Willow sighed in a melodramatic sound of defeat. “What shall we do? Do you believe father and Jeff have real concerns? Should you leave?”
“I am really not sure. If I left, how would you and Laurel fare? What would my absence solve?” With a fleeting glance to Coal and Ember, Leaf leaned in closer to Willow, whispering in her ear, “Should father’s confession prove true, I warrant Hanley Nichols would attempt contact so that The Legacy would continue for our family, per The Code. It has been a discouraging four days with no message, not even condolences passed on through Jeff. Perhaps the exchange is Hanley’s way of contacting me as we have yet to find the Scroll, providing a natural solution to a difficult situation.”
“Leaf, it is all so very peculiar. Truly, why would both father and Jeff believe you should leave New Eden? Nobody leaves New Eden.”
“That is precisely the problem. We do not have answers, and I refuse to walk a blind path fueled by fear. If I leave New Eden, then you and Laurel shall join me. Presently, the invitation is to support one person, not a whole family.”
“If we are in danger?”
“Then we leave and I shall find a way to support our family. Anyone may leave at any time, does The Code not say so?”
“I suppose. Although, no one ever does.” Willow looked around to all the faces busy concentrating on their work, returning anxious eyes his direction.
“Exactly. There is no reason to leave. Everything we need is here, including our community. We may have become orphans, but we are rich, still possessing an abundant family.” Leaf gave Willow a reassuring smile, inviting his sister to trust him.
In truth, the idea of leaving had more appeal than before, especially after his conversation with Jeff last evening, but this was neither the time nor the place to have such a discussion. And he wanted to find out if Hanley was indeed sending in a messenger with marching orders and clear directions. Willow’s face relaxed and she returned his smile.
After a few heartbeats, Leaf continued while dabbing his forehead once more, “So, what is troubling Coal? He appears rather agitated. I cannot recall a single time when Coal has behaved in a stranger manner than now.”
Willow stole a quick look in Coal’s direction, then lowered her eyes. Her hand spun strands of hair upon her fingers, the motions accelerating as she blinked in concentration, and Leaf watched in silence as she struggled to formulate what to share. His sister’s eyes revealed every ounce of her inner turmoil, despite her attempts at holding back the many emotions. She looked to the olive and citrus orchard reflectively, and Leaf groaned inwardly knowing she was groping for inspiration.
“The orange fruit weighting the branches down on the tree over yonder,” she said, and pointed for him to look. “They are burdened as if carrying bulging secrets too heavy for the tree to bear. Are they not?”
Leaf angled his head and narrowed his eyes trying to decipher his sister’s message. She often expressed her thoughts and feelings through nature, an exasperating trait at this moment. Why could she not just say what she feared instead of creating poetry?
Leaf crossed his arms over his chest, and asked the first question that popped into his mind. “Are you pledged?”
Willow spun her head to peer at him, eyes rounded as she paled, flitting a fearful look Coal’s direction.
“Do not be alarmed,” Leaf said with an anxious glance toward the milking pen. “I am trying to reason why Coal would act so strangely, most especially in my presence.”
“Perhaps he disapproves of you and Ember.” Willow gave him an irritated smirk.
“No, he approves. We already spoke.”
Emotions played across his sister’s face, first surprise, followed by betrayal, and then anger. He exhaled loudly, gaining Coal and Ember’s attention, and then he tightened his mouth while evenly meeting Willow’s glare. Her complexion continued to redden as she tried in vain to maintain her composure, and he felt his muscles twitch as he labored to control his building irritation. His sister could be so infuriating at times. Unlike most who would accept his honorable path, she chose offense simply because he did not ask her mighty opinion on the matter first.
“When did you plan on telling me? Before or after the wedding?” Willow clenched her fists and then crossed her arms over her chest in a huff.
Leaf pulled his sister closer, and whispered firmly in her ear, “You need to contain yourself. We have an audience.”
The admonishment registered on her face instantly, and Willow sheepishly slipped a glance toward the milking pen. She stuck out her hand silently asking for forgiveness, and Leaf shook it gently, sealing his acceptance.
