Now what?
I pull back, looking up at him again, flashing another smile. Then I begin to stroll through the garden, and he follows along. With my powers back, I want to do anything but this, but I need to toughen up and deal with it for a little longer.
“Tell me what I’ve missed this last year. Anything exciting?”
He takes a deep breath, forms his thoughts for a beat too long, then responds. “Nothing much has changed, really.”
Why don’t I believe him?
“No? What’s my father been up to?” That vile, conniving, bastard.
“Same as usual. I think he misses you.”
He’s watching my side profile for a reaction. I won’t give him one.
“Oh.”
“I don’t know all the details of what happened between the two of you, but maybe you can move past it, eventually…”
I glance sideways at him. “You don’t?” I pause. “What do you know?”
He shrugs. “I know he didn’t approve of your new…” He stops himself, looking uncomfortable. He’s hiding his irritation poorly. “Friends,” he finishes.
Friendsis laughable. I think he means the male I fell in love with. The male who is ten times more honorable than he will ever be.
The male I almost gave up on.
Now that my power is back and I’m feeling better than I have in a long time, a realization washes over me. One that makes me completely disgusted with myself, more so than the elf who stands next to me.
But before I can dive deep into my own inner hatred, I need to focus on what Adrian’s telling me.
He doesn’t know?
Adrian doesn’t know about the curse, about the relics, about how we were hunting them down?
My father really is a conniving dictator, full of secrets and hidden agendas. He hasn’t even told his most trusted soldiers. There must be someone he has confided in, though… Perhaps Syrus Soraya, whose elvish pride is worse than anyone else’s I know. He’d be the perfect person to confide in.
And does my father really not know where the elvish relic is? Does that mean it’s not hiding in Ellyar? For the first time in a long time, I allow my mind to settle on thoughts of Rhydra and Raef. What have they been doing all this time? Maybe they’ve already found it. Or found a clue.
It's then that I realize I’m beginning to let myself feel that small sliver of something again—something that gives us purpose, that gives us a reason to keep going.
Hope.
Chapter 50
Something must be keeping Adrian occupied—I haven’t seen him in days. I feel grateful but impatient at the same time. I know I need to see him more, even though everything in me wants to run away and scream when he’s nearby.
In the meantime, I’ve been quietly practicing my water magic in the confines of my room. Kezra shows up to add commentary most days, and oftentimes, it’s anything but helpful.
This afternoon, I’ve taken to the library, and for the first time in a while, I’m not reading silly tales to occupy my miserable time, but instead, I’m looking for answers.
I’m coming back to my old self again. I feel my hope growing and growing, so much so that I nearly jumped into the ocean and swam away on more than one occasion the last couple days. It would be so much easier now that my magic has been returned to me, and with Adrian occupied, it would have been the best time to try that escape route. Unfortunately, I know he has his men still watching me from a distance. They creep and linger outside their barracks from the far side of the island, always watching the castle, the beach, and me…
Adrian has to be the one to willingly escort me off this island. It’s the best way. I’ll plan a better escape once I get off this small chunk of land which has become my own personal prison.
After a few quiet hours of reading, I find myself in the kitchen, hungry for dinner. We’re overdue for our food delivery, so I grab some cheese and berriesand eat with my hands.
“Oh…”
