CHAPTER 2
Jayna didn’t know what she was doing, but she did will herself to follow Ethan and to her amazement it worked. He held her hand and pulled her along. The air started to feel lighter and cleaner as they gained altitude. They went through a dense fog of some sort and when they came out of it they were in a different place. Jayna was flying on her own now, not so much being pulled by Ethan. The scenery was quite beautiful. It was evening; she could see countless stars in the heavens. When she looked across the sky she saw Earth - it was breathtakingly beautiful. It looked just like its pictures in the National Geographic. Jayna felt all warm and fuzzy toward her planet.
“Earth is gorgeous from up here,” Ethan said. “Wait till you see the rest of this place.”
Jayna followed Ethan to a building that looked like a Roman palace, but it was new not old as she would expect an ancient building to be. There were beautiful marble columns and people in flowing Roman style dresses. They were luminous as if glowing from an internal light.
“This is the place I check in after a mission,” Ethan said. “I have to give the Council a report of what happened. They will be interested in your story.”
“That’s nice; but I really would like to go home,” Jayna said.
“You will, Jayna. You are safe now, don’t worry. I will show you the way home. Could you just come with me while I give my report to the Council? It won’t take long; this is standard procedure after a mission.”
Jayna shrugged and followed Ethan. Since she didn’t know how to get back home on her own, she might as well follow him. She didn’t really have a choice and Ethan didn’t seem dangerous to her. If anything he seemed honest.
Ethan had a luminous quality, too; but he also had an earthly manner about him - the others were more celestial. Earlier Ethan was covered in dirt, his clothes were ripped; he was now wearing clean jeans and a T-shirt. Here everything had a different feel about it. Even the air was much lighter. She felt happier and light hearted, and most of all safe. The place had a reassuring feel about it. The cool marble under her bare feet were soothing as she walked. She relaxed and took in the beauty of her surroundings.
And then she saw him with fresh eyes. Ethan was tall, well-muscled and had a chiseled face, high cheek bones and full lips, but his eyes were his most prominent feature; they sparkled with an inner light and were framed by a set of eyelashes any girl could kill for.
Why don’t I meet a guy like this in real life?
Duhhh, because he isn’t real, she reminded herself. He is a figment of my imagination, so I made him as hot as I could imagine. Uhh, I sure wish he was real.
She had lagged just a bit behind Ethan where she had a close-up view of his sexy back, his wide shoulders and ripped muscles. Her heart gave a little lurch. She wondered what it would be like to be wrapped in those arms.
Ethan turned around and winked at her. Jayna went beet red.
I am sure I didn’t say those things out loud, she thought. There is no way he heard my thoughts… but why did he wink at me?
Ethan began whistling a happy tune.
It’s my lucky day! He thought to himself puffing out his chest. The girl that made him go gaga minutes earlier was fantasizing about him. Wow, she was just as attracted to him as he was to her. His blood boiled with excitement. Jayna didn’t know much about the Astral world and was broadcasting her thoughts as if she was shouting them from rooftops. Ethan had heard everything loud and clear.
“Coming, Jayna,” he asked, a huge grin on his face.
Jayna picked up her pace.
What am I missing here? Why do I feel like he is laughing at me?
They went through an arched hallway and came to a meeting hall. The entire structure was made of marble. The design was similar to that of an amphitheater, with the stage at its center. There were high walls, but no ceiling; the structure was open on the top. She could see the heavens above; the stars were winking at her. People were seated on the marble seats that resembled steps; they had an inner glow and peaceful expressions on their faces. Some smiled while others simply looked kindly to Jayna.
Ethan took Jayna’s hand and pulled her to the center stage. He was all business now, no trace of a secret joke on his face. Everyone turned their attention to the duo and beamed approvingly. A hush fell over the place; Ethan address the Council.
“Greetings, Masters. I present to you Jayna. She is the champion of our latest battle with demons tonight.”
A murmur of approval went through the crowd.
Ethan continued, “Jayna has the markings of an Astral Warrior on her hands. She says she received them as a result of an accident when she was a child. These markings, scars she calls them, were powerful enough to extinguish a band of demons and allow us to escape safely. Tonight’s battle was especially fierce. The demons were destroying everything in sight. I was unable to stop them as my weapon was depleted of light. I was in mortal danger. Jayna appeared when I called for help.”
