Page 64 of The Hidden Falling
He catches up to me, his gaze on the side of my face. “You are mine, I have a responsibility to protect you from any threat that isn’t me. Your pack is an extension of you, so they will also be protected as long as you are.” I turn my head towards him, stunned at his words. “I don’t do well with sharing, little wolf, so if something is going to take your attention away from me, I will get rid of it.”
With Darius’ words running through my mind, we don’t speak as we reach the most northeast edge of the forest, stopping at a waterfall coming out of the cliffside. It’s one of the larger ones, and if you go through the water, there is a cave behind it where Solvier sometimes rests. He isn’t here though, and there is no sign that he has been in a while.
My shoulders slump with that knowledge. He would be around if Eridian were in danger, right? This is his home, and he protects it, meaning he protects us. He’s been distant, going away for much longer than usual. His behavior is odd, and I don’t understand why he’s not here if someone has entered Eridian. Is it really just Sam’s imagination and my paranoia?
At least everyone at home is okay. I spoke to Josh a little while ago, and he said all is fine, but they are keeping an eye on the Elites. Kade is still with Sam at the main cabin, not wanting to leave her as she’s having nightmares. Every time he tried to get up, she would scream, only settling when she’s curled up next to him. I’m glad she feels safe around him and that Kade’s helping her, I know he won’t leave her until she’s okay.
I bend and pick up a few stones from the ground, throwing them into the pool of water at the bottom of the waterfall, watching the ripples. I feel Darius’ stare on me as I continue throwing while he stands with his arms folded, the moonlight shining down on us.
“You said the Rogures are causing havoc across the lands,” I start, rolling a stone in my hand. “If you are trying to get rid of them, why have the Highers sent you here for one woman? Surely getting rid of the Rogures is more important?” Rogures are lethal. I’m glad we haven’t had more encounters with them, but I do feel for everyone in the rest of Vrohkaria having to suffer their wrath.
They are scary motherfuckers, and if I could help I would. But what could I do? Sure, I could open Eridian to refugees, giving them a safe place to live. The cost of that, however, is losing my family. My pack would have to return to where they escaped from and be put on trial. The pups would be taken and the Highers? They would punish them all. Especially if they get their hands on me.
We are lucky to have Eridian to protect us, but there are more monsters in Vrohkaria than just Rogures.
“The Rogures are my main concern, but the Highers think this woman is more important right now.”
“You don’t think so?” I ask, curious of his answer.
He shakes his head, not even hesitating as he answers. “No.”
I chew on my lip for a moment in thought. “I know you plan on taking me to the Highers, but what if I stay here and you bring people to me that need help? A safe place to come and stay. We could do it slowly, make room away from the center of Eridian and place them in new cabins, as long as the Highers don’t know.”
He shakes his head. “You are going to the Highers either way, and your punishment will be given to me. People will come to Eridian whether you like it or not.”
I clench my jaw and stare at the water. “It will do more harm than good,” I tell him. “I guarantee that. Just go home, Darius. Forget we exist,” I sigh and he grunts. “No one is stopping you.”
“If I could just go back empty handed, I would.”
“I guess the Highers do have control over the Elites,” I mutter.
“They don’t without my say so. They just want me to do something I want to avoid at all costs. My goal right now is getting rid of the Rogures, nothing else, and I won’t let anything get in the way of that. Even if I have to take a detour doing this shit.” I huff, and his next question catches me off guard. “How do you know anything about the Highers and Elites anyway? You’re all the way out here, practically in your own world. So how do you know so much about Vrohkaria?”
“Well…” I trail off. When his hard stare is still on me, refusing to let it go, I continue. “You know Colten came from the lands. We sometimes have others come here. They tell us things about what’s happening in Vrohkaria.” I chew the inside of my lip and look away from him as his face calls bullshit on my words. “Don’t ask questions I can’t answer, Darius,” I half plead and half warn him.
“So now it’s not just Colten? It’s others too?” He scoffs. “I know something isn’t right here, Rhea. I will find out what. One thing I know for sure is that I can’t trust a word out of your damn mouth. You’re the cause of whatever is happening here with your pack. They’re petrified more than not.”
Everything is your fault, you stupid bitch. If you would have just done as you were told and stopped, I wouldn’t have had to kill anyone. But you had to tell what you heard, didn’t you? You had to go and open that fucking mouth of yours and cause all of this. Cause your mother’s death!
I blink, willing myself out of the memory. Why am I having so many flashbacks? My hand shakes as I throw the next stone, watching as it sinks to the bottom of the pool, never to be found and forever stuck there, laying in eternal darkness.
Darius has moved closer now, watching me intently. Noticing my hands trembling, I shove them into my short’s pockets, looking out over the water that feels like it’s entered my lungs, drowning me in memories. “Some things may be my fault,” I agree on a whisper. “But all I’ve ever tried to do is protect them as best that I can. I’m not the bad guy here, Darius. I never was. If I start believing that I am, then there is no hope for my pack. Or Kade.”Or me.
We lock eyes, mine a little sad, his a lot curious. I start to feel that pull toward him again, locking us in the embrace of our stare.
“Who are you?” His question is genuine, wanting to know all the parts of me. I can see it in his eyes and the way he looks at me sometimes. The confusion, the curiosity, the need to yank out my soul and take a look for himself.
My reply is gentle, solemn and accepting.
“Someone you probably don’t want me to be.”
A gentle touch to my cheek has me leaning into it. It’s soft, reassuring and confusing all at the same time. It’s familiar, yet new to me. I’ve felt these phantom touches over the years, a light pressure surrounding me at times, but it’s gotten so much more frequent since the Elites appeared. Sinceheappeared. I watch as Darius’ head turns to the side suddenly, his brows scrunched as his eyes move around the space, searching for something. A see a flash of pale against him before vanishing into thin air.
Wisps float from the trees and into the night sky above us, both of us watching as they dance with each other, twirling and swirling near the water flowing down the cliffside. A few float down to me, tickling my skin before going over to Darius. He watches them slowly move closer to him. When they are in arms reach, he brings a hand up, holding it steady as a smaller wisp moves toward him. It hovers above his palm before jiggling playfully, its glowing body of essence moving gently from side to side.
Then the lands stop.
Everything stops.
