Tower of Dove

Chapter 4: The River

Tower of Dove Chapter 4: The River

Lilyana sat in the center of the meadow with her knees tucked beneath her chin as she waited for the insolent boy-man to arrive. The sun had already risen, and he was late.

Of course he would be late. Why had she even come? No, she didn’t care if Miette became angry with her later, she was leaving. She didn’t want to meet with Hiero. She had no reason to, and he had no reason to want to meet with her besides maybe wanting to torture her.

She stood quickly and began to walk across the meadow grass, but then an annoyingly familiar voice called her name. She stopped and took a deep breath. She would not hit him with a tree branch. She would do her best not to hit him with a tree branch and sprint away. She assured herself of this repeatedly before turning around to face him. When she did, she turned right into him and her head bumped against his chest.

“W-why are you standing so close?” she said, quickly stumbling backwards. She had touched him, and that was walking on the edge between revolting and . . . no, it was just revolting. If he came that close again, she would break his nose.

He smiled at her discomfort. So that was why he had come so close. She needed to stop zoning out so often while around him. Alertness would better protect her from his homicidal ways.

“You actually came,” he said.

He had his hands shoved in the pockets of his worn out jeans and wore a hideous yellow shirt that seemed to be doing the best job it could at making him unattractive, but he had a nice face. She wanted him to be ugly. Maybe she could will him to be. He would be ugly. No, that wouldn’t work. At least he was a troll on the inside.

“Are you just going to stand there and stare at me, or are you going to say ‘hello’?”

Damn it, she really had to stop these obsessive observations of other people.

“I know you must be taken aback by my godlike looks, but it’s no reason to become a mute. I rather like that irritating voice of yours.”

Lilyana glared. “I was just thinking of how ugly you are.”

Hiero laughed and shook his head. “As if I could ever be ugly.”

Of course he would say that. “Are you just going to brag about how amazing you are?”

“You think I’m amazing?”

“I didn’t mean it that way.”

“That’s what it sounded like.” He smirked. “It’s okay to tell the truth, Lilyana. I don’t blame you.”

She closed her eyes and took another deep breath. She would not beat him with a tree branch. She would be the better person.

“Am I annoying you?”

She opened her eyes and saw him smiling. He looked like a gremlin with those bulbous, glowing green eyes.

“Why did you even force me to meet you?” she asked. Her fists were clenched, but she made no effort to relax her tense muscles. This way she could be ready to punch him if needed.

“I didn’t force you,” he said. “If you really didn’t want to meet me, you wouldn’t be here.”

What? He had no right to decide that. She was only here because of Miette and the damn ultimatum he had given her.

“Fine,” she said. “Then I’ll just leave.” She shoved past him, but he grabbed onto her long sleeve. Great, now she would have to burn that shirt. She shouldn’t have worn long sleeves in the summer, anyway. The day had just been so nice.