Awoken (Ilea, Book I) (COMPLETED)

Chapter 24

The white stone streets were just the same as I remembered them; bustling with life and commotion even as the sky turned from blue into a faded yellow orange. We made our way through the streets and I saw people staring at me - their eyes weren’t fearful like they had been last time, they were inquisitive. One face stood out in the crowd and reminded me of my more human days. It was the boy who Johanna had said was going to ask me on a date with him, his face brought back painful memories and I looked at the floor, suddenly trying to hold back tears.

It was difficult. Jacob and Johanna were always on the edge of my thoughts, but as long as I didn’t really think about them too much then the loss and anger was easier to deal with, when I got a reminder like that boy’s face it just brought the fact that they weren’t with me into the spotlight. I knew I didn’t want to get angry, so I pushed it down and away, making it cool like lava rock, but the sadness took more time. I missed them both so much.

I felt a warm hand on my bare arm and looked up into Rowans eyes, answering his unspoken question before he could even open his mouth. “I just miss Jacob and Johanna, being here makes it worse.” I pulled my mouth into a sad smile and asked Arian to go faster, knowing that the memories could not spring up so easily in the palace.

As we came into the stables I leapt off Arian and walked into her stall in front of her, pulling a bag of oats off the wall and feeding her some from the palm of my hand. If I had been in a better mood I would have smiled as her silken lips brushed across my skin, but instead I looked into her intelligent eyes and patted her nose once again. “I’ll be back as soon as I can manage.” I told her and then walked out into the courtyard.

The fading light cast strange elongated shadows across the cobbled floor, making the objects around them seem distorted and strange as I walked into the sun. I sighed; maybe I just wasn’t in the right mind set.

Rowan and a familiar person were talking in the doorway to the palace and they paused as I neared, “Ilea.” He bowed his head slowly in a mark of respect and then smiled. I couldn’t help but do the same when I compared this to our first conversation.

“Lord Rico, I trust that you are felling well?” I asked him politely.

“Yes, very well thanks to you.” He smiled again; it was a smile of companionship.

We carried on the conversation as we walked through the palace together. I became bored and decided to leave the two of them to talk and walked with them in thoughtful silence. It was only when we came to the outside courtyard that I suddenly realised that I was waiting for Isaac to pop up through one of the arches on the other side of the grass and flower beds. It hit me as hard as the memory of Jacob and Johanna when I realised that that would never happen again.

“Ilea?” I hadn’t realised that I’d stopped; I focussed my eyes on Rowan and felt the tear leak from the inner corner of my eye when I blinked. He walked back to me and put his arms around my waist. “What’s wrong?” He asked in a caring voice,

“This place…” I tried to start again so that it wouldn’t sound offending, “…It just reminds me of all the people I’ve lost. Being on Cadavain, it’s easy to push memories to the back of your mind but now I’m here again…it’s just hard.” I stood still for a few moments, trying to school my thoughts and expression. “Sorry, I’m ok now.”

Lord Rico looked awkward as we walked back to him and I apologised to him as well. We carried on walking through the palace and the conversation continued, this time I stayed fully focussed on what was being said not wanting to let my subconscious slip into the not so distant memories.

We came to a part of the palace that I wasn’t used to and I realised I didn’t know where our intended destination was. “Erm, where are we going?” I asked when the conversation came to a natural pause.