Burning Shadows by Jennifer Anne Davis

Author:Jennifer Anne Davis [Jennifer Anne Davis]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: k'12
Publisher: Reign Publishing
Published: 2016-11-14T16:00:00+00:00

✧

I found Anders standing in a sea of anemones behind the house; the blue flowers a stark contrast to the bright green grass.

“It’s beautiful here,” I said by way of greeting.

He nodded toward a stone situated among the flowers. “It says Linnea on it.”

Beyond the fence, three lakes converged in the distance. “I assume the part of the poem that says the foot of the rock is referring to here.”

“I believe so.”

“Everything begins and ends with Linnea.” Somehow, I’d always known this deep down.

“Yes,” Anders muttered. “And we’re all pieces in this sick and twisted game that never ends.”

“I’m going to end it.”

“By sacrificing yourself?”

“I’m not sacrificing myself, just giving a part of me away.”

Anders squatted, picking one of the flowers. “The moment I met you in the Town Square, I knew you were different, that you would change everything.” He stood and placed the flower on the stone. “I just didn’t expect to care for you as a friend or in any other capacity.”

The wind rolled over the grassy field, giving it the illusion of water. I wished my father were here so I could talk to him about the challenges before me, to ask him about my mother, to hug him and seek his steadfast comfort.

“This is why I never get involved,” Anders said. “It’s easier to do a job with no emotional attachment.”

“It might be easier, but that doesn’t make it better. It certainly makes for a bleak life. I’d rather have the hardships because without them, there would be no joy. So yes, this situation is far from ideal, and I honestly can’t think about it too much without becoming physically ill. However, it will lead to our kingdom being liberated. It will bring happiness to thousands of people. It will be worth it.” I kept telling myself that, making sure I truly believed it. Saying it out loud helped.

He turned and faced me, his eyes red, and his face white. “You’re a far better person than I am. But I always knew that. There’s a reason you’re a Kriger. Most people wouldn’t confront the obstacles you are facing with such determination. It is one of the things I admire most about you.”

I wished Anders wouldn’t say such things. It made keeping my distance infinitely more difficult. The wind picked up, blowing the flower off the stone. “We need to return and tell Vidar all we’ve learned.” The journey home would afford me the opportunity to go over everything Lise had revealed. Right now, it was too fresh and painful to contemplate, so I placed it in a box in my mind, setting it aside for later.

“Wonder if Vidar will hold you to the engagement now that he doesn’t have to father your child?”

I had no idea how Vidar would take the news. On one hand, he’d probably be thrilled he didn’t have to marry someone he didn’t love. On the other, he did ask for my father’s permission, which was given. Vidar didn’t shirk from his responsibilities.

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