Broken

Epilogue: Part 2

The cracking of a branch was all the warning I had before a slim form fell from the tree. I reflexively caught the unexpected person, the motion second nature since my time out on the front, but the movement sent both of us backwards into the steep ditch. We rolled down the incline together and I cursed harshly in Orrian as I tried and failed to stop, the person's arms tangling in mine to the point I could not use my own to stop us both.

We came to a stop at the bottom of the ditch and I landed heavily on my back, my head spinning from the rolling that I had unexpectedly done. My father would curse me for the rather improper behaviour, accident or not. LehnSons did not roll around in the grass and dirt. The person landed on top of me once more with a faint groan.

Anger rose up in my throat sharp and bitter but when I opened my mouth to reprimand the foolishness that the person had exhibited and the immature and despicable behaviour they had shown I had a small hand cover my mouth. A clear feminine voice muttered English close to my ear. I struggled to translate it but she had said it so quickly I could only catch a few words. I was more distracted by the soft hand that covered my mouth, how the touch seemed to sear me with a promise of something more.

I tried to focus on her words but all I got was: Quiet. Be. Caught. Corporal. The rest was gibberish.

My heart pounded in my rib cage as the small woman pressed her head into my chest, her form shaking slightly. I could feel my heart race unexpectedly in response to the contact and I frowned darkly. This was highly improper and my father would no doubt be punish me severely if I were to let him see me covered in grass stains and dirt. The woman pulled her hand away from my mouth and I faintly missed the contact. It was strange and I needed to get away from her. I sat up, pushing her away from me as I did so. She also sat up, faintly murmuring something I didn't care to listen to.

"Of all the stupid, illogical, and foolish things to do. No respectable lady climbs a tree! I can now tell why my father wants to keep me away from such brutish and uncultured huma-" My words died in my throat as she locked eyes with me. I felt like I had been sucker punched as her eyes, the multi-toned colour of my medallion, stared at me. She was something I had never experienced before. I had never viewed a woman more magnificent or stunning in my entire life. My mouth felt dry and I felt like something had connected us deep down, as if her gaze had stolen something from me and had left something of hers in return.

After a lifetime of craving it... Here is your something more. The voice whispered it softly before it faded off into the very back of my mind. It left me with stunned confusion.

There was no rational or logical explanation for what I was feeling as I looked at her. She was simply magnificent. Every inch of her face was unique and well formed. From her beautiful eyes to her thick lashes to her full lips that had a mischievous upwards tilt on the left side that made her mouth a tiny fraction uneven. The magnificence was in the delicateness of her face shape right down to the golden freckles across her nose and the tops of her cheeks.

I was pulled from my memorization of her face as she reached up and tucked some loose hairs behind her ears. I noticed her hair was in a long braid and it startled me slightly. Only important people wore their hair that long. Reality slapped me in the face and I ground my teeth together. I had been eyeing up a half-breed human. My father would be upset and I would tarnish the family name. I chanted my mantra in my head. I needed to focus on it and not her.

"My name is Lacey." She was speaking English and I understood that clearly but I ignored it. I tried to ignore how the name suited her. A delicate name for a delicate fairy of a woman who had literally fallen from above. I tried to ignore how her voice rolled over my skin, bringing my nerves to life with a faint sound. "Do you understand English?" She gave me an imploring look but I avoided meeting her gaze. I didn't need to be sucked into that again. I needed to do my duty.