Crystal Guardian

22

Aldric spent the rest of the evening searching the camp for Incursio but didn't feel very hopeful. He wished K was with him. She had the brains. She would know what to do. Aldric doubted Incursio would hang around. Maybe Raiden had made a mistake. They hadn't heard anything official. Maybe he had been lying all along. It wouldn't be the first time.

Aldric reluctantly headed back to the house in the early hours of morning. It was still dim outside but the garden had been cleared. No longer was it weed encrusted and dead. K, under the light of a golden lamp, potted violet and pink flowers and laid them gently under the gleaming window whilst Floyd trimmed the hedges. They looked up from their handy work when Aldric approached.

'He has returned,' said Floyd dramatically.

K dropped the last flower into the soil.

'Did you hear anything?' she spluttered. 'Did you make it to the camp?' She took in a deep breath.

'It's a bit early for gardening isn't it?' said Aldric.

'None of us could sleep anyway,' said K. 'Don't change the subject. What's going on? Is my dad okay?'

'December and Jaireth are safe,' Aldric mumbled, 'but that's all I know. I'm going to go tell Evie. Where is she?'

K looked up towards the roof where Aldric noticed two figures moving inside the room behind the balcony doors. He ran up the stairs, hearing Evie's soft voice as he neared closer to door of the study.

'She'll be okay,' said Evie comfortingly. 'Feliciana's tougher than she looks. You'll see. She'll pull through.'

'Jagophite poison still runs through her veins,' said Raiden, a shudder in his voice. 'It's the same that happened to me when I was her age. I survived. But she won't.'

Evie gave him a confused look but he turned away, unwilling to elaborate.

'How do you know she won't?' Evie asked him. 'You can't see into the future.'

'I was extremely lucky,' he continued.

'She'll be okay,' repeated Evie, more firmly this time.

'You promise?' said Raiden.

Aldric peered through the crack to see him turning towards her. Raiden looked straight into her deep brown eyes.

'Can you promise me that?' He asked her.

She sighed softly. Raiden looked at her a little longer but turned away, frustrated that she could not answer. He made his way to the balcony and leant over the railing. Evie joined him and placed a hesitant arm over his shoulders.

Aldric entered the room and edged closer to the pair. Raiden drew Evie towards him and kissed her on the forehead.

'Things will get better though,' he said but he sounded as if he was just trying to convince himself. 'I know that for sure. In one hundred years from now, people will look back on these events and it will be like remembering a dream.'

'I have vivid dreams,' Evie replied, shivering. 'Besides, I won't be here in a hundred years time.'

'Don't say that,' Raiden held her even tighter. Evie slipped away and raised an eyebrow.

'Now this is getting depressing,' she said, critical. 'We should be happy.'

'Happy?'

'Tomorrow is another day, bringing us closer to everything that's good,' she glared at Raiden as he opened his mouth to add something. Somehow she knew what he was going to say. She stopped him before he had the chance. 'No, just remember the happy parts of life.' Raiden smiled.