"Where will you go?" Ajax asks. The forest is alive with the chirp of hundreds of crickets and the melodic cacophony of songbirds. Trees dance together as the wind sails through their branches, ruffling the curls framing my face. Ever wild.
Though my departure from the kingdom is a decision I've made, his question wraps around my heart, stopping it for a beat. I draw in a breath, staring off into the endless maze of green ahead of me, around me, behind me. The southern forest, the place that was once my father's peace, envelopes its phantom arms around me, keeping me together when every instinct urges me to fall apart.
"Anywhere," I say, my chest only a sliver away from caving. "Perhaps I will join Callisto in the Wilderness and live off the land. Or maybe I will make my way to the Red Movement building and... turn it into a place of my own. It doesn't matter. I just want to be... I want to be anywhere my name doesn't sound like a curse or the title of a story told to scare small children."
Ajax takes in the weight of the words, his lips pressed together. "We will cremate...the body tonight." He shifts and glances at me. "Will you be there?"
Something snaps in the recesses of the forest. My stomach lurches and my chest tightens. "I will be gone."
He tilts his head. "Are you sure you don't want to be there? It might help with the closure. The Wilderness will still be there tomorrow. You don't need to rush."
No. I need to run. I need to flee, as fast, and as far as possible.
"Same with the kingdom. It will always be here if I ever want to come back," I say, leaning my head on his shoulder.
He presses a kiss to the top of my hair. "You will always be welcome back here, Elle. I hope you will return."
"You must write to me," I say, my lip quivering as tears prickle my eyes. "Send me Mercurees. Tell me everything. Write it all down. I want to know the good and the bad. I want to know if you find love. You of all people deserve to be loved deeply, Ajax."
He kisses my temple again. "It might be a little challenging given I don't have a physical desire for anyone. But perhaps someone will be willing to give me a soft, long romance."
I smile, breathing in the smell of my friend, a hint of vanilla and sandalwood. Perhaps in another life, he and I would have fallen in love. My heart aches at the thought.
"What about you?" I reach out and brush a strand of black hair away from his glacial eyes. "What will you do?"
He picks at the twigs sticking up from the earth. "I'll stay here. I should stay and help the city recover and rebuild."
"Again?" I release a soft laugh.
Ajax hangs his head, chuckling. "I have a knack for rebuilding city walls and helping everyone get their shit together."
"Will you try to become a leader again?"
He thinks about it for a moment, brows pinched. "I think we will try establishing a group of leaders. A city that governs itself, with a council. Besides, you quite literally destroyed the throne and the palace. But luckily, the sheep farmer has, one, discovered I was living in his attic and, two, agreed to let me stay." Ajax laughs and I cringe. "Perhaps each citizen can have a turn at sitting within the council. Or they can vote for who takes a seat. I don't want just one person to simply rule. And Elle, your sheer stupid bravery and cunning propelled me into my leadership roles. You inspired me. Gave me the courage to believe in myself, too. Thank you."
Tiny phantom needles shoot through my chest and rake down my spine. Part of me wishes I could stick around to witness the change. But I've made my decision.
YOU ARE READING
After the Walls
Fantasy[Book 3 of the Within the Walls Trilogy] Who is Elle Fallon? Is she a selfless hero? Or is she a girl driven to madness trying to protect the ones she loves? Months have passed since the battle beyond the walls and rumour has it she has chosen to...
