Silent Orchids (The Age of Alandria: Book One) (20 page)

Well done, Kaeleigh
was all he said and yet it sent flutters all through her stomach. It shouldn’t have. Daegan led the way, while she and Chel walked together in the middle and Finn brought up the rear. 
Lovely, a gender sandwich.

Not even an hour later, Finn stopped, arms folded at his chest, daring Daegan to counter him, maybe even hoping he would. “This looks like a decent place to stop for the night.”

Both the girls looked at Daegan, pleading with their eyes but not allowing their bodies to reflect how tired they really were. Daegan surveyed the area, gave a curt nod, then walked back the short distance to where they all had stopped.  

They were still deep in the forest but had found a small clearing. It was surrounded by giant trees tall and proud alongside smaller ones draped in greenery that clung from tree to tree and branch to branch, stitching them together. Large boulders and smaller, newer trees were scattered amidst the clearing. The ground was mostly dirt but scattered patches of grasses, flowers, and various other coverings gave it a comfortable, peaceful atmosphere.  

Looking around, Kaeleigh took it all in. “There is something oddly familiar about this place,” she said to no one in particular. “It looks like it was used for something. Those boulders don’t look naturally placed the way they are, like they were put there to circle something.”

Finn, too, looked around at what she was seeing and stiffened. In a memory flash he was instantly taken back to a time sixteen years ago. He had been here before... there was a wedding.
But why would Kaeleigh find it familiar? Unless...
Finn’s hands at his sides began shaking. 

Kaeleigh, closing the gap between them, asked, “Finn, are you okay? Did you hear something? Is someone coming?”  

He quickly regained his composure and used the out she had just unknowingly provided him. “I thought I heard something, but I don’t think so now.”
You would have heard it long before I did with that new hearing of yours
, he thought to himself. He inconspicuously tried to gauge Daegan’s reaction as he no doubt heard their entire interaction.  

Daegan’s face remained impassive, but he was taking in the entire clearing with a hard look in his eyes. “We should move on,” he flatly stated and began to circle back around to the way they were heading.

“What?” Kaeleigh demanded.

“Why?” Chel asked at the same time with her eyes locked hard onto Daegan’s and her arms stubbornly crossed at her chest. As soon as he returned her stare, she couldn’t help but lower her eyes.

Finn remained quiet, but undoubtedly looked uncomfortable. Daegan looked to him, studying his face.
For what? Support? Allegiance? Well, he isn’t going to get it from me even though I would do almost anything to not stay the night here
, Finn thought. 

A little quirk appeared at the side of Daegan’s mouth as he suddenly came to some internal decision. “All right, after further thought, we will stay here as planned. You still good with that,
Finn
?” 

All eyes shifted to Finn. He shifted his posture from defensive to casual, leaning against one of the boulders. He met the challenge. “Of course, fine,” he said stronger than he felt at present, but to let Daegan see that would give him the satisfaction he was looking for and Finn wasn’t going to be the one to give it to him.  

The girls gave a sigh of relief and sagged against each other on a large boulder that was roughly flattened on top, making a nice place to sit. Kaeleigh hugged her knees up to her chest. “Now what?”  

Finn dropped the firewood he had just been gathering when he noticed where the girls had sat. His jaw dropped slightly open. “Get off the rock,” he whispered shakily. Kaeleigh and Chel jumped up as if their asses were on fire, remembering the last rock they thought was a boulder, but turned out to be a large beast of a creature.  

“What? What?” they cried, flailing about as if there was something on them they were trying to get off.  

Finn, white as a ghost, shook his head quickly and wiped a hand down his face to shake off the memories. He then kicked the rock to cover up his falter. “I guess it was nothing. I thought I saw it move.” He stormed back into the forest to get more firewood and blow off a little steam. If he was wound any tighter, he was going to explode. Daegan knew something, and it had him on edge.  

Daegan watched the charade with little interest, but watched nonetheless. He had his own memories of this place, but Finn seemed to be much more haunted than he was letting on. The girls seemed to be oblivious—well at least Chel did—but Kaeleigh appeared to be putting on a bit of her own show for Finn, probably buying time while she puzzled it out. She was seeing something but he wasn’t sure what it was. Not that he cared. He didn’t need to know anything about these people, as he was just delivering them amongst his other duties, but they were becoming more interesting the further into Alandria they got. He must not get involved though.  His arm had burned him a couple times already; a warning.  

