Page 137 of Enchanted Throne


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Owen was nodding, eyebrows up. “They definitely grew. A foot or so judging by the rest of the trees in the area.”

I hadn’t known I could do that.

A tear slipped down my cheek. I tried to sniff the rest away. I tried to push them down like I did to keep my magic contained, but it wasn’t working. There were just too many tears there to will them away.

“Jorah?” Owen asked softly.

I shook my head and gestured at a tree. “How is it I can do that? Make three trees grow, but I couldn’t use my magic to heal Theodore?”

Owen let out a long sigh. “It was too late.”

I gasped, and sat down, tucking my knees in and putting my arms around them as I rocked myself back and forth.

Owen’s voice was soft as he added, “I don’t doubt had the wound not punctured any vital organs that you could have helped him, saved him even. But the damage was already done at that point.”

I looked up at the sunlight through the branches. “Why?”

“I don’t know why.” Owen shrugged. “But we tried to help him, Jorah. It isn’t as if you just stood around and watched him be murdered. You did try to prevent it from happening.”

I rested my head on my hands and tried to slow my breathing.

Soft fuzz rubbed against my arms. “Rafe, I—” As I brought my head up, it wasn’t grey fuzz I saw, but black.

“Shadow.” I let out a huff of breath, the snot and tears angrily taking over my sinus passages. “I’ll be okay, buddy. Maybe not today, but eventually.”

So there I sat. Rafe on one side, Shadow on the other. In no hurry to leave, they sat there with me until my breathing calmed and the tears slowed. Taking pity on me, Shadow even allowed me to pet him.

When I returned back up to Krew’s wing, I showered despite not being sweaty for once. I walked out of the room to find Owen propped up against the headboard.

“This again?” I whispered.

“You didn’t sleep much last night.” Owen grabbed something off the nightstand before scooting over and patting the bed. “But there is an addition this time around.”

I got under the covers next to him and moved my damp hair away from my face. “Okay.”

Owen’s response was to open my book I had been reading, turn it to the page I had marked when last reading it, and begin reading from the top of that page.

I snorted a laugh. “You are not. That is a romance, Owen.”

Owen glared at me. “And you don’t think I can handle a little romance?” He cleared his throat dramatically and then began reading. Whenever the female character spoke, he made his voice atrociously high to read her parts.

It had me laughing.

I wasn’t sure after the last day that I was still capable of laughing, yet somehow, I was. Theodore was gone, the sword was ours, and we were left to just carry on breathing and living life somehow.

After living through this many nightmares at the castle, I found sometimes it was just easier to sleep with the sun. As I listened to the rhythm of Owen’s voice, it wasn’t long before I fell into a deep sleep.

* * *

I woke with a start.It was early evening judging by the light outside, but my own anguish hadn’t been the one to wake me.

Krew?

Give me a moment please, love.

Can you at least tell me you’re okay?

I am not okay, but I am also not being harmed either. I will return home to you within the hour.