It was odd seeing Sage again. It was as if now the young boy held one of the most familiar faces to her, and yet in reality they knew very little of each other. He offered her a reassuring smile.
"Um, please… co in," August said, gesturing toward the kitchen as her eyes t those of the young woman who accompanied him. The pair slowly walked through before turning to watch August close the door behind them. "Did you see Greta down there?"
Sage nodded. "Yes, she told us to co on up," the girl next to him answered.
When neither of the two offered an explanation for their visit, the events that had occurred with Sage and the fighting mates in the forest began to play back in August's mind—as did the guilt revolving around it.
"Sage…" she started, realizing anew how young he was. "Thank you for that day. For helping . I'm sorry for what happened."
The boy looked up at the young woman by his side whose hand he was holding. She had the sa jet black hair and erald green eyes. "About that…" the girl spoke, and August braced herself for the scolding she deserved. The two were obviously related. This must be Sage's older sister, and she must be upset about the danger he had been in.
"Please… don't tell anyone," her green eyes were pleading with August's blue ones.
"Don't… tell anyone?" August repeated.
"About Sage. About his… abilities," the girl said.
His abilities? Had she told anyone? Now that she thought about it, she hadn't. Why hadn't she? He was there with her when the mates were fighting, he helped her find her way back after she ran away, and—perhaps most importantly—he had opened up whatever door had led her to that guardian world. The root guardian spoke of him as if he was also a guardian to her. And yet… she hadn't told anyone. It was almost as if she inherently knew not to.
"No one knows about him," the girl continued. "It would put him in danger."
"Of course I won't," August replied, her eyes softening further at the worry she recognized. "Sage is remarkable, and I'm so grateful. You have nothing to worry about from ," she said. "What's your na?" August extended a hand.
"Selah," the girl said, accepting August's hand to shake. "I'm Sage's sister." August smiled at the obvious relation.
"He is lucky to have you," she replied.
"Um, Luna…" Selah started. "Are you moving closer to the pack house? This is very near the periter of our land. With Eliade's return to search for you… it seems too much of a risk should they return again."
"Yes, we will be staying nearer the pack house," August replied. "You knew about the search team from Eliade?"
"Oh, yes. Forgive ," Selah said. "I didn't explain. I work at the council."
"Oh, that makes sense," August nodded. "But you are so young."
"Not really. There are many close to my age," the girl replied.
August thought of Finn. They were probably similar ages. It just seed so young to have such responsibility.
"It is a relief you are moving closer. Especially now," Selah's eyes seed to hold more than what she was saying, and August saw Sage tug at her arm before the girl glanced back down at him. Selah's lips pressed together.
"Is there sothing I should know, Selah?" August asked, studying the girl's face. She was from the council. Maybe she knew sothing important. The brother and sister exchanged a look again before both pairs of erald eyes focused back on her.
"Luna…" Selah started.
"Please call August."
"August," Selah offered a gentle smile. "You wouldn't know this yet, but…" she trailed off, picking her words carefully. "You know that place at the top of the hill with the trees?"
August's eyebrows threaded together. "Yes."
"When you saw them for the first ti… how many trees were there?" she asked cryptically. It seed as if whatever she had to say was being delayed by this question.
August thought back. The most obvious was the old, ancient tree. "There were three trees."
"Yes, three," Selah smiled. "Do you rember the tree in the center? Was it blooming?"
August's eyes were far away now—in that place with the trees the first ti she encountered them while she was running. "I didn't notice the center one at first. It was only after I had gotten up to leave… I noticed how beautiful it was. It had purple flowers. And when I touched it, there was a crow that hopped down by my feet," her eyes shifted back to the deck, but the bird was gone. "I think it might be following ." The words sounded crazy even as they left her lips, but Selah didn't seem surprised.
"I know this may co as a shock, Luna August," Selah said slowly, "but you are pregnant."
"I'm—I'm sorry?" August let out a small chuckle. "What—what does that have to do with the trees?"
Selah and Sage exchanged another look. "Those trees represent the maiden, the mother, and the crone. The mother tree was blooming, which ans you are with child."
August's mouth fell open and she heard herself sputter a laugh. "No, you must be mistaken. Greta… Grae's sister is pregnant, and that is wonderful. But not , I'm… I'm not. That's not… I can't be…" she trailed off before gripping the counter next to her.
No, she couldn't be pregnant. She told Grae she wasn't ready for that. They couldn't worry about a baby right now or protect one when there was so much going on. That was the last thing they needed.
"Luna, are you okay? Please sit." Selah moved to help her, pulling a chair out from the kitchen table for her to sit in.
August suddenly felt lightheaded. The room was spinning. This was too much too soon. A pregnancy wasn't right for her and Grae right now. She couldn't be pregnant. It was that damned fertility ritual—she just knew it.
A glass of water appeared in front of her, and she looked up to see Sage's sweet face watching her worriedly.
"Thank you, Sage," she smiled even though it felt like more of a grimace holding back the sudden nausea that was surfacing. "Are you—are you sure?" She turned to Selah.
"Yes, Luna."
"And… the crow?" August squinted, trying to bring all of these disparate elents together in her mind where they could collide into so kind of sense.
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