Chapter 204 The Argument Pt 1

Chapter 204: Chapter 204 The Argument Pt 1

Talia’s POV

I sat on the edge of the bed, with the necklace still clutched in my hands.

I could still feel the ghost of the vision lingering behind my eyes, and the echo of my mother’s voice in my ears. It had felt so real, so vivid, and I was not sure if I would ever be able to shake the feeling of her presence.

The way she had reached for me, her fingers stretching through the darkness as if she could actually touch me across all that distance, had left a phantom sensation on my skin that I could still feel hours later. It was like a tingling reminder that she was out there somewhere, fighting, waiting, and hoping that someone would come for her.

The warmth of the charm had faded, but the vision was still burned into my mind. I could still see my mother’s face if I closed my eyes, I could hear her voice calling my name, and I could feel her hands reaching out to me from the shadows.

I had stopped crying, but my eyes were still red, and my cheeks were still wet.

I wiped at my face with the back of my hand, but the tears had already left their mark. I could still feel the sting of them, with the rawness of the emotions that had flooded through me.

The door opened, and Kaelen walked in.

His footsteps were heavy and purposeful, but they faltered when he saw me sitting there. I could see the concern flash across his face, because of the way his eyes widened just a fraction, before he composed himself.

He stopped when he saw me, and his eyes moved across my face. He knew immediately that something was wrong.

"Talia," he said with a soft voice. "What happened?"

I looked up at him, and I tried to smile.

The smile did not reach my eyes, and I knew he would see right through it. Because he always did.

"I am fine." I replied.

"You are not fine," he said.

His voice was gentle, but there was a firmness underneath it. Which made me know that, he was not going to let me brush this aside.

"Your eyes are red. Which means that you have been crying." He said.

I looked down at the necklace in my hands.

The silver chain was cool against my skin, and I could still feel the faint pulse of warmth from the charm. It was like, it was still trying to tell me something, or to guide me toward the truth.

"I found this in my mother’s trunk." I said.

He walked to me and sat beside me on the bed.

I felt the weight of his presence beside me, solid and comforting. He did not say anything at first, he just sat there, letting me know he was there for me.

He looked at the necklace, then at me. "The glamour charm?"

I turned the charm over in my palm, watching the way the firelight caught the silver and made it gleam like a tiny captured star. And I wondered how many times my mother had held it just like this, and how many nights she had clutched it to her chest and thought of me, the daughter she had been forced to leave behind.

I nodded. "You know that I stopped wearing it after the trial,and I put it away. But today, I felt pulled to it. And when I held it, I saw a vision."

"What kind of vision?" he asked.

I took a breath, and the words came out slowly, and carefully, like I was trying to piece together a puzzle that I did not fully understand.

"I saw my mother, and she was calling my name. She was in a dark place, surrounded by shadows, and she was reaching out to me, and trying to find her way home." I explained the vision.

Kaelen reached over and took my hand.

His fingers were warm and steady, and I felt the tension in my shoulders ease just a little. He always knew how to ground me.

"We are going to find her." He said.

I nodded. "I know."

He squeezed my hand, and then he sat back. He took off his shirt, as he began to fill me in about the preparations to go for my mother’s rescue.

His voice was calm and measured, and I could tell he was trying to distract me, and to give me something else to focus on. I appreciated the effort, even if my mind was still elsewhere.

“The warriors Jax and Silas had chosen, were training hard every day. Stephanie had been packing supplies, making sure we had everything that we would need for the journey.” Kaelen explained. "I have decided we will travel on horses," he said again. "Not cars."

He had clearly thought this through, weighed the options carefully. It was one of the things I loved about him, his ability to plan and strategize, even in the midst of chaos.

"The cars are faster, but the horses are quieter. And we need to move without being detected." He said.