Daughters of Creation

Chapter Thirteen: Quatervois (Part Two)

It was Millicent's shout of "They're coming! They're finally back!" sent them rushing from their separate rooms. Thankfully, Rosalyn had not been left alone with her thoughts for too long, most of them circling around Hari, actually. She had decided she would rather think of his face, a face that spoke of kindness and openness, than think about the implications of the voice that wasn't hers. Of course, thinking of Hari came with its own troubles, but those wounds burned like old injuries from long ago. Not as fresh as the ones that came with the harsh words said between her and Emrie Michele.

Rosalyn kissed Ebony's great head, threading her fingers through her familiar's thick coat before releasing and racing out of her room to meet Vela and the Guards. When she entered the room the sight that greeted her took her breath away; a sight that gripped her heart and squeezed. None of them were injured, which meant they hadn't been caught, but Vela leaned against Andre looking weary to the bone and exhaustion leaking from every pore. All of them looked like Vela. It was the sight of their bone crushing weariness that caused Rosalyn's heart to nearly collapse within itself. Her eyes met Hari's over everyone and she wanted nothing more to run to him and throw her arms around his neck and simply breathe him in, but her feet remained rooted to the ground. Something like disappointment flashed through his eyes but she choose to ignore it—had to ignore it.

Dana barreled past everyone, throwing herself at Vela—doing the exact thing Rosalyn wanted to do with Hari. A great sigh of relief tumbled from Dana and her shoulders visibly slumped as she hugged Vela tightly to her.

Vela spluttered, but laughed all the same. "Easy, Dannie, you're going to suffocate me."

Dana let go reluctantly, brown eyes warm. "I'm ju st so glad you're safe and back with us!"

Andre chuckled, staring in adoration and awe at Vela. "Aren't we all."

Vela flushed, avoiding Andre's gaze but sinking into his side nonetheless. "I'm okay, guys. We all are."

"Tell us everything!" Millicent bit out impatiently, waving her hand in the air for them to move away from the door.

Vela untucked something from her cloak, moving away from Andre and toward the dining table, leaving the rest of them to fall in behind her if they wanted to see what she was doing. They all fit around the table, tight but not too uncomfortable. Rosalyn found herself squished between Millicent and Emerson and she found herself okay with where she was. Hari stood directly opposite her, making it impossible to run from his imploring gaze. She knew his gaze drifted to her exposed mark every few seconds, but she couldn't read the expression in his eyes, his face was a well crafted mask. Oh, she hadn't forgotten how he had carried her back to the apartment after they had all found the rose, or how he had quietly supported her as she told them the plan, or how he had lead her back to her room to rest ... how he had stayed when her hand had darted out, her lips forming the words to ask him to stay, his hands tender against the side of her face as he tucked a curl away from her face. No, she hadn't forgotten, and how could she with those stupidly, enrapturing brown eyes looking at her like they could see deep within her—and she was sure they could.

Rosalyn pried herself from her thoughts, shaking herself of her ghosts as Vela began to speak.

"While Rena and the others were busy relaying their report I followed their directions and found the room that held the scroll behind its door." Vela spoke excitedly, as if she had not just broke into Oleander Hold, the most deadly place in the Veil, and stole a scroll right from under the noses of the Council. Rosalyn could barely contain her smirk. "Anyways, I searched the entire room from top bottom almost five times before I was about to give up, but right as I was about to give up and try a different room I felt something guide me to the very back of the room—to a corner I had missed since it had been so dark."