Forgotten Days (Fate's Intent Book 6) (16 page)

My father smiled. “Well, not directly. Aleksander and myself, with some mild encouragement from your mother, have agreed on combining your wedding gifts all into one. Since you really have no need for riches, this was the next best thing.”

“Well, where is it?”

He glanced at Aleksander and they both started to turn on their horses. “Follow us.”

We were taken through the city where we received cheers and the citizens were still celebrating the marriage. We enjoyed some of the festivities from merely passing through and continued to be led out the western gate towards the military base stationed at the wall.

“Father, where are we really going?”

“If I told you, it wouldn’t be much of a surprise.”

My eyes rolled and Adele swiftly hit me in the leg with a quiet voice. “Zayden! Shh!”

I smiled to her reaction and remained quiet through the military base. The soldiers welcomed us but I didn’t feel I deserved their welcome. I wronged them and tried my best not to make long periods of eye contact until we made it out the last gate.

“There yet?” I asked with a sigh delivered with my words.

“Not even close.” My father smiled.

We headed off to the west with our horses in a steady gallop, still unsure about where we were being taken. I made Rift ride with me for a bit, worried that he couldn’t keep up or would tire out faster than the horses but we remained quiet most of the time while traveling on the familiar road by another familiar place.

“Mmm, this brings back memories.” Ruby smiled.

I laughed. “What? You mean like a couple months ago?”

“Has it been that long?” Adele asked sarcastically.

“Is there something funny about this place?” My father asked.

I was trying to avoid answering but Adele had to notice and smiled. “This is where they decided to change their minds about us.”

“Oh, I see.” My father moved his eyes towards me.

“Okay.” Aleksander cut in to step away from the awkwardness of the past. He was good at getting out of conversations just like Adele was. “Let’s keep going so we use all the daylight we can.”

I was fine with that. It was best to keep the travel quiet so nothing would come up that my father would feel sour about. I still had no idea where we were going but I knew I didn’t want him to be angry in any way. I can’t even remember the last time we actually traveled anywhere with each other. I didn’t want to make it into a bad experience.

We didn’t stop until the sun went down and by then, everyone was ready to rest.

“Adele, do you mind?” Aleksander asked.

“Of course, father.” Adele stepped away from me and created the gateway to an underground shelter with just a few movements of her hands.

My father stood by and watched with a raised eyebrow. “For some reason, that doesn’t surprise me.”

“I told you what she can do. It shouldn’t surprise you.”

“Just still trying to take it all in, I guess. It’s a lot to handle to see a group this big capable of weird things.”

I smiled and we unpacked the horses and headed down. We got comfortable sitting around a fire for a little while, Rift at my feet and we listened to Aleksander and my father reminiscing openly about their past or more like eavesdropped because we didn’t have anything to talk about.

“I remember.” Aleksander laughed. “And she hated it every time we had to go back.”

My father sighed while he thought about it. “I know but it was safer that way. She knew that. I never wanted her to stay here because I knew what would happen if anyone found out and I couldn’t risk that.”

“Then what did you say to her when she showed up? I mean, she wasn’t herself for the longest time until she actually decided to give it all up and come here.”

My father stared into the fire, his eyes focused. I was unsure if he would answer but he did. “I told her she shouldn’t stay.” We were surprised by his answer but kept our reaction to ourselves. “I didn’t want her to get close to me. I wanted her to remember me the way I was and not how I’ve become. My body was still in its healing process and I didn’t want her to see it but she refused to think that she could see any different of me and promised she wouldn’t turn away. I ended up giving in. I’ve always have a thing about saying no to her so I showed her.” There was a pause as he thought back to that night more deeply and everyone waited. “She was completely—horrified. She didn’t say it but I could see it. It was written all over her face. I figured she would have turned away when her eyes started to water but instead she got closer and wrapped her arms around me, not wanting to let go. She stayed since then. I couldn’t turn her away after that, knowing she was going to be the only one that would see me for me no matter what.”

Jaylyn sighed in awe. “That’s so romantic.”

“Maybe at the time but even now I know she has a hard time seeing me like that. She just won’t say it.”

“It couldn’t be that bad that she thinks that even now.” Ruby said.

My father shook his head. “You couldn’t even imagine it.”

“Can you show us?” Jaylyn asked.

My father looked around at everyone and noticed we all wanted to know. He was curious as to why but still refused. “No. It’s not something someone should want to see.”

“Would you show us if I told you we could get rid of it?”

“Rid of it? They’re almost thirty year old scars.”

Adele smiled and she glanced over at Jaylyn with a slight raise of her left eyebrow. “Doesn’t matter. Jaylyn’s pretty good. She could get rid of them for you if you want.”

“If I want? What kind of question is that? I’d sell my soul to the Dark Ones years ago to get rid of them.”

We quickly looked around at each other to the phrase he used. Did he really know? We were all a little shocked to hear another living person use it.

“You know about the Dark Ones?” Jaylyn asked. “How?”

“That’s where my father is. No surprise to me.” Our eyes got wide. “What? How do you know about them?”

“We know some on the other side that recently left this world, fighting against them.” Aleksander answered.

“Yeah.” Jaylyn muttered. “My daughter is with them.”

“You’ve lost a child? That must have been horrible. I’m so sorry.”

Jaylyn got a slight smile on her face. “It’s all right. We still see her.”

“You mean she can visit? That’s highly unusual.”

Troy smiled and rubbed Jaylyn’s back for comfort of the conversation. “Ellie is special. The most well informed little four year old you’ll ever meet.”

