When I finally discovered my feelings for him, I was angry at him, and I knew I had to leave to renew myself.
“Oh, Sol.” Everly shakes her head. “You and Hector are so stubborn.”
What if we never have the opportunity to say the words?
Or worse…what if we never see each other again?
Stop it.
Don’t think like that.
You will see him again.
You will.
ChapterFourteen
The wind groaning through the trees wakes me the following morning. I stretch and groan after a night of sleeping on the hard ground. Everly curses next to me and sits up.
“It’s time for another wonderful day of travel,” she says as she grimaces and stands.
“I wish we had a horse.”
“I would settle for a donkey right now. Every single part of my body hurts.” She leans over, touching her toes. “I feel ancient.”
“You are ancient,” I say with a smile.
She rolls her eyes. “We’re the same age.”
“Then, we’re both old,” I say as we pack our belongings and continue our journey toward Lanvilla.
The rolling hills give way to flat plains and grassy knolls as we press forward until my back aches and my skin glistens with sweat. Still, I refuse to remove Hector’s cloak and lose that connection.
“Make way!”
A sharp voice cries out, and I jerk to the side as three men ride by on horses, dragging a line of prisoners behind them. Thick ropes tether the men and women together, and they all wear purple surcoats, the color Kyanites reserve for their slaves.
I swallow through the pain in my throat as they run to keep up with their captors, their legs moving as fast as they can.
Everly gasps and grabs my arm, dragging me to a halt. “Who are those people?”
“Slaves,” I choke out, my insides twisting at the cruelty.
Everly’s brows slash together as she scowls. “That’s…That’s….”
“I know.” I dig the heels of my boots into the soft ground.
I walk in silence long after the dust settles, thinking about those men and women. Begging Olah for things to be different for them. Needing them to be different.
Then, it hits me, something I should have realized before. Instead of waiting for Olah, I should act. I should help things be different.
But how?
How can I aid people like those prisoners?
As evening approaches, we reach a clearing near a river and set up camp there for the night. Everly is an expert at starting fires, and soon enough, we have a flickering flame on which to cook our dinner. We sit close to each other, enjoying the warmth of the fire as we eat the mushrooms and the mussels we gathered the night before.
When the stars twinkle overhead, I burrow into a blanket and allow the river’s hum to lull me to sleep.
