The World of The Winged

The Letter

Chapter 23:

I quickly close the letter again and look up when I feel a hand on my shoulder and another on my back. It's Luke and Lucien, they're both looking at me with worried expressions.

"You don't have to read it now. You can read it later. I have rooms prepared for you, three of them." Rupert tells me and I release a breath I didn't know I was holding. I put the letter back in the envelope. I'm not ready to read this yet.

I need to mentally prepare. I tell myself but I know it's not true.

Rupert leads us to our rooms, leaving Zero and Zilanna at the first, Luke and Lucien at the second and Sam and me at the last. "Rupert?" I call out as he walks down the hall and he turns around, "Thank you for telling me about my parents." I say and he smiles at me and gives me a curt nod.

I enter the room and lay down on the bed. I sigh and stare at the letter in my hands. "What will it say? What if it won't do me any good? Why now? Why did they write this in the first place? Just for good measure or did they know they were going to die?" I whisper to Sam but it's really just meant for me.

"You would probably know the answer if you just read it." I hear from the door and I quickly sit up and see Luke standing near it. "Oh it's just you." I say and let out a relieved breath. He puts his hand over his heart, "Just me? You hurt me, Amelia." He says, grinning slighty. One corner of my lips pulls up in a smile while the other stays in the same spot.

He walks over to me and sits down next to me on the bed. "Wow half a smile, I feel honored. That one dimple is great to look at." He says sarcastically with a bright smile on his lips. My smile widens and I soften a little.

"I feel hurt, Luke, you haven't even noticed that I never have two dimples. Only my right cheek has a dimple, my left doesn't." I tell him and smile wide to show him. His hand comes up to my cheek and brushes it with his thumb. "You're right." He says seriously and I shoot him a playful glare at him. "Luke, don't do that, please take your hand off my cheek." I tell him and he looks up at me in surprise.

He laughs a little and purses his lips, "Ah crap, you noticed." He says and I send a pointed look in his direction. "I don't want any more drama until after Undercave mountain. So no filrting allowed, none at all." I say, holding one finger up, looking like a mother scolding her child. "Honey, drama follows you around like a wolf follows its prey." He says and this time it's my turn to feign hurt.

"Ouch, I am no prey mister, and I'm not planning on being prey any time soon either." I say and grin cheekily. His face turns serious all of a sudden, "So, when are you going to read that letter?" He asks me and I immediately avert my gaze from his intense blue and green eyes.

"I don't know if I will." I answer honestly and glance up at him. "Why not?" He looks down into my eyes and I'm unablw to look away. "What if everything it says is just... bad? What if it makes me feel horrible?" I say and frown but he chuckles, "I doubt that, it's supposed to be your parents' last letter to you, right? Why would they want you to feel horrible after reading it?" He assures me and I consider it for a couple of seconds.

I make up my mind and I nod, "You're right." I say and his face lights up. He stand up from the bed but I grab his wrist. "Could you stay here with me? Please?" I plead and he looks like he's considering it, sucking his cheek in while doing so. "Sure, but know that I'll scold you if you stop reading that letter." I smile softly at him and nod.

I take a deep breath and open the envelope, taking the letter out slowly and folding it open. My eyes glaze over the first two words again.

Dear Amelia,