Feeling safe to continue, Leaf began to speak again. “I had no intention of keeping anything from you, if ever I decided to ask Ember for her hand. Coal had approached me regarding my affection for his sister, which was surprisingly apparent to him. I thought I had concealed my feelings.”
Leaf cast a quick glance toward Willow and then looked back at the packed earth, moving a small rock with his shoe. “He was encouraging my pursuit against Skylar when Jeff alerted both Coal and I that father had requested my presence.”
Clearing his throat, Leaf dragged his fingers through his hair and then shared in a low strained tone, “There is no understanding between us. I am reluctant as she and Skylar seem to have stepped out publicly. As a gentleman, I would never stand in her way of happiness, nor Skylar’s.” He chanced a look up at his sister with trepidation, wishing to hide upon seeing the downcast expression on her face.
“Oh, Leaf,” she took his hands in hers. “Do you love her?”
“Yes,” he sighed. He removed his hands, and lowered his head into his palms. Leaf endeavored to find the strength to share the rest, hoping Willow gained insight into honorable behavior to compare against Coal’s actions of late. “So much so that I am willing to lay down my own heart for hers to have all it wants, even if it is another man.”
“You are the better man, Leaf Watson,” she leaned forward and whispered conspiratorially, “And I do believe she regards you above Skylar.”
Comforted by her words, a new experience for them, Leaf offered a mischievous grin. “Yes, well, time will tell. Next time, however, please keep your troublesome faerie ways to yourself.” He arched an eyebrow at his sister with older sibling authority, gaining a small laugh of delight from Willow as she relived the small victory.
Leaf brightened a moment upon hearing Willow’s laughter and then sobered to what he surmised was the tired and preoccupied look that etched his features of late. He viewed his reflection at The Waters earlier this morning and nearly startled. “Now, I need you to share what you know of Coal. He has not acted himself since father’s passing, this afternoon acting even more strange.”
“He attempted to give me his pledge, and I have refused.” Willow offered a slight shrug while blushing with vulnerability.
“I see. And, why did you refuse him?”
“That is none of your affair.”
The steel in her voice returned. Leaf closed his eyes willing patience. One minute she was hot, the next cold; one minute she was soft and pliable, the next hard and unyielding. Opening his eyes, Leaf glowered back at his sister, warning her she should not evade the question.
She opened her mouth to speak again but he cut in, “You do not need to share private details, but I do need to have an understanding.”
With a groan, she rolled her eyes and spoke through gritted teeth. “Simply, I do not feel we are right for each other as husband and wife. I do believe he genuinely has affection for me, and would give exceptional care. But I know that I would be Coal’s lifelong project, the perpetual knight needing to save this damsel in distress to satisfy his need for adventure. I do not need Coal to rescue me.” Willow straightened her posture and said with finality, “I would rather just be his lifelong friend.”
He lifted his eyebrows in surprise not expecting this confession from his sister, and thoughtfully nodded his head in agreement.
“I respect your intuition, Oaklee. That is very mature of you to think seriously rather than be influenced by flattery and romantic notions.”
“I do not possess romantic notions. And I am afraid Coal feels otherwise,” she rolled her eyes again and crossed her arms over her chest. “I did not give him details as to why, but his response was belittling comments on how I am still not a woman, and therefore, do not know the workings of my own heart.”
Leaf tried to hide a smile of amusement at that remark, wishing he was a fly upon the wall simply to see how Coal made it out of that conversation alive and well. He was quite sure Willow instantly manifested into some ancient force of destruction. It is a wonder New Eden was still standing.
“I am off to find Laurel now. I wish to spend time with our sister and enjoy the escape of childhood for a duration. I shall see you at three in the afternoon time.”
Willow stood from the log round used for milking, and ambled off toward the citrus trees. She glanced up at the dome ceiling when stepping beyond the shadows, and closed her eyes as the sunlight bathed her face, the golden glow of the afternoon sun gilding her hair. Her looks and spirit were so much like their mother, Leaf reflected soberly as he regarded his sister’s movement and behavior. Willow was part woman, part faerie child.