All the heads in the meeting hall nodded in unison.
“Jayna thinks this was a nightmare. She is having a hard time believing the true nature of her experiences tonight. She doesn’t know how she entered the Toxic Plane. She was trying to comfort her younger brother after a nightmare. Regardless of how she entered the battle ground, she was invaluable in tonight’s victory. I ask the Council to recognizes her contributions tonight.”
Mmmm, sizzling hot and gallant, Jayna thought. She was surprised that Ethan was giving her credit for something she did not even understand.
Ethan formally bowed to the Council.
All the members rose from their seats and bowed to Ethan, then to Jayna. Although no words were spoken, Jayna felt their energy hit her like an invisible wave. She didn’t know what to make of all this, but her curiosity was definitely aroused. She knew that she was safe and felt no worries about returning home.
She heard the Council’s collective voice in her head.
Welcome to the Astral world, Jayna. We thank you for your help in extinguishing the demons this night. We have been expecting you. You are one of the pure souls who were sent to Earth to help light up the planet and prepare it for its ascension to the next stage in its evolution. You are also a descendant of one of our own, Ascended Master Sir Arthur.
Jayna saw a figure garbed in old European style clothes elevate from the spot he was sitting; Ascended Master Sir Arthur, she guessed. He was suspended in mid-air. When Jayna made eye contact with him, he bowed to her. Jayna bowed back and hoped that she did it properly. People didn’t go around bowing to each other in her part of the world. She looked into Sir Arthur’s eyes and wondered how they were related. Sir Arthur smiled and projected a ray of love into Jayna’s heart.
Although Sir Arthur’s lips did not move, Jayna heard him clearly. I am your ancestor, Jayna, your great grandfather from eight centuries ago.
Jayna gasped in amazement.
Sir Arthur slowly came down and settled back in his spot.
Jayna was stunned. She could not process any more information. Everything was surreal.
Sir Arthur cut an imposing figure. Jayna was mesmerized and a little proud that this Ascended Master was a great-great-grandfather from centuries ago.
The Council collectively spoke once again.
Jayna, you have Sir Arthur’s blood running in your veins; his divine-light illuminating your way. Tonight, you were called to help Ethan in his hour of need. You have proven your worth. You brought great honor to your family. We are pleased with your contributions. We, the Council of Ascended Masters, invite you to join us in our fight against the dark forces. If you accept our invitation, you will be given proper training to enter the Toxic Plane at will and fight on behalf of the Council. You will become part of the Light Force, an Astral Warrior, and follow the code of Ahimsa. What say you, Jayna?
Once again, Jayna was astounded at what she was hearing. Just when she thought she had reached the limits of her imagination, the Council was offering her me
mbership in an Astral army. How fantastic! Her head was spinning.
The Council’s words resonated in her soul. She knew that she was being told the truth. She no longer thought the night’s experiences a dream. This was truly the Astral world and she was being asked to be a part of it.
Holy crap!
Jayna bowed to the Council, this time not so awkwardly. She wanted to ask a lot of questions, but she was having difficulty getting her voice to cooperate with her. Ethan looked at her encouragingly and nodded.
Jayna heard the Council’s collective voice. You may speak, Jayna. What is on your mind?
“I am honored to make your acquaintance,” she said. “Only a few minutes ago, I thought I was still in a dream, but now I see this is all real. Frankly, it’s a lot to take in one night. I would like to know what will happen to my life on Earth if I accept your offer to join the Light Force?”
Jayna’s eyes welled up with tears. “I love my family and friends, and especially my brother, Liam. Will I be able to see them ever again?”
She blinked and tears ran down her cheeks.
Ethan was watching this exchange quietly and was horrified at the site of Jayna’s tears. He knew all about love and loyalty to one’s family and understood her concern.
He was still holding Jayna’s hand and gave it a squeeze in support. Jayna turned her head to face him and was reassured by the encouraging expression on his face.
The Council spoke once again.
