When The Night Falls Book 2 of When Good Things End trilogy

CHAPTER 4

(I forgot what chapter this is and am to lazy to check so yea enjoy loves-)

Wind whipped my hair into a frenzy and I could feel the ground about to hit me at a terrorizing speed. My vision started playing tricks on me as the tree shifted. My weight started to lightly drop as I swiftly glided above the floors.
I grabbed at the feathers underneath me and pulled myself onto my stomach out of instinct.
I'm not dead.
I'm not even falling anymore.
The bird was quick to fly up and around the tree before landing safely next to Laurent. "The groups already getting settled in our new place," he said while extending me a hand.
I blinked at him the exhilarating rush of adrenaline in my chest making it still seem like I was flying as I tried to get off the bird. "Woah there careful," Laurent warned before letting me lean on him.
My feet aren't working. It feels wrong standing so quickly when I was just flying through the air.
"Hey." I looked looked up at the boy responsible for the strange rushing sensation deep in my skin. His green eyes mirrored the glowing light of the trees canopy. Are you angry at me?" He asked.
"I think I'm just shocked," I said in a hushed tone. "That wasn't anything like last time."
"Last time?" He questioned as I steadied my footing.
"On your bird," I reminded. "The wedding- you know that night?" I smiled as realization hit him.
"You were half asleep I didn't think you would remember," he chuckled.
I rolled my eyes and smiled. Half asleep and in a wedding dress yet more aware of his beating heartbeat playing against my back then he was about the fact I was about to kiss him yesterday.
"Don't ever do that again," I said.
The bird took off a second later and I looked around the area we were at. Laurent seemed fine with just lazily tagging along as I explored the tree house we were given to stay in.
There were railings around the pathways around the house. The place itself felt like a normal home. Solid walls and ground. The first floor had a kitchen, living room, and a small bathroom with a staircase leading up to the second floor. The bedrooms were all upstairs and getting claimed by the others.
"We're did that one girl go?" I asked Jules as she and Doyle picked one of the rooms with twin beds at both ends of the room. They had a wonderful view of the forest.
"She said she'll come back later tomorrow morning," Jules filled me in as Laurent peeked into the room.
"Oh okay." Guess I don't need to worry about talking with anyone else for now.
"You already picked a room?" Laurent asked as he followed me into the hall. I noticed the small bottle he held as I led him to were I was going to stay.
"The others took the rest of the rooms but I'm fine with this one," I said. I want to drop onto the bed and rest but not wanting so sleep in dirty clothes I rummaged in the closet between the two beds in the room.
"I'm going to go shower," I yawned as I pulled out closet he's that looked relatively like my size.
"Put this on your bruise," Laurent motioned at my rib cage before handing me the bottle.
"Are you sure we can trust this?" I asked, hesitantly taking it from him. It's not that I don't trust his judgment I just don't trust other people. Not when I've already been drugged before.
"One of the northern specialties is medicine, just try it. You'll be fully healed in less than a week," he stated.
I paused at the door. "How do you know so much about this?" Questions like that have been tugging at my brain for awhile now.
How did he know that that bird would have caught me?
How does he know so much about the forest and how to get around it?
How does he know so much things yet try to hide it?
"I told you way back when we first met," he smiled but I could tell something was eating away at him.
He told me something along the lines of being from the north but that was it. Just a general sense of place- nothing else. Not even a mention of were he grew up.
"Your brother said you lived in a cabin but now I'm confused. This place doesn't have and cabins, so how do you know so much?"
It feels wrong asking, it's like I'm interrogating him. Why did Doyle ask that question back in the forest? Why is it bothering me so much now?
He turned to look out the window, a strange mix of anger and sadness crossing over his face before he shook his head and smiled. "I told you love. Get cleaned up, well have dinner, than when it'll be just us I'll try my best to answer your questions."
I want to hug him, comfort him for some reason I don't even understand. "Don't force yourself with anything your not comfortable, just tell me that there's something- you don't have to explain it .It could just be left at 'something' till your ready to talk about it." I bit the inside of my lip and forced myself not to move from the door frame.
I can leave it that. I don't have to push at him- he can take things at his pace if it's something that's hurt him.
"I'll tell you soon. Just not tonight, let's just get some rest for now."
I nodded, letting things stay like that as I went to shower.
"We'll separate into two groups," I stated.
"I'll take the lead for the first group, you know how I work so if your not good under pressure don't try to follow me. We'll be scouting dangerous patrol areas, spending hours noting down shift changes, and mapping out Vildrid soldier base camps," Laurent stated.
He's good at both staying in place and making sudden changes in movements. I glanced at him but he caught me and his serious demeanor changed in just seconds.
He does take scoring lightly, he's serious when it comes to talks like this but he keeps giving me butterflies the second he smiles.
"I'll be scouting the out parts of the capital, neighborhoods, schools, and et setra- so more bodies but less soldiers and risk of getting shot at," I stated, trying to get back to the topic.
We need to get back to scouting. The sooner we do the likelier well be able to save any survivors before whoever is giving orders to the Vildrid soldiers takes over the fallen capitol.
The others nodded along and soon our group of thirsty was split into three- the people going with me, the ones going with Laurent and the ones staying here.
