The Forgotten Prophecy

Chapter 45

She could obviously see how tired Matthew was. His shoulders were tense, and his head was bent down because of the pain he felt with every slight movement he made. Ines wanted to scream at him for being so foolish, so headstrong in staying with her, but deep down she was happy not to lose him from her side.

Their heated conversation in the clearing had left her flushed and perplexed. Her thoughts were a tangled mess, she didn't know where his discovery had left them. For the last couple of months, they had built a close relationship, a friendship even, but that was that. They had never overstepped the boundaries beyond something that could be called intimate.

She couldn't dare hope that he felt the same way as she did. She was too unladylike and loud and ungracious, everything he might find repulsive. Despite knowing she had no map to his heart, though, she felt herself constantly gravitate towards him.

Her eyes kept stealing glances at his muscled back, his strong arms she wished they would envelope her and dissolve her fears, only to quickly suppress her attraction to him and feign stoicism. Every time her mind traveled back to him she had no choice but to reminded herself that she could never close the chasm between them.

Her dark thoughts kept her company while they were treading steadily towards the city. Matthew had stated with confidence that there they would finally find the missing piece of the puzzle, what exactly that was, though, he hadn't explained.

'Did you overhear what the guards said?' Matthew's voice brought her back to reality.

He had stopped walking and had turned around to look at her. The elves, curious to hear what they were saying, slowed down their pace and stood close to them.

'When?' she asked.

'Last night, while we were inside that cell.'

'No,' she shook her head.

Most probably she had been asleep then.

'They said people from the palace distribute the weapons at the camp.'

Ines finally understood why he was insisting that they went back to the city. He had discovered the palace's implication in the weapons' outspread and he suspected someone close to the king, or even the king himself was connected to that elf's vengeful plans.

'The last time we went to the palace we almost got killed,' Inerma snorted.

'Then we'd better be more careful this time,' Ines replied.

'That's all?' Matthew interjected. 'Be more careful? We need a plan!'

'We will figure out something on the way. Don't worry.'

'Oh, I worry. Because somehow I end up with all these scars.' The moment those words came out of his lips guilt flashed in his bright eyes. He opened his mouth to speak, making a move towards her, but before he could reach out to her, Ines span around to avoid his burning touch. Without sparing another glance back, she began walking towards the place they used to call home.

As her feet hastily led her out of the woods, she desperately tried to fight the rising pain inside her. She felt like his words had dug a sharp knife directly to her chest. He had been the one to dismiss her pleadings, her efforts to protect him, and now he was reminding her how careless she had been, like she wasn't already regretting her actions.

Ines sighed in dismay and gazed at the landscape before her. The city sprung up on the hill and sang to the sunlit cloud that was in eager anticipation of much rain. There was an expanding of the colours of the town, a brightening reflected on the lake's surface as the day strengthened.