Chapter Forty-six: The Tremors

I exhale, loudly. I know he’s not going to like my relationship to my dear friend, but I believe now we’re past that.

“I spent a lot of time at the last elven community I was at. As you already know, it was called the Druida community…there I learned a lot about the elves, among other species. It was the longest time I had spent in one place since I left…since I left my parents.”

We continue walking for a few moments. I look to him who is still looking back at me with a conflicted look on his face.

“You’ve told me about that elven community before. You never mentioned how long you stayed there though….or actually really anything about the elves there. Only what happened at one of their sacred ceremonies.”

I think back to the snippets of information I had given to him about my travels. It’s true, I hadn’t told him too much but we’ve had so much going on I hadn’t really thought about it or felt the need to tell him, just as I wouldn’t expect him to tell me every aspect of my life.

“I hadn’t thought it was important at the time. You should know now that I don’t hide anything from you, but that seems more like a one sided promise.”

I feel bad instantly for taking a jab at him, but part of me, along with Athena both feel like he’s probably hiding a lot more than both he and those books in the restricted area of the library let on. I’ll continue to let him have his privacy but I wanted to at the very least make him aware that I am happy to share my past when asked, when he evidently is not.

I looked away from him as we continued walking towards what I could now tell was to the lake, directly if I’m not mistaken.

“Anyway, to answer your question, Elijah is one of the elven rangers and was the one who found me on the outskirts of the Druida community. He was actually the first elf I had ever seen or spoke to. He welcomed me into his community with welcoming arms and took me to one of their Elders.”

I catch him raising an eyebrow in the corner of my eye. I can tell he is fighting an inner battle to ask if there was anything that went on between us. I look him dead in the eye and I honestly cannot tell if I am speaking with Lukas or Ares. Athena gets agitated in my mind and I can’t blame her. What is wrong with this guy?

I smirk, which seems to irk him. “No, I never felt…intimate towards him. He was….is my best friend, even though I am no longer with the Druida community. He took me in, looked after me and we bonded and grew together.”

Lukas kept quiet after that and I assume him and Ares were debating in their head. We continued walking for several minutes after that and I could see the lake shore line ahead. I picked up the pace as I had an overwhelming urge to just touch the water.

I got to the water after a few moments and bent down to touch it, placing my hand into the crisp, clear water. I started to swirl it round just enjoying my hand creating a small whirlpool with the movement I was making. I placed my other hand in and cupped the water in both of my hands, which I then brought up to my face, splashing it gently with the water. My face felt fresh and clear as soon as I did. It was so refreshing. I felt the droplets of water slowly slide down my hands and face, feeling every movement of the water on my skin. I put it down to the heightened senses I now have after Athena joined me. Such an indescribable feeling of having the water on my skin blossomed over my body. It was as if I was feeling it for the first time, for real.

I’m brought back to the present as I hear Lukas shuffling on his feet behind me. I can tell he’s not finished with our earlier conversation and assume that he and Ares have a few more questions. I roll my eyes knowing he can’t see me as I do, then I stand up and shake my hands a little, a few drops of water being flicked away.

I turn to him, and instantly see his golden Irises on me, watching me with caution. I narrow my eyes as I look at him. He’s put on a bit more weight since I had first seen him at the lake, his muscles becoming a bit more toned, similar to how they were before I jumped in. I feel like his skin has become more tanned, probably going to the lake daily and having the Sun on his skin all day has caused that. His short hair styled with gel is much better than when it was long and tangled. I can see his stubble on his chin where his beard is starting to come through as well after he shaved it to my dismay. I smile to myself, knowing he’ll probably grow it now that I’ve said I had preferred it.

I look at the expression on his face which shows no emotion, however through our mate bond I can feel…jealousy? It’s strange, I’ve never been able to feel someone else’s feelings through my own but I can just tell that there’s something off and I can only guess he wants to discuss it.

“Was there something else?” I ask, sounding a bit curter than what I had meant.

After a few more moments of glaring, he takes one step closer and speaks solemnly. “Why did you call his name?” I hear a growl rumble from his chest which took me aback, realising that Ares was also asking the questions here, not just Lukas.

“I didn’t think Ares would be on his side with the jealousy.” Athena says to me a bit upset that Ares was also not trusting her.

“I didn’t either. I’ve literally explained to them who Elijah was but it’s as if they think I’m hiding something from them, or maybe they think that something else is going on? I’m unsure but it’s starting to get on my nerves.”

“Well….technically you are. You’ve not told him, or well anyone about the nightmare you had that seemed so real that it’s becoming a troublesome thought.”

I think on what she’s just said. She’s right. Maybe that’s why he’s been jealous. I hadn’t said anything to anyone about it. But I’ve also not had a chance at the right time. The nightmare felt so real, and it also felt as if I was there. The whisper in my ear before I woke up creates a bead of sweat which starts to roll down my back.

Lukas clears his throat, not noticing how uncomfortable I am just thinking about it. “You know, I can tell when you speak with Athena and leave me out.” He says with a slight pout.

I take a long sigh. “I had a nightmare. Well, I’m sure you’re aware of that as you were there, waking me up as it was happening. The nightmare was about…about Elijah and the Elders at the Druida community. I saw…I saw them die. I saw darkness. I saw…I don’t know what I saw. It was a nightmare that I can’t explain!” I exclaim, unsure why I was starting to get upset.

He furrowed his brows a bit more and crosses his arms against his chest. “Why did you call out his name though? Why not someone else?”

The audacity of him to ask that. I’ve literally just told him that Elijah had my back for many months, took me in, looked after me, and he asks that. I can feel my anger rising and I’m starting to have no control over it.

“Did you not listen at all when I said he was my best friend for nigh on a year, and I’ve had a nightmare about him dying, along with some of the elves I knew in the community that looked after me for several months?”

He stands firm in his spot, releasing his arms from the crossed state they were in across his chest. “Yes, but you’ve still not explained why you called out his name and no one else’s.”

I can’t help but raise my voice. “Because I was closer to him than with anyone else!”

I stare at him, hurt at what he’s trying to insinuate. I can almost feel the ground beneath me shaking.

His eyes look past me, to the lake behind, a bit worried. He takes a step back, and I suddenly drop all of the anger I had inside of me, and turn round to take a look at what he was seeing.

I take a look at the lake, which had been moving aggressively. The tremors creating small waves on the lakes surface matching my outburst.

I stand there a bit dumbfounded. What is going on? I think back to when I spoke to the Moon Goddess and she had mentioned I had been given some gifts. I had thought being able to breathe under water was enough, but what does this mean?

Does the water synchronise my feelings?