by Valia Lind
"Aiden, how do you remember the library?" Just asking the question is usually forbidden, but the words roll off my tongue with no problems. My question does catch him off guard, because he stops to think about it for a moment.
"I'm not supposed to know about it, am I?"
"Not usually."
We stare at each other as I let that thought settle over me. Something changed. Something happened that gives him this knowledge and I have no idea where to even start to try and figure out what. Maybe the library itself can yield some information. But as soon as I think that, I push it aside. I have a different mystery to solve and it's much more important than this.
"Did you keep everyone away from here on purpose?"
He nods, and now the empty hallway and room make sense. Somehow he remembers and that's a conundrum I'll have to figure out at another time.
"Well, it was good to see you," I try for a very nonchalant tone, "I'm glad you're better. But I actually have work to do."
I move past him and towards the trap door, but he's not to be deterred apparently.
"You mean finding a way to find your father?"
Dropping the handle of the door, I spin around, not realizing just how close he is to me. I have to look up to meet his eyes, and my body shudders at the proximity.
"What do you know about my father?"
"Just what you do. And that you're leaving to go find him."
"How could you possibly know that?" I narrow my eyes, because unless he was listening outside my door yesterday, he should have no knowledge of this.
"I have my sources," he shrugs, looking boyish and adorable and I really need to tell my hormones to chill. But then, I'm hit with a realization.
"Who told you?" Aiden looses eye contact the moment I ask, so I know I'm right. And then I know who it is. Because it could only be one person. "Liam is going to get it."
Aiden glances down at me, and I think he's about to deny the accusation before he shrugs. "He's worried about you."
"Oh yay." I roll my eyes, turning back to the door. "You guys are such pals now. Well go tell your bestie that he's uninvited from my mission. Maybe you guys can hang out while I'm gone. Do each other's hair or throw a ball around."
I'm a little angry, that's evident. Without a backwards look, I descent into the tunnel below the school. If I'm hoping Aiden would just leave, I really should know better. He drops in behind me in the next moment, not even bothering with the steps.
"What are you doing?" I ask, exasperated, as I turn to face him. We're completely alone down here, cocooned by the walls on every side, and I try not to let that get to me. It's been weeks since I've been alone with him.
"I'm coming with you," Aiden replies, his eyes shining in the dark light.
"You weren't invited."
"I invited myself."
With each sentence, we move closer and closer to each other, until there's only a little space between us. All I have to do is breathe in deeply and our chest will bump. But for some reason, I suddenly loose all ability to do so.
"You should probably un-invite yourself." I manage, looking up into his gorgeous eyes. There's a bit of amusement there, and so much emotion it nearly blinds me. He doesn't allow himself to show anything, but here, he's not even bothering to hide.
"I'm not about to watch you put yourself in danger without backup."
"I can take care of myself."
"I never said you couldn't. But it never hurts to have someone in your corner."
"Are you in my corner, Aiden?" I barely whisper, because my lungs are screaming for me to breathe and my head is spinning from the way his essence surrounds me.
"Always, Maddie," he replies. And even though his voice is low, there's so much conviction in it, it slams right into me. I'm not sure what to say or do at that, but then Aiden makes the decision for me. His left arm reaches for my hair, gently tucking it behind my shoulder, before he runs his finger down the length of my arm. The barely there touch sends goosebumps over my skin, and then he takes my hand in his, tugging me forward. Our chests bump, as his other arm wraps around my waist, locking me in place. Raising my head, I find him already looking down at me. In this moment, everything else stops, and it's just us in this small world, the beating of our hearts syncing together. He lowers his head and I think if I don't taste him right now, I'll explode.
But before his mouth can touch mine, his head snaps up, glancing towards the opening. I'm instantly on alert, because his shifter senses are much more attuned to everything around us. His body goes rigid under my touch, as if preparing for an attack.
"Come on," he says, before tugging me behind him as he heads for the opening. We climb fast, and when I'm standing next to him I do a quick sweep of the greenhouse, finding nothing amiss.
"Aiden?"
He looks down at me and then the announcement bells sound, right before the headmaster begins speaking. Aiden must've heard the other bells when we were below ground. He still hasn't let go of my hand, and I don't move to extract it, turning my attention to the headmaster's voice.
"We are happy to announce that the sickness has been eliminated. The queen of the Spring Court has made an announcement as well, stating it to be gone from the lands. While we cannot predict the continuance of this healing, we hope for the best and for traveling back to our realm as soon as possible. Miss Hawthorne is still in the process of reversing her spell and the staff and faculty are all here to make sure you are taken care of to the best of our ability. Please, do not hesitate to reach out to the office. My door is always open."
The announcement ends, but I don't think I can move even if I tried. My whole body has gone cold, fear gripping my heart and head.
"Maddie, did he just--"
I glance up at Aiden, finding confusing and anger on his face matching my own perfectly. I nod.
"He just told the school that it's all my fault."
There's a pause, and then Aiden springs into action.
"We have to get you out of here."