Most certainly, child; you will be with your family. Your life on the Earth plane will not change much. It is in the dark hours of the night that your services will be required. We are not asking you to give up your life. We are asking you to expend your goodness to the Astral plane to make Earth a better place. The evil that percolates from the dark ones condenses between the two dimensions and feeds the demons you saw tonight. That is the last place we can catch it before it causes physical damage on Earth. The best place to win against evil is on the planet itself. Unfortunately, there are just as many bad people as there are good ones; hence it is a constant battle. People on Earth must learn to love unconditionally and be forgiving. Their egos must be uplifted. Until these conditions are met and a critical mass is reached on the Earth plane, the planet cannot ascend. That is the reason we need people like you, to speed up the ascension process. This process takes several thousand years. The evolution has been in the making for more than a millennium. One day, you will understand this better.
Jayna nodded.
As a direct descendent of an Ascended Master, and a divine soul, you are an excellent candidate to wage war on evil and uphold the code of Ahimsa.
“What is the code of Ahimsa?”
Ahimsa is the way of non-violence.
“Do you mean the end of the world?” Jayna asked, needing afraid of the answer she would get. If the world was coming to an end, did she really want to know? Her heart was wrenching.
Do not fear, child, the world as you know it will not come to an end. The collective consciousness on the planet has come a long way since the dark ages, but the time has come for even greater advances. Its present dense energy will be lifted to a higher vibration so that the human race as a whole will develop more transcendent qualities. People will value all life forms on the planet. Animals and plants will be given the respect they deserve. People will be more loving and less selfish. The planet will not suffer at the hands of profit seekers. The structure of economies will change. Financial gain will not be the ultimate goal of mankind. People will strive to create a healthier, happier planet. Everyone and everything will be better off. Ahimsa will prevail.
Jayna was humbled by what she heard, “You want me to be a part of this movement?” she asked.
Once again, the Council members rose to their feet and bowed to Jayna in unison.
Jayna stood frozen for a moment before bowing back to the Council. “I accept your offer.”
A loud applause erupted in the Chamber and little pink bubbles rained down on Jayna.
“The Council is giving you its seal of approval, the members are showering you with their unconditional love,” Ethan explained.
Jayna felt the love emanating from the bubbles as they touched her skin and burst. The love that was being sent to her was palpable in the Astral world. She basked in its warmth and glory.
We are appointing Ethan as your trainer and companion. From this moment on, you will work together and watch out for each other. May you be victorious.
The Council was done speaking to Jayna, but they had further business with Ethan.
Ethan, come back and see us after you take Jayna home. We need to speak with you alone.
These words were heard only by Ethan, they were shielded from Jayna.
The Council shimmered and disappeared. The meeting hall was empty. Jayna and Ethan were left standing alone in the huge hall.
Ethan looked at her stunned face and tugged her hand.
“Let’s go,” he said and Jayna found herself in a garden. It was like a story book, palace garden; there were marble columns, statues, benches and fountains. Jayna admired the lush greens, colorful blooms and peacocks that walked around with their tail feathers fanned out; birds and butterflies were also flying not bothered by their presence. Everything she saw in this garden was a vibrant color she had never seen on Earth.
Ethan was still holding her hand and Jayna didn’t make an attempt to pull it away. It was exciting holding hands with him - as if they were meant to hold hands like this. Never the less, a blush heated her cheeks.
“When is my training starting?” Jayna asked.
“It already has. Notice how we came to the garden?”
Jayna hesitated for a second. She wasn’t used to feeling stupid. “Yeah, how did we get here?”
“We were transported by thought. That is how we travel most of the time in the Astral plane. We call it popping,” Ethan smiled. “That’s our slang for it. Things are different in Toxic places, you can’t just pop in and out of them. The energy is much denser there, that is the reason we had to fly to a higher level to be able to transport to the Astral plane.”
Jayna was baffled. Popping?
“Don’t worry about it, you’ll get to know all the different places and their vibrations,” Ethan hurried to explain.
“Here is a rule of thumb: The higher the vibration the better the place, the lower the vibration the more toxic it is.”
Ethan was still holding her hand as they walked around the garden.
“Ethan, is my family missing me at home?” Jayna asked worried.
“No, your physical body is still where you lied down to sleep. Want to see?”
“Sure.”
“Okay, think of your house and visualize us there.”
In the next instant they were floating above Jayna’s house. The house was exactly the same except the walls were transparent, she could see into the house. Her parents were sleeping in their bed, Mia was curled up on her doggie pillow in Liam’s room and she saw her physical body in Liam’s bed. Liam was peacefully asleep, his head cradled in the crook of Jayna’s arm. Jayna took a deep breath and was able to smell Liam’s hair. She looked at Ethan for an explanation.
