22. TWENTY-ONE

TWENTY-ONE

S itting above the log, she recalled a night she wished to forget. An evening where she was accompanied by the kindest soul she'd ever met, the essence of a man that seemed too good to be true.

It was impossible not to think of how he gently brushed away her tears when she had tried so hard not to let them fall before him. But now he was another reason added to her long list of sorrow.

Davina had sacrificed a relationship with Ron to fight the war for her siblings and now she was forbidden from seeing them. She couldn't hug them, speak to them, or be in their proximity because it was Nico and Mae's will.

She found it hard not to hold resentment toward her mother. Davina was the child of her womb, a firstborn Almenara, yet Mae disregarded her as if she were otherwise. As if she were a stranger that took up space in their home.

Her leg bounced repeatedly while she rested her head in her hands, and questions ran wild in her mind. What kind of mother chose another man above her daughter? Who, in their right mind, would do that? What had she ever done to deserve all this pain and suffering?

She had enough of it, yet she had no idea how to stop drowning in her baggage.

A branch snapped and boots clomped onto the thicket nearby. She immediately snapped her gaze in the direction of the incoming stroller. No one ever really came to these sides of the woods, so who would want to be this deep into the trees?

Once she locked eyes with him, she felt her heart drop to her stomach. She shot up, quickly examining his demeanor.

His pale lips were curved down, his brows were scrunched, there was a slight clench in his jaw, and dark circles hugged the bottom of his eyelids. Long wrinkles ran down his brown sleeves and his royal blue trousers were disheveled at the hems.

"Vivi," Ron noted.

She felt a strong palpitation in her chest.

He flashed his teeth, and it was like his misery was gone in mere seconds. "I'm glad to see you here, love. I've been meaning to talk to you."

Davina clenched her fists while she breathed in through her nose. "You don't get to call me that anymore."

"Why not?"

"We're done, Levina. I'm not going to repeat myself," she said.

Ron made sure to slowly scan her before taking a step closer. "Are we done, though?" he questioned.

"Yes," she affirmed.

"Mm, I'm not quite sure."

"We are, now leave. I'm in a sour mood, and I don't feel like dealing with you today."

Her boots felt like they had been glued to the foliage beneath as he continued to stride toward her. The golden rays of the afternoon sun highlighted his gray-flecked eyes. She dropped her gaze since that look of his only seemed to cut her open even more.

"Mm, it's fine. I like angry you," he mumbled, reaching for her chin and making her meet his eyes again.

No. She wouldn't give herself the privilege of looking into the eyes that belonged to a heart she would only keep breaking.

I'm sorry , she thought.

She gripped his hand, ducked under it, twisted his arm onto his back, and pinned him face-first onto the nearest tree. He grunted once his cheek collided against the trunk.

"Feisty, I see."

"You sure you still like angry me?" she asked.

"Always." He chuckled.

Davina sighed as she grabbed both his arms and threw him across the forest. Instead of falling onto the ground, he curled his body inward and rolled back onto his feet.

"I heard about what happened three weeks ago. I'm sorry you had to go through that," he panted. "But you don't have to keep fighting for them, Vivi. They don't deserve you!"

She marched over to him and jabbed at his face, he dodged. Bringing her arm back, she elbowed his jaw and then kneed his stomach. She shook her head when he barked from the impact.

The Captain uttered, "You don't get to have a say in my decisions. You never did and you never will."

Ron grabbed her incoming fist and twisted it, making her flip onto her back. Davina grunted once she landed on the floor. She did a kip up, spinning and sending him a high kick. He ducked and then blocked all of her upper hooks.

When she was aiming another punch at his face, he grabbed her forearm and brought her close to his warm body. His arm snaked around her torso as she fought against his grip.

"Stop fighting me, love," he whispered.

"Stop calling me that!" she yelled but his grasp around her waist only tightened.

"We both know that you love my nicknames, Vivi ," he taunted.

Perhaps she could try to scare him off. Then, she recalled that she had a new blade hidden in a sheath under her sleeve.

Her fire rocketed inside of her chest and spread into her eyes, coloring them a bright violet with sparks falling onto the thicket around them. Using an uncontrollable strength she didn't know she had, she jostled him against the same tree once again. The bark of the tree creaked as his back collided with it. A scowl found its way to her lips as she flipped her dagger between her fingers and set the cold blade to his neck.

"I hate you."

"No, you don't," he called.

His smug grin made her want to nick his throat.

"I do. I hate you for lying to me. For telling me that you'd understand, and when push came to shove, you were a coward," Davina uttered.

"I'm not a coward," he claimed, his brows scrunching together.

"Yes, you are." The Captain pushed off of him, making sure not to hurt him, as she slid her dagger away from his throat and back into its holster. She closed her eyes and forced her lavender pupils to disappear. "You're the only one who knows how afraid I am of water. You have no idea how scared I was when you didn't come out of the lake on time, but I was much more mortified to think about you dying if I didn't go in after you. I did it for you but you didn't do the same for me when I needed you most."

