by Mary Akers
“That’s all I want too,” Asher uttered quietly from where he sat beside her, drawing her attention.
“And that’s why you’re here,” Elora asserted, nodding her head in understanding.
“When I set out to find you, my motives were not nearly so selfish,” Asher replied, staring down at the seed in his hand, gently rubbing his thumb across it’s intricate surface. “I wanted to save our way of life and preserve the Woodlands. But now that I’m here with you, I must admit that my cause feels more personal.”
“You want to find your soulmate and realize your purpose,” she stated. “And you can’t have those things without the Renascent.”
He lifted his eyes, fixing her with a heartfelt gaze.
“True,” he acknowledged. “I can’t have those things without you.”
“But what if I fail,” she whispered, biting her lip nervously as she gave voice to her greatest fear.
“You won’t,” he said earnestly. “This should give you confidence, Elora,” he said, holding up the seed. “You did this without even trying. The silver in this seed is proof that you are powerful. That you are destined,” he reasoned.
Elora shifted her eyes down to the seed he held grasped between his fingers. He was right. The seed had changed. She didn’t understand how, but something she had done was bringing the seed back to life.
He leaned toward her, capturing her attention and holding her gaze. Her breath caught at the intensity in his eyes.
“You won’t fail,” he repeated with quiet conviction.
Elora couldn’t look away. His belief in her was absolute. It was equal parts terrifying and exhilarating. She had no choice but to trust him. Hopefully he had enough faith for the both of them. At last she found the strength to look away, exhaling deeply the breath she hadn’t been aware of holding.
“Let’s put this back where it belongs,” Asher said, pushing his chair away from the table.
A moment later, Elora jumped as the necklace came to rest on her chest. The skin on the back of her neck tingled where his fingers gently brushed against her as he fastened the clasp. She lifted her hand to grasp the seed that was now cradled in the hollow of her throat.
The sound of her father clearing his throat caught everyone’s attention.
“I know you have more questions and you deserve answers to them all, but I fear we are running out of time, love,” he reminded them, with an apologetic grimace.
Elora nodded and moved to stand. From his place behind her, Asher pulled her chair back as she rose.
“How long do you think it will take you to retrieve the seeds?” he asked her parents.
Winnifred was standing, draping her Elysic cloak around her shoulders.
“Perhaps a little more than half an hour,” her mother replied.
“Why are you wearing that?” Elora asked, curious.
“I’d rather not have to stop and explain what I’m doing out there on my day off,” her mother explained. “And someone might protest if they catch me walking out of the storage shed with a bag full of seeds,” she said as she fastened the cloak at the base of her throat.
It hung nearly to the floor and moved like water as she walked, flowing and swirling around her ankles.
“You look like a Claren,” Jonas said, smiling fondly at her mother.
“I feel like one,” Winnifred replied, laughing.
Jonas stepped towards her and lifted her chin to kiss her sweetly before pulling up the hood of her cloak.
“Take care of my daughter,” Jonas said, looking pointedly at Asher who nodded in reply.
“We love you both,” her mother said, smiling at Asher and Elora before turning and walking through the door.
“Yes, we do,” her father said, making eye contact with each of them. “See you again soon” Jonas called walking out behind her.
Elora stood staring out the open door after her parents, watching her father jog to catch up to her mother’s brown figure as she walked down the road toward the gardens.
“No one can see her?” she asked, her tone doubtful.
Asher moved to stand beside her, his arm brushing against hers as he leaned forward to catch sight of them before they walked out of view.
“No one can see her,” he confirmed, chuckling at her bemusement. “Shall we?” he asked, motioning towards the open door.
“Let me grab a satchel first. My clothes and boots from this morning are at Alysa’s house. I’m going to need them,” Elora said, feeling slightly awkward and uncomfortable, and perhaps a bit excited to be alone with Asher.
She retreated to her bedroom, returning a moment later with a leather bag. She looped the strap across her body and the bag came to rest on her hip.
“What do you plan on telling him?” Asher asked.
“The truth,” Elora replied bluntly, fixing him with a glare that dared him to suggest otherwise. “Hopefully he’ll believe me.”
“Well then we should take this,” Asher said, lifting the remaining Elysic cloak from the table. “In case he needs proof.”
“Or in case you need to quickly disappear once Trig finds out you intend to steal me away,” Elora replied.
“Or that,” Asher muttered, holding out the cloak for her to take.
She avoided his eyes as she took the cloak from his hands and gently stuffed it into her bag.
“I hope you won’t hold all of this against me,” he said quietly, his voice gruff.
“I’m trying not to,” Elora answered, standing before him, staring at the ground.
“In another world we would have grown up knowing one another, climbing trees, causing trouble, playing beneath the branches of the Ever Tree as Claren children do,” he said softly, his accent intoxicating.
“That sounds nice,” Elora replied, her voice tinged with longing.
“We would have been friends,” he said confidently.
