To Claim A Crown Book One: The Half-Blood King (Complete)

28.

Naomi sits the large bag resting on her shoulder onto the couch. The air around her is cold. She pulls a hoodie over her head and the motion sends a few strands of hair around her face. Her fingertips are cold. She unlocks her phone and checks the time. It's a quarter past five. Exactly a week had passed and she made it through her exams with ease. Raurlin picked her up and dropped her off.

She spent most days with Sarah and helped her delve deeper into the grimoire. They used the time to try and rationalise the new reality they find themselves in. Naomi felt as if the well of emotion she felt would swallow her whole and most days she waited for it but it would rise and just as quickly as it rose it dissolved into nothing.

She and Raurlin arranged that he and Jackson would pick her and Sarah up on this Friday morning at half past five. The sun starts rising later and setting earlier. Winter was rolling in and with it her winter vacation. She would spend the duration of the vacation with Raurlin, Jackson and Sarah in another town in the mountains where they would meet Raurlins pack.

"Sarah! Are you okay in there?"

Sarah's bedroom door flings open and she heaves out a bag that is stuffed to the brim. The zips threaten to burst open. Naomi shakes her head, amused at the amount of clothes that Sarah had packed. She knew that during the winter break Sarah would have to compile a piece to submit in class once they were back on campus.

"Sorry I took so long. I want to be prepared. Think this is enough stuff? I mean we don't even know how long we're going to be there. We don't even know where there is. This is crazy. Is this crazy?"

Before Naomi can respond there's a knock at the door and it opens. Raurlin and Jackson walk in both dressed casually in tracksuits with scarves and gloves. Raurlin's nose is flushed pink with the cold outside air. He smiles at Naomi and holds his arms open. Naomi walks into them and he lifts her in a tight hug. Naomi laughs.

Jackson offers a small hug to Sarah. Sarah hugs him and does her best not to linger in the hug. She motions to the bags on the couch.

"The huge one is mine."

"Of course it is. I do think you're prepared enough, by the way."

Sarah flushes. She watches as Jackson lifts both bags and carries them out the door. Naomi and Raurlin are still embraced in a hug. She walks past them and follows Jackson to the car. He opens the boot of his truck and settles the bags beside his and Raurlins.

"We've put some pillows and blankets in the back for you and Naomi. It's quite cold and I think we're going to be on the road for a while."

Sarah peers through the window and she smiles. There are two pillows, one behind the passenger seat and another behind the driver seat. There are two fluffy blankets rolled up in the middle between the two pillows.

"That was nice of you guys. Thank you. Where exactly are we going?"

"Just two towns over really. Into the mountains."

Sarah leans against the truck and folds her arms across her chest.

"How long will we be on the road?"

"We can make it in a day. If we leave at six I'm sure we'll be in around midnight but we can make a stop in the next town. We've got a few options."

Sarah nods her head and chews at her lip. She tries to ignore the nerves she feels. There is a part of her that doesn't want to get into the truck. There's a sense of no going back.

"You're nervous."

"Yeah. I can't explain why I just feel like we should stay here."

"It's okay to be nervous Sarah," Jackson holds a hand out and Sarah takes it, "I want you to know that I will always protect you. You have nothing to be fearful of."