Ai of the Mountain (A Fairy Retelling #2) Read Online Free

down into the depths of the river. This is how we say goodbye.
    I sigh, and lay down on the bank of the river, enjoying the coolness of the water on my arm as I try to think of a solution to my predicament. In spite of my effort, though, I cannot think of a way out of meeting with Lord Nakaguchi tomorrow. I will have to keep my eyes and ears open, and take advantage of any situation that presents itself.
    The gentleness of the water, and the song of the forest lull me to sleep, and I escape from my uncertain reality into a welcoming dream.
     
    He is there. He is always there, in my dreams. I have dreamt of this man my entire life. Nearly every time I sleep, he is there, and I feel remiss if a night passes without a visit from him.
    His name is Kaito, and he has been a part of my dreams since I was a child. Although I have grown up and changed over my eighteen years, Kaito has always remained the same age. A young man, just advancing into adulthood, he is always dressed in old-fashioned clothes, as if he is not quite in the right century. I don’t care though. He is my friend.
    If I am honest though, he is more than that. As I’ve grown older, we have grown closer. In my dreams he gazes into my eyes, and calls me his beautiful girl. He holds me in his arms while we talk and gaze out over the river. Always the river. I’ve never dreamt of him anywhere else, but I don’t mind. I love him. Kaito, my dream warrior.
    And he is a warrior. I can tell by the sword he carries on his back. He has never told me directly, but I guess that he is a samurai. He is waiting for me now, as sleep overtakes me, and pulls me from the worries of reality. I happily slip into this dream, eager to escape my problems, and find comfort in the arms of my dearest friend.
    “Kaito, I’m so glad you’re here,” I say, embracing him in a tight embrace. He holds me tightly as well.
    “Where else would I be?” he teases. He holds my hand and pulls me down next to him on the bank of the river. We dip our feet in the water, and I lean back into his strong, encircling arms. “I wasn’t sure you would come,” Kaito says after a moment.
    “Why?”
    “I know I am just a dream, little Ai of the mountain,” he says, using the nickname he gave me when I was a child. “I know I can never be real for you.”
    “You are real enough for me,” I answer, suddenly feeling like I want to cry. Kaito has never before mentioned that we are only in a dream. For some reason, it upsets me greatly.
    “I may be real enough right now, little Ai, but some day you will want to be with someone who can hold you even while you’re awake. I cannot do that for you, I am afraid.”
    “Where has this all come from?” I ask. “You’ve never spoken like this before, Kaito. I don’t understand.”
    He is smiling at me, but is a sad, mirthless smile. “I always knew that I would fall in love with you,” he explains. “But, I never expected for you to fall in love with me. It was more than I could ever hope for. It’s selfish of me to love you, though. You need someone who can love you as you deserve. You need someone strong. Someone worthy. Someone real.”
    “Kaito, no. You are real. Real enough for me to be happy,” I counter. Tears find their way down my face. I do not try to stop them. This is my oldest, dearest friend. I have no reason to hide my feelings from him.
    “It’s okay,” he says as he kisses the tears off my cheeks and whispers, “to love someone else.”
    “But I don’t want to love anyone else,” I answer, putting my hands to the side of his face so I can look him directly in his eyes. “I only want to love you.” I mean those words. I need him to know that I mean them. I pull his face to mine, and bring my lips to his. I feel their soft heat for only a moment before I awake.
    For a moment, I think Kaito is still there, but when I look around I know he is gone. A wave of disappointment crashes into me. It’s the same feeling I have every