“I don’t know about that,” Elora protested. “I never caused trouble as a child. I don’t think I would have befriended a trouble-maker,” she teased, trying to hide the smile threatening to lift the corners of her mouth.
“You should befriend this one,” he bantered back, “because Elora Kerrick, you’re about to cause a whole bunch of trouble and you’re going to need my expertise.”
She couldn’t help the laugh that escaped.
“Alright then. It’s nice to meet you Asher Weatherby and I suppose we can be friends,” she said extending her hand to shake his as he chuckled. “Though it would have been a whole lot nicer if we had met beneath the Ever Tree,” she said smiling up at him.
The laughter faded from his smile as he held her gaze.
“Perhaps someday we will,” he replied quietly.
Elora could feel the heat of a blush climbing up her cheeks at his words. She quickly looked away, clearing her throat as she released his hand.
“Are you ready to go?” he asked her, bringing them back to task.
“Yep,” she answered quickly.
Asher walked over to the door, unlatching it and holding it open for her to pass.
Elora walked to the doorway but froze before crossing the threshold.
“Colin is out there,” Elora said, suddenly frightened at the thought of him following her, watching her.
“I’m right here,” Asher said encouragingly.
He placed his hand on her lower back to nudge her forward but immediately jerked back as he realized that he had come in contact with her bare skin. He had accidently touched the Mark of the Ever Tree. His eyes grew wide and he stammered an apology.
“It’s alright. It won’t burn you, I don’t think,” Elora teased, enjoying the blush that colored his cheeks.
“Maybe it did!” he replied, indignant.
“Did it?” Elora asked, her brows knitted in concern.
“No,” he answered, smiling bashfully as he motioned toward the door, encouraging her to move.
Elora rolled her eyes and nervously walked out of the house.
Chapter 13
They walked in silence for a few minutes, each watching vigilantly for any sign of Colin. Elora’s body was stiff with apprehension and her eyes darted back and forth furtively. She jumped at every sound, gasped at every unexpected movement. Sensing her fear, Asher took hold of her hand and tucked it into the crook of his elbow.
“I won’t let anything happen to you Elora,” he reassured her.
She looked up at him with frightened eyes, nodding unconvincingly.
“You don’t believe me?” he asked, affronted.
“I don’t really know you,” she asserted. “My only experience of your prowess is when you nearly tackled me this morning.”
“I caught you though,” he said, defensively.
“That’s true,” she conceded, nodding distractedly as she continued watching for Colin.
“Elora, I have been searching for you for two years. There is nowhere I haven’t gone and there isn’t much I haven’t seen by now,” he asserted.
Elora looked up at him, making eye contact as she considered his words. She hadn’t really thought about all he had done to find her or what he might have gone through in that time. In light of that, she appraised him with different eyes. He was still attractive of course, but more than that now, he was impressive. She did feel calmer, knowing how capable he must be to have survived. However, her newfound appreciation for him came with a healthy dose of guilt. What he must have sacrificed for her. She was indebted to him. How could she ever deserve what he had done?
“Thank you,” Elora said uncomfortably, fixing her eyes forward as they walked. “I know you must have given up a lot to find me.”
“Not as much as you might think,” he said, trying to put her at ease.
She nodded, casting her eyes down at the ground.
“Elora, without the Ever Tree, there wasn’t much left for me to give up,” he stated sadly.
“I’m not sure whether I should feel better or worse because of that,” Elora replied sighing.
“None of this is your fault,” Asher assured her. “I don’t blame you for the way things are.”
“I would understand if you did,” she said softly, cautiously peaking up at him.
“Well, I don’t,” he said firmly. “Honestly Elora, searching for you gave me something productive to do and I was grateful for it,” he admitted.
“Don’t you miss your home?” she asked, imagining how it would feel when she had to leave Windom in just a few hours.
“I miss my family, but no, I don’t miss Clarendon,” he replied, shaking his head. “I felt relieved the day I walked away from my home. Clarendon is a sad place without the Ever Tree,” he said, frowning. “So much of our culture and our purpose depended on it. Since the seeds stopped falling, there have been no trees to plant and the Claren are left to helplessly wait, knowing that it is only a matter of time before the Woodlands start to disappear. It was depressing to be there.”
“How long before that will begin to happen?” she asked, guilt tugging at her heart.
“It already has,” Asher answered. “The Claren have been cultivating the forests of the Woodlands for centuries, continuously planting new Elysian trees to replace the ones that are nearing the end of their lifespan. But it’s been three years now. The oldest trees are already beginning to die and there are no seedlings to fill their void. The forests are already beginning to thin.”
“That’s awful,” Elora whispered, weighted down by a new sense of urgency.
“It is,” Asher agreed, nodding. “But because the Woodlands are so vast, it may not be apparent for decades. Hopefully it won’t come to that,” he said, looking at her meaningfully.
She nodded, swallowing nervously.
They walked in silence for a few moments, both lost in thought as they kept watch for Colin. Asher suddenly let out a deep sigh, drawing Elora’s attention.