“And her father?”

We looked over at Jaylyn and she clearly hesitated for just a moment before answering. “He’s with her.”

A small giggle echoed around us and began to grow as if it were getting closer.

My father stiffened right up and was looking around. “Do you hear that?”

“It’s her.” I said.

Ellie appeared kneeled down next to Jaylyn and giggled again with her blonde curls shaking. “You’re talking about me!”

“Hi, Ellie.”

“Hi, mama! What are you doing out here?”

Jaylyn laughed. “Ah, I’m not really sure.”

Ellie had a confused look on her face and Aleksander smiled at her reaction. “We’re taking them somewhere as their wedding gift.”

“Oh yeah! I almost forgot about the wedding! You looked beautiful, mama!”

“You were there?”

“You couldn’t see me. Daddy didn’t want me to make a scene!”

Jaylyn laughed again. “I guess that was for the best. Where is your father?”

Ellie gasped and she appeared up on her feet. “He’s mad at me. I wasn’t supposed to come.”

“Why not?”

Kole appeared a few paces away. “Ellie, what are you doing?”

“I’m sorry, daddy, I just had to come.”

“We’ve talked about this, baby. You’re putting them in danger by being here.”

I was confused yet didn’t think that sounded like good news and I looked over at Jaylyn. She was the pinnacle of worry. “Kole, what’s going on? Why can’t she be here?”

“The elders have prohibited all future crossings to this world.”

“What?” Jaylyn’s eyes started to water. “No! They can’t!”

“They can actually and they have.”

“But why?”

“It’s not safe for you. If the Dark Ones know that Ellie visits the living world, they’ll use you to get to her.”

“What is that even supposed to mean? I’m never going to be able to see her again?”

“Not until we resolve this.”

A tear ran down Jaylyn’s face and she became hysterical. “No! That could take thousands of years!”

“Then you’ll be with us by then.”

“Kole! You can’t let them take her from me!”

“You don’t get a say in this, Jay! They’re doing it to protect you! Do you even realize what we’re capable of in this world? I could have complete control over any one of you if I wanted. I can get you to do things that you wouldn’t even think to be possible. If the Dark Ones come here, they will do that to you to get Ellie to come to them. That’s something the elders won’t risk and neither will I. You have to say good-bye.”

“No. I can’t.” She muttered through her tears.

Ellie went over to Jaylyn and kneeled down in front of her. “I’m sorry, mama. I wasn’t supposed to come. Our last farewell was supposed to be our last so you wouldn’t be sad. I don’t want you to be sad.” Jaylyn was too upset to say anything and Ellie looked up at Kole. “Can I daddy?”

“No. You’ll only make it worse. She’ll want you to stay and you can’t.”

Ellie had a sad look on her face as she looked back at Jaylyn. “But she needs me to.”

“What she needs is to except the fact that we’re dead.”

“Please, daddy? For the last time?”

Kole sighed and stood with his hands on his hips. “One minute. That’s all.”

Ellie smiled and looked up at Jaylyn. “Mama!” Her transparent form gained its full color when she threw her arms around Jaylyn’s neck.

Chapter 32

Jaylyn

I was in shock to realize I could actually feel her and put one of my arms around her and the other one holding her head of blonde curls to my chest. I was holding her tightly, never wanting to let go.

“How is that possible?” Ruby asked. “I—”

“Well, don’t.” Kole cut in. “It’s just something we can do. You’ve seen it before.”

The room became still and let me have time with Ellie.

“Sorry to hear Kole.”

Kole lifted his eyes to Izin with a smile. “I go where I’m needed most. I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else.”

“I respect that coming from you. Trever must be awfully proud.”

“It wouldn’t have been what he wanted but I think now that would have changed, knowing Ellie is here.” Izin nodded understanding that he may have been right. “Ellie, baby, come on. That’s enough. We have to go before they send someone after us.”

Ellie pulled far enough away so she could see my face. “Everything will be fine, mama. You’ll see.”

“I want you to stay.”

“It’s better this way. You’ll be safe.”

“But I want you here.”

“I’ll always be here and I’ll always watch.” She looked up at the ceiling and opened up a whole so everyone could see the starry sky above. “Right there.” I watched two of the stars side-by-side turn a vibrant green like our eyes. It was beautiful, an obvious difference in the sky.

Ellie closed up the ceiling and turned back into her transparent form so I could no longer touch her. “Ellie?”

“I love you, mama and I’ll wait like I said, however long that may take.”

“No.” They both vanished and I was in such a state of grief and disbelief that I could no longer bear to be around anyone. “Um, I think I need to be alone for a while. Ah—again.”

I got up and left the shelter. I dropped myself down and brought my knees in close to my chest as I started to cry from having that loss hit me again. Would the world ever be kind to me? I lost so many that I’ve loved already and now had to find out I lost them for good. How was I supposed to feel? How should I react? I just wanted to lay in the cold and abandon all hope for being happy again. I didn’t know how I could be. We were being led to somewhere I could spend all my seconds with Troy and yet, nothing felt happy. My world was torn apart and each path remained hazed ahead.

“Jay?” I picked up my head and Kole was sitting next to me. “I’m sorry it had to be this way. I just don’t want to see you get hurt.”

“Well, then go because I’m already hurt.”

“You know what I mean. I never wanted Ellie to be taken from you but you have to move on now.”

“I can’t.”

“You have to. I know Troy wouldn’t like me popping in every chance I got and you have the chance to live happy with him. You’ll have a family again with his child and you’ll grow old together like the way it was intended.”