Page 24 of The Lands Defying
“He was put in an impossible situation…”
“Leo,” I sigh, and turn toward him. “I appreciate what you’re trying to do… to try and help me understand Darius’s actions.” He runs a hand down his face and I can tell this is bothering him.He doesn’t want his brother to hurt. “You don’t need to tell me. I know why he did it, I know the position he was put in. I was the enemy at the time, we barely knew each other and he had known you all for years.” I shake my head at him. “I would have done the same if I was in his position. I would have protected my pack.”
His shoulders slump in relief. “Good.” He mutters awkwardly. “Good.”
“You won’t have to go in that basement again.”
He nods. “Never again.”
“Look at us, agreeing.”
He laughs. “Are we friends now?”
“Oh, that’s a bit too much,” I say, forcing a look of horror on my face.
“He also thinks it too much.”
I tilt my head. “Is he baring his teeth yet?”
“Oh yeah. You should hear how he’s going to murder me in my head.”
“Is it bloody?”
“Very.”
“You better go then before you are decapitated.”
He sighs as he begins to walk over to him. “Being close to the Alpha of the Elites is such a pain.”
I grin and look over at the now four wolves all piling on each other, the sounds of their growls and playful yips filling the air.
It makes me mentally stroke Runa. She’s missed out on so much. We both have.
Do you not want that?I say to her, running my hand down her head.Do you not want to play?
She whines, and my heart breaks for her.
We will figure it out.
Moving further into the trees and away from the others, I guide my hands over the bark as I pass. Their branches tickleme, gently caressing my face as I walk into the covered embrace of the weeping willow.
I feel protected inside the arms of the branches, hidden from everyone.
I know it’s not true, but it’s nice to pretend.
I kneel in the dirt as Runa settles, and then I place my palms on the ground, breathing deeply as I wiggle my fingers until I pour some of my magic into the soil. Flowers of blue pop up from the ground around me, painting the ground in a pretty color and I smile at its beauty.
I can’t believe there are even lesia flowers here. It makes me wonder just how far Darius planted the seeds.
The ground trembles slightly beneath my hands and a quiet laugh spills from me as more flowers appear through the short blades of grass, this time an array of other colors.
Yellows, reds, some a deep shade of orange or purples.
I hear the sound of rustling leaves behind me, and this time I know Darius is there. He let me know he’s there. I ignore his weighted stare on my back and continue to make my own little haven of a garden around me, inside the willow tree’s branches.
Darius takes a seat beside me as I work, sitting in some of the flowers that I just sprouted, but he just shrugs as I scowl at him.
My poor flowers.
