Till Death Do Us Part // Book Three

.2.

"It's just a lot to take in," My shaky voice admits.

We stood in the middle of the Havenfield pastures of lavender color plants and soft grass. The comforting roar of a dinosaur or two echoed in the distance as the sun began to set yellow and pink.

"We understand that," Oralie's careful voice creeped behind me. "Trust me I don't want to ask this, but we need an answer. We have picked up on criminal activity. And I won't waste my breath telling you from whom."

"And you didn't tell us? More importantly, me. Why would I need to be a councilor to help?"

"We weren't sure at first. Sophie I told you years ago you would be an amazing councilor. I wasn't joking. We all knew the inactivity was not right, and for so many years. But Livvy escaped her prison."

"She what?!" I stumbled back, as if it would separate me and the words the pink councilor spoke.

Oralies face hung with shame. "They were illusions. All of them. They were so...real. We could touch them, hear them, they reacted, they bled, they cried. I'm afraid we didn't plan for this. They're a hundred steps ahead of us."

I went quiet, staring at my hands which shook even more. My breathing sped up as I tried to figure out what to say.

Luckily, Oralie spoke again. "I thought I had won. I had a different agenda than the rest of the council. I wanted justice, for Kenric. I thought we had captured his murders. I was wrong, and I will never forgive myself or my naivety. So I ask again, please join the council."

My eyes trailed to Oralie's.

It was true I had always felt a connection to her, trusted her more than any other councilor.

A small part of me wanted to make her proud, for some odd reason.

So my next words shocked me more than it shocked Oralie.

"Can I choose my stone?" I looked back down at my hands, sliding them in my pockets to control the shaking.

"Of...of course! Oh this is wonderful!" Oralie hugged herself and we both let breaths we hadn't realized we'd been breathing loose.

"I want amber," I said suddenly.

"Amber?" Oralie's mood died instantly. "That was..."

"Kenric's I She finished when she didn't. "This isn't for me, it isn't for the council, nor the people. This is for him. After years, he deserves rest. You deserve peace of mind. You've been kind to me, always standing by my side. This is just right."

"I knew you'd say yes," A sharply accented voice sounded behind me. A hint of a smile could be heard in his voice.

"And why's that?" I mused, turning to face my husband. "Do I really worry that much?"

"Oh I wouldn't say worry. Obsessing would be a better word choice. You brought it up every chance you had, for a week, straight."

I let out a sigh and my hands grazed my arms. Chills ran through me, but I remained still, as if moving would ruin everything.

"It's not a bad thing," He reassured me. "It's strange, however. They so willingly accepted your terms. Must be that desperate."

"It's strange," I agreed. I walked over to our bed, taking my earrings out and placing them on the bedside table.

They were a cheap pair of pearl earrings I hadn't realized were in the purple backpack I brought to the lost cities so many years ago.

They had lost their shine, but they were a gift from my human mother, a promise that when I turned thirteen, she would take me to get my ears pierced.