The Destiny Detour

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Rosaliy

Rosaliy's fingers were busy, but moving solar beads into different configurations based on the casual arguing of the magical experts around her did not take up much of her thoughts. She was mentally free to fret over her mess of an explanation earlier and wonder why Dmitri wanted to talk to Drake.

Arlana tossed her fire-red head in annoyance at the rock design on the ground in front of her. "No, back where they were before. You're right, Athena. The arc is all wrong."

Rosaliy picked up the smooth, glowing beads for the fifth time.

Until Drake was set to leave, Rosaliy had not realized...whatever she had realized. With all they had been through, having him suddenly disappear from her life was going to be a tough blow. Since he was obviously going to disappear anyway, at least she needed to tell him how she felt. It would help if she knew how she felt. Something about being busy trying to stay alive had caused this other spine-tingling feeling to stay hidden in the background.

Absently, she measured off steps to find the mid-point of her newly created arc.

She wanted so badly to have Katyrinna's children next to her, bouncing with the excitement of their parents' return, ready to throw themselves into their parents' arms and pelt them with stories of their adventures. Everything she had done was half finished. Somehow, even though everyone was safe, Rosaliy felt like she had let everyone down. She plunked down a glistening stone.

It was not that she needed to be the hero, after all. That would be selfish. Although maybe she had wanted something for herself, some small piece of notoriety. What did she want? She did not need Drake to love her, but she needed him to understand how special he was to her. She did not need to be the one to rescue the children, but she needed them to be safe.

"Shouldn't this be a circle?" asked Issabeth, poking critically at the glass stones with her feet.

"Not while the sun is rising," Athena disagreed. "Although we may need the power of the sun directly overhead."

Oh, no. Now they were going to have the timing discussion again.

"If it doesn't work, you can always try again when the sun is overhead," Rosaliy pointed out. She would appreciate the quiet time alone shredding more roots, anyway.

"I'm sure this will work," Zaphia exclaimed, bounding up. "Hey, Drake is back!" She waved emphatically toward the birch trees. There he was, lurking with Daniella. Drake was less enthusiastic to be noticed. "Did he decide if he was staying or not?"

Rosaliy snapped out of her stewing. "What?"

Zaphia jumped, startled by Rosaliy's sharp tone. "Was that a secret? I kind of did just overhear people talking, and maybe I shouldn't—"

"I didn't mean to snap," Rosaliy apologized. "I hadn't heard."

Zaphia brightened, happy to know things. "Well, the big scary guard who tells everybody what to do keeps telling everybody to stop gossiping about him because it's not for sure he's even staying, so of course that's all anybody is talking about. I love this place."

Rosaliy's heart did a little somersault. It was a happy flip and a nervous one at the same time, so it sort of thudded down into her stomach mid-flip. Drake might be saying. She would have to find him and tell him to forget everything she had said before. She had barely said anything anyway.

"Rose, hold this," said Athena, planting a crumbling spell book in her arms. Those gray eyes scanned her critically. "Are you sure you're well enough to be up and about?"