Chapter Twenty
“You know, I never did see your children.” Suzette was seeing us off with biscuits, as she claimed she did for everyone, while she craned her neck, hoping to catch a glimpse of our non-existent offspring.
“Yes, well, they do like to run around outdoors. Perhaps they’ve slipped past you,” Aleixo offered as I glared at him. It would have been so much easier if he hadn’t encouraged such a charade. Or had I encouraged it? I hardly knew anymore.
The rain had stopped, and all that was left was a steady length of puddles along the side of the road.
I threw on my cloak and made sure Dewdrop wasn’t visible in my shuffling.
Despite it being morning, there were dark clouds above us, and I couldn’t help but think about the progress we had lost in our night here.
The beds had been comfortable, and despite Suzette and I being polar opposites, I did really enjoy her company.
“Dearest,” I said, sugary sweet, “we had best be on our way.” He wrapped his arm around me unnecessarily, which I tried to pull away from, and we started our journey once more.
We were nearly round the bend, and since he hadn’t released me, I cleared my throat. “I do believe that is enough holding.”
Before he could speak, my skin began to crawl. Something wasn’t right. Without a second thought, I grabbed the front of his shirt and pulled him into a large bush, tucked away behind some trees. He landed on me and quickly pushed himself up onto his elbows.
“Well, if you wanted a moment like this, I would have been very accommodating.” His voice was low, and if I hadn’t been in such a panic, I would have melted like a chocolate drop on a skillet.
“Be quiet,” I whispered. I pushed him off and rolled onto my stomach, sliding over to peek through the bushes.
There was one lone, dark figure in the distance, approaching the inn we had just left.
His gait was slow, but he walked with a purpose, and the very air around him seemed to hollow in response to the joy that was just leeched from it.
He paused in front of the inn before looking down at the three forks in the road ahead of him, one of which we were on.
“Is that…” Aleixo whispered.
“It is. And if Suzette says anything, we are certainly in trouble.”
“Can he see us? Oh no, what if he can hear us?” Aleixo groaned in despair. “We’re doomed, aren’t we?”
“Are you mad?” I whispered back. “He’s a Realm Guard. He can see into different realms, and he can track the souls in each, but he doesn’t know their locations. Just that we’re still in this realm…that you’re still in this realm.”
“Well, you could have explained that to me a lot sooner. I thought he could see where we were.”
“What would be the point of running, then?” I asked, exasperation in my voice.
“I don’t know! I don’t understand anything that’s happening, and all your explanations are confusing!”
Chattering cut us off from under my cloak as Dewdrop’s little body peeked out. “She’s right. We must remain calm and quiet.”
“As long as you’re sure he can’t see us.”
“Aleixo, he can’t see us. He can’t see through objects. That would be ridiculous!”
“This whole realm is ridiculous,” he argued in a passionate whisper.
“You’re ridiculous.” It was the only response I had. “And he’ll be able to hear you a mile away if you do not cease speaking.”
Our exchange had gone on long enough for Suzette to enter the garden in front of the inn and startle when she noticed the Realm Guard.
Always the hostess, she gave him a small bow and gestured for him to enter the inn.
He obviously declined, and I saw her shake her head repeatedly.
He must have been asking questions because all her answers were no. Until finally, she nodded yes.
I closed my eyes for a moment, hoping she hadn’t been put in a difficult position. She had done so much for us and had been so kind, I would hate for her to be out of sorts.
Holding my breath, I saw her raise a hand, then watched her point down a fork in the road—one we had not taken. I slowly let my breath out and heard Aleixo do the same. We watched the Realm Guard lean over her and then suddenly turn in a rush, his eyes landing directly where we were hiding.
“We’re in trouble, aren’t we?”
The Realm Guard walked with a purpose as he headed in our direction. My heart thundered in my chest as I wondered what we should do.
“Calista…” Aleixo’s voice grew more desperate with each passing second. “What should we do?”
I nearly jumped up and began to run, but something held me in place.
Fear? Desperation? I couldn’t place it, but before I could have another thought, the Realm Guard stopped.
Then, ever so slowly, he turned to where Suzette had pointed, then to her.
His purposeful stride turned down the other path as he began to move away from us.
We watched him disappear, and it felt like ages before we could finally move. Neither of us knew what to do.
“We’d best remain here for the next hour or so before we keep moving.”
Aleixo had collapsed to the ground, his face buried in a pile of leaves. “Suits me just fine,” he mumbled.
Dewdrop crawled out from under my cloak, moved down my arm, and went to curl up on his back, patting it with two of her legs. If I hadn’t been afraid for my life, I would have laughed.