“This is the way Earth plane is seen when you are in your Astral form. Everyone else is sleeping; you are in suspended animation meaning your consciousness is not down there in your physical body, it is here in your Astral form. Look at the area above Liam’s head. Do you see the swirls of shapes?”
Jayna nodded.
“He is having a dream. Look, he is playing with the dog.”
Jayna smiled, Liam always played with Mia, their family dog. From the looks of it, Liam played with Mia even in his sleep. Those two were inseparable.
“How do I get back into my physical body?”
“That’s easy, you visualize the sacred geometry for shifting between dimensions and you will be in your body instantly.”
“Sacred geometry?”
&nb
sp; “Yes, there are different geometries for different tasks. I will teach them to you as we go along. A lot of the things are done in your mind because they are directly connected to the Astral plane - manifesting is instantaneous. Astral stuff is easy; it’s the Toxic Plane that is challenging and dangerous.”
Jayna nodded; she couldn’t believe how much she had learned in one night. Come to think of it, she wondered how long it had been since she stumbled into the Toxic Plane.
“Not long, barely an hour,” answered Ethan.
Jayna froze in her tracks.
“Did you just read my mind,” she asked, suddenly feeling anxious. “I didn’t ask you that question; I only thought it in my head.”
Busted, Ethan thought.
He cleared his throat and hoped that he sounded casual, “Telepathic communication is something else that you will learn, Jayna. That’s how we mostly communicate in the Astral plane.”
Jayna remembered the things she thought about Ethan earlier and how he had winked at her with a big grin on his face. Oh shit, she thought, he heard me. He heard every thought I had about him.
Her face went beet red; she wished the ground would open up and swallow her.
Ethan was feeling horrible about her embarrassment. Jayna was still broadcasting her thoughts, compounding his guilt. He was very flattered that Jayna was attracted to him, especially since he was very attracted to her. Their feelings were mutual, but Jayna didn’t know that. He should clear the air and level with her.
“Jayna, I am flattered that you like me.”
Ethan swallowed and tried hard to come up with the right thing to say before Jayna burst into flames from the heat on her crimson cheeks.
“I think you are pretty hot yourself.” He paused for a second to gauge her reaction. “You are stunning, easily the most beautiful girl I’ve ever met.”
Ethan felt his own face going red. Now they could burst into flames together. He had never been so affected by a girl’s beauty, bravery or loyalty. Jayna was a one of a kind.
He tried again. “Since we are going to be working together, it would be best if we could be friends as well. Friendship would only strengthen our partnership.
Jayna thought she would die right then and there. Ethan had heard every thought she had entertained about him. Her hands went up and covered her face.
I just want to die, she thought.
Ethan felt even more horrible. Her innocence was so sweet, but her pain was stabbing his heart like a sharp knife. He slowly took her hands off her face and brought them down; he lifted her chin up and looked into her eyes.
“Please, Jayna,” he pleaded with her. “Look at me for a minute.”
Jayna slowly opened her eyes and looked into his. They both felt a current shoot through their Astral bodies.
“There was no time to tell you about the telepathic communication. I didn’t skip it on purpose. I wasn’t feeding my ego at your expense. You have to believe me and trust me, or we won’t make good partners. I would never do anything to hurt anyone’s feelings. It’s against our code. I am truly sorry that I caused you to be embarrassed. Please, forgive me.”
Jayna blinked and the tears she was holding ran down her cheeks. Ethan panicked, didn’t know what else to say to her to make her feel better. Tears scared him far more than demons.
Jayna felt guilty for making Ethan squirm with her tears. She had heard that tears were a woman’s strongest weapon, but she didn’t realize their strength until this moment.
Jayna decided to be a tad more sophisticated.
“Yes, friendship with you would be nice,” she said. “How about you teach me about telepathic communication and how I can make my thoughts private, so I don’t make a fool of myself in the future?”
“You didn’t make a fool of yourself. Never think that.”
He reached and ever so gently, wiped the tears away from her cheeks. Jayna’s heart did a summersault.
“There is a way to make your thoughts private: you just don’t think them in front of an audience. But in our case that would defeat the purpose. You and I need to be able to communicate instantly. Our survival depends on it.”
“I see; but why can’t I hear your thoughts the way you can hear mine?”