Remembering Coal, he stood, and then moved in the opposite direction toward the grape vines. The Son of Fire leaned against the stone wall of the barn as he reverently gazed at Willow weave through the orange trees, their sweet blossoms perfuming the air with each bio-breeze. Coal nodded at his visual cue to follow, pushing off the wall and coming toward him in a stiff walk, hardening his expression once more.
Ember surreptitiously peered Leaf’s direction through lowered lashes as she prepared another goat to milk, a hint of a smile on her face. The blood rushed to his ears as she continued to act naturally, keeping busy with her purpose, all the while communicating a message that she was aware of him. The empty picnic basket they shared nestled against the stone wall next to where she milked the goats, a hemp cloth draped neatly over the opening.
Did she regard him above Skylar? Was she attempting to encourage his pursuit? Or was she extending empathy, aware of the yoke resting heavily upon his shoulders? Ember was a natural caregiver, and he was wounded. Leaf concluded that his injury drew her toward him so that she may apply her kindhearted ministrations, and nothing more. Skylar was the better choice for he had a more stable future, and his genteel ways complemented her elegance.
Leaf continued walking without offering Ember a reply of his own, fearful of the emotions that were playing tricks on his mind. Loneliness amplified his heartache, a situation he did not know how to rectify on his own. He was isolated, bound, and chained by his Legacy. There was no one he could turn to with the sorrow and stress he carried deep inside, and his heart yearned for comfort from the Daughter of Fire. She rightfully belonged to his closest friend, and so he would dutifully attend to his responsibilities with as much care and dedication he could provide to cope with and distract himself from the ever-building pressure inside his chest.
Jeff had confirmed his fears, and he was glad Willow did not ask about the card. He was still processing the story the lawyer shared on the card’s origins. It changed everything he thought he knew of New Eden Township and The Elements, as well as his father.
Chancing a look at Coal, Oaklee met his eyes as he walked toward Leaf and furnished a small smile with hopes to rebuild what was torn down. Leaf may be astute, but she had a special talent for communicating through her eyes. Many explained this phenomenon as being soulful, and Oaklee relished in the idea of her soul conversing so freely.
Coal’s body stiffened and his face fell before turning around, ignoring the gift of reconciliation, his pride still too freshly wounded. Grow up more, indeed! At least she was mature enough to offer an olive branch. Coal’s shoulders slumped as he passed his sister, and he yanked his hair out of the leather thong he used while working. Oaklee could no longer see his face, and she knew this was his way to further hide from her attempts to reconnect.
Sorrow replaced the resentment, and the torment that their friendship may be over consumed her. How does one go back in time after such an experience? She lost her father and dearest friend in the same week. Woozy from scabbed-over grief bleeding red once more, the free falling feeling making her head spin, she leaned against an orange tree for support and closed her eyes, breathing deeply. Oaklee focused on the heady and intoxicating scent of citrus to ease her escalating emotions. She would not crash, she would not be destroyed. She would grab at anything during this fall and save herself from hitting bottom. Experience had taught her that the floor was merciless, and an unnecessary event. And she was sure she would not survive another crash.
Oaklee continued to take deep breaths and opened her eyes, trying to abate the tears that traitorously fell despite her vow not to cry. An orange dangled in her peripheral vision, the juicy morsel ripe from exposure to the elements. Oaklee plucked the fruit, inhaling the citrus oils that protested at the manhandling, and smiled as she allowed her thoughts to drift.
“Let’s open you up and find out what secrets burdened the tree that carried you,” she murmured to the orange while digging her thumb into the waxy peel, pulling away to the tender fruit beneath. Taking a bite, she willed her muscles and thoughts to relax, and imagined the orange consuming her negativity, bursting with sweet and sour secrets under the pressure—instead of her. Better. She would fare well and somehow manage to pull through to the other side of this sudden deficit. Oaklee knew she had to if she wanted to survive.
