An Eternal and The Mortal [ ON HOLD ]

Chapter 8

I let out a sigh of relief when I see him sitting at the bank of the river. Making my way down to him, I could feel the anger radiating from him. His back was turned to me as I walked. I found a seat right beside him, crossing my legs underneath me.

Druig hung his head low, staring at the dirt beneath him as I picked up a leaf, pulling it apart silently. I let the small bits of it fall out of my hand and on to Druig's feet. No words, just lifted his foot, letting the green bits flutter off and to the dirt before he stepped on them.

"Your family seems nice," I said softly picking up another leaf and looking at Druig. He raised his head, glaring at me as his lips pressed into a thin line.

"And I just love being your emotional support human," I teased, bumping my shoulder against his. He rolled his eyes with a laugh.

"You liked that did ya," Druig shook his head.

"I like seeing you interact with them, even if it was a little tense," I laughed leaning against Druig. He opened his arm, leaning back against the tree as he pulled me to him.

We sat together his arm around me with my head on his chest as we curled up. Together we watched the river's current, Druig's chest rising and falling rhythmically as he played with the ends of my hair.

"What are you thinking?" I asked interrupting the silence. He paused with a wave of my hair wrapped around his finger. I felt Druig shrug as he held me, resting his chin at the top of my head.

"I think there's no way I'm going to be able to put a celestial to sleep," Druig scoffed, his hand running up and down my arm as I fiddled with a leaf on his chest.

"What makes you say that?" I asked quietly. Druig scoffed again as he pulled me closer to the top of his head. I sat up to look at Druig, still leaning against the tree his arm around my waist.

"I'm being serious," I said as a matter of factly. Druig rolled his eyes before rubbing his hand down his face in frustration.

"I know, Amara."

I gave him a look as to tell him to continue. Druig laughed letting go of my waist to push himself so he sat straighter against the tree.

"Putting a celestial to sleep would take an insane amount of power, love,"

"So? You have it. Maybe the man you told me about —Feast- is-"

"Phastos," Druig said with a laugh interrupting my horrible pronunciation.

"You know what I mean," I remarked, shooting him a glare.

"Then what?" Druig asked, his hand resting at my waist as he looked at me.

"Then you save the world Dru, as you always have," I spoke as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. Druig wore a somber expression as he looked at me. His eyes moving from each of mine, as if he were looking for something.

"Why are you not jumping at the idea to do this?" I questioned him, my tone drenched in hurt as my eyebrows furrowed looking down at him.

"It's no easy feat Amara,"

"When has that ever stopped you?"

"What do you mean?" Druig asked, his hand dropping from my waist as he leaned off the tree, his hands sitting in his lap.

"The Druig I know wouldn't give a second thought about saving people. It's all you talk about. Even as someone who holds people in this village-"

"You're free to leave whenever you want," he said interrupting me, a flash of hurt moving across his face as the words left his mouth. I shook my head, sitting straight in the dirt of the bank.

"I'm not saying I want to leave. I'm saying I want to leave with you. To help. I'm saying you've protected my people for generations. You've always taking care of us—of me—but I think this might be a good time to let us go if that's what's pulling at you. Don't let the village keep you here when you could be saving the whole planet."

Druig let out a sigh of frustration, pushing off the bank to stand up.

"That's not what's keeping me here," Druig said picking up a rock before tossing it in the river.

"I've seen the worst things come from humans," Druig's voice was low and quiet. I stood up, walking over to stand beside him. I look down at my faint shadow in the murky water of the river before looking back up, my eyes trained on him.

"Fight for a world that has promise, give it a second chance," I pleaded putting my hand on Druig's arm. My eyes boring into the side of his face.

"The world is a cruel and horrible place," Druig speaks, turning to look at me. "I'm afraid to leave you here if I go with them."

"Then let me go with you," I beg and Druig shakes his head. "Please Druig, I want to see something of the world if it is to be destroyed in a matter of days."

"No Amara, you'll stay where I think it's safe,"

"The safest place for me to be then is with you," I continue to beg and Druig turns to me, anger rising in him same as mine.

"No Amara," he says sternly.

"So you'd rather continue to keep me in this lonely village for the rest of my life, which is only days if you don't stop this," I say letting go of his arm, my voice growing louder.

"The world isn't safe out there Amara! I've seen it!" Druig yells at me, his hand pointing aggressively across the river.

"That is for me to decide on my own!"

"I'm just trying to protect you!"

"You're controlling me Druig! That's not protecting me!"

"What if you get hurt?"

I let out a groan of frustration and throw my hands up in the air. Why was he being like this? He'd always been possessive over the village but over me? I didn't understand why. I spun around for a moment before letting my arms cross over my chest.

"If you see something horrible happening and you have the power to stop it, why don't you?"

Druig looks as if he's turning my question over in his head. Just before he is about to say something he is interrupted by the screams of the villagers. We share a horrified look before tearing off back into camp.

"This isn't over," I yell to him as I run ahead to the village.

"Focus please," Druig calls to me, and I note the annoyance in his tone. I don't mention it but I do focus on getting to the village as quickly as possible.

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Author's Note:
I just want to say thank you so much for the love on this book! I'm balancing this with life and trying to get it written in my free time so I'm sorry if I leave plot holes or if something doesn't makes sense.

Eventually I'll get back to it and really edit it.

Thank you so much for reading!