He crossed his arms but didn’t appear all that worried. “And I should take your word for it?”
About this, he could. About her own secret, he couldn’t. Her stomach was in knots as she answered, “Maybe.” The light tone of her voice didn’t fit her mood.
A sly grin spread across Eyden’s face. “Why are you taking notes anyway?”
“Why wouldn’t I? This is fascinating. The history we’ve documented doesn’t capture all ofthis.” She gestured at their surroundings before focusing on the unique flower again. “I didn’t even know anyone still lived in Rubien. Or about the Void.”
She looked up at him, her hand still lingering on the soft petals. “Do you think Rubien will ever return to its former glory?”
“It seems unlikely. I’m more concerned about Turosian right now, but I do hope eventually all kingdoms can be rebuilt into something better, something great.”
“So you don’t think their god left Rubien? Or do you not care?” Lora asked as she stood up, pocketing her phone.
“I think none of the gods intervene. I don’t think they ever left so much as they never stayed here to begin with. They exist somewhere beyond our plane.”
Lora nodded. She was holding in words, her confession swirling in her mind, still locked away. The lie flowing through her like waves of cold water.
The buzzing of her phone interrupted them. She fished out her device and opened the new message.
“Mum asked me to check in on you,” Oscar wrote. Then a few seconds later, “I’m doing okay btw. In case you wanted to know.”
Lora grimaced. When had she last asked how he was doing? She had purposely avoided it, she had to admit. The pressure of her parents’ sickness was already too much without putting her brother’s mental wellbeing on her shoulders.
“Everything okay?” Eyden asked, drawing closer.
“Yes,” she said quickly. Another lie. Hadn’t she decided it was time to end this twisted mess of lies she had created? Lora looked up from her screen. “No, actually. It’s not fine. It’s my brother. I…I found out a few days ago that my dad has caught the virus too. My brother has to take care of both of our parents now and I haven’t been checking in enough.”
A concerned look flashed over his face. “Your father is sick too? By Caelo, I’m sorry, Lora. I shouldn’t have asked you to come with us.”
“You didn’t. And I didn’t tell you because you’d feel bad. I…I’ve been trying to ignore it. It’s all too much.” Lora sighed, her lips quivering as she hung her head. “He must be so angry with me. He didn’t want me to leave in the first place. Now Oscar has to deal with this all on his own and I’m not even checking on him.”
“I don’t know your brother, but I do know the only reason you came to Liraen is your family. To take care of them. To make sure your brother isn’t losing his mother.” He lifted her chin, meeting her sad gaze. She didn’t know when he’d moved closer. “You’re a good sister. Oscar will come to understand that. Sometimes you need to leave, but it doesn’t mean it isn’t a sacrifice on your part too.”
“How did you feel when Elyssa left to re-join the camp?”
Eyden’s hand left her face. For a second, Lora thought she’d overstepped, but then he said, “Lost? I thought I’d failed her. El, she deserved more than I could give her. Hiding at my place, only really interacting with me… It was fine for a few years, but the older she got, the more I could see her restlessness. She needed to get out there, be proactive. I couldn’t give her what the camp offered her. I encouraged her to go find her own path. I never told her, but I was hurt for a while, until I realised her leaving wasn’t because of me, it wasdespiteme. And even though we didn’t live together anymore, I realised she would always come back to see me. She would never forget about me.”
“No, she wouldn’t.” Their bond was special. Lora was hoping someday she’d be able to get back to that place with her own sibling.
“And neither will your brother.”
Lora gave him a grateful smile before she sent off a text to Oscar, apologising for not being there and telling him she loved him and hadn’t, nor would she ever, forget about him. Teary-eyed, she locked her phone, but then seconds later it buzzed again.
“Your brother again?”
She quickly skimmed her notifications. Maja had messaged her. “No, I don’t think he saw my message yet.”
“Is there…did you leave someone else behind?”
The question threw her off a bit. Somehow Eyden’s interest lifted her spirit again. “What kind of someone are we talking about?”
Eyden shrugged. “A friend?”
“Are you asking if I have friends?”
“You know what I mean.”
“I can only be sure if you spell it out,” she said, a grin forming on her lips. Lora was enjoying this more than she should.
