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"Regret?" he echoed, soft earnest eyes searching mine, "Is that how you really feel?"
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I NEEDED A breather.
A time for me, just to be alone and think. I traveled up the hill, my eyes squinting in the direct sunlight from the just risen sun, spotting two figures under the tree, their staffs beside them.
One of the figures was standing at its full height whilst the other was kneeling down onto the earth.
I stopped a few feet away, watching as Lwangi finished digging what looked like a small hole under the base of my tree.
In his twin's hands, Rangi was carrying a black closed jar, his lips pursed as his brother got to his feet standing beside him.
"Would you like to join us?" Lwangi's voice came out clear, startling me for only a second as I noticed none of them had bothered to turn around.
I nodded as if they could see me, walking into their clearing.
Standing on the opposite side of the hole that Rangi was just from digging, I looked up at them.
Lwangi gave me a small smile, handing me the black jar, "ashes from the Whiting tree," he revealed, as I took the jar examining it, the rough texture a perfect grip in my hands.
I looked down at the jar in my hands, feeling a short sense of despair at its unfortunate demise.
"It is only right that we reunite it with the last of its kind," Lwangi continued, pausing as he glanced at his brother with a low sigh, before looking back up at the last wilting tree on Kingsland, "Let her rest for the last time."
My eyes studied their faces for a few seconds before my gaze dropped to the semi-heavy clay jar that they had given me.
Taking a short breath out, as I opened the lid, I uncovered the half-filled jar with ashes. I stared down at the ashes and realized they were white ashes, my eyebrows furrowing momentarily.
"Whilting trees are one of the purest forms of magical conductors," Lwangi continued seemingly having had noticed my confusion, "they may burn black, but die pure," he finished, gesturing to the whole, " please-"
I couldn't help but think of what a beauty the tree had once been, only now having been reduced to ashes, but even in death, they seemed to remind the world of what a wonder they had been.
I nodded at his gesture, kneeling down on the grass, pouring out the pure white ashes into the whole that Rangi had just dug up, whispers of it getting picked up in the light breeze-
"You too are free to join us," Lwangi added, and my head whipped around spotting Lucas Bowne standing a few feet away, looking the same as he had been last time, depleted and yet still walking- his tired eyes, reaching up to mine with a short smile, a half twinkle in his eyes.
My heartbeat slowly within me as he approached our company knowing that we had shared what could only have been described as a 'moment' right before Harvest took that away from me.
I blamed myself for the feeling that was creeping through me, of embarrassment, guilt, and shyness all at once.
After all, he had made it clear whom he wanted and it was none other than my pretty roommate who in all honesty I feared I did not light a candle against.
Also, I felt like I had taken advantage of him for some reason.
Yes, I know it sounded ridiculous but just like Harvest had sourly stated last night, Lucas was at his most vulnerable point with the Crimson Blood moon dawning at the end of the week.
He was open as always and that lead from one thing to another.
What he needed was a friend at this moment, or rather a BESTIE, and I wasn't trying to be anything more to him. No matter how admittedly attracted I was with him I had no desire to be anything more.
Besides, I was pretty sure he regretted the moment, after all, he was completely enamored with Daya.
For that reason, I kind of thanked Harvest for stopping whatever might have happened, though I didn't want to think that we could have done something.
That would have been so much more awkward.
I looked back at what I was doing. I grabbed the earth that was dug up, covered the hole, and felt his presence move behind me until I finished burying the hole.
I spread the earth around me, leaning back for a moment before a large hand came into view, offering me a hand up.
I looked up at the person offering it, Lucas staring down at me.
I looked at my dirty hands and then back at his clean ones and he chuckled shortly," trust me, I don't mind," he grinned.
Finding my shyness disappearing with each passing second, I took the hand up, standing beside him, his eyes never leaving my face which broke back that shyness.
He honestly wasn't helping with his heavy eye contact.
My gaze shifted to the ground, folding my arms, whilst inwardly racking my mind for what he could possibly be thinking.
I didn't want the moment we almost had to change anything between us.
Previously, I wanted to stay as far away from the Originals, but fate brought me to each one of them, and in a strange way, I was starting to value each connection.
"Is there anything you wish to say?" Rangi asked, his accent thick on each word, raising an eyebrow, eyes dashing between the two of us.
I glanced up at him, then Lucas for a moment. Lucas seemed startled by the question, suddenly clearing his throat his gaze shifting from me to the twins.
His tone a rambled mess instead of the confident Lucas Bowne I was used to who seemed to have a comeback for everything,
" I -uh-" he trailed off glancing down at the earth where the hole used to be, "I am uh- saddened- at the passing of the -uh-"
"Not to the tree," Rangi chuckled, amusement traveling in his brother's eyes as confusion occurred in mine, glancing between the both of the twins.
"To the girl," Lwangi finished, wedging his staff into the earth with a snicker, alongside his brother.
My heart was beating harder within me, pursing my lips, my cheeks feeling like they were being lit up.
I risked a glance at Lucas who seemed unaffected by the comment, actually holding up a smile, and a chuckle after this, turning to me, fully facing me.
"I did want to talk to you about something," he dragged slowly.
