The Nine's

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We've been walking back to the small farm for a bit now, I'm not really moving as fast as I could because every movement makes me scream internally.

I hope the rubble crushed Dr. Stevens.

Amaury keeps slowing his pace, trying to make it seem like he's getting tired when I know he's just too nice to coddle me.

It's both uplifting and infuriating.

"So uh, how are we supposed to get to Colorado from Stonehenge?"

"Witchcraft." Is all I say, I'm just genuinely trying not to cry.

He just snort laughs which makes my heartstrings tug even tighter.

"That really makes me feel secure." He says.

"It's not really witchcraft per say, fun fact, places with high energy magic are like doors. So stonehenge will take us to Salem."

"As in the witch trials?"

"Mhm." Oh my fuck I'm in so much pain.

I finally can't take it anymore and just stop, looking around for anywhere to sit down.

"Clementine we can stop, or I'll go back to the farm and bring the horses back."

"Your kindness is both irritating and super uplifting." I say as I bend over out of exhaustion.

"I'll start being more of a dick just to even things out." He says as he walks to me.

"Would you please, it'd make you so much more bearable." I say with an out of breath laugh.

As he gets closer, I smell Autumn again, and it's so comforting, so comforting that the stress and pain I'm in eases.

He stops abruptly, his brow furrowed.

"What is it?"

"When I'm around you the smell of rain and vanilla swirls around me, and you haven't worn perfume around me the whole time."

I feel my heart thundering in my chest. So he smells me when he's a couple feet away, and it surrounds him.

"I was thinking the same thing about you, you smell like when fall is in the air, paired with cinnamon, and I only smell it with you around me."

"Does every creature have this ability."

"I've only ever seen it in elves."

Yeah, elves that have found their Promised.

When elves find their promised, it's like the mate in A Court of Thorns and Roses, or Amortentia in Harry Potter.

But that's impossible, I'm an Element Witch, he's an Elf.

Those two don't mix.

It's never been recorded, even though Element Witches get their power based on all of the High Elves that lead each season.

I'll have to ask Roan when we get to the Winter Elf kingdom.

Roan is the Elf Elder, he knows anything and everything, he was my mentor, mostly because he runs the elven library and their works are some of the most beautiful.

"Huh okay, that's interesting." He says.

I've wasted too much time already, so I get to walking again.

Amaury offers his hand to me, and despite my best efforts, I accept.

We walk hand in hand down the road, and honestly, thank god for being turned because magical creatures heal so much better and faster than humans do, meaning it's not as hard to walk, and being helped is nice too.

We finally make it to the small farm, and sure enough, there's a field of horses just grazing.

I click my tongue and only one is interested, a solid brown horse with a  black mane.

"Feed her real quick, she'll warm up faster." I say to Amaury.

I open the gate, my eyes set on the solid black horse in front of me.

If Cate were here, this horse would already be eating out of the palm of her hand, I've just always come across as cold, to people and animals.

I whistle at the horse in front me, and it's ears flicker, raising it's head up at me.

"Hello there, I was wondering if I could borrow a ride from you, just a little bit, and then you're free."

It huffs at me, taking a step forward, and I stick my hand out, letting it make the last effort.

And she does, she walks right out to my hand, reminding me this is a mutual agreement.

Humans often forget that horses are one of the wisest and oldest creatures, and horses, from what I've seen, prefer magical creatures a lot more, especially elves.

I lead her back to the stable where Amaury has already saddled his horse, and I pleadingly look up at him, a silent beg for him to help me.

"Aren't American girls supposed to be tough?"

"As someone from Scotland, why would you believe a word about Americans?"

He laughs, a curl falling in front of his face.

"Ready to go to America then? " I ask.

"Clementine, I think as of now, anywhere is better than the compound. Now, let's get you saddled up so we can get going."

Ugh that accent, his curls, his smile, his glasses, him.

"Thank you, for everything." I say as I turn to look at him, realizing he's more than a head taller than me.

I look down at my hands, just to see his slip into them, and he's standing very, very, close to me.

"Thank you, for just being in my life, because I'm now free, more free than I've ever been in my life, because of you Clementine."

He tucks the very short strand of hair I have behind my ear, and moves to help me onto my horse.

"You know Amaury, if i had your accent I would never stop talking." I say once comfortably mounted.

As he's getting on his horse he says back -

"You know Clementine, even though you don't have the accent, you can still talk forever."

Looking over my shoulder at him, I wink.

"Be careful, you're playing a dangerous game, because even though I'm not as tough as I like, I'm very brave."

"Oh aye, I'm hoping for that."

And with that, we set off to stonehenge.