“I am not keeping my thoughts from you, you just haven’t tuned into them yet. Give yourself a chance and with a little practice you’ll hear me,” Ethan encouraged her.
“First, you are relying too much on your five senses. What you have to do is change gears and open up all your senses.”
“How do I do that?”
Jayna didn’t know any senses other than the ones she used on the Earth plane.
Ethan guided Jayna in a soft, hypnotic voice. “Relax and follow my instructions. Close your eyes and go inwards. Trust your instincts, follow the path my voice is taking you. Imagine yourself as if you are a rosebud. Your spine is the stem, your head is the bud. The life force is coursing through this divine structure. As you turn inwards and tune into the life force, all your senses are awakening. You might feel a tingling in your core, or a pulsating feeling. Focus on this sensation and tune into it. All you have to do is allow it to happen. Let the rosebud bloom.”
“I feel a tingle in my head,” Jayna whispered.
“That’s it, focus on it. The life force will be drawn to the tingle if you allow it. Don’t be afraid, fear will keep you from getting there. You are perfectly safe. No harm will come to you. All you have to do is let it do its work, let the tingle get stronger,” Ethan instructed.
Jayna focused on Ethan’s voice and then on the tingle she was feeling and willed herself to relax. When she was able to let her doubts float away she felt a huge wave of warmth envelope her. Then it happened. She felt something contract and then explode in her core. At that moment she lost Ethan’s voice and tuned into his thoughts.
I can hear your thoughts, she projected to him telepathically. Something happened inside me, I felt it.
I felt it too. See what a fast learner you are? You are a natural at this. Ethan praised his new partner.
I am still not sure about listening to people’s thoughts. Isn’t that rude, she asked.
Not if you are talking to them. You can decide to speak with your thoughts or your voice, you will get used it. I didn’t say you float around in the Astral plane eavesdropping on peoples’ thoughts. Nobody does that, but if you are having a conversation with someone, then it’s perfectly acceptable. Most Astral beings communicate that way. It’s the rest of us Earthlings who would rather use our voices, because that’s what we are used to. It’s a habit we carry from the Earth plane.
You said, ‘the rest of us’. How many kinds of beings are there in the Astral world?
There are the Astral beings who exist only on the Astral plane. They may have had incarnations on Earth, or not. There are also those of us who have incarnated on the Earth plane and are actually among the living, but we shift there at will. I have been shifting to the Astral plane from a very early age. There are others like us, and more people will be able to enter the Astral world at will as the vibration of the planet rises. Amongst the Astral beings some are regular residents, others are Ascended Masters who come down from a realm that is even a higher vibration than the Astral plane for the purpose of guiding the Astral beings. The Masters are very cool. They can do all sorts of things.
Jayna could see the excitement in Ethan’s face when he talked about the Ascended Masters.
So, where do we go from here? What am I expected to do, Jayna asked.
First things first, you need to learn to shift between dimensions at will. For that you need to learn the sacred geometry. That is your vehicle that will shift you between the two dimensions. I don’t recommend you do it during the day.
Why is that?
Because you need to carry on with your regular life during the day. As your vibration develops to a higher level, you will be able to do many things that may seem impossible to you now. For one thing, y
ou will be far more intuitive. You will be able to tune into peoples’ energies, see their auras and hear their thoughts while in your physical body. You see, there are Lightworkers all over the planet. At any given time they are generating positive energies for the planet’s good. They are from all walks of life. Lightworkers are actively contributing to the overall advancement of the planet. By joining the Light Force, you became a Lightworker too, but a very special one. You were given the ability to fight demons, and obliterate negative energy clusters. There are only a handful of us who are able to fight demons and extinguish them.
Jayna was absorbing all this information like a sponge. Somehow everything was making sense. It was as if she already knew all this stuff and with Ethan’s instructions the memories were coming back.
Why do I have the feeling that there is more to all this than the goodness the Lightworkers are generating? I feel like there is a huge cloud of darkness floating around too. It’s pretty hard to describe what I am feeling.
Ethan nodded. I knew you would be awesome at this stuff, Jayna. You really are gifted; you are tuning into the energies naturally. You are right; there are dark forces at work too. It’s a constant flux of good and evil, swirling around our world. The majority of people are oblivious to these energies, they only believe in what they see with their physical eyes; nevertheless, they are affected by them.
