The Hex of Blackbriar Academy: an academy fantasy romance adventure series by Olivia Ash

Author:Olivia Ash [Ash, Olivia]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Wispvine Publishing
Published: 2019-08-17T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter Twenty-Two

This week has flown by, and now I’m at Gideon’s estate, sitting in the kitchen with my dad while he makes goulash. The aroma of the spices fills the air, and it reminds me of a time before the trolls.

More and more, the effects of my time in captivity fades away into just a mere ghost of a memory. It’s a true testament to how far I have come. My past is imperfect, messy, and painful… but it won’t control my future. I’ve learned from it and will continue growing stronger. Though I know I have a great deal more to conquer, I’m grateful to have made it this far.

Most especially, having my father back.

“We picked apples for the harvest festival.” I take the spoon next to the pot and dip it inside, pulling up a spoonful of the delicious mixture.

My father taps me gently on the arm. “Don’t spoil it.”

I chuckle at his soft way of telling me to wait. It’s been so long since I’ve heard that. I set the spoon back down next to the pot and go take a seat at the table.

“How did you like the apple picking?”

“It was fun. Blackbriar sure has a lot of traditions they love to keep up with.”

He chuckles as he stirs the pot. His head bobs up and down as he taps the spoon against the side of the large pot before setting it on the holder resting on the counter. With a stretch and yawn, he joins me at the table.

“They do, indeed. But our traditions are rooted in where we came from and who we are.”

I nod. “True. I love it, even though I don’t understand a lot of it.”

He hums pensively. “That’s my fault.”

My eyebrows knit together. “No, it’s not.”

He stares at me for a few moments. Worry and hurt shine through his brown eyes, and it’s almost as if he’s searching mine for reassurance. I reach across the table and cover his hand with mine. “I don’t blame you at all. I’m learning about it now, and that’s what’s important here. You are not at fault.”

His brown eyes crinkle at the corners with his faint smile. It’s so different than with Aunt Patricia. He opens his mouth to say something but seems to think better of it and pauses. It takes him a few seconds to change gears. “What else is new?”

I shrug. “Nothing, really. Just more of the same stuff on different days.”

I don’t know if I want to share about the visit with my aunt just yet. He has enough to worry about, and I can’t do anything about it unless Aunt Patricia makes her next move. Nothing adds up as seamlessly as I really want it to. There are still so many missing pieces to the puzzle that I wonder if we will ever know for sure. And just when it seems my father is on the verge of sharing something, he gets nervous and shuts down.

What does he want to tell me?

Beyond that, I’m not sure what to say.

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