She took in a shallow breath.

"Davina…"

"That battle could've ended differently if you were there. Did you ever think about that?"

He remained silent for a few long seconds before saying, "No, I didn't."

She exasperated, "I really believed that you would fight with us because I thought… I thought you'd be willing to make the same sacrifices for me."

"I am willing. We can fix this, we can work through this," Ron argued.

Davina fought the tears that pricked her eyes. She had to put a leash on her emotions, just like Master Abigail had told her so. Breathing in deeply, she focused on her pulse and strengthened the walls around her heart. It was time to put on one of her masks.

"When are you going to get it into your thick skull that there is no fixing what you've done," she claimed.

"Don't say that," Ron whispered.

"Don't say the truth? Ron, you screwed up," Davina said. "How could you say that about my siblings when they are the most precious thing I have?"

He tenderly stared into her violet eyes. "I… I'm sorry."

"Sorry doesn't cut it," she bellowed. "Now, leave me be and enjoy your long and miserable life."

She tried not to flinch when she saw the pain flash across his face.

"How could you say that?" he questioned.

Tearing someone else's confidence should be easy enough especially because she learned how to with Mae and Nico.

"I'm only saying the truth. You're miserable because of your lack of powers and you try to leech onto me because of that. Well, I thought about it, and I don't want you suffocating me the way you have been all these months."

"Stop," he said quietly. "You feel something for me, just as I do for you. Why are you hurting me like this?"

"Oh, Levina. There goes another thing that you're wrong about because I feel nothing for you now." She chuckled.

"Stop trying to deceive me, love," he mumbled. The credence he had to fix their relationship was beginning to thin when she noticed his widened eyes.

"I'm not. I want nothing to do with you."

"No, stop," he warned. "You're better than this."

"Am I? I am an Almenara, after all, I don't know any better." Davina smirked and shrugged before crossing her arms.

His Adam's apple bobbed as he gulped. Davina bit down on her tongue when the amusement in his eyes disappeared and they glossed.

"I thought you'd be different. I guess I was wrong." A sharp breeze passed through them but they both remained standing still, staring at one another.

Not another word was exchanged between them when he stepped off the hard roots of the tree and headed in the same direction from where he'd arrived. Ron didn't look back. He didn't give any indication of the thoughts that could be swirling around in his mind. All that he simply did was walk emotionlessly out of the forest.

His receding footsteps over the foliage haunted her as she covered her mouth, not letting her incoming sobs escape. Drops of salt left her brown eyes and ran down her beige skin. Her chest heaved as she tried to withhold her crying.

Had she truly succeeded in tearing his heart apart? If she did then he was right about her. She was no better than Freya, Mae, or Nico. She truly was a heartless Almenara.

A cold sheet of shivers ran down her legs. Her entire body began to tremble in the same rhythmic, yet rapid, speed of her heartbeat.

She shook her head frantically and then proceeded to perform a breathing exercise that Master Abigail had taught her at the beginning of her Apprenticeship.

"Be strong, Davina," she said to herself. She fanned her face to dry any tear lines.

A warrior couldn't be sensitive. A true fighter had to remain calm and collected. This was war and it required sacrifice. She was doing the right thing, she reminded herself.

Davina exhaled one last time before wiping away her tears. She had to get out of there soon.

Large wild violet wings stretched behind Davina's back; she rolled her shoulders before her feathers of fire lifted her into the air. At each flap of a wing, she could hear the flames crackling loudly.

As she drifted above Auris Island, she was able to glimpse Ron running back to his house. Davina had visited that part of Auris that day to reminisce a good moment that she had partaken with the youngest Levina, only for her to leave with a heavier weight over her shoulders.

Davina spotted Castellum Island and how there seemed to be numerous Bellatormans coming in and out of the castle. She was able to locate her friends loitering around the courtyard with a jumping Leilani in the middle, she seemed to be telling a story.

Davina headed to Castellum.

Once she neared the courtyard, her shadow had cast upon her friends which caused them to turn to her. Each of them smiled widely once they locked eyes with her. Their grins were contagious, she beamed at them as she found her footing on the stoned staircase. "Hello, everyone."

They all greeted her with a joyful ruckus, all except for Snow.

"Hey, D, how are you feeling?" Caleb asked.

"I'm good, why wouldn't I be?" Davina smiled.

"Just checking on you," Cara noted hesitantly, a shy grin appearing over her lips.

Was her misery that noticeable?

Davina curt a nod before glancing down at her fidgeting fingers. "Everything's fine. I'm fine."

"You've been a little distant since we helped you move in with Leilani. Are you sure?" Caleb asked, quirking a brow and squinting his eyes.

Davina chuckled, "Yes, I'm sure, Caleb."

"What about that whole situation Ron? Have you guys made up?" Caleb questioned.

