Garnathe (Part Two of the Damore High Series)

Chapter 4

Alice paced around the living room impatiently. 'He should be back by now. Why isn't he back?' She thought to herself worriedly.

Then she heard the door slam, and in strode her devilishly handsome, if not a little riled husband. He stopped in the entrance of the living room and looked into her eyes breathlessly. "That is it; we are leaving."

Alice ignored what he said and hurried to him, hugging him around the neck tightly. "You're late."

He was sopping wet from the drizzle that permeated the early evening air as he distractedly hugged her back. "Yes, well I had more business with the council." Over the past three years, he had maintained his accent, but it had lost just a bit of its potency. But only a bit, and he reverted easily.

"Wait." She pulled away from him. "What do you mean we're leaving?"

His mouth set into a firm line, his eyes uncharacteristically stony. "I mean we are going far away. We are moving to America or someplace else, but not here. I am finished with the council."

She shook her head, taking a step away from him. "We can't leave."

"We can and we must." He declared, turning away from her and running a hand through his wet brown waves as he looked around their kitchen analytically.

"Our life is here. Our family is here. How do we just walk away from that?" She asked him.

"We pack our bags, we get into our luxury sports car, and we leave." He explained literally as he turned to face her. "We do not have much of a better choice, love."

"Why not?" She asked him a small shake of her head, "Why can't you talk to them? Why can't you try?"

"Obviously I have tried." He said with no small amount of underlying anger. "Those are the days I came home with black eyes and broken noses."

She sighed, closing her eyes and shaking her head slightly. "Fine." She finally said quietly.

"Where is Fia?" He asked hectically, taking off his rain-spattered trench coat.

"In bed. It's like eleven." She said with a stiff posture.

Finally, he stopped, lowering his arms full of coat and looking at her full on. "Alice, there is no better option. The council is ruling our lives."

She nodded. "I know."

He sighed. "Are you going to wake Fia up or pack while I do?"

"I'll get Fia." She said, moving around him and quickly up the steps.

He continued to bustle around in their spacious kitchen. When Alice reached her daughter's room, she saw that she was fast asleep.

Alice gave a regretful look and entered. "Fia, hey baby, wake up."

She opened her eyes slightly and then shut them again.

Alice walked over and sat on the edge of the bed. "Come on, wake up now."

"No." She whined, burrowing into her pink covers.

"You can sleep in the car okay? But you need to wake up right now." Alice said, with a small shake of her daughter's shoulders.

"No." Fia repeated stubbornly, her voice muffled through the sheets.

"Fia, wake up." Alice said sternly before simply getting up and scooping her daughter into her arms.

Immediately, the tired three year old began to cry, an exhausted, high-pitched, whiny sort of cry. "I don't want to go buh-bye!"

Alice's heart broke as she controlled her emotions. "I don't want to go buh-bye either baby."