Chapter 286

286 Her name is Madeline

Lina could barely keep the girl from her mind while the day slowly and painfully went on. The best part of their day was the clear sunrise. While Crysta and Honour did their best to distract her, Lina couldn’t find it within her to keep her thoughts away from the girl they’d found at the edge of the woods.

When the final bell that ended the school day rang, she was the first to react to it, despite her absentmindedness. She packed her bag, but still had to watch the students filing out. Struggling along with the numbers was simply not how she wanted to go about leaving the school, “Honour, you’re normally faster than me when leaving the classroom.”

“And I would ask that we keep it that way, Lina,” the amber-eyed girl chuckled. Crysta was already waiting for them when they walked out and Lina had expected nothing less.

“Where are we going?” the delta’s voice had a skip to it when she spoke.

“How did you know we were going somewhere?” if there was ever a time she wanted to lose the delta, it was now. Even when Lina knew that was more of a challenge than she was ready for.

“At first, I was just messing with you, but now I know you are going somewhere and I want in,” the bouncy tone was gone and Crysta had now matched their pace, Bree and Ginger falling behind her while she did.

“You’re so persistent, Crysta. You don’t have to follow me everywhere I go, you know,” Lina snapped at the delta. A pang of sadness crushed through when she turned to the delta. She’d done nothing to deserve the cruelty and yet Lina didn’t seem to find another way.

“Ouch, that hurts, Lina, but I’ll let it slide. I’m still coming with you though,” unfazed by Lina’s tone, Crysta stood firm.

“You don’t even sound hurt at all. Honour, wish her away or something,” Lina turned to her friend for help, however, the goddess simply raised her hands up in surrender and backed away from the two girls.

.....

“My hands are tied, Lina,” she responded. Crysta smirked at the girl’s pained expression.

Seemingly defeated, Lina responded, “Fine, you can come, but on one condition.”

“What would that be?”

“You come alone,” she replied, eyeing the two girls behind them. Bree and Ginger still gave Lina the creeps. Not to mention how she kept catching glimpses of scowls on their faces when they had to deal with her.

Crysta looked to Bree on the right and Ginger on the left. They both looked at her expectantly, neither of them willing to speak up on the matter.

Interpreting their expressions, Crysta felt the need to defend her friends, “Wait, what? That’s not fair,” this time Lina was not listening to anything she had to say and merely held her gaze. Tapping her foot, Crysta finally sighed, “Fine fine.”

“Crysta, you’re kidding, right?” Bree was the first to speak up, rage on her face.

“Bree...”

“I don’t want to hear it, Crysta. We’ve watched you get out of your way for this... I don’t even know what to call her. And all for what?” Bree argued. Crysta was tongue-tied, “I thought so. Let’s go, Ginger.”

When they were finally gone, Lina spoke up, “You don’t have a reason for what you’re doing, do you? My sister is gone. You have nothing to fear anymore, you know.”

“Not you too, Lina,” Crysta sighed, “Let’s just go. It’s not like I’m going to change my mind about going.”

Lina hesitated for a bit, once again stunned by the girl’s resolve to stay by her side before leading them out of the school building and onto the most direct path to Honour’s home.

While they walked, Lina couldn’t help but notice Crysta’s silence. Her bouncy mood had simmered down to an almost neutral calm even though Lina wasn’t fooled by the delta’s effort to hide her sadness.

Curiosity bared its claws at her, but she fought the urge to ask the girl what she had on her mind, “You are not to tell anyone what you see unless I decide it’s safe to do so.”

“Huh, is it something illegal?” Crysta almost sounded worried.

“No, that’s not it. I’d never do something illegal. You’ll see once we get there.”

And they finally did get to Honour’s house. Knocking at the door, it swung open and admitted them in.

“The girl woke up. Now, what have the two of you gotten yourself involved in?” Honour’s mum whisper-yelled once they were inside and the all windows had been closed.

“What do you mean, mother? What’s going on?” Honour replied in the same manner.

“I’m talking about the girl you had me lock up in your room. What in the world is wrong with you girls? What are you doing with ‘her’ daughter and what has that poor girl been through?” the woman’s tone was vindictive as though they were the ones responsible for whatever state she was in.

'

“What do you mean by ‘her’? Who is ‘she’?” Lina asked the woman, the curiosity she’d only managed to suppress came barreling down on her once more.

“Oh, for goddess’ sake, just follow me,” the woman groaned, leading them up the stairs and to Honour’s room. Inside the room, the girl was coiled up on Honour’s bed hugging her knees close. She tried to hide her face as much from view.

The girl looked up at them and inched away from them, “Who are you people?” her amber eyes glowed in the dark. A glimmer of emotion flashed through her eyes when she locked eyes with Lina, but it only lasted a second and was replaced with a look of fear.

“We are...” Lina paused when her eyes flickered from amber to grey and back, “... the ones that found you passed out in the woods. What’s with your eyes?” At the mention of her eyes, the girl flinched and tucked her head back behind her knees. She used the covers on the bed to try and vanish even more from view. Lina was almost certain Honour would explode with anger, but the goddess remained calm.

