Whispers From Below

Chapter 16

I did not leave my room, sitting at the window nook I was able to hear the explosions still going off keeping the golem at bay until they finally stopped and the city went quiet.

Tossing and turning all night with my mind racing around, my girl best friend was mad at me, and my guy best friend is leaving me. I felt alone all over again. Though now I could swear I saw and felt June and Rayna on the edge of my bed as I drifted to sleep.

Ryland was not home when I left for Poppy's in the morning and I knew exactly where he would be. Jace was leaving right now, I didn't see him, or say goodbye, the regret of doing so already sunk into my belly making me nauseous.

When getting to Poppy's nothing really mattered, I felt like nothing was wrong at all just focusing on this.

She had me do a few deliveries, meeting a few of the people was amazing, one woman even gave me a candy.

Later in Ione's class Em had run to me and hugged me, "I am so sorry, I am. I didn't mean to be mean to you like that Lily."

Taken back from her apology, she pulled away from me, "I saw him leave... I had no idea."

My bottom lip jutted out, and I could feel the tears welling up, taking a deep breath to suck it all in. I stayed silent for the class. After class Em had taken me and just me to her house like normal, and we both just ranted and let everything out.

Months went by and it was summer break already, my days were filled with Poppy, Em and somewhat being in the bakery. Ryland had hired a few more guys to help out. They were a little bit older than me and they would not really talk to me, or make eye contact much at all. Great, still gonna be boring in here, maybe people think I am a spawn of hell again.

I was still upset with Ry and Jace, but I had gotten over it for the most part. Most boys at 16 had to go and train, unless they were taking care of someone or ill it is just how it is.

The days were normal, I did feel like someone was watching me at all times though. Or maybe it was June, Henry and Rayna that I now always saw in the corner of my vision. When I would look to where they were they'd vanish.

The paranoid feeling of being watched was nearly crippling right now as I am walking in the woods trying to find a cinnamon tree for Poppy. Binx ran off in front of me, I followed. He was scratching at a tree's bark aggressively till it came off, his nose was pressed against the barkless parts even licking the tree itself, then he rolled and rubbed his back on it.

Looking closer and it was a cinnamon tree "you weirdo."

Taking a knife I scraped off the bark, then peeled rolls of the raw cinnamon off the tree, Binx actually whimpered at my feet.

"What has gotten into you?" He had just jumped up and snatched a roll of the cinnamon from my hand and crunched it down.

"Wow, I'm stupid. No wonder why you were always by the bakery in Kardama, there was cinnamon everywhere in that place. You love it don't you."

He finished eating the stick and began begging for another rubbing his face against my hands. I gave him one more then went back to carving. I peeled way more than Poppy needed.

Now I had a treat for him and can use them as treats to see if I could train Binx. He would still only sometimes do what I say but for the most part he did whatever he wanted.

And Cinnamon did in fact work, Binx would do anything for a stick of it. Training became a thing at night mostly, we had made up a type of code for things for him to do, like to shift, or hide, or move through shadows. Even if I didn't have cinnamon, he would still do it as if he truly enjoyed it.