The Red Wolf's Daughter (Book 3 Part 2: The Making of the Siran)

Chapter 45

Caroline relaxed and leaned her head on my shoulder, breathing a small sigh of relief when Giselle left the tent, leaving us all alone at least for a little while. "Oh, thank Goddess," she said, her voice barely above a whisper, and I couldn't help but bite back a small chuckle, amused.

I placed my arm around her and rubbed her side. "Are you ok?" I asked, and she nodded in confirmation, not saying a round. I frowned and studied her from what I could see from our position, pressing my lips into a thin line. "Are you sure?" I raised an eyebrow in question while I placed my head on her head and pulled her closer to me.

"Yes," she said, biting back another small sigh while she cleared her throat and shifted on her bed with the cup still in her hands. "I wasn't lying when I said that I was tired, though," she muttered, and I bit back a small laugh while I nodded in confirmation.

"Same," I said and patted her leg before I cleared my throat while I shifted on her bed, growing serious. "But do you have any questions that you need to ask of me, or..?" I raised an eyebrow in question while I looked at her from the corner of my eye.

Caroline shrugged and grimaced. "I don't think so," she replied honestly before she sighed and shook her head. "Well, I have one..." She trailed off before she cleared her throat and shifted in her bed some more, and her cheeks turned red. "What were you and Giselle doing while I was passed?"

My cheeks turned red, and I shrugged and grimaced while I rubbed my hands together, becoming very nervous for some reason. "She was trying to help me gain confidence in water so that I will be able to help you better."

"Did she?" Caroline asked and raised an eyebrow in question, and I copied her and raised my eyebrow in question while I waited for her to ask the rest of her question. "Or are you still nervous about using your powers?"

"Oh, I am still not confident in using water," I said with a shake of my head and a bitter laugh, "but I was able to create a butterfly for her, so that made her happy."

"Are you able to show me how to make a butterfly?" Caroline asked excitedly. She lifted her head from my shoulder, and I couldn't help but bite back a small groan of annoyance because I was comfortable with the way that she had it. "Please?"

"Why not later?" I asked. "You said yourself that you wanted to fall asleep, and I want to try to get some rest now that I know that you are safe and sound. We don't have to do it where you have taken me, but I think th-" I stopped talking and yawned, my eyes drooping ever so slightly, "-at it might be for the best."

Caroline followed suit and yawned as well. "Gee, thanks, Ky," she said before she yawned again, and I bit back a small chuckle while a small smile appeared on my face. "Can you let me know what happened when I passed out and if anything interesting happened after we finished sleeping?"

I nodded in confirmation and bit back another yawn. "Absolutely," I said and rubbed my eyes before I stood. "Go ahead and take another piece of gum for me, will you? It won't do anything if you stock up on it by eating more than one piece at a time, and I'd rather be safe than sorry while you sleep."

Caroline nodded and looked around for a gum packet before she looked at me with a guilty look in her eyes. "Can I have another pack, please?" she asked, and I bit back a small laugh and nodded.

"Yes," I said and found the gum packet that she had taken a piece of gum from near her bed. "Here," I said and picked it up before I handed it to her. "I want you to keep this in your pocket at all times. Is that understood? No one needs to know that you have a packet of gum with you and that you have been eating it."

Caroline nodded again and took it from me, handing me the cup with water. She opened the packet up and took out another piece before she placed it into her mouth and started to chew it. She didn't say a word while she did so, and a shiver went down her spine while her eyes grew wide.

"That just means that you are under the gum's spell," I said, biting back an amused smile while I set the cup down on the table. "There's nothing wrong with you shivering like that, and the gum will now run its course."

She slowly nodded and pressed her lips into a thin line, wrinkling her nose in disgust, and I had a feeling that it started to taste disgusting to her.

"Go ahead and swallow it," I said. "As soon as it starts to taste disgusting or before it, swallow. It won't work if you don't."

Caroline nodded and did what she was told to do. "How do you know?" she asked while she laid down, biting back a small yawn. "Did you do some experiments with it?"

"Yes," I said and nodded. I took one from my packet and chewed it, even though I wasn't that nervous about someone trying to put a spell on me while I slept. I swallowed and cleared my throat after a few minutes, turning my attention back to her. "I wanted to see what would happen and everything like that. It was a fun game for my uncle, aunt, and I, but I know that it made my grandfather worried."

Caroline furrowed her brows and pressed her lips into a thin line while she turned to her side and watched me sit on my cot and then laid down. "Fernos?" she asked, and I nodded in confirmation. "Why?"

I shrugged and closed my eyes when a wave of exhaustion washed over me. "Because that is him," I said, trying but failing to bite back a yawn. I closed my eyes tighter and shook my head. "He gets worried about any and everything that happens to me, and I know that he would much rather have something happen to him than to me."

Caroline slowly nodded and looked towards the area where Fernos was watching over us in his shadow form. "He'll come around," she said randomly while She looked at me again. "It might not be for a while, but he'll come around. I promise."

My heart ached when she said that, and I couldn't help but give her a bitter smile while I opened my eyes. "I know," I said, my voice cracking ever so slightly without my consent. I cleared my throat and shifted on my feet. "But that doesn't mean I love waiting for it."

I cleared my throat and turned around until I was facing the wall of the tent and not her, tears forming in the corner of my eyes while I closed my eyes. "Now, shhhh, it's bedtime. We have a busy day tomorrow if you want to get more in depth training before Cooper gets mad at us for being out of the tent."

She grunted and nodded, pursing her lips in annoyance. "Then night," she said. "Thank you, Kyler," she added. "I know that this might be tough for you, especially since you have to face people that you know but don't know you, but I want you to know that I am very appreciative of everything that you do and had to sacrifice to help not only me but the others that I'm supposed to serve."

I smiled and tucked my head closer to my chest, keeping my eyes closed and tears started to fall down my face. "It's no problem, Caroline," I said before I cleared my throat while my voice cracked. "And I wouldn't have it any other way."

And with that, I let myself drift off into nothingness now that I knew Caroline was safe and alive with Fernos watching our backs like normal.

I promise...