✾✾✾

The fire was crackling and finally giving off a good amount of heat as Kaeleigh, Chel, and Finn snuggled close together, warming their hands and bodies by the fire. Daegan had come back earlier from a quick hunting trip with a couple of rabbits that they cooked up for dinner. Kaeleigh had never eaten rabbit nor did she want to, but she was starving and tried to pretend it was chicken. Chel, on the other hand, who had been sensitive to animals all her life, would have rather starved herself into an early grave before she ate Bambi or his friend Thumper. Luckily for her, they had packed some of their own snacks in their backpacks so she wouldn’t starve—at least not tonight. Night had fallen and with it a cool breeze. Daegan stood off a bit from their group, close enough that he could still feel the fire, but far enough not to be considered a part. Isolated. His hand rested on the pommel of his sword strapped at his hip. His eyes scanned the forest, constantly on alert. Kaeleigh felt safe with him there, whether he was really there for their safety or just keeping them safe long enough to get
somewhere
—hopefully, somewhere with answers. 

Finally resting in this place, she was able to give way to some of her thoughts. Finn didn’t trust Daegan and she didn’t completely either, but she wanted—no,
needed
—some answers, and right now that outweighed her uneasy feeling. Something was going on with each of her friends too, but she didn’t know how to approach it, especially with Daegan around. She didn’t want to expose them to a stranger.
Even though it seems he knows more about them than I do right now
. He had all but proved that he could hear extremely well too. Her own enhanced hearing was a surprise to her. So many things were feeling new. She felt this new energy stirring and fluttering up inside her body and she didn’t know what to make of it. 

Glancing back to where Daegan stood, she felt another emotion stir... sadness. He seemed not only distant and cold, but also alone. As if sensing her thoughts, he turned sharply to look at her with anger—no! hatred—in his eyes. She shrank back, taken off guard, bumping into Chel. Assuring Chel she was truly fine, she quickly glanced at Daegan again, to find him not looking at her but head down with a frown, pinching the bridge of his nose as if to relieve a headache. Something seemed off. There was an odd, faint green aura around him she didn’t remember seeing. Well, she was not going to be some weak, helpless little girl that let some big mean guy bully her around. She didn’t understand what she often saw storming in his eyes, but she would not be made to be afraid. Not again.  

Kaeleigh got up, gathering her inner courage with her.
Come on, Kaeleigh, pull up those big-girl panties.
She didn’t march like an entitled brat over to get in his face, she simply walked. Boldly. He didn’t even watch her approach, although he knew she was coming. He ignored her, the ultimate insult. Kaeleigh got close, close enough that she could feel the heat radiating off of his chest but not so close that she couldn’t look up to his face. Shaking inside, her heart beating loudly and out of control, she thought she might be sick, but took a deep breath to gather her control. Feeling that unfamiliar stirring in her soul once again, she clenched and unclenched her fists, trying to regain control of her heart. She would not let him intimidate her and she would not back down until he acknowledged her.

Kaeleigh instinctively let go of the pressure that had been building inside her petite frame and directed it at Daegan. He gave the barest flinch. She wasn’t even sure what had happened. Apparently, neither did he as he looked down at her with confusion then instinctively took the smallest step back. She had won. He looked even angrier but she knew it wasn’t at her, but at himself. Not wanting to pursue a challenge, she too took one step back. Daegan acknowledged her with the curtest nod. His eyes found hers and she felt her breath hitch. There was connection. She had never felt that before. She could feel the energy surrounding her—his energy—reaching out and pulling her closer. Kaeleigh didn’t think he did it on purpose. When she remembered why she approached him, the connection broke. She felt empty and confused.  

“I don’t completely trust you, but right now you are the only thing leading me to hopefully something that will help me understand who I am and what I’m searching for. So I’m trusting you with our protection, which you have offered. I’m sure we are an inconvenience to your traveling, but I wanted to say... I appreciate it,” she said, not really even sure why she did. Oddly, he stared at her with even more confusion and possibly anger. “Why are you so angry with me?” she said. “I don’t understand why you are so hostile toward me. Are you always like this?”

