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"This is not one of those."
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I SAT IN the Amory tower, flipping through the pages of a random book. There wasn't much information other than that of the obvious gods and goddesses he seemed to be quite obessessed with.

I stood up with a low sigh, running a hand through my tangled locks. The truth is, I was quite exhausted from everything that was happening in my life right now.

I felt pushed against a wall. I was like in an unspoken dilemma. Still struggling with the burden of what I had seen, of what to tell and what to keep to myself.

My eyes strayed on a book, picking it up at random with the wish of drowning myself in anything that would stop me from over thinking.

My eyes trailed over the picture of the goddess Hera, standing there in all her beauty.

I frowned at her perfectly dark flowing hair reminded of my own tangly locks, flipping the pages over, until something caused my gaze to stop between the flashing pages.

My eyebrows arched at this, flipping backwards staring at the drawing before me.

It looked like a circle with an infinity sign in the middle.

But i had seen this somehwere- I-

My heart began a deep beat within me as i pulled down my wrist comparing the scarring with what looked more and more like a tattoo the more I compared it between the two.

My heart beat faster within me as I studied the mark, it just seemed ...

The same, though parts of mine seemed missing.

What did this mean? How could I have the same mark on my wrists as whatever this was. Was it even the same thing?

This had been a rash, just a mere rash on my skin and now I was comparing it to an ancient- my eyes traveled to the title, "aeternus.'

My eyes darted to the door at the sound of a loud bang in the room.

Talos soon came into view flying the length of the room once more. I let out a short breath at the sudden interruption before shutting the book closed.

I walked out of the amory tower to the elevator leaning against the wall for a moment but still feeling like I was losing air. And losing my mind.

Comparing rashes with ancient marks. I massaged my tempo. God, I was losing my mind. Why was it so hot in here?

I tried to take deep breaths in but I began to feel claustrophobic.

The moment the doors opened I bolted out, rushing up the stairs and taking a short gasp.

I was beginning to feel like I was having a pnic attack, but I wasn't one to know as I never had one before, and yet the hardness in my chest felt really close to one.

Knowing that the halls were empty I guided myself with slow breaths, leaning against the empty hallways of the crown.

It was best I headed back before Claire began to worry.

Any minute now, she would be knocking on my bedroom door, i reasoned checking my watch.

I shouldn't act suspiciously. I should pretend that everything was okay.

My hand traveled down to the trinket dangling on my neck, my fingers clasped harshly around it.

I missed my mother a lot. This was the very first time I truly ever felt far from her, but it was comforting having a piece that she treasured around my neck.

I could imagine this way that she was still with me, protecting me. I tucked it under my shirt, finally relaxing.

It was only then I decided to headback to the crown, still in my head.

The fresh air tackled my face as I trudged down the pathways, when I suddenly felt my wrist begin itch.

Like really itch. Even burn perhaps.

I looked down at the mark, my eyebrows arching at what seemed like a low burning glowing sensation above it, scaring the heck out of me, until I felt a presence near me.

I quickly turned in the direction, my heart beating at the sight of Harvest.

He seemed to have been coming out of the scepters, face rigid and straight, jaw tight, eyes darting from left to right as if he wassearching, before suddenly looking up only to catch my eyes this time, my heart drumming within me.

His rigid expression seemed to space out, a look of relief shadowing his his face for a brief second.

He lost no time to get to me, storming forward and I stepped back, causing him to stop, looking at the space between us moment.

His gaze stretched to me, warnings, "we are not doing this again," he gritted out, "you're in this with me," he stated, "so don't. move." hewarned. His tone was nothing less than a threat.

I wanted to do something, but I was still just as petrified of him as I had been last night, my heart ramming within its cage as he walked closer, but my feet already had danger mode set in them, and I stumbled backwards which seemed to ignite his frustration, widely closing the gap between us until he suddenly stopped, about 3 feet away to my surprise.

His breathing seemed to deepen, and for a moment I thought he was sniffing the air, before his eyes fell on me, confusion laced in them, eyebrows arching and mine did the same at his strange behavior.

His eyes narrowed on me, looking as if he was studying me for a moment, reaching for me, beckoning me forward.

"Come here, Talanda" he started breathlessly, a ray of sunlight hitting the rings on his fingers at a perfect angle.

I was breathing quite harshly at this moment, but I found the strength to shake my head.

This seemed to fuel a frustration him that died in a second, my mind no longer my own as I became numb, feeling my body take a step forward for me, the force leaving in instant when he let out a low hiss, stepping backwards in reply.

When I got back to my senses, I stared at the action.
What had just happened?

What was he playing at? he wanted me close and now he was stepping away?

Not that I cared.

He seemed to be breathing as hard as I was, as he stared at me, quite baffled for a second, confused might I add, before his eyes left mine looking at the space between us.

His icy gaze traveled around us as if there was an invible barrier between us.

I watched in curiosity as he reached an arm out toward me, and a spark of a blue flame sparked across his oustretched arm to my surprise causing me to move back in shock as he quickly retrieved his arm, hissing out in pain as he brought his badly burnt hand to the light.

I let out a stratled gasp, a hand over my mouth, watching in horror as it healed in a matter of seconds, the dark veins climbing the side of his face darkening like spider webs, matching the blackness in his eyes as he healed before dissapearing back to his known blues, veins gone.

His eyes suddenly flashed to me, but this time they were rampant over my body as if desperately searching for something before his eyes met mine, betrayal and a shade of utter vulnerability echoed in their deep orbs.

"Where is it?" he asked lowly, his tone breathy.

His eyes darted all over my body as if searching for something once more, before a his lips hardened in a firm line, as I watched on in more confusion.

He studied me for a moment, and then as if understanding I wasn't going to respond, his gaze darkened, then chuckled as darkly amused, tucking his hands in his coat.

"You think you can keep me away from you, Talanda?"

He seemed to faze out, eyes studying me terrifyingly accurate.

"You think I'll allow it?"

My heart beat harshly within me.

He took a step forward, and I could see that he was beginning to burn.

"Very few things can keep me from you." His hand reached out playing with the blue flame, "This is not one of those."

My fists tightened.

"I'll give you a bit more time to think. That is all I can offer." His gaze softened, eyes dropping to my lips, "After that, we need to talk."

The air sizzled between us, his gaze capturing mine once more.

Before I could respond, someone called my name and I turned, Claire coming into view.

She stopped abruptly, eyebrows arching just as David moved into view beside her, Lira raising an eyebrow at the view before her.

Harvest jaw clenched before he stormed off in the direction of the King's Gardens.

I scratched at my wrist, watching him leave, before I turned to the curious gazes of both David and Claire but a knowing look coming for Lira.

•~•
Okay, Harvest. Let her breathe for a bit.

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