Because I Love You✔️

Chapter 121: Jealousy

Chapter One Hundred and Twenty-One: Jealousy

Twilight had descended and the rain had stopped when the group finally stopped traveling for the day.

The light of the sun had diminished, offering a candlelit glow to the forests. With the clouds scattering to the winds, a fleeting hue of amethyst emerged across the clearing sky. Xaphile kept his feelings off his face and joined everyone in the process of changing into some dry clothes.

For the first time since their departure, the faeries that had been accompanying them to the magical border actually joined them, since this would be their last night together.

In the morning, they would reach the barrier and Krishna and the other faery girls would head back to the city. Once everyone was warm and dry, the sprites used natural methods to get a fire going and Karla happily suggested playing a game called, 'Dare Not Laugh.'

To Xaphile's muted surprise, nearly everyone agreed to join in, even Ella.

"I will go first!" Karla announced, flicking her shoulder-length blonde hair out of her eyes. "The objective is simple: I will attempt to make you all laugh and whomever laughs first, loses and then has to take a turn to try and do the same."

"And what if we do not laugh?" Sarka deadpanned, giving her a smug look up and down.

"Oh, I am certain at least one of you will laugh," Karla assured her, not worried in the slightest. "If not many of you."

"Alright, then let us have a go," Ella said simply, folding her arms. "I can assure you that I will be the last one remaining. I'll have you know, I haven't truly laughed since I was eight."

"Oh, Ella," Amelia rolled her eyes. "That isn't something you should be bragging about."

"Aye, it's a bit miserable," Sinmir chuckled; he ducked when she threw an apple core at him. "Oi, watch it! I'm just speaking the truth, ya know!"

Ella merely stuck her tongue out at him.

All participated merrily, save Xaphile who inconspicuously snatched the wing harness that Gus had given him, grabbed one of his shirts, and walked off into the forest without telling anyone.

He was sick of walking around shirtless all the time.

Plus, he needed some time to let what had been revealed to him earlier sink in.

His placid face and cool eyes revealed little of what he was feeling, but on the inside, his heart had been turned into a sickening storm of hatred, anger, worry, anxiety, and fear. His brother was only a child. The thought of someone putting their hands on him made him sick.

He walked a little faster, tail dancing behind him, feeling his hair standing up.

"I shouldn't have wasted so much time here," he hissed, smashing a fist against a tree. "Fuck. He could have been tortured or worse during the time I spent here, thinking of nobody but myself, and I didn't even know it. God damn it!"

After pacing around a few more trees, which had steadily become more normal in size over the last week of traveling, he found a rather large cluster of boulders looming over a waterfall. He reclined against the cold stone backdrop of the rock face that framed the cascading water, taking a moment to look at the world around him.

Even though he was upset, he still marveled at the sight before him.

The stillness of the water below intrigued him most. He contemplated the dramatic contrast of the fall's arduous plummet from the craggy rocks above with the tranquility of the waters just yards away from where it plunged into the pool below to be absorbed into stillness.