I pulled my sleeves over my hands, feeling cold even though the new clothes I wore were better than what I wore yesterday.
Zina already came over a few hours ago to let us know we wouldn't be getting extra hands to help scout but we would be able to use one of the older nurse houses for the new comers we find.
I groaned, feeling annoyed at the thought of having to nurse ungrateful bleeding patients. I don't want to get kicked again. At least I'll be able to use sterilized and clean tools as well as pain meds.
"What?" Laurent asked, looking down at me as the others dispersed to go do whatever they wanted. "It's not like were going today."
"I know. But I still got to get the documents settled. That means I'll have to talk with people- I don't want to do that today," I frowned.
I already feel drained from talking with Zina, I'm not ready to talk with the high officials. There not going to be happy with what I'm going to do.
"Want to go check up on Chisire?" Laurent asked as helped me up.
Should I just stall? "Rip the bandaid off for ime?" I asked. Hoping he would understand. He could be the one to go to the cousol for me. I can just tell him what things to do and he can charm the others with his smile and get away without getting yelled at.
"They aren't bad people," he said.
"Then why do you always look like that when you talk about them?" I asked as he led me into the street like structures.
I already know some things just by watching him. I know he's lived here before. He's familiar with the strange tree houses and streets. He knows some of the people here since he avoids some areas. There's probably some place he likes going to since he likes to leave every once in awhile to go out.
Then there's the topic of the counsel. I can't tell if he hates them or admires them. I want to know why?
I don't like it. He keeps wearing his hood and it covering him in a shadow. I don't like it- I can't see his reaction, I can't see his smile, I can't even see those bright eyes under it!
"Hold still," I said, reaching up to take the darn thing off. "Who are you hiding from under there anyways?"
"I'll be back," he said, pausing me as I heard a familiar voice behind me.
I dropped my hands, feeling unprepared for an ancounter with te oh so noble Assher of the high counsel. Laurent turned to leave but I stopped him, feeling confused.
"Where are you going to go?" I asked.
He bent down to whisper a quick good bye, "I'll be back once he leaves." Then he turned and disappeared.
"You didn't answer my question," I whispered.
"Who was that?" Asshur asked as he came over, bowing slightly as if introducing himself again.
"Is there something you need?" I asked, trying to smile at his stuck up face.
"The court sent me to fetch you so we can get the documents in order," he stated.
I wonder if this is his first time going out to be a messenger. "Let's get it over with then, " I sighed and followed him.
He didn't seem happy about walking with the the central court house. Likely to have liked flying all the way there. I'm the only one not wearing white as he escorted me into a marble walled building.
The whole room was had an open feeling with a glass ceiling looking up at the bright green foliage of the branched out leaves. It looks familiar.
An older woman cleared her throat and I realized I was the only one standing stupidly awing at the ceiling while everyone had took a seat. Assher could have told me that I was expected to sit down. I think we both have an agreed hatred towards each other.
I took the empty seat next to a woman older than even him. The others ages varied from thirty to fifty. I'm the youngest one here.
"We all already know of the agreement, all we need now is to draw the lines between us," Assher stated as he tapped the surface of the circular table we all sat around.
The middle of it seemed to expand outward to reveal a clear glass laid over a huge map of the continent. I wish I could read and remember all of it.
"Do you have a region you would like to settle in? I'm sure there are many villages that could take your group in," the older woman spoke up.
I smiled, hoping to be the last one to show my cards. "What boarders do you have? You said we should settle somewhat far from them. Show me them?" I asked.
The map seemed to shift on colors as one of the counsel-man shifted the glass to the right, revealing marked lines and named regions.
"This is our land," the grandmother next to me explained as she motioned to a blazing red line splitting off a section of the north. "As you know Vildrid has claimed the fallen capital, they have also been trying to claim the west lands but Matel has been denying there claims."
There was still a huge chunk of the south east unclaimed. I smile wondering how ambitious I should be. "Do you have a marker I can use? I'll draw in the glass for now," I said as I stood. I leaned over the glass once I was handed a bright white marker.
No one said anything as I scribbled a huge circle around the whole bottom of the crescent shaped lands. I would boarder close to Mattel and claim all the plain fields , forest, and shores.
"It's a rough sketch but that's about it," I smiled as I put donw the marker and sat back down.
"You can't be serious," Asshur exclaimed as he slammed down his palm on the table.
I rolled my eyes, knowing he probably thought of my actions were the same as some child drawing on the white walls of this court room.
"Why not," the grandma next to me shrugged. "But you would have to exclude the small town of Phoenix at the shore around here," the woman circled a small area I could just bet was were my village was. "It's been growing so we should call in there Lord to see what plans of expansion they might have before putting your boarders on document."
"We can't let this happen!" A woman burst from her seat. "You can't be giving away the fire forest lands that easily! The Phoenix Village Lord won't be letting that happen if his village is growing!"
"It's not a 'him,'" I stated as I crossed my arms.
"What?" She sneered at my interruption.
It's been a few months since I heard my village being called by that old name. I guess it wasn't updated. "The Phoenix Village Lord isn't a man," I explained.
"How would you know?" Asshur asked.
"Because that Lord is me."

Word count = 2364-!!! Woooo