“There is nothing wrong with my eyes,” the girl squeaked, shuddering violently from the memories that roared through her mind.

Lina noticed this and chose to put the subject away. Looking at her friends, she gestured that they stay back while she entered the room. When she was halfway through the room she spoke up.

“This is as far as I’ll go unless you let me,” Lina’s tone was soothing, a tone she’d learnt from her mother. It was the same tone she’d use to stop her from crying and comfort her whenever something bad happened. She got used to hearing it, particularly during the time she’d shifted. Ridiculed for her odd slender white wolf, she was almost always crying.

Surprised by how close the royal had come, the girl tried to move further, but her back was already tightly pressed against the wall and she’d already reached the corner. Slowly, she lifted her head from beneath the covers to look at the royal who’d ventured further than the threshold of the door.

The blue-eyed girl before her took a seat on the ground, “Would you tell me where you’re from?”

The girl remained silent, “Very well, I will introduce myself first. I’m hoping that will make you feel safer.” The girl nodded and Lina proceeded, “My name is Lina Sirius, what’s your name?”

The girl was shocked by the name. It was similar to one she knew... Similar to another royal that had once shown her kindness, “M-Madeline,” the girl’s hoarse voice shakily, “Are you...” her question stopped halfway before she started coughing uncontrollably.

“I thought this might happen. I brought her some tea,” Honour’s mother interrupted, stepping into the room with a cup on a tray.

The girl eyed the tray longingly for a moment, tears stinging her eyes as memories painfully resurfaced, “Was it something I said? Do you not like tea, miss?”

“Mother, why do you treat her with so much respect?” Honour asked, tearing through the tense atmosphere in the room.

“That will be a discussion for another time. For now, let’s try to get Madeline as comfortable as she can get. We won’t ask you anything you don’t want to answer, Madeline.

We also ask that you approach us on anything you would like for as long as you intend to stay with us,” the woman asked politely, bowing to the girl as she held out the cup for her to take.

The girl reluctantly reached for the cup the woman was holding, “Do you know her... m-my grandmother?” the girl asked. It seemed the two had gotten more acquainted despite her fearful demeanour.

“Unfortunately, I didn’t get to meet her, but I did meet someone else related to you and they told me so much about her,” the woman replied with a sad smile.

Only one other person could come to Madeline’s mind when she phrased it like that. She took the cup from her and took a sip of the tea. The taste was identical to the one her grandmother prepared.

The girl was surprised by it and looked up at her, “Is this...”

“Yes, she taught me how to make it. I must say, the instructions were rather strict. The sugar has to be just right and measured to perfection. I always found that part to be the most troublesome, but your mother wouldn’t let me get it wrong and I got accustomed to preparing it that way,” the woman replied, her eyes seeming to glaze over while she relived past memories.

“Personally, I used to sneak a little more sugar into my own cup when my grandmother wasn’t looking,” the girl replied and for the first time since she’d woken up, allowed a smile to grace her face.

“A little secret just between me and you,” the woman said, bringing her hand so that she could whisper to the girl, “I also do that every now and then, but pretend to be the tough mother.”

The girl burst out laughing that she nearly spilt the cup she was holding, “Mother...” Oddly enough, the others had not heard what the two were talking about. Lina was surprised the woman had made even more into the room than they’d noticed. She was practically next to the girl and she hadn’t reacted with the same fear she had for Lina.

“Honour, is it okay if Madeline stayed here longer?” the woman turned to her daughter. Honour didn’t need an interpreter to know her mother was asking her to give up her bed a little longer. Lina turned to look at her conflicted friend.

“Hey, Honour, can I stay as well?” Lina asked.

“W-What’s that supposed to mean?” Honour asked, taken aback.

“Well, it’s been long since we last had a sleepover. So I was hoping we could have one,” Lina asked.

“As will I,” Crysta spoke up proudly, leaving no room for discussion.

Lina... was not amused.

Honour’s mother chuckled at the three girls, “You girls are so kind. Well, Madeline, is it okay if the four of you spend the night? It might help you relax. From what I can tell, you weren’t that injured, but you do need to get your mind off whatever horrors haunt you. So, what do you say to a slumber party?”

“Well, I’ve never had one of those before,” the girl replied shyly. Lina eyed the two of them with a suspicious gaze... Was this what jealousy felt like...?

“Oh? Then there is no way you’re turning down this opportunity then, Mady. Wow, this is going to be so fun,” Crysta yelled, skipping over a nickname for the girl like it was nothing and also being the first to break the silent and tense air that had plagued the room since they had arrived, “I will go out and get supplies. Lina, can I borrow your driver?”

“I don’t know how borrowing a driver is a thing, but go on ahead,” the girl replied. The tension in the air seemed to dissipate.

“Yesss...” the girl continued and was out the door before anyone could stop her.

“How nostalgic...” Lina hummed, trying to push back the dam of past memories that she’d been keeping away for years.