13
“Maybe we're overreacting?” I ask, pacing in front of Aiden. “Maybe it'll be okay. Maybe—“ I pause, not sure what else to say.
"If you truly believe that, then let's go to the dining room. Rip the bandage right off."
I throw a quick glare at Aiden, but he's not wrong. If I do think it'll be okay, then shouldn't I just get this over with? When I first came back to school for this year, I hated all the stares from my fellow classmates. They watched me, expecting me to do great things, just because I'm a Hawthorne. But now they know I'm the one who put them in this predicament. I have no idea how they're going to react.
"It doesn't matter right now. I need to get to the library and see if I can learn anything that would help me."
No sooner have the words left my mouth, Aiden twists toward the entrance of the greenhouse, his body fully on alert. Without hesitation, I freeze, watching him for my next cue. Then, Ben rounds the corner.
"Ben!"
"You have to get out. People are so angry and they're looking for you," the shifter announces, glancing between Aiden and myself. Then, he notices the open door on the floor behind us. "What's that?"
So I guess the library is still forgettable to everyone but me and Aiden.
"Never mind that," Aiden says, moving to close the hatch and cover it from everyone else. I let him do that while I turn to Ben. He's already forgotten about the door, and is looking at me imploringly.
"I overheard some of the fox shifters talking to the northern witches. They're blaming you for everything, Maddie. They want to hold a council." My heart drops at his words. A council is a magical trial and it can last for a days. Depending on the species involved, there is often magical torture involved. Northern witch covens are especially acquainted with the Dark Ages and their ways. I don't have time to stand trial and I wouldn't be the same when it was done.
"Then, we have to go," Aiden says, coming up to stand beside me. Being an alpha, he knows of
the council and the ways of magical trials. I can see the concern on his face already.
"It's not like you did it on purpose though," Ben comments and I want to hug him and his little puppy tendencies.
"It doesn't matter. It could've been not even my fault and they still would crucify me. People don't react well in stressful situations. After being away from their families and quarantined, they now have a name to put to all their troubles."
"Why would the headmaster say anything?" Ben asks.
"That's what I'd like to know," Aiden replies, and the hardness in his voice could cut down a tree. He's gone from confused to angry, and I'm following that path.
"You better hurry," Ben says, turning his head toward the door. "People are coming."
"I'm not ready!" I exclaim, feeling overwhelmed. I have research to do. I need the information beneath our feet in order to save my dad. I move toward the door but Aiden blocks my path.
"We have to go."
"I can't."
"If you go down there, you won't be able to come out again. We both know this. They'll put a magical lockdown on the school, it might happen any moment, and then you won't be able to help your dad. Is that what you want?"
"Of course that's not what I want," I snap, my mind racing. "But how am I going to help him if I don't even know how to find him?"
Aiden moves towards me, placing his hands on my upper arms. "We will figure it out, Maddie," he says, looking deeply into my eyes. "Together."
As I stare at him, I see that he means every words. And then, I hear it. People coming down the hall. If I can hear them, they're already too close.
"Let's go," I nod, moving toward the outer door exit. “Ben—“
"I'll take care of it," he pulls me into a quick hug, before letting go. "Good luck."
Aiden is already waiting right outside the doors and when I reach him, he gives me a quick encouraging smile. I'm too shocked to return it. This is not how I planned for everything to happen. But that's life I guess.
"Duchess, may I?" His soft question snaps me out of my panic and I watch as he reaches for me without touching. I realize what he's asking me to do and I step into his arms immediately, winding my hands around his neck. He hoists me up and I wrap my legs around his middle, and then he's running.
The academy grows farther away with each step and just as we reach the woods, I see a bunch of students spill out of the greenhouse. Yet, Aiden doesn't stop. He raises through the woods, still in his human form, but much faster than I can ever run, holding me close. Burying my head into the crook of his neck, all I can do is hang on and hope that this will all turn out fine. Because right now, nothing feels sure, but Aiden's strong arms around me.
I'm not sure how long Aiden runs before we finally slow down. We're way past the protective spell I cast on the academy, past the hedge and the border of Queen Amaryllis' palace grounds. Aiden takes a few more steps with me in his arms, before he stops. I stay plastered to him, taking comfort in his strong arms, before I pull back and allow him to lower me to my feet.
"Thank you," I say, keeping my voice low in case there's anything out here with us.
"Anytime, duchess," Aiden replies, his grin lighting up this dreary forest. Because dreary it is. Taking a step back, I do a quick study of our surroundings, and see that there are trees everywhere. Nothing looks familiar, but it's not like I know these woods like I know the woods in Hawthorne. My mind is finally catching up with everything that's happened, defeat rising up to choke me. And with it, the panic.
"I can't believe this. Why would he tell the school? Why? All my plans are destroyed. We left with nothing. No clothes, no food. No idea as to where to go."
Aiden doesn't interrupt, just lets me vent, as I pace the small space around him.
"We're fugitives! We can't go back. They'll put in me in jail. We ran, so we're guilty. That's how that looks. We—“ and then I stop. Because it's not we, it's me. I'm the one everyone hates now. Spinning to face Aiden, I march right up to him.
