What war?" Maya turned around. "With who?"

"I don't know all the details, but I've seen it," Heyder's eyes flickered to the palace and then to Maya.

She saw the restlessness in him and the uneasiness of the way he shifted around. As if he himself was pulling her, Maya moved closer to him. Toe to toe, she paused and looked up into his eyes.

"There was blood everywhere," Heyder said, looking into Maya's eyes. "Your family, my people, Pixies, mermaids, vampires."

Maya held her breath as each word he spoke frightened her to her core. She felt his hand rest on her waist as he held her close to him. Through their layers of clothing, Maya could feel Heyder's heart hammering against his chest.

"You believe me, don't you?" Heyder asked with a hint of desperacy in his voice.

Maya nodded her head. "Yes, I believe you."

"I need your help," Heyder said slowly. "We need to find the ophiotaurus. It is the only advantage we will have."

"How....how do you know all this?"

"I will tell you everything when it's safe," Heyder lifted his other hand and brushed his knuckles over Maya's cheek. "Will you help me?"

"Yes," Maya nodded. "But you need to stop doing this."

"Doing what?"

"Touching me," Maya stopped his hand and placed his down beside the jinn.

"You don't like it?" The corner of Heyder's lips curved up.

"It will send the wrong signal to people," Maya tried to take a step back, but Heyder wouldn't let her budge.

"That's not what I asked, your grace."

"Heyder....."

"Maya,"

"Stop."

"Make me."

Maya lifted her eyes, "Kiss me."

"What?" Heyder blinked in shock and confusion as he let go of Maya and took a step back.

"I win," Maya smiled before she turned toward the path. "I am just going to help you with the ophiotaurus and then that's it. You go your way and I'll go my way."

"But I can't," Heyder jogged up behind her.

"That's not my problem," Maya shrugged.

"Maya," Heyder tried to reach for her hand once more, but Maya jumped away.

"No touchy!"

"You're being ridiculous," Heyder rolled his eyes.

"If I am going to help you then we need to set up boundaries," Maya said as she got on the path and paused. "No touching, no flirting, no talking about us in any capacity."

"I was not flirting with you," Heyder snorted. "Trust me, if I was you would be in my arms right now."

"Get over yourself," Maya laughed.

"You wanna make a bet?"

"No."

"I do," Heyder smiled. "I will follow all of your boundaries. No touching, no flirting, and no talking about us."

"That's not a bet."

"I didn't get to that part yet, sweet baby," Heyder laughed. "I bet you that I won't be doing any of that. You will be begging me to touch you, flirt with you, and establish an us."

"I think you already won you bet, Heyder," Maya turned away. "I did beg you to touch me and flirty with me and establish an us. It sucked and I gave up."

"This time it will be different," Heyder followed behind her.

"Why?" Maya asked, without bothering to turn.

"Because," Heyder leaned forward and pulled Maya into his arms. He pressed her to his chest and lowered his lips to her ear, "I'm in love with you. You have my whole heart and more."

Maya stilled. She felt her heart tumble in her chest, but not in a good way. She whirled around and shoved Heyder with all her might.

"That's just grand!" Maya yelled. "So fucking convenient, ain't it?"

"Maya, I know you are mad," Heyder held out both of his hands.

"You are unbelievable, Heyder!" Maya couldn't help the angry laugh that moved out of her. "You know my family had warned me about your kind. They told me jinns couldn't lie so they twisted their words. But my god! I didn't think you would be this good."

"It's not a lie," Heyder frowned. "I do love you."

"And I..." Maya took a deep breath. "I don't believe you."

"You know it's not a lie," Heyder said.

"Maybe it's not a lie," Maya shrugged. "But I know it's not the truth. You're just confused."

"Confused about what?" Heyder said in irritation.

"You don't love me, Heyder!" Maya raised her voice. "We don't love each other. You only think you love me because you don't have me anymore."

"Is that what you really think?" Heyder asked. "I'm not confusing my feelings."

"Yeah, well where were you feelings when I needed them?" Maya questioned. "Why didn't you tell me you loved me when I was begging you?"

