Whispers of Willow

Chapter 45

Willow, Wes, and Luke were back in the grey cloudy sky that was a contrast to Hieroland. Wes increased the speed of the car which blew the dust off the road as they passed the trees.

"I had totally forgotten about Byron, and then they chased after us in the entire market," Willow narrated the entire story to Wes about what had happened with her and Luke.

Luke chimed in too from time to time and Wes listened.

"—And that's when you walked in!" she looked at him.

"Were you afraid that I wasn't going to show up?" Wes asked, momentarily taking his eyes off the road to look at her.

"No, I always knew you would."

"Ugh," Luke said from the backseat.

Wes slowed the speed of the car before pulling over near Willow's father's house.

"You sure you don't want to go?" He asked.

She looked at the house and smiled.

"No, I'll come back soon when I have more time."

If she went to her father's house she would have to say goodbye to Wes now instead of having a little extra time, and she wasn't sure she was ready for that just yet.

Her father would understand.

"Okay," he said before driving the car past the house and back to the city.

They reached the house at dusk. Exhausted, Willow went straight to Wes' bed and fell asleep. He tucked her in before turning the lights off and leaving the room after closing the door.

He walked to the living room to see Luke sitting on the sofa with a blood bag in his hand. He poured the blood into a cup and started drinking it.

"Want one?" He asked when Wes sat on the sofa beside him.

"Yes."

Luke poured the blood into another cup and handed it over to Wes.

"I'm leaving tomorrow," Wes said. "It is the day of the month when Aurum opens the barrier for importing the supplies."

Luke looked at him, taken aback. He had gotten used to having Wes around, as opposed to when he lived alone in this big house.

"Does she know?" He took a sip.

"She will. Is the apartment ready?"

"Fully furnished. She's welcome to stay here if she wants. I kind of like having her around," he said with a smile on his face.

When Wes didn't say anything, Luke looked at him to find him shooting daggers with his eyes.

"As a sister. I like having her around as a sister," he held his hands up in surrender. "Which she kind of is."

Wes laughed before patting Luke's back. They fell into a comfortable silence, sipping from the cup, and looking at the burning fireplace.

"I don't know why I was so intimidated by you when we were younger," Luke said all of a sudden, "maybe because you were royalty and I was the unfortunate cousin you didn't want... Thanks for reaching out to me though. It felt good when I thought that you needed me... like we were actual brothers."

Wes felt guilty hearing those words though it wasn't his fault. His father was to be blamed for misguiding him and leading him to believe that his mother's side of the family was not to be associated with.

"I'm sorry for not being around," he spoke in a low voice, "for not putting an effort into getting to know you until I needed you... And... We are brothers."