Page 16 of Ashland Hollows

“Trust me, I know Carli,” I told Mallory and grinned. “I promise, she wants out just as badly as we do.”

Mallory hesitated. Her eyes sparked bright brown beneath the sun, reminding me of Timothy’s. My heart ached to be back in his arms, and I almost changed my mind. Leaving would prevent me from receiving any letters he sent. But, as long as I made it through training, I would be in the same place as him. I would get to see him a lot sooner than planned and, hopefully, get to save his ass and prevent myself from losing him. Seriously, being in love sucked. But constantly being reminded about it when the person you loved was so far away was even worse.

ChapterTwelve

“Absolutely not!” Carli exclaimed, slamming the pan down. “Not a chance.”

I smiled tightly at the other two cooks, who looked at us curiously from the other side of the room and waved dismissively at them to get their attention off us. The last thing I needed was for them to try and eavesdrop on our conversation.

“Here,” Carli shoved a hair net and gloves at me. “If you’re going to be back here, you need to at least pretend you care and are working, or you’re going to get the both of us thrown out of here.”

I pulled the hair net on and slapped the gloves over my hands merely out of respect for Carli. I didn’t really care about helping with the job. I was here on a different mission.

“We have to leave in at least three days to get there in time for the surge. Carli, please. You’re a great forester. I know there’s a place for you in the army.”

Carli snorted and slapped a few pieces of meat onto a pan, dashing it with spices. “Of course, there is. Foresters are needed to help feed the army.”

Carli shook her head and flipped the meat on the pan, sprinkling the other side with more spices. The big meals were made in the mesh hall and served as community dinners once a week. They were free to everybody and helped us save on our own food supplies. As long as people helped with it, of course. Just because the meal was complimentary didn’t mean it didn’t come without any work.

“Then why won’t you come with me? You can still do exactly what you want, and we can possibly get to be with Jasper and Timothy.” I pulled her present out of my pocket and held it out to her. “I forgot to give this to you the other day. It’s from Jasper.”

Carli eyed the present and looked up at me, pursing her lips. “Maybe I want to stay here.”

I glared at her. “You don’t, though. I know you, Carli. You want to get out of here as badly as I do.”

Carli picked up another slab of meat and dropped it on the pan in the last empty spot, dousing it in spices before kneading it. “I can’t leave, Azula. My grandma’s getting on in age and needs my help.”

“There are caretakers for that,” I pressed on, frustration seeping into my words. “What do you want to do with your life, Carli? Is this,” I waved vaguely around, but my point was made, “what you want to do with the rest of your life? You grow a few strawberry plants, tomato plants, and whatever for the community garden and then spend the rest of your days cooking away? Your talent is being wasted. For what? To sit around and wait for an old woman to die?”

Carli slapped her hands on the counter and turned to glower at me. “Excuse me, Azula, but not everybody is lucky to have absolutely nobody.” She snarled and grimaced when I clenched my teeth. “I’m sorry, that was uncalled for.”

I set her present down on the counter. “You’re wrong, by the way. I have you. Or at least, I thought I had you.” With that, I pushed off the counter and tore off both gloves and hair net, tossing them in the trash on my way out of the mess hall.

“Azula!” she called, but I ignored her, knowing better than to turn back.

If I did, I was going to explode, and it wasn’t going to be pretty. I had no time nor desire to let anyone get in my head. I needed to focus, so I wouldn’t back down for any reason. I felt like I had just been betrayed by the last person I expected to be. The one person I had thought would be by my side no matter what. Whatever, though. I was going to join the training with or without her.

Returning to my little cabin, the hollowness within burning my chest, I dug out all the money I’d earned from washing clothes for the past two days and dumped it into my bowl. I had less food to buy with it just being me these days and could save just a little more. At least it would be enough to cover the rental cost of the wagon. Though, I was worried about being able to get it back to the village. When I’d return, if I ever would, I would owe a huge tab on that thing.

Someone would get it back to the village. We only had three wagons. It would be vital to return. One of the people who worked in the city would be asked to retrieve one day on their way home from work. They weren’t exactly going to be thrilled, but even if they were cheapskates, I knew they at least were respectful of the place they lived.

Locking the door behind me, I flipped the closed sign in the window so no one would try to come to me for healing. Crossing the floor to my room, I bent down and tugged out the duffel bag from beneath. Tossing it onto my cot, I went to my dresser, pulled out my clothes, and threw them into the duffel bag. A few special items followed suit, and next, the toiletries I would need. I didn’t think I would need everything I owned. I wasn’t even sure I would need all my clothes at that, but there would be some traveling along the way, so I had to take what I could to be prepared.

I lingered at a photo that was pinned to the wall. The corners had various holes in them from being moved around the room and were wrinkled a little bit from being folded countless times. Otherwise, though, it was a perfect picture. Simply for what was on it. Four people, all smiling. The grown woman had stark white hair cascading down her back in waves. The little girl in her lap had the same matching hair, but it was uneven because her big brother had decided to try and cut it just a few days previously. The grown man had jet black hair, slicked back for the photo. Otherwise, it was unruly and just a complete mess. The boy was no different—All big smiles for the camera, but they weren’t fake. Even through the picture, one could feel the radiation of warmth and love seeping through them.

I sank to the floor, feeling the tears roll down my cheeks all over again. I couldn’t stop crying when I was alone, and it sucked. Wiping them off my face, I drew in a sharp breath of air and gripped the edge of my dresser, pulling myself up. I still clung to the photo; I had to. If I was allowed to bring only one thing with me to either training or even beyond, it would be this photo.

Lifting it, I pressed my lips to the photo and shut my eyes, lingering for a moment before withdrawing it. I turned and slipped the picture into the top pocket of the duffel, making sure it was zipped securely and I wasn’t about to lose it. I grabbed my blanket and folded it as tightly as possible, shoving it and the pillow into the duffel bag. Pulling it off the floor, I left my room and set it on the kitchen table.

In the cabinet drawer, I removed the blue pouch and grabbed the money from the bowl on the table, shoving it inside. I looked down at the black bag that was my mother’s full of empty vials. I hesitated, biting my bottom lip, and chewed for a moment. I really didn’t want to be a healer, but this was what had to happen.

I reached in and pulled out the bag, listening as the vials clinked together. I pulled it to my chest and hugged it as tightly as possible with the breakable glass. Gingerly, I placed the bag into my duffel bag and surrounded it with my clothes to keep it safe. I didn’t think that it would be an issue to take to training or even beyond. A witch healer needed her medicine, usually in vials or whatever else one used to store it. They couldn’t deny me the vials or viewthem as personal items against me, could they? I hoped not.

A rapping on the door grabbed my attention, and I snatched up the blue pouch, shoving it into a side pocket on the duffel bag and zipping it to keep it safe from any fingers trying to snatch my things. I lingered, my eyes drawing up to the little black velvet box on a shelf on the cabinet drawers. I hadn’t touched it since putting it there days ago. The knock resounded, pulling me out of my thoughts and towards the door.

I popped the chain in and pulled the door open, feeling it tug to a stop when the chain went as far as possible.

“Let me in, ZuZu,” Carli demanded. “You don’t want to make me bust this down.”

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