I Am Ruined (TDA Lord of Shadows Sequel)

[ XVII ] Of My Own Heart

After a nice while of awkward silence walking through faerie, the sun was beginning to rise. The four of them picked up their pace but soon the sun had filled the sky with too much light, blocking out the colorful stars and their way of navigation.

"We should find a place to rest, without the stars there is no way to navigate." Mark said, stopping and turning to the three of them.

Jaime scoffed, "And here I thought you two knew this land 'as if it were your own heart.'"

Kieran whipped around, his hair a dark black color. His hair had not lightened the majority of the time they had been here, he was obviously on edge and irritated, "The lands of faerie can change at the Queen or King's will. The stars are the only true direction of this world. If I were to follow the path I took last time I was present here, it may very well take me to a different place."

"Well what about tracking?"

Kieran's eyes sparked in amusement, "Ah, did you forget already? Your runes will not work in these lands, Shadowhunter."

"Besides," Cristina interjected, "What would we track? We have no idea where this ring is or if it is even in Faerie."

"So then, where exactly are you taking us?" Jaime faced Cristina now, "He could be leading us right into a trap. Do you even trust him!?"

"I do! I trust them both, far more than I trust you, Jaime!" Her dark eyes flashed, but Mark put a hand on her arm.

"I assure you we are doing our best, we have no ill intentions. But for now we need rest. Maybe more than we realize." His bi-colored eyes scanned the group. Kieran was seething, his gaze shooting daggers at the tall Shadowhunter. Cristina looked frustrated beyond belief, her hands running through her hair absentmindedly now. Jaime reluctantly agreed, nodding before walking off towards a tree and settling down.

They had all settled in, resting to prepare for the night when they could continue the journey. Jaime was asleep up against a tree with weapon held against him, Kieran asleep far away from him on the ground. Mark had offered to take the first watch, spinning the elf-bolt necklace between his fingers. Cristina was lying down, unable to sleep. She watched Mark, the way his eyes were trained on the necklace making her heart ache. He loved Kieran, that much was obvious. Whether it was a true love or merely the result of finding that one anchor that held you to sanity through hard times, she didn't know. Regardless, the way he kept the necklace and the way he looked at the blue haired faerie was enough to show it. And Cristina actually liked Kieran, he made mistakes sure, but he was not a bad person. He grew up as a product of his environment, his father a cruel king and brothers hell-bent on murdering each other in order to have the upper hand. Seeing Kieran now, she saw him for what he really was; a broken boy who was born into a life he never wanted, only to be exiled from the only 'family' he ever had and sent to the Wild Hunt. He had found love there, only to have it ripped away from him and having no memory as to why and then being used by the very person he loved. He had gone through torture of both the body and heart, more than enough to drive anyone mad and yet he had come out with more compassion than before. Mark looked to her now and noticed that her eyes were open and she was not asleep.

"You should really get some rest, Cristina. You must be exhausted." Mark said softly, keeping his voice quiet.

She shook her head and sat up next to him, "I can't sleep."

"What is on your mind?" His blonde hair had grown a bit from when she last cut it, the soft waves falling into his eyes.

"You still love him." He looked surprised, obviously not expecting that to be her answer. She wondered herself why she brought it up. He opened his mouth to say something but fell short, no words coming out. She considered apologizing, saying it was none of her business, but she was tired of avoiding it. She knew what her heart wanted, and she thought she knew what his wanted as well. But maybe she never truly believed that. Maybe a part of her always knew Kieran would be in his heart. Someone that vital in your life could never really be taken away without altering your soul, could it?