Down End Road

“Shh,” Someone said. “They’re still sleeping.” I would have recognized that sweet southern accent anywhere. My brain awoke before my body had the chance. Thoughts slowly began to walk across my mind, my conflicting emotions accompanying them.

“They’ve been sleeping all night and all of yesterday. They need to at least wake up and eat.” Mavericks happy voice deadpanned. I could almost see the teasing scowl he would have plastered on his face.

My body stirred in the squeaky cot, a loose spring jabbed at my aching side. “Oh well look at that, she’s waking up.” Ally sassed. “And all because of you and your loud mouth.” She chastised. Maverick snorted, huffing out a breath.

“Always the little ones.” He muttered under his breath. A loud thwack told me Ally had heard him.

“I am just below average height, stupid.” She argued. I rolled over again, my arm brushing against something fluffy and soft. I cracked open a heavy eyelid, spotting Alex’s dark coils. I looked down at his sleeping face.

His eyebrows were furrowed, with his large luscious lips jutted out, a slight downward tilt. His nostrils flared with each breath, a mesmerising movement that I was completely content to ogle for eternity.

His eyes fluttered open, dazed chocolate orbs meeting my blue ones. Pink lips tilted upwards, he raised his hand and tucked a stray curl behind my ear, fingertips gliding along my jaw and trailing a line of fire and racking my spine with a shudder.

“Ahem.” Maverick comedically interrupted. I looked up toward him, but I could still feel Alex’s stare tracing the features of my face. “Why do I feel like I have to clear my throat more and more these days.” Maverick muttered. Ally smiled tensely, a forced stretch of her lips as she discreetly elbowed Mavericks side. A gasp escaped him as he clutched at his side.

“That’s my bad side.” Maverick complained. Ally rolled her eyes in reply.

“Please, you’ve had so much Medela concentrate stabbed into you, sugar I’d be surprised if it was the tiniest bit red.” Ally replied with a scoff. However hard she may try to make light of it, it didn’t distract from the dark shadow that passed across her doe eyes. An unspeakable sadness and worry that she was desperately trying to hide behind witty remarks and bright smiles. It confirmed that she had been the one who had sat with him, holding his hand while he was sewed up and injected with all sorts of medicinal concoctions.

“Well, breakfast is gonna be served soon, and well, you Miss Queen of the seven Lands, have some people to meet, greet and shake hands with.” Maverick replied with ease, covertly joining his pinky with hers. I knew it meant more to them than just a connection of digits. To them, it was their way of saying that they are here, and will always be there. It was what they would use to draw on each other’s strength and to know that they had each other.

—-----------------------------------

I sat on a plush black velvet chair. Throne like in every sense of the word. It had a high back that extended well past my head, with ornately carved arm rests. My leg ached as I bounced it nervously.

I had only received Medela concentrate and stitches that morning, but had hardly needed much of either. They had said it must have been my connection to the land, but something in the jumpy way the nurses had said it had flared a suspicion in my subconscious.

“Myra, how are you feeling?” Agatha asked, her voice formal and composed. She sat opposite me, her long afro tied tightly behind her head. Agatha was the embodiment of calm as she sat serenely with her back straight.

Her presence exuded a silent power that reminded me just how knowledgeable and powerful she was. However, oddly enough, it didn’t scare me but encouraged me to know that such people had my back.

I folded my legs, unsure what to do with all my pent up energy. “Um, good, thank you.” I replied warily. My body was wound like a coil of spring, tight and ready to snap at any moment. My brain was preparing itself for a non-existent threat.

“That’s good, I’m glad you’re feeling better. I’m sure I speak for everyone when I say you gave us quite the scare.” Agatha’s words, however nice, were a distraction from the problem at hand.

I nodded with a subdued tight smile. The gash in my leg opened, red blood oozed from it and seeped into the thin material of my trousers. I looked down and the line of dark red contemplatively, my head in a trance as I watched it slowly become thicker. “Ben was hired to kill me, there’s more people out there who would be willing to take up his job. I think we should get someone to investigate that.” I stated numbly, absentmindedly tracing the dark stain on my thigh.

“Oh, your stitches opened up.” My mother gasped, kneeling next to my leg and frowning. “Stop bouncing your leg, it’ll worsen the cut.” She chided, her doting voice was more distracting than comforting at that point.

I waved her off, a thoughtful frown marred my features as I thought carefully over my next words, my stare still transfixed on my leg. I wasn’t talking to my friends anymore, and I didn’t think that acting as if I were was a smart idea. “I have an idea about how to proceed with the new… developments.” I voiced timidly. Finally, I raised my line of sight to look at all of the people present.

Next to Agatha, was my dad, he sat in his old wheelchair, the only one we had to use. On his left was Noah. He stood tall over all, his prominent muscled arms were hugged by his turtleneck, an air of intimidation and menace clouded around him. He kept his grizzly stare trained on me with squinted eyes. The same expression could be found on Roger, who stood to Noah’s right. Tucked safely under his arm was Rosemary, Alex’s mother and Roger’s wife, her eyes were soft with happiness. This was who she was before Roger’s disappearance.

Cassandra was missing from the room. She was still trying to cope with all that had happened. No matter what had happened that day, it didn’t change the years of love and happiness she had shared with Ben, unknowing of his heinous crimes. I could tell it was weighing on the whole Landon family. I hadn’t had a chance to talk to Maverick that day, only seeing him when he passed me in the hall on the way to his mother’s room. However, Noah wouldn’t even go near her, opting to stay on the other side of the manor.

Alex’s absence was a prominent feeling that overrode most of my thoughts. It was hard to concentrate with the constant tugging of my soul willing me to run to him. “I assumed you would,” Agatha said, “so? What do you have in mind for your future Miss Remington?”

-----------------------------

Okay, not gonna lie, this has probably been the best decision I could have made last summer. I am so grateful for all of my readers who have diligently stuck with this book. Happy Reading, elianacupido.