“It’s been awhile since I wore it. It’ll be just like old times.”
“I hope you’re wrong. I remember all the trouble you used to get into.”
“It won’t be like that. This is important.”
“I know you’ll do it.” I touched her face for some well needed encouragement. “Just be safe.”
Adele smiled and kissed me. “I will be.” She turned her back on me and got up on her horse.
“Ride hard and don’t turn back until you’ve solved this problem.”
“Don’t worry, I won’t. This is it everyone. We leave now.”
Everyone else got up on their horses and started out of their stalls after her. Darius walked next to Ruby on her horse and they looked at each other as soon as they got outside.
“Look after them for us.” Ruby whispered.
“I will but be quick.”
Ruby nodded as they all started to ride out of the palace gates and made their way south for their long journey.
“What now?” Darius asked me.
“We hope it works.” It was the sad truth but that’s all we could do.
That very night, everyone was sitting down in the dining hall having dinner except for Naomi. There was a long period of silence and no one knew what to say, especially to Troy.
“Someone should probably go get Naomi.” I said. “She needs to eat.”
Everyone just sat there, looking around at each other and wondered who should be the one to do it.
“She won’t come down.” Troy said as he stood up and picked up her plate of food. “So, that’d be pointless.”
Everyone looked at each other again as he walked out of the dining hall with it.
“Do any of you know how serious this is?” Trever asked.
“We try not to think about it.” Cadence replied.
“Well, we really should. It’s reality. Let’s say they travel none stop the whole way, it will take them eleven days to do that. The average person can only survive seven days before they starve to death and if we were to manage to get some nourishment into them, even being just water, they will only survive fifteen days. It’s not long enough.”
“You’re optimistic.” Darius sneered.
Trever’s narrowing eyes met his. “I’m just giving the facts. Magic was stripped from this world and none of you seem to know what that means.”
“What does it mean?” Cadence asked nervously.
“It means that we’re powerless to this outcome, it means that the dead cannot cross over into our world and that means not even my father can prevent their deaths.”
Eyes shifted around the table to this cold truth.
“Then their lives are in Fate’s hands now.” I said.
Chapter 64
Troy
I took Naomi’s plate of food up to her room where she would surely be by Bryce’s side. I walked in and saw her sitting on the floor by the bed with her head down. “Naomi?”
She didn’t respond and it worried me. I put down the plate of food on the table and kneeled down to her but noticed she was just asleep. She couldn’t stay here. I started to pick her up in my arms to move her to a more comfortable position and she didn’t even wake up.
I lightly smiled to myself when she naturally had her head leaned up against my chest and I took her out of the room. I carried her down to mine and went right inside, bringing her over to the bed. I set her down on it but she stayed asleep the whole time. I was glad for it. She needed this rest even if she thought she didn’t want it. She needed it.
I stood over her for a second and covered her up with a blanket before I turned away and laid down on the couch inside the room. It was horrible to sleep on but I didn’t want to startle her if she woke.
I didn’t fall right asleep anyway. I stayed awake and tried telling myself that everything was going to be okay and Jaylyn and Bryce would come back to us but I didn’t even know if that were true. I shed tears for thinking about all the worse outcomes. I don’t even know how long I was laying there before sleep found me. My dreams weren’t even being kind and I woke in a cold sweat, only to realize I was still in my room.
My nightmares wouldn’t let me rest.
Chapter 65
Darius
I was standing in Zayden’s room the next morning when oddly, Cadence and Lana entered.
“Can I help you with something?” I asked.
“Daddy?” They paused there like Cadence was waiting for me to react.
“Yes?”
She was a bit nervous and looked at Lana. Lana only nodded to encourage her to go on.
“We can’t find Naomi.”
I turned towards them a bit more serious. “What do you mean, you can’t find her?”
“We’ve looked everywhere.” Lana explained. “She’s not with Bryce.”
I was curious and walked towards the door to look out it. I looked to both sides as Cadence and Lana stuck their heads out too and we heard a door open down the hall. We pulled most of ourselves back in and only stepped out enough to see around the corner.
It was Naomi. She was quietly sneaking out of Troy’s room and tried her hardest to close the door silently behind her. My eyes got wide and I pulled the girls all the way back inside.
“Did we really just see that?” Lana asked. “Or am I dreaming?”
“You weren’t dreaming.” I replied. “I saw it.”
“But you don’t really think—” Cadence paused as we looked at each other and then quickly looked back out the door.
Naomi was quietly walking away in the other direction, ready to round the corner.
“Is there something interesting out in the hall?”
We pulled back inside and Zayden was ready, walking out to us.
“We’re not sure.” Lana answered.
“Not sure? Well, what is it?” He leaned out the door but saw nothing. “Or what was it, I should say?”
“It was Naomi. She was just—” Cadence paused again and looked at me like it had worried her.
“She was just what?” Zayden asked.
“She just came out of Troy’s room.” I said.
