Princess of Realms {Realms Book 1}

Chapter Thirty-Five

Chapter Thirty-Five

After Auryn couldn't think of anymore questions to ask that we nice and didn't let on that she knew Willow was lying to her, Willow took her back to the training room to officially introduce everyone and to get them all on the same page. Marshal was there barking orders at everyone, and Koen let him, which surprised Auryn. The mind-reader guy, Luke, tried to read her mind a couple more times, and she chanted weird things to see if her would actually get in that time.

'Donuts, donuts, donuts.'

'Bumblebee, buzz, buzz, bumblebee, buzz, buzz.'

He didn't make a face or question her, so Auryn figured he couldn't hear anything she was thinking. She really did not want him to either, because she was so heartbroken about Willow's lies that she couldn't even look at her once the training started.

It was easy, and let Auryn get stuck in her thoughts, which was worse. They were barely testing her skills and it was mindless. So she was considering what Willow was lying to her about. It was very obviously about the monsters, they had to know where they were coming from. Year after year, monsters appearing and they never found the source? Yeah right. Not possible.

Willow knew that Auryn could stop them, and she still did not want Auryn to leave.

After the training, Auryn hadn't even broken a sweat but everyone else looked so tired.

Auryn followed them all back out and to a kitchen area where a meal was being made and she sat down beside Willow even though she really did not want to. A plate was put in front of her, and since she couldn't taste anything anymore it was just something to put in her stomach. 

Auryn was so homesick, it hurt.

She did not finish her plate and didn't end up talking to anyone. Despite the fact that all the girls tried to have a conversation with her. Especially Raven, the one who had seen her take down the dragon. Raven wanted to know how she did it and if she could train her some of the cool moves she saw. Auryn wanted to be excited about these conversations but she couldn't bring herself to that emotion. 

Eventually, most of them seemed to realize how down she was a left her alone. Willow tried to comfort her, holding her hand and caressing her arm, but Auryn just sat there without reciprocating.

Eventually, Raven told her that she would show her a room she could stay in their compound. There were lots of rooms because at one point they tried to make an army, but it didn't work as planned. Raven rattled on about the history of the building, who built it and why. Auryn tried her best to listen, especially when their ancestor was mentioned. The evil man who helped try to kill her family.

Auryn was having a difficult time.

Raven led Auryn and Willow to a room to share, and Auryn tried her best not to look disappointed.

Willow looked disappointed.

Raven looked around awkwardly then bolted.

Auryn sighed, "I'm going to shower and go to bed."

Willow nodded, "good idea."

They went in different directions and Auryn locked herself into the bathroom. It took everything in her not to start crying and instead take a deep breath and hop into the shower like she said she was going to. In the shower she finally swapped back to her Earth Relam form, turning her hair brown and turning her magic off all the way. There was no doubt that everyone in the building probably felt her turn it off.

What was she going to do? She had so many regrets. Mostly Auryn regretted how long she spent distracted by Willow and living a normal life with her for so long. That was not who Auryn was and it felt like she forgot that. Auryn was a warrior, and a Priestess, and a Princess. She had a job to do.

The worst part was that Willow knew what that job was.

Auryn finished her shower and changed before leaving the bathroom to confront Willow.

Willow was in a robe, looking like she was waiting for the shower. Auryn needed to get this off her chest before she went to bed.

"Listen," Auryn cleared her throat and Willow's gaze shot up to her. "I know that you're lying to me about knowing where the monsters come from. You know where it is, and you're just not telling me so I get stuck here with you. But if I am here too long, they're going to fail this mission and either give up on your world or they're going to send a different Priestess. Either way, I will be going home. I will not be here forever. So you have two choices, continue to lie to me and I leave on bad terms, with heartbreak and bad memories. Or you can tell me where the problem is and I will leave on good terms, knowing that you and I had an epic love story to remember fondly."

Willow's face crumpled and she started crying immediately, "I can't tell you."

Auryn tried to stay put and keep her face blank, "why not?"

Willow pressed her hands into her eyes and let out a sob, "because everyone has been spelled by him not to reveal the location to anyone outside our family. I literally cannot tell you."

Auryn frowned, "who? You're great-whatever-grandfather?"

Willow shook her head, "no, the other one who comes from your world."

Auryn's stomach sank, but now for a whole different reason. "Someone comes, repeatedly? From my world?"

Willow peeled her hands away from her face and nodded, "but that's all I can tell you. He brings the monsters once a year to fight us. When that happens, you can come to the location, and do the fight with us. But before then, we're stuck. We can't do anything."

Auryn took a deep breath and looked away from Willow.

So it didn't matter how much she tried to help, she only had one chance every year to do something.

"Does this time happen to be around the night I met you?" Auryn asked nervously, she was afraid she had to wait another five months if her math was correct.

Willow nodded slowly, "it happened two weeks before your arrival."

Auryn turned her whole body away so she didn't have to face Willow, "how long until the next one?"

Willow answered quietly, "four months and one week."

Auryn bolted for the door and started to run, and run, and run. She ran out back out the front door and kept going, without shoes on and in her pajamas. Maybe if she kept running, her problems would stay well behind her.