Page 21 of Gift from the Tree

“Thank you,” I tell him genuinely, holding Caspian’s darkened gaze the entire time.

“You’re most welcome. Maybe we should save the big talks for the morning. It’s been a day for all of us, especially Willow,” Gaster suggests, still playing my savior, it seems.

“That’s the plan,” I declare, pissed off and ready for everyone to get the fuck out. I don’t know why I’ve let his shitty tone sink so far under my skin, but I’m over company for the night now.

Plus, I’m not really sure what I should say, what I should be doing, or where I’m at. I’m currently just shoveling the most delicious food into my mouth without even appreciating it so I can stay out of trouble with my snarky remarks. And I’m fucking exhausted.

“We can put a pin in this for tonight and meet in the morning for breakfast,” Corentin agrees, clipped. I guess he doesn’t appreciate me calling the shots.

With a quick nod in my direction, he heads to the door, followed closely by Caspian, who doesn’t even bother sparing me a glance. I look at Tillman to see how he’ll react, and I find him already looking at me. We sit there for a second, just holding each other’s gaze before he slowly rises from his seat and heads out the door.

“You sure you want me to go, little wanderer? I’m great company.” Draken wiggles his eyebrows at me.

I can’t help but laugh. He somehow replaces every bit of rage with sunshine. He knows exactly what to say without making me feel uncomfortable, but yes, I want him to go too.

“I’ll see you in the morning.” I smile, and he gives me a little wave as he walks out.

Gaster takes my plate and cup that I’m finished with and places them back on the cart with the guys’. Refilling my water, he walks over and sits it on the side table, then perches on the side of the bed, releasing a deep sigh.

“I’m sorry for all that you’ve been through, Willow. Then I brought you here without explaining anything and you’ve been overwhelmed with guests the whole time. Again, I’m sorry.” He looks devastated that he didn’t realize sooner that I was overwhelmed, but he has no reason to feel that way. My way of dealing with being overwhelmed is a combination of shutting down, disassociating, or losing my shit.

“You have no reason to be sorry, Gaster. As sad as it sounds, you’ve been nicer and more generous to me in four hours than anyone has ever been to me in my life. And I’m very grateful for that,” I tell him genuinely. He really doesn’t realize how awful my life was.

“I’ll be here in the morning to greet you, and I’ll have another change of clothes. Are dresses okay or do you prefer other items?” he asks, standing up, getting ready to leave.

“Dresses, jeans, shirts. I’m not picky as long as I’m covered.”

“That I can do. Good night, child.”

“Good night, Gaster.”

And just like that, I’m alone. I lay my head on the pillow and close my eyes, singing my lullaby.

I’m fast asleep before I even finish it.

Seven

Caspian

She doesn’t belong here.

I don’t care what my brothers or Gaster may think. The girl isn’t supposed to be here. They can’t convince me she’s been living in the nonmagical realm for twenty-six years, having no idea she has magic, then out of nowhere, on her twenty-sixth birthday, it just appears.

It’s a setup.

First, another magical academy gets attacked, then this girl shows up. She just happens to release the biggest air blast that the oldest fucker I know has ever felt in his life, on the birthday of the exact age girls can begin attending this academy.

Fat fucking chance that’s a coincidence.

I follow closely behind my brother down the hall to our wing of the house, and I can tell her basically telling us all to fuck off has him pissed. If his stiff movements and long strides didn’t scream it, him balling his fist repeatedly would. I can’t believe he’s allowing her to stay here and not only in our house, but that room. The room these lovesick fools have been prepping and preparing for years. They’ve all lost their minds just because she called Tillman “mine.”

“Meeting in the lounge. Tell the other two,” Corentin orders, turning left down the hall and heading straight there.

I huff, rolling my eyes, not bothering to reply to him as I turn around to wait for the others to take their sweet-ass time. As Tillman turns the corner and sees me leaning against the wall waiting, he doesn’t bother to stop and ask. Instead of taking a right and heading to his room, he takes a left toward the lounge.

Fucking mind reader.

And finally, Draken. I’ve never met someone so happy all the time. You’d think because of how he grew up and for how crazy he can be sometimes, he wouldn’t always be so damn cheery. Unlike Tillman, Draken does stop in front of me, with his arms wide open, wanting a hug.

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