Zayden smiled and he looked back out the door for a second. “Really and you think they—” He looked at all of our faces, the girls mostly and figured it out. “You do, don’t you?”
“Well, it’s only a thought.” Lana said. “I mean, she did seem pretty sneaky when she came out.”
Zayden laughed. “But that’s crazy. They wouldn’t really—”
“Is it really that crazy?” Cadence asked as she looked over at Zayden.
This had to have been about the crush she once had on him but I tried to stay away from talking about that. She was well passed that now―or at least I hoped so. I didn’t want to have to kill Zayden.
“Okay, maybe not that crazy but we shouldn’t jump to conclusions until we know for sure. Do what you can to find out but don’t make it obvious and don’t breathe a word of this to either of them.”
We nodded and all left Zayden’s room. We walked down the hall passed Troy’s door when he opened it. We just stood still when he saw us and didn’t know what to say. He didn’t either. He just went on his way like he were just going to Naomi’s room to be with Jaylyn and Bryce. It was weird. Troy wouldn’t have really—would he? He was Troy. None of us ever saw him as that kind of person until recently with these little hints towards it. Now it only made us want to find out for sure.
Chapter 66
Troy
I walked into Naomi’s room after seeing the others all oddly standing in the hall just before my door and she was sitting on the edge of the bed at Bryce’s side. I walked around to the other side of the bed next to Jaylyn so I could sit with her and stare down at her still face, making sure she was still breathing.
“Thank you for moving me last night.” Naomi said softly.
I smiled a little and looked up. “Not a problem. You needed your rest.”
“I hope I didn’t
put you out. That’s the last thing I would want.”
“You need it more than me.” I looked back down at Jaylyn and moved her hair away from her eyes just so it didn’t seem like I were constantly staring at Naomi. “I would never put myself over you.”
I watched her looked down at Bryce at least and her voice weakened. “What’s going to happen?”
I didn’t know how to answer but truthfully. “I don’t know. We can only hope for the best.”
Naomi let herself go while she laid over Bryce and cried. “I can’t lose him!”
I didn’t want it to be like this. I got up and walked around the bed to her. “I know.” I helped her up and she fell into my arms. “But you need to be strong. He would want you to.”
“How can I be when he’s like this? I just want him back.”
“We all do but you need to be thinking of this child and take care of yourself through this.”
“The last thing I can think about is me.”
“But you must and it’s important that you do.”
“I can’t have this child grow up without a father, Troy. I wouldn’t be able to handle it.”
“You’ll never be alone. If the worst should happen, know that I’ll always be there to take care of you. I won’t let you do this alone.” Naomi continued to cry with her face buried in my chest as I did what I could to comfort her. “Wait here.” I moved her away from me and she wiped her eyes. “I’ll bring you breakfast. You need to eat something.”
Naomi nodded as she sat back down on the bed next to Bryce. “Don’t let anyone come in here. No one else could understand what I’m going through but you.”
I nodded as I turned from her and left the room. I walked through the hall to the stairs and down to the dining hall. The four I passed in the hallway not long ago were sitting in there having their breakfast.
No one said a word though as I walked over and started getting food for Naomi in silence until Zayden cleared his throat. “So? How is she?”
Everyone looked at me and waited for my response. “Well, let’s see. She’s upstairs right now where all she can do is sit by and watch her husband and his mother fade away into nothing and think about how horrible it’s going to be to have their child grow up without a father. How would you be?”
“It’s not going to be like that.” Darius said.
“Don’t.” I cut in, feeling my temper raising. “You should already know by now that it’s too late for them because Trever is always right whether you like it or not. Sending the others south won’t change a thing.”
“But it’s worth trying for.” Cadence said.
“To get our powers back, maybe but it won’t help them. All we can hope for is them waking up on their own before they starve to death.”
I picked up the plate and walked out.
I was done trying to listen to these lost solutions because there wasn’t a single one that would work.
Naomi and I kept to ourselves up in her room with only the company of each other to tend to Jaylyn and Bryce. There’s been no change as darkness fell and I looked up to see Naomi drifting off to sleep in a nearby chair. I sighed to myself as I got up from Jaylyn’s side and leaned over her, kissing her forehead before walking around the bed to Naomi.
I lifted her up in my arms and took her out of the room, down the hall towards mine again. It was late and everyone else was in bed already. I was glad of it. I laid her down but this time she wasn’t that much asleep and woke up the moment I let her go.
“Troy, I don’t feel right taking your bed again.”
“No, please.” I said. “I insist. You need a proper night’s rest in your condition.”
“Thank you but you shouldn’t have to give up your proper night’s sleep because of me.”
“It’s nothing I don’t mind giving up.”
I was about to go over to the couch again but Naomi stopped me from moving by taking my arm. “No. You shouldn’t. You need it just as much as I do. Please.” I turned to her and paused. “I need you tonight, Troy.” Naomi moved her hand down my arm and took my hand. “I can’t be alone.”