"You have to go back. You're not part of this. You'll be fine if you go back."
"Maddie—”
"No, I'm serious. No one knows you've helped me. Besides Ben. But Ben is on my side anyway. And he would never go against his alpha. So if you go back—“
"Are you done?" Aiden steps right into my personal space, halting my panic ramblings. "I'm not going anywhere, duchess. You'll have to get used to having me around."
For a second, I don't say anything, just stare at him as if he's lost his mind. He's letting so much ride on this. The school can expel him for helping me. He's a future leader of his pack. He can't afford to have any bad blood between him and the Elders.
"Why, Aiden?" I whisper, because my traitorous heart wants to hear all the words he can never say. I can't let my imagination run away from reality. But the way he's looking at me, as if he's ready to go to war on my behalf, sends my heart beating a thousand times a second.
"Because..." there's a small pause, and I think the forest is holding its breath right along with me. "We're in this together. I told you I'm in your corner. Do you really expect me to walk away right now?"
"No. But Aiden..." it's my turn to pause. I don't know how to tell him what I'm thinking and feeling without actually telling him what I'm thinking and feeling. "You're putting a lot on the line. I can't ask you to do that."
"You don't have to," he reaches for my hand then, wrapping his fingers around mine. "When you care about someone, you make their needs a priority. There's no ifs, ands, or buts. People who are important to you are people you take care of. I can help and because I can help, I'm asking you to please let me stay."
The tear slips past my defenses, racing down my cheek before Aiden catches it with his finger. The gesture is so gentle, I have to swallow the flood that almost overwhelms me. He's placing my needs above his own and he's still letting me make the decision. The three words that I've been carrying around in my heart threaten to come out, but I won't let them. We're not making forever promises to each other. He's being a good friend. I can't let his good intentions be overshadowed by my overactive imagination.
"If I say yes, I'm being selfish," I reply instead and Aiden surprises me with a quick grin.
"I give you permission to be selfish. For once. I think it'll do both of us some good."
If I was truly selfish, I'd grab his face and kiss the smirk right off it. But instead, I squeeze the hand he's holding and smile.
"Then, stay. Please."
"I'll stay."
14
We do a quick sweep of our immediate area, making sure nothing was hiding in the shadows, before we find a spot to settle down and plan. With nothing to aide our journey, I'm not even sure where to begin.
"Do you know where we are?" I ask, as I take a seat against a tree. We found a few trees closer together, so it provides more of a wall. One of them can be scaled up, if we need to hide, so I'm feeling better. Not only are all of my lessons from dad returning, but I have a shifter by my side. This is more his element.
"We're straight north from the school. About six miles or so."
That's half the distance I had to travel to reach the Oracle. But that was in the other direction. She could possibly be of help, but I don't think I can handle making another bargain with her. I'm still waiting for her to collect on the first one.
"I don't really have a plan here, Aiden. This just seems surreal." I swipe my hands over my face, frustration running through my body. I know nothing about the land around us, how am I supposed to know where to go?
"Hey," Aiden scoots a little closer, peering down into my face. "You were going to the library for a reason. What was it?"
"What?"
"You snuck over to the greenhouse during the day. That's risky. Why?"
I stop fidgeting, my mind racing. It's still strange to me that Aiden remembers the library, but he's right. I was there for a reason. What was it?
"Oh!" I exclaim, remembering the id
ea I had. "It was actually because of something headmaster told me when I met with him. It was such a weirdly specific statement that it stuck with me. He said, 'Your ability to call on that which is important to you will never fail you', which I honestly don't understand completely. But. Every time I've been in the library and searched for answers, I called them to me. I thought maybe I could call on some help in order to find my dad. Now that idea is a dud."
"Well, maybe not entirely."
"What do you mean?"
"I mean, just because you're not in the library doesn't mean you can't call on answers."
"Okay, but in the library, I can pick up a glowing book and read the answer. What am I going to pick up here? A rock?"
"Your sarcasm isn't helping the situation," Aiden points out, cocking his head to the side.
"But it is part of my every day vocabulary, so tough luck."
Aiden shakes his head, but I can see the ghost of a smile on his lips. He's enjoying this as much as I am, and I'm not sure what that says about either of us.
"Sure, no books to pick up here. But who knows what's possible. It's magic, right?"
I can't really fault him for that logic. Except I don't really know where to start. Every time I use my magic, it's something new. Well, I would say besides the water magic, but even that has been surprising me lately. I'm changing, not just physically or mentally, but magically. That much I can see.
"I don't know what to do," I say honestly, hitching a breath when Aiden reaches over and places his hand on my knee.
"What does your magic tell you to do?"
"That's not how that works," I half laugh, as I try not to focus on how hot my skin is becoming under his touch.
"Then explain to me how it does."
He sits back and I seem to find my ability to breathe again. If I don't pull myself together, I'm going make a fool out of myself. The woods never felt so claustrophobic before. Shaking myself mentally, I try to figure out how to explain to him my magic.
