Finding Home - The Light

Chapter Thirty One - Follow Your Heart

CHAPTER THIRTY ONE

Follow Your Heart

Sara was wrenched from Travis’s grasp. She looked up gratefully, expecting to see Vlad staring at her angrily. Disappointment replaced hope when she realized it was Alexander, not Vlad that she was clinging to. She felt his anger vibrating through him before he shoved her behind him.

“Don’t touch her,” he growled.

Travis frowned at Alexander, but his expression softened when he saw Sara’s frightened face. He nodded and walked away without another word.

Her breath was coming in short gasps as she fought to control her emotions. Fear, joy, pain, and anger were at war within her. She clung tighter to Alexander when she felt the earth begin to shake under her feet. Alexander scooped her up and rushed into a nearby house.

When her breathing slowed and the ground ceased to move, Alexander slowly lowered her to the ground. Images of Vlad flashed uncontrollably through her mind. Trying to sort through her jumbled thoughts was like trying to find her way through a thick fog. She looked up at Alexander with vacant eyes.

“Can I have a moment alone?”

Alexander searched her face, a worry line creasing his forehead, before nodding. He led her to a bedroom upstairs and hugged her tightly.

“I’m sorry,” he said when he released her.

Sara chuckled and gave him a playful shove, teasing him. “I knew you would regret saving me, but I figured it would be a few days.”

Alexander gave her another worried look before he left the room. Sara threw herself onto the bed, trying to sort through her jumbled thoughts. She kept expecting Vlad to appear in front of her, the familiar scowl on his face, ready to whisk her off in his arms.

The fact that she was disappointed when he didn’t show up frightened her. The people she had come to think of family surrounded her, and she couldn’t help but feel regret. She closed her eyes and was met with an image of Vlad’s face, smiling at her. She jumped from her bed and paced the floor. No matter how she tried, she couldn’t erase the image of him. The way his smile lit his face had melted her heart. She knew there was more to him than his thirst for power. She had seen it with her own eyes. While the army he controlled was evil to its core, Vlad had once been a child of the light.

Her heart fluttered as she though of how it felt to have him holding her close. She hugged her arms as she sat back on the bed. The thought of sleep was tempting, but she knew she couldn’t hide forever.

Sara let out a small yelp when Alexander poked his head through the door.

“Are you okay?” he asked before carefully stepping into the room.

“Of course,” she lied. “I was just gathering my thoughts. I think I’m ready to face everyone now. Lead the way, o large one.”

She felt a genuine smile stretch across her face when he laughed. She reached up and ruffled his hair before he opened the door and led them back downstairs. Sara ran the last few steps, pushing Alexander out of the way as she burst into the kitchen. Belle and Adrian met her with open arms, tears streaming down their faces.

She felt their emotions through every touch. When it started to overwhelm her she reluctantly pulled away from the two. She held them at arms length, taking in every inch of their faces. Knowing they would have thousands of questions, she spoke before either if them could find their voices.

“I missed you guys so much,” she said, releasing them and turning to Alexander. “I’m hungry.”

Several people she had not noticed were standing in the shadows. When she voiced her request they leapt into action, and within seconds she was seated at a table filled with heaping plates of food. She laughed and motioned for her friends to join her.