Crossroad: TBB Series Book 2

11

I could hear Axelia and ryder's muffled voices just outside the cottage, but I could hardly make anything out. Ryder wouldn't let me participate in whatever it was he was trying to pull off. I'd spent most of the day laying in bed recovering from lues, I'd learned that it was a poison that slowly made you go crazy.

You would hallucinate, unable to separate reality from something that wasn't there, it would dull your senses, clouding both your judgement and sanity. Ryder had found me strung out in the woods, my body violently spasming as I could no longer think straight, I thought I had been dying.

Lues began to emit from the ground of the meadow at night, which was what axelia had been going on about. It was enacted by Darklighters. The only question now was by who, and how?

The meadow was off balance, and I didn't know why yet, but Axelia said that it was because it was slowly dying. Still I felt like there was more she wasn't telling me.
I was determined to go back out there though, I needed to keep re-watching those scenes, to figure out what truth I was supposed to see.

Ryder and Axelia both greatly rejected the idea, but I wouldn't take no for answer, so Ryder would come with me.

He finally returned after he and axelia spoke for what felt like hours. "Ok, are you ready? We've got about....two hours until sundown."

I swallowed, two hours felt like two minutes in the woods, it wouldn't be enough. I nodded anyway. "Yeah."

He took my hand in his before kissing me gently on the lips. Axelia watched us with an almost smile on her face. "Are you okay?" I touched her shoulder as she looked up at me, blinking her startling eyes a few times before speaking.

"Oh, um...." she didn't speak, only looked away, slightly frowning. I somehow knew right away, just by looking at her.

"Axelia," I started gently, while resting an arm on her shoulder. "You're lonely aren't you?"

She looked at me with dull eyes, I noticed they seemed less bright from when I had first seen them. She nodded slowly. Ryder and I both frowned as we looked at each other.
"Axelia, how long have you been here?" Ryder asked.

She shrugged with a smile still on her pixie-like face. "Who knows, it's easy to lose track of time."

"Well, how long do you think you've been here?" I asked.

She shrugged. "I arrived when King Calhoun sent me here, he was around your age."
Rydery's eyes widened as he looked at me. I wasn't sure just how long that translated to.

"You mean, riley's father Calhoun? He sent you here?"

She nodded. "Yes, to protect the meadow."

"Axelia, Calhoun's been dead for over a hundred years now. He's been gone since the birth of his daughter. If he was around our age when he sent you....well," he shook his head. "That's another five or six hundred years, give or take a little." Now my eyes had widened.

"What?" I was shocked. "Why would my father do such a thing. " No one should be alone for that long. That's insane."

She shrugged with an innocent smile. "He did not force me here against my own will." she looked between the two of us. "If that's what you're implying. It was my own decision."

I shook my head. "But you're the only one here...."

"Not always." She was entirely oblivious.

I shook my head. "Axelia, have you....have you ever been in love?"

Her face brightened at the mention of the word. "Love, yes, I love love!"