Chapter 547

Chapter 547
Kylan
I let the cart handle slip out of my hand and took her wrists. Valerius had already found his way back. ‘She’s so tired of you, it’s not even worth the argument.’ He said lazily.

“I am listening, Violet.”
“Not always.” She shook her head. “I love you so much that I do not know what to do without you,” she said, her chest rising and falling with each word. “I cannot live without you,” she swallowed. “I don’t think you fully understand that you’re not only hurting yourself, but you’re hurting me too, and I need you to stop hurting me. Please.”
My throat went tight, and my fingers trembled as they traveled to cup her cheek. She placed her hands on my own and pulled me down so she could rest her forehead against mine. “So next time,” she said, “before you decide to do things on your own again...think about me.” She pulled back and looked at me with steady eyes. “Promise me...you’ll at least think about me.”
“I’m always thinking about you.” I kissed the tip of her nose and pulled her into my embrace. Just living with the thought of Violet fearing that she hadn’t been on my mind this entire time shattered something within me. I never wanted her to feel like that.
A knot formed in my stomach. “Always.”
I pulled her in tighter as she leaned into my chest. “I am sorry,” I said, running my fingers through her hair.
Violet released a breath against me. “Even though that shadow still scares me half to death,” she murmured into my chest, “I’m glad he did the right thing. That he actually listened to me and gave you back to me...but I still hate it, though.”
I chuckled. “I know.”
She pulled back just enough to look up at me, her arms still around me. “Do you really think it’s gone?” she asked, biting her lip. “Our way into the cave to get my parents out?”
I gave her the most reassuring smile I had in me, but the truth was that I didn’t know.
“Don’t worry about that.” I brushed a strand of hair off her face. “I already told you. I’ll do whatever it takes to get them back. That hasn’t changed.”
“As long as it’s not—“
“I know now,” I said. “No sacrifices.”
I kissed her forehead. “We should start walking,” I suggested, “before a shirtless Jason starts worrying and comes out looking for you himself.”
My eyes rolled back. A laugh slipped past Violet’s lips. She let go of me and shoved my shoulder, then started walking.
“Are you still sulking?” she asked over her shoulder. “Because Jason told you that you couldn’t come in?”
I gave her a nonchalant shrug. “Wouldn’t call it sulking,” I said. “He had a point. Just didn’t like the way he said it.”
“Because you’re jealous.” She laughed again.
“He sees me like a little sister, you know? He was close to my mom.” She walked backward now so she could face me. “But honestly, I think he might actually be into Trinity.”
“Oh, really?” I dragged the cart behind me. “Tell me more.”
“Well...you should’ve seen the way he was looking at her, and then he asked her to move here so he could teach her...”
“Move...wait, what?”
Her eyes went wide as she realized what she had just said. She waved both hands in front of her.
“I’m sure he was just joking!” she rushed out. “Please don’t tell Dylan. I don’t want to start something!”
I couldn’t help but laugh. She looked ridiculous, panicked over nothing. Her cheeks flushed, and it was very obviously the best thing I had seen all day. She did a little run until she could grab my arm. Then she looked up at me with those puppy eyes.
“Please, Kylan!”
“It’s Dylan...so I might tell him.” I kept my face flat. “Might not. I’m not sure yet.”
She stuck out her bottom lip in a pout, her hands fumbling as she kept walking. She looked ahead, and all I could do was look at her. At how she managed to look this beautiful, and how much it reminded me of the walks we used to take when we had first met.
Those walks used to end like this too. Her, letting me tease her and giving me the best reactions. It made me forget all the bullshit we had found ourselves in, just for a second, and let me see her.
Pup.
The same Pup who had just scolded me.
“I love you,” I said.
Her eyes snapped to mine.
“I forgot to say it back earlier.” I shrugged. “I love you too.”
She squinted one eye. “If you really love me, please don’t tell him,” she went on. “We both know how Dylan gets. I don’t want him getting a lifetime ban from Bloodstone Haven.”
“Not a good reason.” My lips curled into a smirk. “Rochwall’s made quite the mess, and they never banned him.”
“Please!” Her expression tightened, making me laugh.
The begging continued the entire way back to the cave. After everything we had just said to each other, this was exactly what she needed. Her worrying about something small that didn’t matter.
By the time we had finally reached the mouth of the cave, it opened almost immediately. Jason stood in the opening, smiling at us.
Who else?
“There you two are.” He leaned against the stone. “I was just about to come looking for you.”
“Is Jorn okay?” Violet asked, the worry snapping back into her voice instantly.
Jason nodded. “He’s fine. Don’t worry.”
“Then what’s the rush?” I asked. “Couldn’t you have just checked with your...” I lifted a hand and gestured vaguely at my own eyes.
“My eyes aren’t much good in that department,” Jason said. We entered the cave, his eyes still following us. “They do plenty of other things. Just not that.”
He stepped around us and moved to the front. Then he led the way into the tunnel. His eyes lit up the stone walls so we could see where we were going. This time they were blue, not green like before.
“How many colors can they even turn?” Violet asked, excited. She did a little jump, her eyes gleaming. “How do you do that? Can I do it too?”
I chuckled beside her. She really did fit right in with these people, and it was good for her.
“I’ll train you and we’ll find out together,” Jason said. “But having the eyes of Adeleide is already more than enough,” he added. “Her eyes are stronger than every set of eyes in this haven combined.”
Violet turned to me with a grin as if asking me whether I had heard that.
I smiled back at her.
“The reason I came to get you is because Aelius asked me to,” Jason went on. “The others are already gathered and waiting on the two of you.”
His voice shifted into something more serious. “I believe the battle today might’ve opened his eyes and showed him something important.”
Violet and I looked at each other, both puzzled.
“What did he see?” she asked, her eyes still on me.
Jason kept walking a moment before he answered. Breaths escaped him.
“I’m not sure why he would do this...but for the first time,” he said, “Aelius has decided to go against nature and share all he knows.”
“I don’t get it,” Violet whispered.
Neither did I.
“The timeline of the battle,” Jason explained. “What could happen. What will happen...and when.”