“I have to admit, selfish as it may seem, that the worst part of losing the Ever Tree isn’t what is happening to the Woodlands,” he said, self-consciously shoving his hand into his pocket. “It is far more personal for me and all of the younger Claren who were not yet paired when the Ever Tree died. We were left with no way to find our soulmates.”
“But can’t Claren just fall in love like the rest of the world?” Elora asked, confused.
“Yes. And that’s what’s started happening now that three years have passed without any pairings,” he said, nodding. “But the Claren are scared.”
“Falling in love is scary for everyone, you know,” Elora said quietly.
“I guess so,” Asher admitted. “But we have always relied on the seeds to guide us to our soulmates. It’s the only way to earn the Mark of the Ever Tree.”
“Does it matter though, how they find one another?” Elora asked. “The tree doesn’t make two people soulmates. They are soulmates because of who they are and the choices they’ve made. The Claren have a way to find their soulmates, Asher,” she said. “They just have to be brave and trust their own hearts to recognize them.”
“But what if they choose the wrong person?” he asked, looking down at her earnestly. “One day the seeds may start falling again. And when they do, what if all those Claren discover that they actually belong with someone else? Then the pairings they have made and the families they have started would be torn apart.”
“But why? Does the seed steal their free will? Would they really forsake the people they have chosen?” she asked, aghast.
“I actually don’t know the answer to that,” Asher admitted. “To earn the Mark of the Ever Tree, to be able to plant the Elysian Trees, you have to be paired to your soulmate.”
“But when you choose a person, they become your soulmate,” Elora argued. “And you choose to continue loving that person even if there are times when you think you chose wrong,” she said with conviction. “If you win someone’s heart, you deserve to keep it.”
“Even if that person is meant for someone else?” Asher asked.
“If that person has chosen you, she cannot be meant for anyone else,” Elora stated decisively.
“Elora, you haven’t seen what it’s like,” Asher said, shaking his head. “I grew up watching soulmates find one another beneath the Ever Tree. Destiny is real.”
“Maybe it is,” she conceded, looking up at him. “But I watched my friends fall in love. I stood beside them as they chose one another. Their love wasn’t ruled by some sense of destiny. It was a choice. And you cannot tell me that they aren’t soulmates.”
“Perhaps they are,” Asher said. “But they aren’t Claren, Elora. They can’t know their destiny. Not the way we can. Or could, rather, when the Ever Tree was alive.”
“But maybe it’s better that way,” Elora said softly.
“What do you mean?” Asher asked, surprised.
“I can see how there is safety and security in a love that is destined,” she said. “But there is strength and bravery and intention in a love that is chosen. Maybe in some ways, it’s better to be chosen.”
Asher looked down at her, his expression unreadable as he considered what she had said. They walked in uncomfortable silence for a few minutes as Asher surveyed their surroundings for anyone trying to follow them.
“Have you chosen someone, Elora?” he asked quietly.
She jerked her eyes up to his, surprised by the unexpected question. Her mouth fell open slightly as she took in his wary expression. He seemed more than just merely curious. She thought for a moment how to answer, unsure of what to say. Had she chosen someone? Did it even matter since she couldn’t have him?
“Kind of,” she began noncommittally. “Not really.” She hesitated before settl
ing on, “Not anymore,” with a shake of her head.
“Not anymore.” he repeated. “But there was someone once,” he stated flatly, looking for confirmation.
She nodded her head, staring off down the road as she considered her visions and her deep connection to the man in them.
“What happened?” Asher asked.
“It’s complicated,” she said, trying to avoid giving an explanation.
Her vague answer did nothing to quell his interest, rather intensifying his curiosity. He moved in front of her, forcing her to stop. She looked up at him in surprise.
“Your parents never mentioned anyone,” Asher asserted, his brows furrowed in concern.
“Well, they didn’t know about him,” she admitted.
“Was he at the ceremony this morning?” Asher asked.
“No,” she answered curtly, beginning to find his prying irritating.
Asher stood quietly watching her a moment before he asked a question so insightful that it made her gasp.
“Were you thinking of him when you grew the strawberries?” he asked carefully.
“Enough, Asher!” she cried. “Why do you even need to know? I’ve already agreed to go with you!”
She dodged around him and tried to start walking down the road towards Alysa’s house but Asher quickly grabbed hold of her elbow. She stopped, staring down at the ground as she tried to control her annoyance.
“Is he why you were crying?” Asher asked softly, his eyes quickly scanning the roadside around them before settling back on her face.
“Yes,” she finally admitted. “I was upset because I’m going to leave tonight and I’ll never even get to see him,” she confessed. “Asher, I really don’t want to talk about it with you.”
“I don’t understand,” he continued undeterred. “You’ve never seen him?” he asked.
Defeated, Elora sighed from deep down in her soul before lifting her eyes to his.
“I have visions of him,” she confessed quietly.
Asher froze, his eyes widening a bit.
“I know it sounds crazy and ridiculous,” she stammered, embarrassed.
“You’ve had visions?” Asher asked haltingly.
