Ch. 28
“Fondness”
My eyes move from the flower to her. “A rhodiola?” I glance back to Galilea who is putting things back into her bag. I know this flower. Oana showed me them in one of the potion books in the grand library. “Are you sure?”
“Your powers are yours, and yours alone to control.” She drops the flower in my hand before crossing her arms over her chest. Her signature move now. “I told your Mother I would bring you back safely, in one piece, body, mind, and powers included, and to protect the scouts and guards who I brought with me.” Her eyes harden. This is difficult for her… Nyx, why does she even bother with me. “I did just that.” She says, “No one controls you within the castle walls, or out of them it would seem.” She motions to the remnants of a burn that once laid on my skin. I crush the flower within my palms, sliding my hands together. Only Mother controls my within the walls… “Plus, your shadow friend.” Her eyes move past me to the top of the wagon. Did she see it, the shadow? Does she know? There is no way. But he has been ballsy with that stupid little shadow of his. My face schooled like she trained me to do. She smiles down at me. “He found you and led you out. Not me, not us.”
“We are not friends.” I say before shoving the chucks of flower into my mouth. I nearly choke on the sourness that stains every inch of my mouth, tongue, and throat. My eyes water as I hold down the nausea that is crawling up from my stomach.
“My advice…” She starts as we move past the wagon with a sideways glance and a small laugh. We continue toward where Sadar and Iamys are gathering the horses now. Passing wagons, horses, scouts and guards. “I would get some of that… tension out before you turn the world to ice.”
“What tension?” I say while stretching the muscles along my back, rolling my shoulders, and twisting my neck with a pop. My eyes narrow. Looking in the direction that everyone, every horse, every wagon is facing. Passed the tree line, the mountain moves leaving a large valley behind it. The tips of the castle guard posts can be seen past the orange and red trees that filling the area. I feel the hum of my powers start to course through my blood. Warming me from my fingertips to my toes. A buzz moves along my skin. I glance back, searching for my guardian, my beast. Better than any beast that lives within me. I see the white of his fur as he moves past wagons, past scouts, and guards behind us. Our eyes meet. Lavender colliding with his ginger orange. Horses move past our line of sight, hiding him every couple of moments.
“Oh, yes tension.” Devlyn says her eyes watching Halfy. “Lots of it.” Devlyn’s eyes move back to me. “It is hard to miss.”
I scoff. “I have no idea what you are talking about.”
Devlyn smiles. “I have no doubt you don’t…”
“I don’t know what you are implying but you can stop it.” Gag.
Devlyn’s expression changes. “I sent a ratatosker to the castle before we arrive.” She shifts her weight on her toes. Anxious. “We requested your…room be set up.” Her face was looking at Halfy, but her eyes cut to me quickly, concern drenching them, and then she turns her attention to Sadar, who has retrieved her black stallion and is walking towards us. “Just be careful. We don’t fully understand what is happening, but we will figure it out. I promise.” She squeezes my hand. Nyx, I don’t deserve her friendship. “Plus, I mean, a little eye ogling from a handsome mortal vampire seems to be a nice distraction for you. Minus the ice, but we’ll figure that out.” She flashes me a smile before turning back to Sadar with her stallion.
I feel my mind start racing. Did she just suggest we’ve been flirting… Him and me…with our eyes…
Oh, Nyx. No. Gross. Fucking disgusting. I despise him. His stupid shadow. His ridiculous warm touch against my freezing one. His dumb cerulean flaming eyes that shatter all the walls I have built around me leaving me…exposed. His silly hickory dark probably soft hair. His painful calming voice that won’t shut up in my brain. His dense smug attitude. Fucking shit.
I start to try and settle the thoughts that are filling my mind. With no prevail, I reach inside. Into the skull that never relaxes. It is not white like before, it is dark. I can barely see the walls that surround me. It is so loud. Too many things flowing just outside the stone wall. Screaming. Yelling. Growling. I walk around until I reach the door and grab the handle.