To her surprise he answered her. “You may not ever understand who you truly are and you must be prepared to be let down.” He turned his head to gaze out past her. “Yes, I am pretty much always like this. And I am not angry with
you
.” He closed his mouth, done discussing it. She wasn’t entirely sure his answer was in regards to her at all.

Kaeleigh looked up at the small opening in the tree canopy that was above their little clearing. Stars were bursting everywhere. It was the most beautiful sight she had ever seen. “Everything is so much more vivid here. The night sky is unbelievable!”  

Suddenly, Kaeleigh looked around frantically. Daegan stared at her in confusion but reached for his sword instinctively. “What? Do you hear something?” Daegan asked quietly, looking all around them.  

“Don’t you hear it?” Kaeleigh asked, now holding a hand over one of her ears. “It’s getting louder, what is it?”  

Daegan, staring in bewilderment, then looked to her other friends. “Do you hear anything over there?” They both shook their heads and headed toward them. “We don’t hear it Kaeleigh. What do you hear?” Daegan said close to her ear, not sure if she could even hear him. She had both hands over her ears now and was starting to crumple to the ground. The anguish etched in her face showed obvious pain. It made him cringe and tore at something deep inside him.

“The buzzing, it’s getting louder! Make it stop... head hurts... dizzy... who are they?” Kaeleigh said breathlessly, trying to get words out. Finn and Chel each grabbed one of her elbows, guiding her gently to the ground. Worried, they looked at each other and then at Daegan. 

Finn yelled, “What did you do to her?”  

Daegan’s eyes widened with instant fury and stepped toward Finn. “I did nothing to her!” he spat.

Finn started to yell something back at Daegan when Chel grabbed his arm and looked between them. “STOP IT!
Both
of you. Kaeleigh needs help, what do we do?” Chel yelled and pleaded at the same time. A trickle of blood began to run from Kaeleigh’s nose.

Daegan, not knowing if he could do anything to help, instinctively reached out and touched the side of her face with just the tips of his fingers. Kaeleigh stilled at his touch. He hadn’t realized that she had been shaking from whatever was happening to her. Daegan wasn’t a healer. He didn’t know what to do, but this seemed natural. From his contact with her, through a gift of his, he was picking up some kind of static, LOUD static. Tremors crept up through his arm coming from his connection to Kaeleigh. His eyes widened, but Daegan added his other hand to meet the opposite side of her face, trying to get a deeper read. She began to relax little by little into his hands. 

Peeking out from under heavy eyelids, the first thing she saw were deep chocolate-brown eyes boring into hers. She locked on to their strength and intensity. Daegan was straining with his head tilted slightly to the right. Eyes still open, always on alert. Chel’s expression had gone from fear for her friend to amazement at what she was seeing. Finn, on the other hand, was looking on with skepticism and protection, standing tall now with his arms folded at his chest, watching and waiting.  

Kaeleigh’s whole body suddenly relaxed as the buzzing ceased. Daegan removed his hands and took a step back to give her room.  She could barely raise her head, but uttered an almost inaudible “Thank you.” Her world tilted on its axis before she collapsed and passed out.

✾✾✾

Slowly, Kaeleigh began to wake up. She had no idea how long she was out. It was dark now but that only told her it wasn’t morning yet. The fire still crackled and Chel was huddled close to her, asleep. Light from the fire danced off the large boulder that sat at their back, making interesting shadows to look at as she lay on the ground covered in a duster-style jacket that she recognized as Daegan’s. She slowly raised her head, rolled to her side, and then pushed herself up to sitting but got woozy and almost immediately lay back down. 

Daegan’s voice, quiet but across the fire from them, carried to her. “Go easy or you’ll just pass out again.” She was sure there was a smirk at the end of that sentence.  

Slowly, Kaeleigh tried to sit up once again. “How long was I out? Where’s Finn?” she asked, noticing that he wasn’t by the fire. Her head was pounding from a headache but not near the pain from last night or whenever it was. She sat cross-legged, rubbing her head and pinching the bridge of her nose.