Shadows Over Arcadia Chapter 78: 76. Bad at Goodbye

Read chapter 78 of Shadows Over Arcadia by Zacheas on NovelPedia.

I am Ren Drakemore, nine years old, and I’m not good at goodbyes. https://shadowsoverarcadia.com/api/storage/objects/uploads/94d9f12d-768f-4ec3-a12d-51b487be4617 Luna’s pale gray glow washes over the grounds, while the manor’s windows spill warm light across the front yard, casting long shadows around the wagon as Shadow loads it. Willow stands before me, a cloak draped over her shoulders, her bag slung at her side, and a strange dragon-shaped pendant resting against her chest. “But why can’t we come?” I ask, my voice imploring, as Shadow drops the heavy coin chest into the wagon bed with a thud. “I’ll be faster alone,” Willow says with a patient smile, brushing a few crumbs of my hasty breakfast from my face. “Fret not. I’ll be back in two days.” I pull away from her hand, my brow furrowing as I watch Shadow adjust Buttercup’s and Huckleberry’s harnesses. The wagon is packed light, with only the coin chest, provisions for the horses and several empty crates. The apothecary has sold out of potions, and Willow plans to return to Griswald’s estate to deliver his share of the profits and retrieve the rest of our supply stored there. Willow told me this morning that only after she returns to restock the apothecary will the rest of us travel back to Arcadia with her. It doesn’t make sense. Why can’t I go with her now and send Shadow back with the potions? But whenever I ask, she avoids the question. She’s hiding something. Something wavers behind her smile. A tension lingers in her eyes, like words she isn’t saying. The thought sits uneasily in my stomach, like a pebble in my boot. Only worse. Griswald’s manor is very far away, farther than I’ve ever been from her. The thought settles like a heavy weight on my chest, as if something solid beneath my feet is about to slip away. “If you’re only going to be gone for two days, then why is there a week’s worth of biscuits in the pantry?” I ask, searching her face for answers her lips won’t give. Willow pulls me into a hug, resting her cheek atop my head as my arms wrap around her back. Her chest is oddly cool, like the night air, and I feel no heartbeat. And yet, it’s here that I feel safe. Her familiar scent surrounds me, and for a moment, the weight in my chest eases. But again, she hasn’t answered my question. “I love you,” I say softly. A small part of me hopes those words might change her mind, like a spell to keep her from leaving. Willow tightens her embrace slightly, her hand brushing gently through my hair. “You’re stronger than you think,” she says softly before kissing my forehead. “And you won’t be alone.” We separate at the sound of the manor’s door swinging open and Alastor calling my name. I glance back to see him and Lyra hopping down the steps and heading up the road toward us. Willow’s hand gently turns me back toward her. “Stay here while I’m gone. Don’t go exploring, and under no circumstance should you follow me to Arcadia,” she says sternly. Then, leaning closer, she adds in a whisper, “And don’t turn your back on the Hyperions.” As if to emphasize her point, she turns toward the silhouettes of two men on horseback approaching along the road. Captain Daniels and Kane, today’s escort, arriving like any other morning, framed by the first light of dawn creeping over the grain stalks. Willow often reminds me to be vigilant, to keep my guard up and trust no one. With the rising sun at their backs, Daniels and Kane look like dark specters. Their features are swallowed in shadow, faces half-hidden behind cloth pulled tight against the morning wind. Their eyes sit in the shade of their helmets, their expressions obscured, much like their intentions have always hidden behind polite courtesy. I’ve never trusted Daniels and the others. They are loyal to their king, not me, and they likely resent me for being the cause of their demotion. But I never got the impression they wanted to do me harm, and if they did, my threat detection would alert me. But threat detection can be fo