Hestia's Wish [2019 ONC Longlist]

16 | The Tree of Hope

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Alastair watched Hestia fight Ri with a surprising amount of ease. He had struggled against Ri's speed, but it was as clear as the healing pools of Redwater that Hestia was faster. His eyes searched for Callen, he hadn't realized that Hestia defeated him not too long ago. When his eyes found the bloody corpse a few feet away, he couldn't help but hold newfound respect for her. He watched her battle fiercely against Ri, there wasn't an ounce of fear in her eyes or uncertainty in her lunges.

'When did she become so strong?' he thought. His heart swelled with love at the show of her strength, but it quickly disappeared when he realized what a complete fool he had been for acting as he had. She truly was capable of protecting herself, she proved that when she killed Callen and continued to do so as she fought his malicious comrade. She was fighting to protect them and their future.

The remaining intangible strings snapped completely and faded into nothing, leaving no trace of fear. Alastair let out a soft gasp as it felt like a thick cloud of fog cleared from his mind and he could see everything so clearly now. He could tell that Hestia felt it too by the way she hesitated in her relentless flurry of attacks.

His eyes met hers and they couldn't help but smile at each other. The new feelings that surged through their body gave them the strength they needed to endure, to live.

Ri took the opportunity to lunge forward and strike at Hestia, her irritation growing to new heights. "You think you're the strongest just because you killed that wanker, Callen? He was nothing just like you'll be!" She shrieked at her.

"Tia, watch out!" Alastair yelled, breaking into a run, hoping to put a stop to her attack. There was no way that Hestia would be able to block it in time. Not in the position she was currently in. 'I'm not going to make it,' he thought.

His heart beat rapidly, its frantic sound thumping uncomfortably loud in his ears. Everything seemingly slowed down to a nanosecond, as he watched Hestia turn slowly to face Ri. She attempted to dodge, but not before Ri's dagger had a chance to make contact with the left side of her ribcage. He wanted to scream but nothing came out when he opened his mouth, it was as if he had lost his voice.

Time caught up with him as he darted in front of Hestia to block Ri's next attack. He clenched his teeth, shoving her back roughly. He quickly turned to check on Hestia, only to see that she was hunched over the ground, groaning in pain. "Tia?" he asked hesitantly.

"I'll be fine," she replied shakily.

He turned his attention back to Ri with a nasty glare. "You're going to pay for that," he threatened.

"I'd like to see you try, boy," she countered.

Their blades clashed loudly over and over again, but this time, Alastair was able to read her movements. He felt like he was locked in a trance, his attacks were fueled by his rage. When Ri attempted to deliver an undercut, he grasped her wrist tightly, unbothered by the sound of her bones being crushed in his grip.

She let out a howl of pain before he slashed along her chest. Blood poured out of her wound and onto the ground at an alarming rate. He felt no pity for her when he noticed the spark of fear in her soulless eyes. She had killed many in her life and would have continued to do so if she lived. "She lied to us," she whispered before falling to the ground, lifeless.

He assumed that the "she" that Ri was referring to was none other than Lady Libra. He scoffed, "And I thought Lady Aries was the worst of them all. At least she didn't fill our heads with fantasies."

He quickly turned around to check on Hestia. "Tia? It's going to be okay, we'll use the springs."

She let out a blood-filled cough, grimacing in pain. "You know we can't use it too often. There could be consequences."

"It's better than you dying. If you end up forgetting me, I can swear on my mother's grave that I'll spend the rest of my life helping you remember." He swiftly picked her up and carried her over to one of the pools. The Tree of Hope was glowing strangely as if it was trying to tell him something. He disregarded it and gently placed Hestia in the water, never releasing her hand from his own.

The water turned red from the amount of blood, but her wound slowly began to heal. "It's working," she murmured.

A wave of relief washed over him and he let out a deep breath, not realizing he had been holding it for so long. "You'll be the death of me..." he chuckled. "But it would be a pleasant way to go," he added. He caressed her cheek and stared lovingly into her eyes, to which she reciprocated. "Tia, we've had part of this talk before, but I want to do right by you. I love you, I always have. A hopeful part of me thinks that you feel the same way. I understand if you may be angry with me for my pigheadedness still, but if you accept me, I'll spend the rest of my life making it up to you, the right way."

Her cheeks heated up considerably at his profound confession. She had seen him in many different lights: the goofy childhood friend, the protective confidant, and the fool that had hurt her with his reckless words. However, she would be lying to herself if she said she didn't feel an ounce of love for the man that stood bravely before her. She smiled playfully at him and asked, "How do you plan to make it up to me?"

His brow furrowed in confusion for a moment as he lulled over her words. He returned her smile and laughed loudly when he came to the realization that she was teasing him. "Do you still like rubies?" he asked, feigning innocence.

She laughed along with him, the sound was music to his ears. He helped her out of the pool and held her in his arms. He would never get tired of looking into her hopeful eyes. As long as she was around, he felt like he could accomplish anything. Her next words were ones that he was sure to never forget: I love you.

All of a sudden, the water began to turn bright blue, illuminating the area around them. The Tree of Hope mimicked its fluorescent glow before shooting blue lights high into the sky like fireworks. Streaks of blue filled the ominous grey sky, scattering from one end of the isles to the next in search of their target, the Aithneans.

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