Total pages in book: 194
Estimated words: 187754 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 939(@200wpm)___ 751(@250wpm)___ 626(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 187754 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 939(@200wpm)___ 751(@250wpm)___ 626(@300wpm)
Khalil sighs and rubs at his brow. “Seth, we need to talk.”
Raising the flowers, I sniff them and bask in the different smells. “About what?”
“Your attachment to Aurelia for starters?”
I sniff the flowers again and wonder how I’m going to get them back to her without ruining them. I’ve never given flowers to a girl before, and neither has Zeke. I’ve searched his memories backward and forward, but the most romantic gesture he’s ever bothered to make to a girl is to remember her name. That part doesn’t bother me so much because I know Sunshine is territorial, but this is our first time giving her flowers. They have to be perfect.
“What about it?”
“You need to slow down. We still don’t know if she can be trusted, and Zeke is still an issue. You’re going to split eventually, and he’s still very fragile.”
“Stop saying that,” I snap unintentionally. “Zeke’s stronger than you know.”
“Sure, but what’s going to happen when he’s ready to wake up? Have you thought about that? Have you figured out what you’re going to do if you have to choose between them?”
“What do you mean?”
“When Zeke wakes up, and he can’t handle the fact that she’s around, you know what we’ll have to do, Seth.”
“Thanatos?” Khalil nods solemnly instead of rolling his eyes like he usually does whenever I mention the God of death, and I feel the blood drain from my face. “No.”
“Yes.”
“No, fuck that. Zeke won’t take her from me. He owes me that much. I took his pain! I did!”
“I know that,” Khalil snaps, his face tightening a moment later with guilt and pity.
Khalil reaches out to try to put a comforting hand on my shoulder, but I move away. “How can you even say this after all that’s happened? Aurelia’s ours. She’s one of us.”
“She doesn’t want to be.”
I shake my head only to realize he’s right. She doesn’t. “We can change that.”
“How, Seth?” He looks down at the flowers in my hand with scorn and then raises his brows. “It’s a little late for hearts and flowers, don’t you think?”
“No.” Shrugging off my pack, I pull out the fantasy book I’d read to Sunshine last night and find the last page I’d read before slipping the stems inside so that the heads stick out the top like a bookmark. It’s not foolproof. The petals might still be crushed, but it’s the best I can do.
As I’m closing the book, the winter aconite catches my eye.
The even number of golden petals reminds me of Sunshine’s hair, so I remove it from the bunch before closing the book and stuffing it back inside my pack.
Khalil and I start walking again while I stare at the flower in my hand.
Before I can stop myself, I’m plucking the first petal.
She loves me.
It floats away in the wind, but I don’t watch it go.
She loves me not.
The second poisonous petal follows the first.
She loves me.
One by one, the petals fall until I reach the last.
She loves me not.
Frowning down at the empty pistil, I don’t realize I’ve fallen behind until Khalil glances behind him and calls my name with a sigh. Throwing the flower stem down, I crush it under my heel as I catch up.
Aurelia may not love me yet, but that can change.
It has to.
Because I’m already in love with her.
“Seth,” Khalil calls when he notices my despondency.
I swear, even the sky darkens, the gray clouds blocking some of the sun.
Sunshine, don’t go…
“We always knew this was temporary,” Khalil says, but I’m only half listening. “I know it doesn’t seem like it, but there will be other girls. I can promise you that. We won’t be on this mountain forever.”
“I don’t want anyone else, and neither do you.” I turn my head to study his profile. Khalil’s jaw is clenched as he stares straight ahead, refusing to meet my gaze. I’m right, and he knows it. He doesn’t want to give her up either—not even for Zeke. “Maybe instead of telling me I need to move on, you and Thor should start owning how you feel.”
Khalil’s shocked gaze flies to me, and his mouth falls open like he wants to deny that he’s not completely gone for Sunshine, but I beat him to it before he can utter one syllable of bullshit.
“The snow is going to melt soon,” I remind him. “She could still leave. You won’t be able to use the weather as an excuse forever.”
“There are plenty of other things in these wilds that can kill her.”
I shake my head. “She’s passed every test. The mountain won’t kill her.” It’s going to sound batshit crazy coming from me, but over the years, we’ve gotten the sense that our mountain was sentient. It throws everything at you to either forge something it can wield or let nature take its course. It looks into the soul of anyone who trespasses and decides the trials you’ll face. If any. No one’s ever been tested more than Aurelia George. When Khalil doesn’t respond, I add, “We still have time to make her want to stay, Khalil.”