Page 27 of Gift from the Source
Codi doesn’t bother bending Donald’s office doorframe carefully, seeing as it’s already collapsing from when Lyker kicked it in. With a quick force of his element, half of the wall explodes outside, leaving a huge gap for us all to jog through.
I wish I had a camera to take a picture of Carrington’s face.
After he lowers his hand from covering his eyes, they widen, and he sucks in a surprised gasp. His gaze traces over everything with childlike wonder that makes my heart both happy and hurt for him. Even though this is also Dec’s and Xander’s first time being outside in Elementra only knows how long, they both have their undivided attention on him.
“The trees are much smaller here,” Carrington whispers through the smile splitting across his face.
Echoes of snorts sound around us, causing his cheeks to pinken, but he never loses that smile.
“They’re bigger in Elementra, dear boy, but I don’t believe you’ll find any as large as the Colosyrian tree. Our Everest trees are about as close as you’ll find,” Gaster says.
“You know about the trees in my realm?”
“I know much about your realm. I have many books back at the academy I’ll happily share with you when we return.”
Without warning, Carrington takes a ginormous stride over to Gaster, practically barreling the rest of us over. Gaster’s more prepared than I was for the hug, and my eyes nearly bug out of my head as I witness what it must have looked like when he picked me up.
Fucking petrifying.
It’s sweet that he’s affectionate, but it’s scary to feel that small.
“Enough, Car. We talked about this.” Xander sighs, shaking his head.
“Right. People don’t like being picked up and hugged, sorry.”
Gaster gently pats his hand as he places him on the ground, not the least bit shaken up like I was. He looks at Carrington affectionately and I already see the budding mentorship happening. Everyone picks on me about collecting family, but Gaster’s just as bad about claiming people.
“I like hugs,”Draken murmurs in our minds.
“We know, dragon,”Caspian groans.
Ry’s bark of ‘let’s move’ is drowned out by my snickering, but my feet move along with my men’s as we pick our pace back up toward the tree line. The closer we get to the forest, though, there’s persistent tugging in my chest that’s becoming hard to ignore.
My steps slow as the unsettledness becomes relentless and eventually, I stop walking altogether as I try to catch my breath. My brows wrinkle as I search inside myself for whatever it is that’s got my elements in such a tizzy suddenly but instinctively and from my dragon’s awareness, I don’t sense any danger.
Turning to look over my shoulder at the mansion just to make sure no one’s there, my answer comes swift and sure.
Years of trauma, heartache, and hurt stare back at me. Not in the form of a person, but of the haunted memories that flood my mind. Those walls hold so much hatred, secrets, and horrid acts, it’s leaking through the bricks.
It’s the land surrounding it calling to me, begging for its own freedom.
I turn my body to face the structure fully and my head turns toward the neighboring estate. The sounds of footsteps behind me halt while their concern and curiosity skate across my skin.
Tillman’s awareness of what’s happening is the first to cross my mind. He’s the one who taught me that the things we build with our Elementra-blessed gifts become sentient over time. The two estates are no different.
These houses were built by beings who had blessings, but with the intentions of them being homes for hostages.
“This was never your home, filia mea,”CC says softly.
“No, no, it wasn’t.”
This time, he’s not just talking about this realm.
It’s obvious now, everything down to the land and remote location was chosen because of the cruel plans in place. The twenty-minute drive it takes to leave the cover of trees to enter society makes more sense. There could never be witnesses to what was happening here.
The only visitors to ever come, I know without a shadow of doubt now, were either mortal men, hoping for the chance at stolen immortality or those whose choice was taken from them.
Those of us who were here without choice suffered unspeakable acts.
