Loving Ashlynn (#Wattys2016)

Chapter 55 - Frosty Predicament, Bozeman Christmas (Samson Conrad POV) Pt.1

Chapter 55 – Frosty Predicament, Bozeman Christmas (Samson Conrad POV) Pt.1

"Your dad has a coded book, but you..." Fatima spoke dryly, her face pulled down in a frown. "Did you decode it?"

Tapping her finger on the piece of paper she waited expectantly.

Shifting my gaze from her to Luca and Imogen, both shook their heads before Luca spoke. "I – me – Rhys – the plan was for us to find bodies near each other. When I finally found – when Luca picked up my piece and Imogen, Seraphima's, I could not remember much. It's as though I had travelled with only pieces of my memories and slowly..." Luca said though I got the feeling that it was Rhys actually speaking.

That had to be confusing, I thought squinting my eyes at Luca and Imogen in their seats across from us.

"I think – I'd had to say it but if you know this code, then I do believe that Wyatt, or someone tampered with the spell before we were sent here. Why else would Imogen and I not remember this?"

"Is this code something you use over in Zedwood? Like your language?" I blurted out looking over at the code on paper Fatima had created.

Luca nods, though it's measured. "This code is to us what hieroglyphs were to the Egyptians."

"So how could you forget?" Fatima demanded. Almost offended for their lack of memory.

Luca's eyes widened in apology as he shook his head at Fatima. "If you had not had written this, it might be a while before Imogen and I remembered it ourselves. For a while, I've believed that Seraphima and I recalled more of one another than our goals and skills because of a changed spell," he said by way of explanation. "Then we assumed that this might have just been an unseen glitch or that we recalled more of our history with one another than our set mission because we were truly soul mates. That was closer to our identities than our goals when we decided to come here, to this realm."

After sitting stiffly in her chair for more than two minutes, Fatima winced, bringing her casted arm to her stomach once again. "Are you okay?" I pressed again.

Nodding, she just shrugged.

"Are you hungry?" Imogen offered, but Fatima shook her head, "No more than normal."

"Maybe it's your time of the month," Imogen said jokingly, but Fatima just stared ahead. "I don't get that," she said with a sigh, resting back against the seat. Imogen who had been reaching for her fork stopped, mid air, confusion in her eyes.

"What?"

"I wasn't eating enough to get it when I lived alone... and-"

"And now you're eating enough and surely you've gained sufficient weight to start..." Imogen continued speaking like Luca and I weren't at the table, which suited Fatima fine I guess.