"I -"

"Because you don't love me," Maya didn't let him finish. "If you did, then you wouldn't have waited until I walked out of your life to realize or to tell me."

"Yes, I messed up," Heyder took a step closer. "A lot. And I promise baby I will make it all better."

"Actions speak louder than words," Maya said quietly before she gave up on walking and opened a portal. Heyder watched as she stepped through and left him alone in the snow covered garden.

_______________________

Maya refused to see Heyder for the rest of his stay at the palace. For two days, Heyder tried over and over to open his mind-link to her, but she always shut him out. When he would go to see her, she would portal away to barricade herself behind fey magic. The only time he had any kind of interaction with her was when she was asleep.

Heyder watched her sleep every night from the foot of her bed. He waited until she was in deep sleep to slip into her room and make sure she was tucked in. Maya had a strange habit of getting her sheets tangled around her. Heyder untangled her every night to make sure she didn't accidentally choke herself in her sleep.

On the third night, as Heyder levitated Maya off the bed and untangled the white sheets, his eyes caught the slip of paper on her pillow. He reached out and picked up the torn piece of paper as Maya's sleeping figure floated mid-air.

Heyder. The note said. I know you come every night. Stop it.

Heyder found himself laughing as he flickered his finger and Maya's body gently lowered onto the neatly made bed. He tucked the note into his back pocket before looking around the room. An idea started to form in his head as he stood by Maya's bed and watched her eyelids flutter in her sleep. He was tempted to reach out and brush the stray hairs away from her face, but he held himself back. Before dawn broke on the horizon, Heyder had set up everything he needed to and slipped out of Maya's room.

Just like every morning, Maya woke to Heyder's scent lingering in her room. But unlike the other days, that morning his scent was mixed in with the overpowering perfume of roses. Maya slowly opened her eyes and spotted the single long stem red rose beside her pillow. She couldn't help the small smile that slipped out without her permission.

Maya reached out and took the rose. She brought it to her nose and inhaled it's sweet scent. The water droplets on it's velvet petals tickled Maya's lips as she sighed. With her eyes closed she turned onto her back. But as she laid, wrapped in the scent of roses, a thought occurred to her.

How on earth was one rose giving off such a powerful scent?

Maya's eyes opened slowly. With great curiosity, she sat up in bed and gasped.

Every inch of her room was covered in rose petals. The floors, the chairs, the dresser, even in the bathroom, the tub was filled to the brim with rose petals. Maya threw her covers back and jumped out of bed. Her feet landed on the field of petals and they began to dance upwards as if no amount of gravity could hold them down.

As Maya moved around the room, every petal her feet touched began to float up like balloons without strings. She tucked her messy hair behind her ears as she looked around at everything in utter amazement. The rose petals floating around her danced like snowflakes. With excitement, Maya ran into the center of her room. An explosion of petals bounced off the ground with each step she took. Maya began to laugh as she twirled and looked up.

Suddenly, as she stood in the middle of the rose petal snow globe, something caught her eyes. Maya stopped moving to look closely at the petals. A hind of gold shimmered off of them in the morning sunlight. It was too quick, almost as if they played hide and go seek with the witch. The gold glistened like fireflies, flickering on and off. Maya reached out and plucked a petal from the air.

With all my heart and more.

Maya read the gold letter on the petal over once more. She felt her heart leap up to her throat. Did he.....

Maya sank to the floor and grabbed a handful of petals. She flipped through each one as if reading the pages of a novel.

I love you.

You're the one.

Birdie.

Sweet baby.

Dinner?

Movie?

Paint night?

You have me, for as long as you want me.

Maya.

I love the way you yell at me.

You have a beautiful smile.

Stay with me forever, please.

I want you forever and ever.

Maya couldn't get enough. She didn't know how long she sat on her floor reading the rose petals. At some point she realized with each petal she read, it wasn't her inner voice, but it was Heyder whispering the words to her. She could hear him, in her mind, as if he was sitting right beside her speaking the sweet words.

"Your grace?" Layla's voice suddenly started Maya.

