Relinquished (OliverxReader)

Chapter Twenty-Six & Twenty- Seven

It's been a couple of days since we set out to Cuvitidala and Christmas has passed. I forgot Christmas was a thing. Emma reminded me that morning when we woke up. She was in an extra cheery mood.

When I was around 7, Peter took me to a ball. It was full of demons and I was scared to the core. It was one of my first times leaving headquarters. I had no idea what was out there. Peter had told me what to expect, and how I shouldn't be scared. I couldn't help it, of course I'd be scared when I was in a room filled with fancy demons. According to Peter, it was the fancy demons that were the worst of all demons. They had the most power over, probably the whole world.

The day of the ball, Peter had dressed me up in a red and white dress. There was a demon he was talking with, probably the host of the event. I barely remember the way the room was decorated, but I remember how there was a big pine tree tucked away at a corner of the room. I had asked Peter what it was and he had simply told me it was for decorative purposes and how there was no point in it. On the ride back he rambled on and on about how the event was such a waste of time and how much of an eyesore it was.

It wasn't until I was at Lambda when I remembered how Christmas was an event, or a holiday in official terms. I had forgotten about it because at headquarters it was never celebrated. It was just another normal boring day like any other.

Besides, Christmas wasn't even celebrated at Lambda. Why would it be? Lambda is just a facility hosting children who are being experimented on. It doesn't seem appropriate to celebrate what should be a cheery holiday in a haunting facility with only torture. That first year at Lambda was when I decided I would forget about Christmas as a whole. Besides, what's the point in celebrating a holiday that should be spent with family and friends, when I didn't have any with me. It was just another pointless holiday.

This year, however, is different. Not only do I have the Grace Field and Grand Valley kids as my family, but my real family, my actual family is with me this year. They're alive. And I never intend on letting them leave again. I'll do whatever it takes to make sure they never leave me alone. 

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After a month of searching for Cuvitidala, we finally arrived at the long-awaited location. Cuvitidala, the town of dragons –according to the manuscript anyways– is what this place is.

My eyes scoured the place around us. A quiet, eerie place. Broken up, ancient rock pillars. With some sort of carving in the center on the ground. Perfect for an anonymous and strange location. If we're correct, then this is where the promise was made. This is where He lives. But where? There are only stones, nothing else. Is there a secret code or something here?

"This is Cuvitidala?" Emma asked aloud. "Ruins?"

"Cuvitidala has a dragon, and its eye can see through everything. Everyone comes to Cuvitidala seeking that eye," Ray explained. "Cuvitidala is a town of dragons. That's what it said in the ancient manuscript."

"You think there are dragons?" Don's voice quavered.

Gilda hesitated before answering. "Of course not. It must be a metaphor for something...That is what I would like to say, but there may be."

I cleared my throat before Gilda could continue. "Not helping, Gilda."

"But I don't see them anywhere now," Violet spoke up. "Dragons or a town."