Some are good people who do good deeds and live honest lives. At the end of the day, these guys contribute to the overall goodness in the world. There are also some people who are sort of average, they have a bit of good and a bit of the nasty in them. Their actions are a mixture of both and cancel each other out. In the bigger picture, they are neutral. Then there are those who do nothing but create negativity by their anger, lust, greed and general selfishness. They don’t care about anyone else, only about their own personal gain. Some of them are plain evil. They actually go around instigating trouble. They are malicious and derive great pleasure from others’ suffering. When enough negative energy is generated on Earth, natural disasters happen, wars break out, and violence and destruction become rampant. As Astral Warriors our job is to go to the Toxic Plane and neutralize them before they manifest on the Earth plane. This is the most dangerous part of our job. When you wake up in the morning, pay attention to the news: You will hear that a great disaster of some sort was avoided in the nick of time. Thanks to you, a legion of demons was wiped out tonight. When you showed up and extinguished the demons, not only you saved my life but you helped avoid some disaster somewhere. I was badly outnumbered and my light dagger had run out of charge. I could not keep going. If you hadn’t shown up when you did, they would have killed me.
Jayna was horrified. What do you mean they would have killed you? Would you really have died? Jayna asked.
Yes, but you showed up and saved my life. So, thank you.
Jayna looked at him baffled. The seriousness of the battle was dawning on her.
How do you charge your light dagger?
I don’t, the Masters do that. They load it up with their light. The demons are condensed darkness, when I stab them with my light dagger, the light cancels out the dark and they cease to exist.
Jayna was absorbing Ethan’s crash course, committing everything to memory. Her trainer continued his teaching.
Ours is a good versus evil kind of war at the energy level. When the Lightworkers meditate, they generate positive energy, we all get stronger and the planet benefits as a whole. When negative energies are created on Earth, they invite demons to the Toxic Plane. If they are not extinguished they cause havoc on unsuspecting people who go and do crazy things. It starts a vicious circle, and causes mayhem, Ethan explained.
Jayna shivered and hugged herself. Well, we certainly don’t want that, do we? How are positive energies generated?
Whenever a person on the Earth plane thinks a kind thought, that act alone generates positive energy. If they do a good deed, that generates even more positive energy. When a lot of people are thinking good thoughts and doing good deeds then a lot of light is created.
Light?
Yes, light is what good stuff is made of. We want lots of light.
Right.
Unfortunately, there are as many bad people as there are good ones.
Our job is to neutralize, preferably get rid of the bad stuff, Jayna summarized Ethan’s teachings.
Yes, that’s about it in a nutshell, Ethan confirmed.
You had a lot to absorb tonight. I think you should shift to the Earth plane and rest for a while, but before you go I have to show you something. He pointed to the turquoise bracelet on Jayna’s wrist.
Where did this come from? Jayna asked surprised, she hadn’t noticed it until Ethan pointed to it.
It is a gift from the Council. The bracelet serves two purposes. Firstly, it will protect you against negative energies. Secondly, it is proof that this night was not some bizarre dream. The Council knows that you will doubt this experience once you wake up. The bracelet will assure you that it was not a dream. When you wake up you will find the bracelet on your wrist. It will not disappear. And you should not take it off. Wear it at all times.
Jayna nodded. Okay. So, when will I see you again? Jayna asked somewhat shyly working up a slight blush.
Ethan smiled that brought a tinkle to his eyes.
Tomorrow night. You will use the sacred geometry to shift into the Astral plane. I will be waiting for you right here.
Jayna nodded, Okay, it’s a date then.
She was instantly mortified at her slip of tongue. She switched to using her voice. “Look Ethan, I didn’t mean it that way. I meant it like an appointment. I will be here to meet with you so that we can do our thing.”
She was blushing again and wishing some black hole would open up and swallow her.
“Hey, it’s okay. I know exactly what you meant. I’ll see you tomorrow night.”
Jayna nodded.
“Just one more thing, Jayna”, Ethan said. “I am really happy you joined us.”
“Thanks.” Jayna smiled shyly and used the sacred geometry to slip into her physical body.
It was a rather smooth shift for her first attempt. She immediately sat up in Liam’s bed and looked at her left wrist. Yes, as Ethan had promised the turquoise bracelet was there. Jayna pulled the covers over Liam’s shoulders and tiptoed back to her own bed.