Shadow of the Heir

And All I Know is Today I Woke Up Falling in Love Again

Tones of pink and gold washed across the fading night sky, discoloring the few stars that lingered behind. This used to be Ella's favorite part of the day—she would wake up far earlier than necessary just to watch the moon say its own goodnight. After Fig's death, Ella stopped watching it. There felt like nothing good in the world for the moon to eclipse. No reason for the sun to kiss it a good morning. It felt the same as watching her friends lead full lives while she was still holding all the fragments of her own in bloody hands.

That morning, though, it felt like there was some small light of hope as the sun rose.

"You know, I kept going to the Astronomy tower after... After it happened." Sebastian said as he sidestepped one of the many rocks on the path that lead around the house.

"I couldn't," Ella said. She glanced at the house to her right. It looked smaller from the outside—still leagues better than Solomon's little home in Feldcroft.

"Part of the agreement?" It seemed he couldn't bring himself to say vow since he clenched his jaw as he fell silent.

"No," Ella shook her head. "I just couldn't be there."

It had been a special place to them. To her. She and Sebastian had wasted too many early morning hours watching the stars together for her to manage to be there for any long period of time the first year. She'd almost failed her class purely because she couldn't handle showing up for it. AmitThakkar had been the biggest aid during that period. However, as she got older and angrier, the inability to stay there became the inability to be anywhere else. Garreth didn't question it. Ella didn't offer the information either.

He made a sound of acknowledgment. She reached for his hand in hopes of pushing away the memories. Sebastian quirked a brow at her and she shrugged. What did it really matter if he knew she was constantly drowning in her desire to touch him? It seemed like everyone else did. Touch starved was hardly an adequate word for it. He at least allowed her to hold his hand.

Ella puffed out a breath. "I am angry." He had demanded in the study that she actually voice her feelings rather than ignore them. She'd not been in favor of it—he'd said it wasn't up for debate. It made her feel more broken than she already did. Detangling her tossed-aside emotions was a whole other war to fight.

"You don't seem angry." Sebastian tilted his head as he walked alongside her.

"I've been angry for so long that people have stopped noticing."

Not a lie.

"Does that include yourself?" There was almost a teasing tone in his voice, as if the lightheartedness would make it easier.

She didn't respond; it seemed that was a response enough in itself.

"Who are you angry at then?"

"Ominis."

A half-lie. She had an entire list of people she was growing angry at. She was at the top of it.

He exhaled loudly. "I know," he released her hand and draped his arm over her shoulder. She pretended her heart didn't skip a beat. "What do you want to do about it?"

"There's not anything to do about it."

"Sure there is. I hold him and you punch."

"Anne would be furious."

"At first, but she can't stay mad at me." He waved the concern away.

"I'm thinking that's probably the worst idea, Seb." Entertaining as the thought was, violence was probably the last thing that should be resorted to in their situation. One wrong move and they were risking both hers and Ominis's lives—and as mad as she was, she didn't want him dead. She didn't relish the idea of passing immediately after her world started to brighten again, either.