Ch. 28
“Fondness”
My eyes move from the flower to her. “A rhodiola?” I glance back to Galilea who is putting things back into her bag. I know this flower. Oana showed me them in one of the potion books in the grand library. “Are you sure?”
“Your powers are yours, and yours alone to control.” She drops the flower in my hand before crossing her arms over her chest. Her signature move now. “I told your Mother I would bring you back safely, in one piece, body, mind, and powers included, and to protect the scouts and guards who I brought with me.” Her eyes harden. This is difficult for her… Nyx, why does she even bother with me. “I did just that.” She says, “No one controls you within the castle walls, or out of them it would seem.” She motions to the remnants of a burn that once laid on my skin. I crush the flower within my palms, sliding my hands together. Only Mother controls my within the walls… “Plus, your shadow friend.” Her eyes move past me to the top of the wagon. Did she see it, the shadow? Does she know? There is no way. But he has been ballsy with that stupid little shadow of his. My face schooled like she trained me to do. She smiles down at me. “He found you and led you out. Not me, not us.”
“We are not friends.” I say before shoving the chucks of flower into my mouth. I nearly choke on the sourness that stains every inch of my mouth, tongue, and throat. My eyes water as I hold down the nausea that is crawling up from my stomach.
“My advice…” She starts as we move past the wagon with a sideways glance and a small laugh. We continue toward where Sadar and Iamys are gathering the horses now. Passing wagons, horses, scouts and guards. “I would get some of that… tension out before you turn the world to ice.”
“What tension?” I say while stretching the muscles along my back, rolling my shoulders, and twisting my neck with a pop. My eyes narrow. Looking in the direction that everyone, every horse, every wagon is facing. Passed the tree line, the mountain moves leaving a large valley behind it. The tips of the castle guard posts can be seen past the orange and red trees that filling the area. I feel the hum of my powers start to course through my blood. Warming me from my fingertips to my toes. A buzz moves along my skin. I glance back, searching for my guardian, my beast. Better than any beast that lives within me. I see the white of his fur as he moves past wagons, past scouts, and guards behind us. Our eyes meet. Lavender colliding with his ginger orange. Horses move past our line of sight, hiding him every couple of moments.
“Oh, yes tension.” Devlyn says her eyes watching Halfy. “Lots of it.” Devlyn’s eyes move back to me. “It is hard to miss.”
I scoff. “I have no idea what you are talking about.”
Devlyn smiles. “I have no doubt you don’t…”
“I don’t know what you are implying but you can stop it.” Gag.
Devlyn’s expression changes. “I sent a ratatosker to the castle before we arrive.” She shifts her weight on her toes. Anxious. “We requested your…room be set up.” Her face was looking at Halfy, but her eyes cut to me quickly, concern drenching them, and then she turns her attention to Sadar, who has retrieved her black stallion and is walking towards us. “Just be careful. We don’t fully understand what is happening, but we will figure it out. I promise.” She squeezes my hand. Nyx, I don’t deserve her friendship. “Plus, I mean, a little eye ogling from a handsome mortal vampire seems to be a nice distraction for you. Minus the ice, but we’ll figure that out.” She flashes me a smile before turning back to Sadar with her stallion.
I feel my mind start racing. Did she just suggest we’ve been flirting… Him and me…with our eyes…
Oh, Nyx. No. Gross. Fucking disgusting. I despise him. His stupid shadow. His ridiculous warm touch against my freezing one. His dumb cerulean flaming eyes that shatter all the walls I have built around me leaving me…exposed. His silly hickory dark probably soft hair. His painful calming voice that won’t shut up in my brain. His dense smug attitude. Fucking shit.
I start to try and settle the thoughts that are filling my mind. With no prevail, I reach inside. Into the skull that never relaxes. It is not white like before, it is dark. I can barely see the walls that surround me. It is so loud. Too many things flowing just outside the stone wall. Screaming. Yelling. Growling. I walk around until I reach the door and grab the handle.