I found myself turning to face him too, my breathing coming out in short breaths, tucking a hand in my back jean pockets, rocking back on my heels, as I looked back up at him and he stared down at me, my lips pursed.
We held eye contact for a few seconds-
"Are they communicating telepathically?" Lwangi whispered lowly to his brother, both hands on his staff.
"I do not believe either one of them has that ability-' his brother replied lowly, seemingly invested.
Lucas turned to them, giving them a stare down to which they both seemed to acknowledge.
Rangi cleared his throat, "Brother, I believe we still have that thing to get done," he began, my cheeks heating up even more at the oldest excuse known in the book.
"Absolutely, and I believe that thing is leaving these two alone," he grunted eyes turning back to us with an amused chuckle, tapping his cane shifting with the wind followed shortly after by his brother, who went chuckling.
Lucas grunted at their behavior, shaking his head slowly at their actions but managing an amused snort and in turn, I couldn't help the short smile that filled my face momentarily at the twin's silliness.
However, that died out soon after, when I realized it was just the two of us, my eyes slowly trailing up to his.
'W-what did you want to talk about?' I signed, putting it out there, once and for all. My hands were shaky but it was better to rip the bandaid off in one go, I thought.
He paused for a moment, seemingly still studying me, and I could see the wheels turning in his mind making me feel much more exposed.
True, Lucas didn't have those blue prisons that could hold you in place and read your soul, but that Amaroq intelligence made me feel like he was analyzing each little thing that I did.
"Last night," he began slowly.. Carefully, causing my eyes to shift to his, my heart a soft beat within me,
"Before Harvest interrupted us," he continued, still at a snail's pace only building up the anticipation in me.
I had no idea what I expected him to say, but I wanted to be the first to assure him he didn't have to worry about it, that i honestly did not intend for anything to happen between us, though I didn't know where to begin, signing slowly for him-
'You don't have to explain anything-" I began slowly, my hands moving with me, pausing when I did, my gaze shifting off him for a moment.
'I regret it going that far-" I paused at that note, not having had ever done this before,
And by this, I meant, defend my feelings or my actions to someone I was attracted to.
It felt weird and strange and for that reason, I was unable to hold direct eye contact, my eyes snapping up to him only a second later when he took a step closer.
"Regret?" he echoed, soft earnest eyes searching mine, "Is that how you really feel?" he hummed, not sounding offended at all, his eyes boring into mine.
I hated how smart he was.
I watched as a lock of his long hair having had escaped from his man ban, blew across his face, and at that moment I felt like he had always known that I liked him a little bit more than a friend should- taking a step closer.
"Because I have to confess Talanda," he continued, gaze trailed down to me, a short breath escaping, "I meant every single word I said last night," he whispered towering over me, eyes still on me, "and if I had to regret something, it is that we didn't finish-"
I stared up at him.
Heavens he was incredibly close. A dejavu moment tearing between us.
"And.." he trailed off, eyes shifting in mind, "I don't mind picking it up, from where we left it," he breathed lowly, just a whisper away leaving me frozen in place.
Everything was going straight to my head. I was breathless, everything was happening way too quickly for me to properly react or was this my reaction?
A constricted chest, butterflies in my stomach, dramatically waiting as my eyes bored into his-
"Luca!"
MY HEART LITERALLY DROPPED at the sound of that name.
Only one person called him that, his eyes drifting to the side almost immediately, his warmth leaving in a second, whilst the cold hairs on my neck raised up.
I slowly turned and spotted Daya who had paused a few feet away from us, with folded arms, her beautiful blond locks blowing slightly in the light breeze.
Her eyes narrowed between the two of us-
I folded my arms, rubbing them at what I could only describe as the cold emitting from her.
"Daya," Lucas replied, seemingly breathlessly surprised by her presence.
She didn't respond to him for a while, her eyes still seemingly studying us together- and at that moment, I didn't know how to not act guilty.
Even though I assured myself I had technically done nothing. I still found it hard to keep her direct eye contact.
"What are you doing here with her?" she asked, her eyes narrowing down on me, folding her arms.
I stared at the ground momentarily at the spite that was echoing in her tone.
I knew how this looked like.
It was a Sunday, which meant that everyone was either lounging in their own rooms or roaming the King's Garden and the grounds. We were literally the only ones in the King's Court.
Lucas grunted at the question shaking his head.
"I haven't seen you in a week and that's your first question?" he asked, seemingly pissed by it.
"I've been busy Luca, if you haven't noticed," she fired back, her green eyes lighting up in what I assumed was anger, "and as you said, it is only been a week. Is this who you want to replace me with? The mute? Again?" she huffed, her eyes trailing to me.
I stood there frozen in place at the harsh term, feeling a bit sick and uneasy standing here, Lucas moved in front of me, his eyes hardening on her face, as I scratched my wrists, trying to swallow down the lump in my throat.
"Daya," he grunted out warningly, his jaw ticking, "apologize."
She raised an eyebrow at this, her eye trailing to mine, hostility in them.
Her gaze blocked, when Lucas's shoulders blocked her from me, protectively.
"Now," came his firm warning, whilst my heart thundered within me mercilessly, a slight shake in my fingers.
I stared at Lucas' broad back, this was getting messy.
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Definitely is...
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