She reached inside her hidden pocket and gently caressed her golden leaf. Nature’s gift reminded her that she was simply enduring a necessary cycle of life. Spring would bring new growth eventually, and perhaps restoration with Coal.
“Well, Sir Orange, let us promenade through The Orchard and give those old biddies something to gossip about. Shall we scandalize your distant fruit cousins?”
With determinedly lighter steps, Oaklee continued her journey to The Waters in search of Laurel, savoring each bite of the orange as she sauntered through the apple, pear, and cherry trees. She realized while enjoying the last bite that she had never asked her brother about the strange piece of paper he found in father’s pocket. She tucked the orange peel into her own pocket and made a mental note to ask him following the meeting.
Upon reaching the arbor, she looked around, unable to find a single small child in sight. Normally they were running around, laughing and enjoying the fantasies forged from their imaginations. Now, it was eerily quiet. Panic tightened her throat as she spun around in a desperate attempt to locate a small pair of feet, any small pair of feet.
While facing the arbor, Lake suddenly came crashing through the trained shrubbery, stomping with frustration. His face was red, making his hair and freckles stand out even more.
“Why Lake, what on Earth is the matter?” Oaklee knelt before him.
“I cannot find anybody,” he ground out.
“When did they disappear?”
“While I was counting to one hundred.”
He kicked a fern next to him. Oaklee began breathing again, not realizing she had been holding her breath.
“Oh, playing hide-and-seek are we? Do you need a partner?” Oaklee gave Lake a pleading look, one she hoped would not be refused. He nodded enthusiastically. Clearing her throat, she said in a loud voice, “You have yourself a partner, Lake. Ready or not, here we come!”
She took his hand, pulling Lake along playfully as they explored the landscape for clues and glimpses of hidden children. They stood before a hedge, and she noticed the leaves sway although there was no wind. She gently knelt down on the forest floor spreading the shrubbery to peer inside, and discovered the smiling faces of Windy and Gale, Skylar’s younger sisters. Lake shouted in glee at the discovery, and Oaklee laughed.
Moving on, Oaklee decided to search behind a cluster of giant ferns, their swords a
nd spears a natural defense against seekers, protecting those she was sure they kept hidden. She pointed for Lake to go look and nearly jumped with her six-year-old partner when Rusty, one of the village boys, shouted “boo” upon detection.
A pile of leaves gained her attention next. She placed a finger in front of her lips in silence, and tiptoed over to the pile with Lake. He gleefully lunged into the leaves, colliding with Laurel and Corona. All three emerged laughing, throwing leaves at each other, the orange, gold, and red hues falling back to the earth in a merry dance.
“There is only one more to find,” Lake boasted as he fell on his stomach in the pile, watching the leaves poof in all directions once more.
“Who would that be?” Oaklee asked.
“My brother, Canyon, of course.”
Red hair and freckles marched off toward The Waters with confidence, and the other children marched in a single line behind him. Oaklee giggled, thinking how he appeared like the Pied Piper, a story she had heard when she was little. She was amused that Canyon was playing hide-and-seek with the children; at fourteen, she thought he might be too old. Although, what did that make her? Then there was Windy, who at age twelve was most likely here to enjoy interactions with Canyon, a girlhood affection that caused the eldest Daniels boy to turn red and roll his eyes whenever she sought his attentions.
“Canyon, I shall find you! Just wait and see!” Lake shouted from inside The Waters. He came marching out, and the children continued to follow in a single line, a determined parade of seekers.
Oaklee threw her head back in mirth, catching a glimpse of something white high above as she laughed. She focused her vision and watched Canyon crouch on a branch while hiding behind remnant leaves, his linen clothing nearly invisible against the dome skyline. Canyon moved his head to camouflage his titian hair in the autumn leaves.
“Oh, Lake, I do believe I have an idea of where your brother may be hiding.” Oaklee could barely contain herself, casting a mischievous glance up at Canyon who glared at her in return.
Legacy (The Biodome Chronicles) Page 19