Laurel

3:10 Laurel

I could feel Delia’s attraction for Auris the moment the two of them held hands and made contact with each other. Auris felt the same. Though he was also a giant bundle of anxiety in my head. He was trying to court Delia in his own way. It was adorable feeling their emotions inside my head, getting a sideline view as the two of them build their own little love story together.

Brydel and Sky were each on one of my arms, as they animatedly spoke to each other about upcoming battle plans looking at each other over my head. I was glad to have Delia around, she wasn’t a giant. The energy between Brydel and Sky had changed as well and I had a feeling a few more claims were going to happen today or very soon if not today. It made my heart glad that they all had their own love stories inside our relationship. That I wasn’t the only thing holding everyone together. That should something happen to me, none of them would be alone or lose each other. 

I couldn’t focus on that right now. I didn’t want them to worry, or think they would lose me. We all had to be strong for the fight ahead. I looked up at the giant dark skinned elf who had earned my claim first. Things were going to be hardest on him. I wished it didn’t have to be. I was a bad mate, hiding so much from them, and taking so much. Worse I still caught myself thinking of Damon. Just a fleeting moment where I wondered how he was. Delia wouldn’t tell me how he was after he left, I knew she called him, we only had one phone that worked and I recognised his number on the call history. He wasn’t mine, why was it still so hard for me to move on.

It was too easy to slip from their grasp, they moved to stand next to each other, closer so their arms were almost brushing as they walked down the hall side by side. I could see as Sky, wiggled his fingers, just barely a flutter as Brydel’s passed. The lightest of skin to skin  touches. I was close enough to both of them that I could feel the now unmistakable shiver of a fresh bond blooming to life, waiting to be sealed. It was beautiful to watch. 

Made even more exciting as I felt the tingle of magic being used, Auris and Delia were getting started on her lessons. She was strong in earth magic, and he had a few spells and techniques he thought would prove useful in the future. There was more than just magical energy simmering between them now. The chemistry of the two new emerging couples pulling at me from two directions was too much with everything else already going on in my head.

I excused myself hastily and ducked out to a far corner of the garden, surrounded by everblooming lilac bushes was a circle of stone benches overlooking a goldfish pond with white lilies floating along one side. Wild strawberries were hidden in narrow planters, the pond had a small fountain keeping the water moving and aerated for the fish, the combination of the tiny sweet berries and babbling water sounds reminded me of a park near where I had grown up. Just as I used to sit on the bank of a tiny stream until it was time for me to go home for dinner, I sat by the tiny artificial pond and closed my eyes. Letting the scent of the lilacs fill my senses. 

In real life, my secret hiding spot smelled like garbage, and after the rains like oil and gas. It was just down river from the mall in town, all the pavement runoff flowing directly into the stream. I only ate the berries once, when I told my mother, excitedly that I had found them, the tiny berries her own father had first shown me when he had still been alive. She, my mother swiftly told me they were in polluted ground and would make me sick. Forever tainting the memory of thinking what I still considered my grandfather had been looking down and helped me find his favorite treat. But still, I wanted to hold onto the slivers of happiness from my childhood. 

Using the scent of my favorite flowers, and the babbling water help distract me, and soothe my mind. I closed my eyes, falling into my own bubble dimension of sorts where I found Basalt reclining on the ground surrounded by pillows, reading a Nancy Drew book of all things.