Kingdom of the Zodiac

Chapter 13

I shifted uncomfortably in the worn leather saddle for the umpteenth time, careful not to touch Liam from where he sat behind me. I'd squirmed so far forward that I was practically riding Shiva's neck. 

We'd been riding in silence for a while, which had given me plenty of time to think about some of the things Liam had said. 

If Fae, Demacia, Displacer Beasts and Dragons were real, what other kinds of monsters inhabited Sollistium? 

I could feel the rumble in Liam's chest before he spoke, "You've been unusually quiet, what troubles you Little lion?"

Not sure of how to ask without offending him, I decided that being blunt was really my only option.

I let out the breath I'd be holding, "Am I safe with you?"

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, am I safe with you?" I turned in the saddle to look him in the eye.

"Of course you are safe with me, Nova. I made you a promise."

He searched my face for a moment before he spoke again, "I vowed that I would return you home safely, did I not?"

I shook my head in agreement, "You did."

"Something you need to know about the Fae, Little lion. We do not make promises lightly."

I rolled my eyes, "Sure, everyone says that. Then the next thing you know, you're sitting at the kitchen table, elbow deep in Cherry Garcia because some douchebag didn't call you like he promised he would."

He wrinkled his brow in confusion.

"Oh never mind," I waved him off.

"I don't think you understand how this works, Nova. A Fae promise is unbreakable. If I were to go back on my promise to you, my soul would not be granted peace in the afterlife."

"What? Why would you do that?!" I gasped.

I hadn't realized this when I made him pinky promise me. If I had know the price, I probably would not have made him go through such lengths just for my sake. But the fact that he knew this and still vowed to help me meant a lot.

"Because if we are going to work together, I need you to trust me. We're in this together Nova. No matter what happens, I will keep my promise to you."

I relaxed slightly at his words. I had been so pissed at the guys for keeping me here against my will. But if I was being honest, I was not really mad at them, I was angry at myself. This entire time I had been more focused on surviving the dangers of Solistium that I had completely lost sight of what I had set out to do in the first place - get my memories back.

"Liam, I need to tell you something. But before I do, I need you to promise me that you will listen to the whole story before you go jumping to conclusions. Can you do that for me?"

"Okay..." He didn't try disguising the apprehension in his voice.

I blew out a breath, "Earlier, you had asked me why I was alone in the North Woods the night the Displacer Beast attacked me, and I told you that it was a result of my night terrors, which is the truth. But I wasn't telling you the whole story."

Liam remained eerily silent as he waited for me to continue. 

I glanced down at my knotted hands before speaking, "When I was sixteen, I was found unconscious just outside of the North Woods. Police said that based on the path of footprints I left in the snow, it was most likely that I had gotten lost and had been wondering around for a day or two before I had finally made it out and collapsed from starvation."