Page 113 of Gift from the Tree

“Give me an hour. I’d like to take a bath and get some comfy clothes.” I take another step back until I feel Caspian at my back. “Caspian.”

Placing his hand back on my hip, he drags us back into the shadows and we’re moving through the walls before any of them can do anything.

It takes maybe two seconds to appear in my room and again the weightlessness lifts, and I sag backward into him. Righting me on my feet quickly, he steps away from me and shoves his hands in his pockets. His face is grim like he believes he deserves the shit attitudes his brothers are throwing him, and he does a little, but again, he can’t put all this blame on himself, nor will I allow them to do that to him without taking credit for themselves.

“I understand that you feel the need to take on this burden to save your brothers’ feelings or whatever it is you’re trying to protect of theirs, but I won’t allow this. I won’t allow you to become their punching bag because it’s easier for them to just put the majority of the blame on you. Nor will I allow you to do this out of some misguided way of making it up to them when they’re not who you should make it up to. I don’t know what your intentions are going forward, but I won’t allow you to self-sabotage for the sake of the easy route out.”

With that, I head to the bathroom not bothering to look back at him.

Twenty-Four

Willow

It’s ridiculous to acknowledge how much I’ve missed my bath.

I was only gone for four nights, but the night before we found out Tillman and Caspian had been taken, I was so riddled with anxiety I only took a quick shower and got into bed, so it’s been a hot minute since I lay in here, soaking my troubles away.

Seeing them all faring just as bad as me was a punch to the gut, even though Gaster had told me as much. The instinct in me is telling me to make it right. Calm Draken’s dragon, fix Corentin’s hair, soothe the wildness in Tillman’s eyes, and lead Caspian out of the dark, but I refuse to just give in to those instincts without us talking first, and I’m not ready for that tonight.

Stepping out of the bath, after thirty minutes of making a mental pros and cons list of this whole ordeal, I want to get dressed and prepare myself before they all pile into my room. It’s become second nature for my air element to dry my body and hair completely within seconds of me giving the command, which makes for getting ready so fucking easy.

Silver linings, one less thing to worry over.

My closet’s been cleaned up from when I hurriedly packed a bag and slung off my dirty E.F. uniform, leaving it on the floor. Oakly stared and gawked at my closet, telling me I was crazy for running away from this. At the time, I didn’t laugh. I told her to get me away from here. I had separated myself in my mind, dissociating from reality long enough to get out of the mansion. Thinking about it, her face was comical leering at the sheer size and fullness of this room. I’ll need to invite her over to rummage her heart out once everything isn’t so strained.

Fashioned in an oversized T and some biker shorts, I walk out of the closet and hesitate at the obscenely large bed, now understanding its ridiculous size is because it’s made for the possibility of five bodies sleeping in it.

Their original design was for the Primary they were hoping and waiting to find.

Then they customized it for me.

Grabbing my communicator and heading over to the bed in my reading nook instead, I send a message to Oakly, letting her know I’m settled and to message me later. I don’t want to take time away from her and her guys, so I leave out what’s happened so far. It’ll give us more to talk about later anyway. Then I send one to Gaster, letting him know I’m back in the mansion. He messages me back within seconds.

I’m so glad to hear. If you get bored hiding in your room, I’ve sent notes to your journal on your bonds. Let me know if you need anything. Gaster xoxo.

Hopping up immediately to get my journal, if they listen to my one-hour request, I still have twenty minutes to kill. So I push my magic into the journal and watch as the pages reveal, mentally thanking Gaster for the search spell on the front page because the pages go on for days and days. It’ll honestly take me years to read this whole thing and even longer to remember it all.

Ostende mihi the Primary bond.

I’ve tried to search Primary before, but it was always blank pages. Now it’s flooding with chapter upon chapter of information. Gaster’s personal notes on the subject, academic sources, and what looks like outside personal accounts and experiences he’s collected over the years.

A Nexus group is the assembly of four males, each blessed with a gift from Elementra, and each blessed with the ability to wield one of the four elements.

Not that this information is exactly new. I kind of pieced that together based on the fact none of the guys have the same element, but I didn’t realize every Nexus group was designed this way.

There is no determined time of when a Nexus group will meet and bond with all members, but the balance and functionality within the group won’t thrive until all members are together. Recognizing a bond awakening is immediate with the Nexus group members. It has been described as a feeling of familiarity and brotherhood not even felt within siblings. There is an absence of visions during Nexus member awakenings.

Well, that’s new. The guys never had visions of each other the way they had with me. And it explains the closeness of Corentin and Caspian. Not only are they already close as blood brothers, but this bond has pulled them even closer.

I continue to skim through the information on the male Nexus members since I’ve learned a great deal of this just by watching how they interact with each other. Like they seem to sense when another is around without seeing them, and they all gravitate toward one another when they’re in a room together.

The Primary is the sole Source of the Nexus. They’re the center being who can fully activate a Nexus as one and balance the power of earth, air, water, and fire.

A true Primary will feel the lure of the bond instantly upon meeting a member of her Nexus. Most don’t realize that they have begun the awakening process already, only associating visions with the awakening, but that isn’t the truth. It begins the moment a true Primary meets a member of her Nexus.

Once the awakening process begins, the Primary will feel unbalanced in their emotions and with control of their gift until the bond is completed.

Well, I don’t even know if I have a gift or what my gift could be since it hasn’t bothered to show itself even though I’ve tirelessly worked at it. As for the emotions, yeah, I got that fucking part. I’ve been mental since I stepped foot on this land.

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