Because I Love You✔️

Chapter 29: Upon Thine Lips

Chapter Twenty-Nine: Upon Thine Lips

For the next few days, things were extremely awkward.

In the worst... possible... way.

And Xaphile... well, he was BEYOND pissed off.

The moment he'd been able to sit down and mull over what had happened... to think about what Ella Rochard had done... he had withdrawn into a furious silence. Animosity had literally risen around his body like a cloud of fury for the next three and a half days, making everybody uncomfortable.

During that time, he'd refused to talk to anyone at all, even Amelia.

And nobody had been brave enough to try talking to him, not even Ella, because he'd looked angry enough to kill. However, near the end of the week, he slowly began to calm down. He still didn't speak much unless he'd been asked a direct question, but it was better than being pissed.

But every time Ella looked at him, he ended up turning his head away from her.

He couldn't even look her in the eyes anymore, which was something that had already been pretty difficult to begin with. Neither of them had told the others what had transpired, but he was more than sure Amelia suspected something big had happened. 

Each day while they traveled, the brunette would explain more and more about magic, as well as the dangers that could come along with it. And at the end of each evening, they would find a quiet place to practice meditation.

If not for her offer to teach him how to tap into his magical abilities, he wouldn't have even attempted to try spending time with her. He still felt violated, and it disgusted him, but despite his negative feelings, he kept things light on her end and let her teach him how to meditate.

Slowly, day by day, his fury ebbed away a little at a time since training with Amelia was always soothing and it gave him a decent excuse to get away from Ella's stares.

The mountain range they'd been heading towards for the last eight days was looming above them, and the pass they needed to travel through was close enough to feel good about.

Gus had, each night, ridden ahead to scout things out and make sure nothing was out of place, but on the ninth evening, when everyone was setting up camp, he didn't go.

Instead, he pored over the map.

"Oi! Lady Ella!" he called. "We're not too far away from the pass, from the looks of things! If we get an early start tomorrow, we'll make it into the mountains by noon! The Cloud City of Ordin is at the very peak of the pass!"

"Excellent!" Ella exclaimed, shocking them with a delighted smile. "If I remember correctly, there are quite a few travelers who pass through there since Ordin is famous for its wind magic!"

"My father used to tell me stories about Ordin's wind mages!" Amelia breathed, looking up at the distant mountains with glimmering eyes. "He said that they could conjure clouds out of thin air!"

"He wasn't jesting," Gus chuckled, making all of them stare in shock. "They use a secret type of magic to keep the mountain air warm, misty, and humid despite the high altitude. I'm actually a regular visitor to Ordin, and it's one of the most relaxed and languished cities I've ever seen."

"Eh?" Amelia asked, blinking. "Relaxed and languished?"

"Indeed. It's quite famous for its extravagance, In comparison to our little lumber village, it's like setting a jewel beside a rock."

"I'm actually curious to see if the city is really as bold as some of the rumors I've heard," Ella noted, petting her horse and setting her forehead against the animal's. "I've only ever left Chisago for diplomatic reasons and to dispatch demons."