Page 126 of Enchanted Heir
He kissed me once, then took my hand, leading me forward. Glancing at our surroundings, I noticed we were heading in the area of the meadow. I wondered if it was related to Rafe or the baby wolves and kept scanning the trees, looking for that familiar blur of fur.
Minutes later, he stopped.
I stopped with him, still looking around the trees for Rafe.
Krew gently grabbed my face, forcing me to look at him. “Look down, love.”
So I did.
There, peeking out through the snow, were numerous little blue blossoms. The blue of the flowers were a stark contrast against all the white of the snow around us.
My breath caught. This was exactly where I had been with Owen not even two full days ago, sitting on the forest ground crying out my anguish.
“Wha—” I couldn’t even form words enough to ask.
“Owen noticed it from a distance this morning, thought he was hallucinating, and sent me out to verify.”
I shook my head. “I don’t understand.”
“This was where you cried in the forest, was it not?” Krew asked gently.
I nodded. “Yes, but that was two days ago. The other spots took more than a week. Are you sure it wasn’t the wolves somehow? They followed us after we left.”
“It was not the wolves, Jorah.” Krew shook his head. “The other spots were your blood, not your tears. These blooms are exactly where your tears fell.”
My forehead creased. “So whatever healing element I have is also in my tears?”
“We do not know,” Krew offered. “I am going to need to take this information to my father so our plans to work on my mother’s journals this afternoon might need to be delayed until after the ball. Because someone will notice this. The flowers are everywhere. Also blue. But I wanted you to see it first. I wanted you to see what you’ve done to this forest, Jorah. You’ve made it bloom. In the dead of winter.”
“Idid this?”
He dipped his chin in a nod. “You did.”
“So it’s not just my blood?”
He shook his head. “No. It’s more than that. In your blood, in your tears, possibly even tied to your emotions.”
“My emotions?”
“Your will,” he said with a smirk. “The forest heard you, love. It felt you.”
I shook my head and looked around at the trees, a shiver traveling down my spine. “But how?”
Krew shrugged. “I have no idea.” He reached to tuck my hair behind my ear. “But Jorah, look at what you’ve done. On one of your worst days. You can’t let the heavy days keep you from getting to the good ones. You can’t allow them to diminish your hope. Because if you do, we will all be the worse for it. You don’t have to fix this darkness that threatens you today or even tomorrow. Just hold on.” His thumb moved to wipe away a tear which had snuck out of my eye. “Hold onto me and hold onto life. I cannot guarantee you I will not be the cause for more darkness in yours. But I can guarantee you that I will fight like hell to be there for as many of the good days as we can possibly have. Please just hold on.”
I moved to kiss him, right there in the snow, in the middle of dozens of little blue flowers.
* * *
“I don’t wantyou to go home,” I told Flora as she helped me slip into my gown.
Flora smiled. “It has been fun, but I am ready to sleep in my own bed. One around less Enchanted.” She winced then added, “Though I understand your prince is lovely.”
I laughed. “It’s okay. I could hardly sleep my entire first week here either. I get it.”
Flora hugged me hard. “Your mother would want me to tell you that she loves you. That she wants you to be happy. Even if that involves a life here.”
I let out a sigh. “Please let me tell my mother about Easton and what he did.”
