Don’t be. Just step in.” He shooed them with his
hands.
Connor’s toddler reared back, kicking Udor on
the shin. “Don’t talk to my poppa that way. Shut up you mean old man.”
Hazel held back a snicker behind the baby’s
head. “Why don’t you leave, now? Let them go in peace.”
Udor sneered, turning on his heel he stalked
away, followed by three villagers. Only Hazel , her
kids, and the elders remained. One of the older women stepped forward, placing
a hand on Tressa’s shoulder.
She smoothed Tressa’s hair with her veined
hand. “Sophia was an inspiration to me. I have gifts for you.”
“No. I have everything I need,” she responded.
Tressa leaned over, kissing the woman on her leathery cheek. “Thank you,
though.”
The old woman nodded, then with the help of the
other two elders, walked away in silence. Tressa glanced at Hazel and her two
boys. “It’s probably time for you to go as well.”
“No. My children will see their father leave as
a hero. The baby won’t remember, but he will be told the stories to come in the
future. He will know he was there, even if his memory doesn’t assure him. His
brother will remember, though. I will make sure of that.” Hazel leaned over,
kissing Connor one last time on the cheek. “Go now. Know how much we love you.
All of you.”
Tressa’s head snapped up at that. She glanced
at Bastian. Had Hazel said that only to soothe Bastian’s sadness at the absence
of his family?
“Don’t be so surprised, Tressa.” Hazel laughed.
“I knew the three of you were a package deal. I accepted that the first day
with Connor.”
Tressa reached over, and squeezed Hazel’s arm.
If she didn’t have a stowaway hidden in her pack, she might have hugged her.
“You’re a strong woman.”
“I have to be to be married to him.” Hazel
nodded at her husband. “Now, off with you. Do what you’ve come here to do. This
is the least attended leaving ever, but you will be successful. I feel it in my
bones.”
Tressa wished fervently she had some sight into
the future, like Granna always claimed to have, giving her any reason to calm
her pounding heart. Anything to tamp down the fear slowly rising from her toes
into her chest.
Connor took Tressa’s hand, softly cradling it
in his own. He nodded to Bastian, who took Tressa’s other hand. Instead of
holding it palm to palm like Connor, Bastian laced his fingers with Tressa’s
and squeezed. She looked up at him, forgetting for just a moment they were
about to take three steps into the unknown. Into what was probably the end of
their entire existence.
“On three,” Connor said.
“One.”
Tressa held her breath.
“Two.”
She let it out.
“Three.”
She lifted her foot in unison with Connor and Bastian, stepping into
the unknown.
Chapter Fourteen
The damp fog crept up her body, starting with the first nibble on
her shoes, slowly consuming her body. Tressa’s eyes were shut, hiding her from
death’s grasp. Her breath caught in her chest.
She couldn’t hold it in any longer. The air
slipped out her nose and her chest screamed for more. Tressa’s mouth fell open,
taking in a misty breath that whispered in her soul. Alive. She was alive.
“Bastian? Connor?”
A squeeze to her hands told her they were alive
too. Her whole body perked awake, rising from the dream of death. Finality no
longer seemed something to fear.
“We’re alive. We’re alive!” she screamed at the
top of her lungs.
“She’s right.” Connor’s whoop of joy echoed
around her. “But I can’t see either of you.”
“I can’t see you either, Connor. Don’t let go of
my hand. Hold on tight. Bastian, are you okay? Say something?”
Silence surrounded them. She swallowed the bile
climbing up her throat. Not Bastian. No. He had to be alive. She could still
feel his hand in hers.
“Bastian?”
“Holy mother -”
Tressa burst out in laughter, cutting off his
expletive. “You half-wit. I thought you were dead.”
“What?
hands.
Connor’s toddler reared back, kicking Udor on
the shin. “Don’t talk to my poppa that way. Shut up you mean old man.”
Hazel held back a snicker behind the baby’s
head. “Why don’t you leave, now? Let them go in peace.”
Udor sneered, turning on his heel he stalked
away, followed by three villagers. Only Hazel , her
kids, and the elders remained. One of the older women stepped forward, placing
a hand on Tressa’s shoulder.
She smoothed Tressa’s hair with her veined
hand. “Sophia was an inspiration to me. I have gifts for you.”
“No. I have everything I need,” she responded.
Tressa leaned over, kissing the woman on her leathery cheek. “Thank you,
though.”
The old woman nodded, then with the help of the
other two elders, walked away in silence. Tressa glanced at Hazel and her two
boys. “It’s probably time for you to go as well.”
“No. My children will see their father leave as
a hero. The baby won’t remember, but he will be told the stories to come in the
future. He will know he was there, even if his memory doesn’t assure him. His
brother will remember, though. I will make sure of that.” Hazel leaned over,
kissing Connor one last time on the cheek. “Go now. Know how much we love you.
All of you.”
Tressa’s head snapped up at that. She glanced
at Bastian. Had Hazel said that only to soothe Bastian’s sadness at the absence
of his family?
“Don’t be so surprised, Tressa.” Hazel laughed.
“I knew the three of you were a package deal. I accepted that the first day
with Connor.”
Tressa reached over, and squeezed Hazel’s arm.
If she didn’t have a stowaway hidden in her pack, she might have hugged her.
“You’re a strong woman.”
“I have to be to be married to him.” Hazel
nodded at her husband. “Now, off with you. Do what you’ve come here to do. This
is the least attended leaving ever, but you will be successful. I feel it in my
bones.”
Tressa wished fervently she had some sight into
the future, like Granna always claimed to have, giving her any reason to calm
her pounding heart. Anything to tamp down the fear slowly rising from her toes
into her chest.
Connor took Tressa’s hand, softly cradling it
in his own. He nodded to Bastian, who took Tressa’s other hand. Instead of
holding it palm to palm like Connor, Bastian laced his fingers with Tressa’s
and squeezed. She looked up at him, forgetting for just a moment they were
about to take three steps into the unknown. Into what was probably the end of
their entire existence.
“On three,” Connor said.
“One.”
Tressa held her breath.
“Two.”
She let it out.
“Three.”
She lifted her foot in unison with Connor and Bastian, stepping into
the unknown.
Chapter Fourteen
The damp fog crept up her body, starting with the first nibble on
her shoes, slowly consuming her body. Tressa’s eyes were shut, hiding her from
death’s grasp. Her breath caught in her chest.
She couldn’t hold it in any longer. The air
slipped out her nose and her chest screamed for more. Tressa’s mouth fell open,
taking in a misty breath that whispered in her soul. Alive. She was alive.
“Bastian? Connor?”
A squeeze to her hands told her they were alive
too. Her whole body perked awake, rising from the dream of death. Finality no
longer seemed something to fear.
“We’re alive. We’re alive!” she screamed at the
top of her lungs.
“She’s right.” Connor’s whoop of joy echoed
around her. “But I can’t see either of you.”
“I can’t see you either, Connor. Don’t let go of
my hand. Hold on tight. Bastian, are you okay? Say something?”
Silence surrounded them. She swallowed the bile
climbing up her throat. Not Bastian. No. He had to be alive. She could still
feel his hand in hers.
“Bastian?”
“Holy mother -”
Tressa burst out in laughter, cutting off his
expletive. “You half-wit. I thought you were dead.”
“What?
Similar Books