It's like he knew that they had just fought minutes ago.

"I don't wanna talk about it," Davina said. Especially because Beacon was there.

The youngest Dunbar twin only nodded with an understanding smile. Davina was grateful that he didn't ask any more questions in front of the group.

"Good, because I have had enough with the lovey-dovey today," Snow remarked.

"What do you mean?" Davina asked.

"We think Sadoc is about to propose to Leilani!" Cara raved, jumping up and down with the other Basalan girl.

Davina turned to Leilani who had a bouquet of roses in her arms, she touched the buds with such delicacy. Lani gripped the flowers so tightly as if she were holding onto dear life. Davina forced a grin and noted, "That's great."

"I know! He grew a whole new garden of roses so he could gift them to me. Isn't that so romantic?" Leilani asked, her cheeks were lined with deep creases due to her incessant blushing. "And he takes me out on all these adventurous dates and we get along so well. We never fight like Ron and Davina have recently."

Valerie warned with a stern look, "Leilani."

Leilani grinned again. "What? We all know that's true. Right, D?"

Lani faced Davina, making sure that her bouquet of roses filled Davina's peripheral.

"We get it, love is in the air. Now, can you please stop? It's disgusting." Snow rolled her eyes. The crystals in her sleeves clinked together as she crossed her arms.

"Snow, aren't you the one that introduced them?" Caleb noted, motioning to a bouncing Leilani.

"Yeah, but I didn't think she'd be this bad," Snow said.

Davina chuckled. "You're right, she gets a little crazy when it comes to Allaway."

Leilani stopped jumping and glared at Davina. The Captain shrugged with a grin.

"I'm sorry, Leilani. I suffered a lot when Beacon and Valerie first met," Snow apologized. "They were insufferable."

Leilani shook her head, dismissing Snow's comments. "It's okay."

"Hey, we weren't annoying!" Beacon argued.

Valerie laughed as she set a hand over Beacon's arm. "We were kids, you can't blame us."

"Kids? We were sixteen and you wouldn't stop talking about him." The icy Neptulan's eyes pierced Valerie's but there seemed to be a small twitch in Snow's lips. There was a difference in Snow's demeanor. She wasn't being cold as she usually was and she was conversing with everyone.

Despite Davina's sadness, seeing Snow communicating made her a tad bit happy.

"I can say the same about you and Landon," Valerie taunted.

Horror crossed Snow's expression, her tainted pink lips quivered. Everyone went silent. Cara and Davina turned to each other with the same puzzled look.

Davina had never heard them speak of a man named Landon before. "Who's Landon?" she asked.

"No one," Snow replied immediately. A muscle clenched in Snow's jaw as she breathed through her nose and glared at her cousin.

"Snow, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to," Valerie said.

Any sign of emotion that Snow had been portraying had crumpled at the mention of this mysterious man named, Landon. "It's fine. I'm going home now."

She bumped past Valerie.

Before Snow could leave, Davina grabbed her cold arm. Her sharp blue pupils dilated as she set them on Davina. Snow rasped, "What do you want, Almenara?"

"Don't go. Let's talk about it."

Whatever happened between that man and Snow, clearly left its mark on her. It was a wound so deep that Snow completely shut down at the mention of him. Davina knew better than anyone that shutting down and isolating oneself only led to more anguish.

"Leave me be," she bristled.

"Let her go, D," Beacon suggested.

Davina turned back to the rest of them. They all seemed to agree as they nodded along with the oldest Levina. She loosened her grip and watched the way Snow's pearl skirts cascaded over the stoned staircase of Castellum.

"Can anyone explain who this Landon guy is?" Cara asked shyly.

"I don't think it's our place to say." Caleb pursed his lips.

Leilani agreed, "It's not. It's a sensitive subject for her."

Beacon sighed as he scratched his beard, wrapping an arm around Valerie's shoulder, while Val rubbed her eyes. "I shouldn't have mentioned him."

"Well, who is he?" Davina asked. "What was he to Snow?"

Valerie shook her head. "It's not my story to tell. She'll explain it to you one day."

Davina nodded.

"You know with everything going on, I haven't thought about Lan in a while. I miss him," Beacon said. He stared at a distancing Snow while he recollected the ghosts of his past.

"I do too, Bea," Val muttered.

Beacon and Val held onto each other, memories of Landon silencing them and taking away their momentary joy.

"There go our plans to eat dinner at the cavern!" Caleb exclaimed, flopping his hands over his thighs with exaggeration.

Leilani slapped the back of his head. "Caleb! Is that what you're thinking about right now?"

"I'm hungry, I just came back from training!" Caleb argued.

Cara put a hand over her stomach. "I have to agree with Caleb on this one."

Leilani rolled her eyes.

Davina looked back at an impassive Snow, who kept walking toward her native Bridge. Her white hair disappeared among the crowded Bridge of Neptulus and Davina was left wondering about Snow Morozov's past.