Page 40 of Upon Buried Embers (Upon Buried Embers #1)
Elf
I can’t see anything, the snow coming down harder than ever before.
I stumble to the trees, wrapping my cloak around me, tears streaming down my face.
Leave.
A sob releases from me, and I wipe my face before pulling my hood up.
He was so angry, I was only trying to make it better.
Entering the forest, I pause for breath against a tree, my heart hurting after everything that has happened.
I look around, wondering which direction to go. I’ll continue forward and find somewhere to hunker down for the night.
That’s all I can do.
Setting off again, voices hit me, and I blink in their direction.
Two hooded figures are behind a large tree close together, and I wonder if they’re coupling, when the figure with their back to me suddenly turns, and my blood turns colder than the snow.
Darcia’s eyes widen in surprise, but then fury takes over.
“What the fuck are you doing here?” she growls, stomping over to me and I stumble back. “What did you hear, slave ?”
“N-nothing.” I turn to leave, fear running through me.
I need to get out of here, quickly.
I’m grabbed by my arm and spun around, her fingers digging in.
“Oh,” Darcia says, looking over my face and smirking. “Rohan finally had enough? Is that why you’re out here crying?”
“We need to go, Darcia, before someone sees us.” My eyes dart to Rhett for a moment before I look away.
“In a minute,” Darcia replies. “What are you doing here?”
“I’m leaving, so l-leave me alone.”
“You’re leaving?” Surprise flares in her eyes. “Don’t lie to me!” She shakes me.
“I’m not, I-I’m going.”
She smirks. “Oh, did you wash the hair on his reins?”
My stomach drops like stone as realization hits me.
“Y-you tricked me?”
“Of course I did,” she laughs.
“But… w-why?”
“Why? You’ve been in the way since Rohan took you.
He’s never around anymore, always with you, always helping you and I’m sick of it!
” She shoves me. “I knew you’d be desperate for the Dragonbond’s attention, so I made sure you overheard us talking about his reins.
” She scoffs. “And you were stupid enough to actually take the hair and wash it.” She laughs, cruelly. “Pathetic.”
My heart pounds, and a little ball of anger flares in my stomach. I never wanted Rohan’s attention, he gave it to me all on his own.
“I’ve done nothing to you.” I whisper, voice trembling even as my fingers ball into fists.
She glares. “You have, you exist, that’s what you have done to me. You’re ruining everything! You should’ve been left in The Pit.”
Yes, I should have.
She stabs the knife in further. “Beau didn’t take much persuading either. Did you think he was your friend?” She spits.
My eyes sting as betrayal hits me deep, and I take in a shuddering breath.
“You’re so fucking stupid. You don’t have friends, no one wants you here.”
No one wants me.
The tears fall.
She looks back at Rhett for a moment, and then she glares at me, her eyes filling with malice.
“Do we have a little more time, Rhett?”
He looks at me, and his eyes are so cold, uncaring. “We can make it work.”
“Then let me give the slave a going away present.”
“No!” I back away, but she easily drags me further into the forest, and then her fist comes for me.
So cold.
I’m so cold.
My teeth chatter, and my steps are heavy as I stumble my way through the forest, tears streaming down my cheeks.
Pain.
My body is in so much pain.
I cried, I begged her to stop. She wouldn’t and Rhett just watched on, not once helping.
I lick my split lip, sniffling.
I don’t know how long I’ve been walking, or how far away I am now, but I don’t stop.
I can’t.
Darcia may come back.
I should be happy that I’m getting away from the clan, that I can try and find my way back to Effy.
But even as pain rages through my body, I think of grooming Serah, of the dragons and their warmth, of Escor and his funny ways, even Drogonah’s grumpiness. There will be no more talks with Tofa and Beau, and no more training with Calian, of him calling me Short Stack.
A sob catches in my throat.
And most of all, no more baths with Rohan, no more practices with braiding, no more collecting roses for him.
I didn’t mean to make him upset.
I tried to make it better.
I didn’t mean to anger anyone.
But I can never do anything right, and now I’ve made him even more mad at me.
I’ve upset him, and now I have nowhere to go.
He told me to leave, he said it like he couldn’t even look at me.
So that’s what I’m doing.
Away from him.
Away from Darcia.
The snow falls heavily in the night, and I try to pull the cloak around me as tight as possible to protect myself from the cold creeping in, but my limbs are so stiff they feel like ice.
I didn’t mean to make you mad.
I thought I was helping.
I thought it would make whatever I did better.
I stumble and collide with something hard, a piercing cry coming from me as I feel something snap.
I fall to the floor, holding my wrist, my eyes feeling swollen and my body shakes with shock.
I’m sorry.
I curl myself into a tight ball.
I’m sorry.
Tremors wrack my body.
I’m sorry.
I’m sorry.
I’m sorry.