October 26th, 1123 - Atticus
I watched as Hawthorne left the living room and thought, I really hope I can trust him. I pinched the bridge of my nose as electricity sizzled through my body.
“Sir?”
“Yes, Albus,” I replied.
“Lady Cypress went out to her garden.”
I blinked, glancing at the rain through the window. I turned to Albus, who stood in the doorway. “Make sure our guests have plenty to eat. I’m going to grab my prosthesis then check on her.”
“Will do, Sir.”
In ten minutes I was fully dressed and, walking down the hall by my office, noticed my desk had been disturbed. I went up to it and saw a half-written letter by Cypress. My chest tightened as I read through it. Pressing my lips together I sat down and grabbed a piece of paper.
Seconds ticked by into minutes which soon was an hour later. I folded the pages of my letter together before tucking them into an envelope. On the front I wrote:
Nature’s Crest of Vibrant Mountains
High Priestess Zinnia
I walked down the hall to the living where Albus sat reading a book. Cypress’s guards were nowhere to be seen.
Without looking up, Albus said, “All of them returned to town.”
I nodded and asked, “Can you seal this for me and give it to Captain Rhain?”
He took the envelope I held out to him. “Of course, Sir.”
“Thank you.” I turned to leave, pausing in the doorway. “I’m going to go check on Cypress.” I took a deep breath, before stepping into the hall.
Pulling my leather coat on, I left the house and walked through the rain. My boots sank into the mud as water ran down my shoulders. The closer I got to the garden, the more my stomach twisted
with unease.
I should’ve talked to her about her guards staying with her, I thought, beforehand. Except it didn’t cross my mind till we sat down for lunch. I really hope I’m wrong about the beasts being attracted to her magic.
Stopping in front of the door to the living quarters of the greenhouse, I took a deep breath. Slowly my magic settled into a quiet slumber. I rapped my knuckles on the wood.
The sound of movement echoed quietly before the door opened. Cypress stared up at me and I struggled to not caress her cheek. As Dahlia slipped by me I asked, “Can we talk?”
Pressing her lips together, she stepped back. I walked in and pulled off my coat. She closed the door and murmured, “I need to add some wood to the fire.”
I watched her busy herself with the stove. Her shoulders were drawn together, reminding me of when we had first met. As she tossed a few logs onto the fire I sat on the edge of the bed.
Gently, I said, “I’m sorry if I upset you... I want you to be safe.”
She froze, muscles straining.
“I know you can take care of yourself. I’m not restricting you. I just... I want you to have someone around for your mental and emotional well-being.”
She stood up and glared at me, anger sparking in her eyes. “I have Renee. I don’t need a guard.”
I looked down at the floor, struggling to not feel like our relationship was peddling backward.
“Don’t do this to me.”
Taking a deep breath, I looked up at her. My jaw tightened as my lips pressed together, my resolve shaking but solid. Cypress quickly walked over to me and put her hand on my cheek. She flinched, withdrawing from me.
“Why are you scared for my safety?” she questioned, staring down at me.
I blinked, trying to formulate a response.
“Why?”
“I’m not going to lie to you, Cypress,” I answered, “but I won’t tell you either.” A headache pierced my eyes and I pinched the bridge of my nose. “I could be wrong about it, so I don’t want to put you
through unneeded alarm.”
“Too late,” she snapped.
I winced, silently pleading, Please don’t shut down on me. Keep engaging with me. “Since you’re feeling fiery, if you can pin me to the ground, then I’ll tell you.” She opened her mouth, but I held up a finger and continued, “No magic, including my arm.”
“I’m at a complete disadvantage then.”
I tipped my head slightly in agreement.
Cypress crossed her arms, glaring at me.
My heart squeezed painfully. Please don’t shut down on me.
“I’m not fighting you.″
I breathed, “Okay.”
She spun away, a snarl threatening to contort her face. Without looking back, she went through an open doorway to her workshop. I took a deep breath before slowly standing. Pulling on my coat, I watched her grind dry leaves in a mortar. My throat was too tight to say anything. I opened the front door, stepped out, and closed it behind me.
