The Forest King

Chapter Twelve

T W E L V E

Night stained the skies as Grace stood wide-eyed before the beast from last night. Its enormous claws squeezed AC, windchimes hammering against her ears. AC's scream cut through all the other noise, its horrifying and wretched sound jolted awake. At the end of her bed, Ossenna sat with a wad of fabric in her lap. She glanced up at the jerking movement, her soft eyes tracing Grace's face.

"I requested to stay with you through the night," her voice light and breathy, "I brought you morning meal."

Grace was glad to have Ossenna, someone other than AC. After last night and her nightmare, she wasn't sure if she could bear to look at AC right now. She glanced at the food, her stomach tightening with nausea, "thank you but I'm not hungry."

"You've been through a lot, that's not hard to see, Grace. But none of us know what has transpire aside from those involved. You don't have to talk about it if you don't want to." She seemed so sincere, her hands returning to the fabric.

They sat in a comfortable silence, Grace sitting up in bed to get a better look at what Ossenna was making. She said it was a new gown for Alaynah, the design came to late the other night and Ossenna's been trying to figure it out. Fiddling with spare string, Grace thinks of her mother. How her nimble fingers worked to fix a tear in one of Grace's favorite shorts. She was so certain she didn't want to just throw it away. It was one of the few moments with her mother that Grace remembered not feeling hidden or cold, a tainted feeling with what she knows now.

There was a soft knock against the wood of the door, Ossenna lifting a hand to keep Grace where she was. Her bare feet padded to see who could be disturbing the peaceful atmosphere that had been delicately pieced together, her body almost immediately bending to bow. Ossenna stepped aside. Silas's tall frame stepping into view as he nodded to Ossenna. Her eyes flicking to Grace before silently leaving.

Grace looked to her hands, folding the corner of the thin blanket over itself. She forced her focus away from his eyes, not wanting to hear that she had to leave the Garden's. She knew the trouble she has caused, and now it was certain that Silas knows who she really is. The way he spoke of her father was like he looked up to him, and the disappointment of what her mother did was heavy. She was considered a traitor just as much.

"Our minds can be a dangerous place if we allow ourselves to dwell," he was calm, his forest green eyes watching her carefully. "What's going on in yours?"

Grace sighed, defeated and ready to just be cast away, "I know I caused a lot of trouble for your people, and I won't resent you for what you're about to do."

"And what is it that you think I'm about to do?" His brows furrowed in thought as he took a seat at the very edge of the bed. As far from Grace's still body as he could get.

She swallowed, "Turn me into the Realm Hunters. Send me away."

"The thought hadn't even crossed my mind."

She didn't understand. How could it not have been a thought to him? After all she's done. After the mess she's made trying to figure out who she is and where she belongs. It didn't make sense to not do things the easy way and turn her in. Was he really willing to sacrifice more for her? A traitor with forbidden blood that he owed nothing to.

"I don't understand," her disbelief soaked her words, her eyes finally pulling to his. Silas regarded her with warmth and understanding, something she didn't see very much of.

"You've become a part of us, Grace. The others have grown very fond of you, and we don't abandon our own. I'd like to help you, from here on. Where Elderon doesn't lie, AC was foolish to listen. With Elderon, there is usually a price to pay or a riddle to solve. We need not go far from our own to figure this out."

Silas stood, his head tilting to the door. Grace knew wasn't sure she knew where this was going. What Silas had in mind when he said they didn't have to go far. Was there someone here in the Gardens that could've helped all along? To save Grace from all of this trouble. Her reluctance was silenced as she realized this meant real answer from real sources. Silas knew about her parents, willing to just give up the information. She had no idea how much his help could benefit her.

His long legs led them to the sorcerers' house all while sticking to Grace's pace. When they approached the door it opened, Silas not once moving to knock. This time, Zacreus stood before them quickly ushering them inside.

"Are you guys psychic too?" Grace asked.

Silas paid no mind to the question, instead moving to take a seat at the rounded table pushed into the corner. Zacreus shook his head, "the spirits can be highly informative. How can I assist?"

Silas did most of the explaining, replaying everything to catch Zacreus up to speed. Grace watched them interact, the way the others seemed to regard Silas was so different than with themselves. It was somehow set on both casual and respectful, like they didn't even have to think about treating him so highly. As if he had earned their respect instead of demanding it.

Zacreus thought for a long moment, taking it all in. He shook his head with a furrowed brow, "Unfortunately, I'd be of little help. This is much more Melinoe's expertise."

As if he had shouted for her, Melinoe stepped in from the entryway of another side room. She bowed ever so slightly to both Grace and Silas before moving to sit, Zacreus taking his place beside her. Just as Silas moved to speak, Melinoe held a hand up in pause.

"There are many spirits that surround Grace," Zacreus spoke in translation, "which is natural for someone who has so recently traveled between realms."

Melinoe's eyes closed as she leaned forward, her brows knitting in concentration. Grace looked to Silas, not knowing if she needed to be doing something to help. Zacreus' voice cut through the silence, "she's trying to locate your father specifically. It's difficult, there is no way to ensure he'd come forth with not having known of your survival."

Grace felt defeated, her entire drive to find the truth beginning to wither in the face of still not receiving answers. They aren't any closer to a conclusion than the first night AC found her lying in the woods.

"Don't give up yet Grace," the words were like an echoing whisper in her mind, her head shooting up to meet Melinoe's intense stare. "You're here for a reason. You belong in the Gardens."

The look that crossed Zacreus' features was stained with disbelief. His eyes wide and switching between Grace and Melinoe. Never had she been able to communicate with anyone beside Zacreus and the bare minimum with Silas. Grace could sense how big of a deal it was, her own head swiveling with the sound. It was beautiful, like nothing she had ever heard before. Millions of whispers of the same melodic voice. Melinoe's voice.