Heir To The Iron Crown: Dyrith

16 - Sextánda

It was hard for me to keep my eyes open in the car as we drove towards the airport.

Sven had offered to drive the rental pickup that Valente had taken for his trip. He said he would take it back to the shop after dropping us off to the airport.

"You could have rented something smaller," I'd said to Valente while we were loading the luggage onto his truck.

He smiled at me.

"Not my style," he said before giving me a wink and putting all my bags in the back.

I didn't have much to take with me. A lot of my old clothes ended up in a donation pile, and it took some time to get my essentials all in one place. Valente assured me the rest would be shipped by cargo.

We'd had a light breakfast of coffee, leftover burgers and fries, and some cookies that hadn't gone bad in my fridge.

Valente and I had put on a bit of Renee's vial on our clothes before we left. Only when Valente's scent was masked did I realize it wasn't a feeling too great to not smell him anymore.

I'd just started to get used to him again, and I loved the way he smelled. Not being able to smell his musky scent was bothering me, but I knew I had to act cool about it.

I was lying down in the back seat, while Valente and Sven sat up front talking about things that didn't much interest me.

When they stopped their conversation for about a minute, I decided to ask Sven a question that had been on my mind for a while now. It was the best I could do to keep myself awake.

"Why did you never come home?" I asked him, sitting on the edge of my seat now. "After you escaped from the Palace."

Sven just looked ahead, there didn't seem to be a change in his expression, but he did become more serious before he answered.

"There are many reasons Rayne," he said. "The biggest reason being, I don't know how to go back."

"You can come with us?" I said, hoping he'd miraculously say 'okay fine of course, why didn't I think of that', but I knew there had to be a catch.

"Not right now. Not anytime soon," he said.

"Why not?" I asked him

He sighed heavily.

"There were others. Other children that were taken. They are still there, or wherever they were sold off to. The idea of going back to Fathilagt makes me feel guilty. I couldn't save them, I could only save myself," he said.

"And a few others," Valente chimed in, his voice quiet.

I realized Sven's Beta complex was showing. Even at a young age perhaps, he was protective of those around him. But he couldn't save them all.

Sven just shook his head.

"Besides, I have a family in my band now Rayne. I have Alessio and Uriah too. I do mostly fine on my own," he said.

Although you could tell nothing from his voice, I sensed the bitterness that he couldn't fully hide.

It was reminiscent of when I'd hugged him when he told me he was from Fathilagt too. I knew he missed home, even if it was just a little bit.

"What about your mom?" I asked him, wondering if it was okay to. But now that it was already out there, might as well hear what he had to say.

"My mom was good to me Rayne. I used to think she was the best. But Valente says she's changed, ever since my dad died," he said. "I know what she did Rayne. I'm sorry."