I stood there for just a brief moment and looked at her innocent face. “It’s for the best if I didn’t.” I pulled my hand away but Naomi looked sad. “We wouldn’t want anything to happen that we’d regret.”
I was about to turn away again but Naomi got up on her knees and stopped me. “But you have rights to sleep in your own bed.”
“Not with my son’s wife, I don’t. Just get some sleep.”
I turned away fully but heard her start to cry. “Please. You said you’d take care of me and I need you to, Troy. I can’t do this myself.”
I turned back around while sighing to myself and walked back to her. “I’m not the one to turn to in your time of need for the reasons you need.”
“If not you than who? We both know what’s going to happen only neither of us has wanted to say it first.”
She started to cry more intensively and I took her in my arms to comfort her. “I don’t want you to think that way. There’s always hope. That’s what Jaylyn would say.”
Naomi continued to cry and I tried rubbing her head. She started to calm down just a little bit but moved her pouting lips up the side of my neck. I slowly started to loosen my grip around her as she moved out in front of me and brushed her lips up against mine before pressing them together. I reacted to it quickly and pulled her away. No words were exchanged. She just stood close in front of me and looked in my eyes. I was looking back and brought my hand up, touching the side of her face and wiping away the tears. She seemed to think that I was going to give in because she slowly started to smile but I had to explain otherwise.
“This isn’t the way.” Her smile faded. “We must live with some hope in their survival.”
“But—”
I put my finger over her mouth. “No. This is how this has to be but I will stay with you to give you the protection you need to sleep.”
“You will?”
“With restrictions.” I walked around the bed and began to take off my coat. “I love Jaylyn and I know you love Bryce. We can’t afford to forget it. They’re all we have.” Naomi sat back on the bed and nodded in understanding as I sat down on the other side and took off my boots. “She’s all I have. I want her back.”
I felt her crawl across the bed to me to give me some kind of comfort now. “I know you do.” She said while starting to rub my shoulders. “We all do.”
I did my best to hold back any emotions of doubt around her as I got up and took off my shirt. “I need to sleep. Tomorrow is another day that we need to stay strong for.”
Naomi nodded as she moved back to the other side of the bed and got under the blankets. I climbed in next to her but dropped my head back on the pillow with a sigh while looking up at the ceiling.
“What?” Naomi asked.
“I forgot to turn off the lantern again. Jaylyn usually does it.”
“Well, I’ll get it.”
“No.” I sat up all the way and she stopped. “I’ll do it. You just relax.”
Naomi laid back down and watched me get up the rest of the way. I walked over to the table and turned out the lantern before walking back to the bed in the dark. I got in next to her and laid my head down on the pillow.
The light from the moon was shining in just enough that we could see each other and Naomi rolled over and faced me. “You need to relax sometimes too, you know.”
“I don’t have time for that.”
“Well, you should make time. You know Jaylyn wouldn’t want you being this way just as much as Bryce wouldn’t want me to be.”
“I know. I just can’t help but think what will happen if I lose her.”
“Do you really believe the stuff that you tell me or do you just say those things to make me feel better?”
“A little of both. I know what I want. I want them both to get better but there’s always the possibility that they won’t.”
/> “But there’s still hope.” Naomi said as she moved closer and put her head on my bare shoulder. “That’s what you always tell me because that’s what Jaylyn would say so that’s what we should believe.”
I silently agreed as I turned my head to the right and kissed her forehead. “Just go to sleep. We should only take this a day at a time and hopefully see some good changes soon.”
Naomi nodded but kept her head on my shoulder and we fell asleep for the night.
Chapter 67
Lana
I got up early and went to look for Naomi in her room the following morning. I walked in and only saw Jaylyn and Bryce still laying on the bed like they were just asleep. I sighed when I realized Naomi wasn’t here again and walked closer to the bed. “Please get better. They really need you.” I put my head down before I turned around and left the room. I walked to the east wing and approached Troy’s door. “I hope I’m wrong.”
I turned the door knob and the door creaked open, allowing me to peek in towards the bed. The sun lit up the room and I saw Naomi and Troy laying together in his bed, holding each other. My eyes got wide and I closed the door then leaned up against the wall right next to it.
“I’ve got to tell someone.” I started walking through the hall and went to Darius’s room just one door down and went right in. “Darius?” There was no reply but he was still sleeping too. I walked over and stood next to the bed, leaning over him. “Darius?” He still didn’t wake up and I decided to tap his shoulder. “Darius?” He still didn’t wake up. Ruby once mentioned he was a heavy sleeper but I didn’t think it were this bad. I reached across him and lifted up Ruby’s pillow next. “Sorry about this but I have to get you up.” I drew back and got ready to hit him with it but he quickly grabbed my wrist before I could and flipped me over him, putting me on the bed next to him. My eyes were wide but I smiled sweetly. “Good morning.”
Despairing Tides (Fate's Intent Book 12) Page 30