Maya looked up at the woman entering the room with a look of great concern on her face. With amusement, the princess observed the state of her room. Rose petals everywhere....

"Layla," Maya said as she plucked another petal from the air in front of her.

"Yes, your grace?"

"Don't worry about cleaning up," Maya smiled. "I'll take care of it."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes," Maya nodded. "I need these petals......every single one of them."

"I can help you,"

"No, it's alright," Maya shook her head. "You may leave."

Layla hesitated for a few seconds at the door. She gave the room one last look before walking back out and closing the door. Maya picked up another handful of the petals and threw it up in the air. She fell backwards and laughed by herself as she spread her arms and legs and made snow angels. After a while, she picked up a new petal and read the gold writing.

It's you and I.

Maya sighed as she heard Heyder's voice in her head. She bit down on her bottom lip and sat up slowly. With one last look at her room, she hid her smile and opened her mind-link.

Heyder! Maya hollered through the link. What the hell?

Good morning, Princess. Even through the link, the jinn's voice was covered in sleep and groggy.

Who's going to clean all this? Maya demanded.

You live in a palace, Heyder reminded her.

It's not their job to clean up your mess, Maya sassed. Get your ass over here in the next two seconds or I-

"Or what?" Heyder suddenly asked from behind Maya.

Maya jumped in surprise as she whirled around to find the jinn standing behind her shirtless. His hair was messy and his eyes still carried sleep. A playful smile formed on Heyder's lips as Maya's eyes moved over his naked chest.

"Take your time, birdie," he smiled.

Maya narrowed her eyes and folded her hand over her chest, "Clean this mess up."

"You didn't like it?" Heyder raised a brow.

"No."

Heyder licked his bottom lip before moving his eyes up and down May's figure and taking a step forward. Maya held her ground and didn't move until he was directly in front of her.

"You're a good liar," he leaned down and whispered. "But you're not that good."

"I'm not lying," Maya stepped around him. "This is such a headache. Who will clean this up? It's going to take the staff hours to c-"

Heyder snapped his fingers and everything vanished. Maya's eyes widened as she looked around in shock. She felt a small protest rise to her lips but she quickly pushed it down. A part of her hurt by the fact she didn't get to read all the petals. As Maya stood staring at her clean room, Heyder watched her.

"Where did it all go?" She asked.

"Don't worry," Heyder said. "I kept it safe."

"Where?"

"Why do you want to know?"

"There was writing on them."

"I can tell you what each and every petal said," Heyder took a step forward.

Maya's heart fluttered, "No, thank you."

"I know you want to know."

"I don't."

"You are so stubborn."

"And so are you," Maya stopped him before he could get any closer. "Thank you for helping with the clean up. Now, please go."

"You really want me to leave?" Heyder smiled.

"Yes."

"Liar."

"Heyder," Maya's voice was laced with warning.

Heyder didn't budge. His playful eyes watched Maya as she glared at him from where she stood. Her little shorts and button down shirt made her look oh so ready for cuddled. It would be so easy for Heyder to pull her onto the bed and hold her in his arm...... and he knew Maya wouldn't fight it either. The way her eyes moved over his tattoos weren't lying.

"Okay," Heyder said after a pause. "I'll leave."

Maya sighed even though she didn't completely like the idea. Heyder began to move towards the door as she followed behind him.

"Maya," Heyder paused and turned around.

"Yes," Maya said, suddenly a tad bit breathless.

"Will you still help me?"

"I said I would, didn't I?"

Heyder smirked, "Just making sure."

"I keep my words."

"Good to know, Birdie," Heyder opened the door and stepped out into the halls. Maya held the door open and watched him walk out.

"By the way," Heyder turned to look at her. He placed his hand on the door frame and leaned forward. "I left your rose behind."

"How kind of you," Maya rolled her eyes, making the jinn laugh. She was about to close the door when a small movement caught the corner of her eyes.

Both Heyder and Maya turned to find Fiza standing at the end of the hall, watching them with a deep scowl on her face.

What was your favorite part? :)