Lost Wings

20~ Aric

Previously on LW:

Hailey's mom has become one with the Great Tree to bring balance to the magic of the forest. Hailey gets to 'talk' to her briefly, but is grateful for the oportunity. Overall it is a fun-filled chapter just like this one will be.
Autumn comes up Hailey, Aiden, and Chase, wanting to tell Hailey something. Aric is running after her:
   ' "Autumn, wait! I'm sorry, I..." Aric stopped when he saw us. '

Chapter 20

    "What's wrong?" I asked Autumn.

    Aric froze.

    Autumn looked at him, hesitating.

    "Alaric, what did you do, now?" Aiden asked. I wondered if he was butchering his name on purpose.

    "I..."

    "Too slow. You, Chase, and I are gonna take a little walk, just the three of us. That's fun, right?"

    Chase kissed my forehead and stood up. "Right. I don't know if you were aware, but I'm already in a stupendous mood, so I'm sure we'll all enjoy this."

    Aiden and Chase dragged Aric away.

    "They mean well, but I don't think the guys understand the problem here," Autumn told me.

    "What happened?"

    "I just... You know, after everything that happened, I needed time to think. I can't even begin to imagine what you and Chase must be feeling. I told Aric I wanted to talk to the Elder One so I had an excuse to walk off alone. Actually, I just wandered around the circle of trees. That's when I saw him."

    "Aric?"

    "Yeah. Tell me it's just me, but was anyone else aware he had a pet lizard?"

    "A what?"

    "Might have been an iguana. Anyway, I think it carries messages. I didn't see it, but... Darn it, I should have thought more."

    "What are you saying?" I dreaded the answer.

    "I think Aric was communicating with people the whole time."

    "Chase!" I screamed.

    He stopped so fast I thought he was going to make Aric fall flat on his face. Any other time, it would have been funny, but I was too worried about the kind of information he could have sent.

    "Hailey," Autumn said. "You realize I have no proof, right?"

    "We're okay," I called out to Chase, "but can you three just come back here for a sec?"

    "Hailey..."

    "Autumn, the fact that you think this is true is enough proof for me, but let's ask him and see. Hopefully he won't have said anything too important."

    As I watched Aiden bicker with Aric, I realized I had grown to consider him a friend, and that the possibility of his betrayal hurt more than I expected. If the pain in Autumn's eyes was any indication, she felt the same way. That, more than anything, convinced me she wouldn't have said anything unless it was serious.

    When the three boys had reached us, I stood up.

    "Aric, I heard you had a pet lizard. Can I see it?"

    His eyes widened, and he shifted his weight to his other foot.

    "Well, do you?" Chase asked.