Chapter 210 The letter Pt 2

Chapter 210: Chapter 210 The letter Pt 2

Talia’s POV

I did not know if I could look into her eyes and tell her that I might not come back.

Piper was not there, so I walked to the desk and set the letter down.

The paper looked so small on the desk, but it carried so much weight. It was a piece of my heart, left behind for her to find.

And I told myself that I would come back later and explain everything to her. But for now, I needed to clear my mind.

I walked to the library, and it was quiet, just the way I liked it. I pulled out a book about the Ashen Lands.

I opened it to a page about the terrain, but the words blurred together. I could not focus on anything except the letter I had left behind.

Then I moved, and sat at a table near the window, and I read for a while, but my mind kept drifting back to the Ashen lands and to the battle ahead.

I was so lost in my thoughts that I did not hear the footsteps outside the door, and I did not hear the soft creak of the hinges. I was so lost, drowning in the weight of everything that I had to do.

Then I heard a voice in my head.

"Luna?" The voice called. It was Nora’s voice.

Her voice was gentle, and I could hear the concern in it. I had not realized how much I had been worrying everyone. ℯ

"Yes, Nora?" I answered.

"Where are you? Piper has been looking everywhere for you. She is worried." Nora said.

"I am in the library." I replied.

"Good. I will tell her." she said. Then the connection got cut off, like the rope that had been holding the signal, had been snapped.

A few minutes later, the library door burst open.

The sound startled me, and I looked up just in time to see her standing in the doorway, with the letter clutched in her hand, and her face flushed with emotion.

Piper stormed in. Her face was like red, and her eyes were bright with anger.

I had never seen her look so angry, and I felt a pang of guilt. It seemed like I had hurt her, and that was the last thing I had ever wanted to do.

"What is this?" she demanded, holding up the letter.

I stood up. "Piper..."

"Do not ’Piper’ me." She waved the letter in front of my face. "You wrote me a goodbye letter? You were going to leave without saying goodbye?"

"Piper, but I... " I tried to say.

"What is this?" she interrupted, pointing to the words at the bottom. "’If I do not come back, tell the pack I was not afraid.’ Do you really think I am going to let you leave without me?"

I stared at her.

She looked at me with those familiar eyes, and I felt my resolve crumble. How could I leave her behind? And how could I face the unknown without her by my side?

"Piper, the truth is that, I do not want you to come, because it is too dangerous. I need you to stay here, where you are safe." I said slowly.

"I do not care," she said. "I am coming with you."

"Piper, please... " I took a step forward.

"No." Her voice was firm, and she stepped back. "I am not staying behind. I am not going to sit here and wait, while you go off and risk your life. I am coming with you, and that is final."

"Piper..." I tried again.

She stepped closer now, and I could see the tears in her eyes. "I have been by your side through everything, Talia."

She had indeed been there for me when no one else was. She had held my hand through the darkest moments, and she had never once given up on me.

"Remember the storage room, Vivienne, Celeste, Mooncrest Hall, and the battle? So why do you think that I am going to abandon you now," she stared at me.

I felt the tears prick at my eyes. "Piper, I cannot lose you. I cannot."

"You will not lose me," she said.

Her voice was fierce, and I could see the fire in her eyes. She was not going to back down, and she was not going to let me push her away.

"Because we are going to do this together, just like we have always done." She grabbed my hands and held them tightly.

Her hands were warm, and I could feel the strength in them. She was not just my best friend, she was my sister, my family, and my home.

"Please, Talia. Do not shut me out. Not now, and not after everything." Piper pleaded.

I looked at her, and I felt the tears streaming down my face. I had been so afraid of losing her, and so afraid of putting her in danger. But she was right, because she had always been there for me, and I could not do this without her.

"Okay," I whispered. "Okay, you can come."

Piper’s face broke into a smile, and she threw her arms around me. "Thank you," she whispered. "Thank you."

I hugged her back, and I felt the weight in my chest lift, just a little.

For the first time in days, I felt like I could breathe, and I did not feel like I was alone either, because I had never been alone.

We stood there for a long time, holding each other.

I could feel the steady beat of her heart, and I let it anchor me. We had survived so much together, and we would survive this too.

The afternoon sun streamed through the window, casting a warm glow across the room.

And looking out the window from the library, I knew that we would face this together, just like we had always done.