CHAPTER 41 #2
“Yeah, what’s going on?” Cade asked. “Something so important you forgot to say hi properly? Did you find something to help Auden? You know, like the proper Vesren you’re supposed to be?”
A vein bulged in Edmund’s forehead. “I’m going to kill you both,” he seethed.
“How’s that for a greeting?” His hands ran through his hair.
“It’s Lenore—I went to visit her, and she wasn’t anywhere.
” He began to pace, far too agitated to stand still.
“What happened while I was gone? I told you two to keep her safe in case anything happened!”
The siblings couldn’t even get a word in as Edmund continued to freak out.
“How could you do this to me—I asked for your help, and now she’s missing!
” Worry stormed in his eyes, spilling out into his voice that went raw with his emotions.
“I asked her to do something that might’ve been too much for her.
She might be terrified, in pain, or—or—” He sucked in a breath, refusing to go further.
“You know how important she is to me. I forced everyone to keep moving just to get home early for her!” He stopped pacing, whipping around to glare fiercely at his siblings.
“If even one little scratch is on her once I find her, you’re all dead to me. ”
Instead of consoling her brother, Gwyneth kept up the act. “Lenore’s missing? I checked on her earlier, so this is news to me.”
“Are you sure you looked everywhere?” Cade asked. He pretended to look lost in thought. “Hmm…”
“Do you think I’d come yelling at you guys if I didn’t?!” Edmund snapped. “You’re going to come and help look for her, before I tear this whole place inside out.”
“I can believe that,” Cade said. “So this is the power of being fated mates, huh?”
Edmund took a long breath, trying to steady himself. The panic behind his voice briefly disappeared, his eyes softening as he said, “She’s more than that to me.”
The tips of Lenore’s ears reddened, her whole face radiating heat. She pressed her hands against her cheeks, silently screaming to herself as she basked in the sweetness of his words.
“... Why aren’t you two matching my energy right now? How dare you two, of all situations, try to look like the composed ones! Do I need to bark a command at your face to get it?”
“We don’t know what to listen to if you’re yelling so much!” Gwyneth shrugged.
“You gonna keep torturing him like this?”
Lenore’s shoulders jerked up when she heard Fia’s voice behind her.
She turned, staring up at Fia between her fingers.
The old woman had one hand on her hip, her indifferent face betrayed by the mirthful glint in her eyes.
Lenore’s lips were parted, far too embarrassed to speak or move.
With her skin so flushed, she wished she could hide right now.
“Well?” Fia prompted.
“I... I don’t think I can face him right now.” Lenore pressed her knuckles tight against her lips, head sinking into her shoulders.
“Stars. Someone help these idiots.” Fia moved out into the open, tilting her head for Lenore to follow. She weakly crawled over, choosing to hide behind the rails while Fia leaned her elbows on top, staring down at the others. She whistled sharply, grabbing everyone’s attention.
“Hey Vesren,” Fia called out to Edmund. “Are you too busy being a headless chicken flapping around, or did you even try to smell the air in here?”
Lenore peeked through the rails, breath hitched when Edmund stared right at her. He stilled instantly. Gwyneth and Cade had fallen to the floor, both laughing hysterically.
“E-Edmund…” She squeezed the rails between her hands. A small, embarrassed noise escaped her. “... Welcome home?” The tiniest of smiles graced her lips.
Edmund’s face mirrored Lenore’s reddened complexion. A hand flew to his face, covering his mouth as he suddenly broke into a stride, practically running away from sight and out into the gardens as his coattails flew behind him.
“Hey—” Gwyneth wheezed as she tried to stand up. “I—hah—thought that—HA—you were looking ALL OVER for Lenore! Where are you going?!”
“We know how important she is to you!” Cade howled with glee. The siblings couldn’t contain their energy any longer—transforming into wolves to run around. Continuous laughter filled the space, the boisterous vibes heightening Lenore’s flustered state.
Fia shook her head, unable to stop a big grin from forming on her mouth. “Lenore.”
Lenore had leaned her forehead against the rails, groaning quietly as her bangs dragged up against the wood. “Yes?”
“Go after him.”
Lenore let out a long, wordless whine. Slowly she stood up, heart thudding hard and fast in her chest. A dizzying spell of emotions swarmed her—she couldn’t tell if she was excited, nervous, or afraid. It was everything all at once.
Led by his scent, she made it down the stairs and through the corridors with only the echoes of laughter behind her. Her trembling hands smoothed her hair, then her ivory dress. She quickly paused at any reflective surface, desperately checking to see if she looked the best she could.
Lenore eventually found herself outside, caressed by the moonlight that spilled out into the gardens below.
It was unlike any other garden she’d been in—wild in nature, with tall patches of flowers and grass everywhere.
She moved through what she guessed was the path, occasionally cutting through the waist-high flowers.
Wooden trellises covered in hanging clusters of vines soon obstructed the sky, the pristine moon peeking through the gaps.
The ground below transitioned into moss-covered stones, the cracks overgrown with glowing blue flowers.
Eventually, the quiet pads of her footsteps stopped. Ahead of her stood an aged balustrade, the boundary between the gardens and the vast cliffs beyond. The mountains silhouetted the background, inky black beneath the night sky. It was beautiful—a testament to untouched nature.
But all she could focus on was the man who stood at the fence, his back facing her. Lenore moved forward, each step slow and deliberate—stopping once her fingers laid themselves on the top of the cool stone of the balustrade’s railing.
She was a good distance away from him, each standing in their own corner. Both of them kept their heads averted, unable to face the other. The coldness did nothing to the heat that refused to leave her body. Lenore took a breath, choosing to break the silence first.
“It’s a beautiful view out here,” she whispered. “I’ve never seen anything like this.”
But her eyes went down to her hands, unable to distract herself with the world’s beauty. Every fast beat of her heart amplified the charged silence between them.
“... I think those words better suit you.”
Lenore slowly turned to look at Edmund, heat spreading through her stomach when she saw the way he stared at her. Shy as he was with his furrowed brows and the twitch of his jaw, the unbound adoration burned in his gaze—a man captivated by her alone.
“Huh? Oh—w-what?” Stumbled words spilled out, a shy laugh hiding her jumbled nerves within. Eyes flitting down and back, she tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. “What do you mean?”
Edmund’s fingers pressed hard against the stone. “Lenore, I can’t even see anything out here except you.”
“Oh, stars.” Lenore’s voice barely reached a whisper. “Is this really Edmund I’m talking to? The one who usually calls me a weak whelp?”
She could hear him take a deep breath. “I’m dying on the inside,” he mumbled back. “You’ve turned me crazy. Made me completely undone.”
It was her turn to try to breathe. Lenore huffed gently. “It makes up for you running away from me earlier,” she teased. “Making a maiden go after you? There’s something wrong with that.”
Edmund groaned quietly. “I never felt so exposed. And for you to hear that in front of all my family?” He pressed his hand against his face, fingers squeezing at his temples.
“If it weren’t for the fact that I’m... desperately in love with you, I would’ve just jumped over a cliff.
Everything so far has been me struggling to try to...
to woo you properly, if I could even call it that. ”
“... You’re in love with me?” Lenore’s voice was small, almost unable to fully believe it. “I always thought in the back of the mind that maybe you only cared a little because of... you know. Our… bond.”
Edmund lowered his hand. “Just because of the bond? No.” He took a step forward. “It just led me to you.” He swallowed hard. “I admit when I saw you for the first time, I thought you were the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen. I didn’t know how to handle it.”