Panic rushed through Mariyah's mind as she flew above the kingdom of Seenparay, and she couldn't decide where to go. She looked down at the roofs below her. Nightfall had begun its visit, and the sky's light had grown dim, thankfully, camouflaging her from the few still walking the streets of Seenparay. She kept to the walls, not wanting to cause alarm amongst the citizens from blood falling from the sky.
She had to leave. The king made that clear. She needed to get the villagers and gladiators to safety, take Cal and go. That answer didn't satisfy her, in fact, it did the opposite...but it didn't matter how she felt. She needed to leave this place. As she flew over the homes, she felt a frustration build up inside her until she remembered Clover’s message. She stopped the direction she was flying in and turned around, looking around towards the area where he had met her.
She quickly dove down behind a home nearby, and shifted into a human, muffling her pained grunt. She pulled her cloak over her head, tucking her hand under her armpit to hide the marking. She stepped out from the alleyway, and followed the familiar road to his home, her leg throbbing in pain as she walked on her wound, hiding the limp. The glanced down at drops of blood on the cobblestone that were trailing from her leg. "Oops.." she gritted through her teeth.
She finally made her way to Clover's door, knocking eagerly.
Aster opened the door. “Mariyah!!” He giggled. “Come in! Father’s inside,” he said in a squeaky voice as he allowed her inside. “What'd you get on your dress, Mariyah?”
Her pale and sweaty face looked down at his sweet smile, and she held a finger to her lips. “Shh, I spilled someone's paint.” She looked down at the blood stained dress and then at him with a forced smile. “Don’t tell, okay?” she asked weakly. The blood loss was getting to her, and she could feel it. “Can you get your father for me?” she asked as he closed the door behind them, her face coated in beads of perspiration.
The boy stared at her for a moment longer. Her pale face and dark under eyes almost looked like she was a dead woman brought back, but her smile did enough to disarm the innocent boy's confusion. He finally nodded his head and rushed up the steps.
Soon, Clover came walking down. “Mariyah!” he said in a loud whisper. He hugged her tightly and looked at her. “You look terrible,” he said. “I can’t believe you’ve made it out alive!”
She nodded her head and looked at the boy who was watching her with wide eyes and then back at Clover. “I spilled some paint on me,” she said in a trembling voice and flaring nostrils. She tensed at their kindness, confused as to why they weren’t treating her like a monster. But her pain was growing far too overpowering to even begin to worry about that.
“Oh, Mariyah…” He called upstairs for his wife. “Come help us, dear!”
Quick footsteps followed and Polly came down and greeted Mariyah with a cheerful hug and smile. “Oh, dear, you’re safe! You come up here with me, I’ll fix you right up!”
Mariyah grasped onto the walls as she helped herself up, slowly and with Polly’s help.
Polly motioned to Mariyah’s stained dress. “Thank you for being discreet about this. We try to keep Aster protected from what’s going on out there,” she whispered as she helped her lie on a bed in a spare room.
Mariyah nodded her head and grunted through her teeth at the flaring pain in her leg as she lifted it onto the bed with her. Polly lifted her dress and looked down at the arrow that was in her leg. “Oh my…” she whispered. “This is going to hurt, love.”
"Oh, it already does." Mariyah nodded her head and looked up to the ceiling, tears filling her eyes. “I won’t mind if you quickly get it over with, please.”
Polly fetched a wet rag and set it in Mariyah’s mouth for her to bite down on. She breathed in deeply before snapping the tail of the arrow off. She looked down under her thigh to see if the arrowhead was pointing through. To her disappointment, it wasn’t. “Do you want me to tell you what I need to do?”
She shook her head. “Just do it, please.”
Polly nodded and looked around for some sort of mallet. When she found one, she breathed in deeply and lifted it up before pounding it once onto the broken end of the arrow, pushing it through Mariyah’s leg completely. Thankfully, Mariyah’s scream was mostly muffled through the rag. She dug her head into the pillow, her back arching in pain as sweat dripped down her forehead.
Meanwhile, downstairs, the young boy tilted his head at his father. “What was that, Papa?”
“A mouse probably scared them, Aster,” he said, shaking his head with a forced chuckle, hoping the boy wouldn’t question it any further.
Polly quickly lifted her leg and slid the rest of the arrow out, smoothly. With no time to waste, she wrapped Mariyah’s leg in a white cloth, tying it tightly to stop the bleeding. Mariyah's breathing grew labored as she ran her hands through her sweaty hair. “Why did you just hit...my wound...with a hammer?” she asked in a strained but hushed voice.
“If I yanked it out, the hook of the arrow would have ripped you even worse. More damage coming out than it did coming in. I had to push it all the way through.”
“Mm," she nodded with a pinched face. "Thank you,” she whispered as she wiped the sweat from her face.
Polly cleaned up the soaked, red towels, and came back to check on the young girl with a bowl of soup. She sat on a stool she pulled beside the bed and looked over at Mariyah and her pale face, watching her sit up and devour the soup. “You’ve lost so much blood, dear. How are you holding up?”
Mariyah didn’t look up from the bowl, she only nodded her head as an assured answer.
She placed a hand on the girl’s unharmed leg gently. “If you grow tired, you mustn't sleep. Not now, not with the blood loss.”
Mariyah pulled away from her bowl after a few more sips. To say she was exhausted did no justice, but she knew Polly was right. “I won’t fall asleep.” She looked at Polly, her eyes curious and nervous. “Why are you helping me still? Don’t you know what I am?”
Polly stayed looking at Mariyah sweetly. “Why are we helping you?” She shook her head, her smile lowering a bit. “I suppose you were never told. Clover and I knew about you.” She nodded her head.
Mariyah’s face changed in confusion. “What? How?”
“Clover was there right after your birth. He was there when you first shifted, and he was there with your parents trying to form a plan to leave the kingdom. A failed plan, as you know.”
Mariyah's brow lifted. “He was there?"
"He was."
She nodded slowly, piecing together what she was saying. "I just-I never knew this…" She tilted her head. "And you didn’t mind?”
She softened her eyes, shaking her head at the girl. “No, dear. This family has never been one to hate a Shifter. We are not part of this hate, Mariyah.” Her face fell slowly. She lowered her head slightly, her soft voice cracking for a moment. “Your parents…we are devastated, Mariyah. I’m so sorry. I’m so sorry.” She leaned in and wrapped her arms around Mariyah, holding her close to her as the girl buried her face in the woman’s shoulder.
“They didn’t deserve this,” Mariyah whispered into Polly.
She nodded, stroking the back of her head. “I know, dear, I know. And I wish we could’ve seen you sooner. But we couldn’t risk searching for you, not with the way things have been recently. After you, anyone even slightly suspected of being a Shifter sympathizer is scrutinized.”
“Please, don’t apologize. I’m so grateful your family has treated us so well. And I’ve been okay, really.” She narrowed her eyes. “Are many suspected to be?”
Polly nodded. “There’s quite a few sympathizers around here. Clover and I know quite a handful, but we’ve stopped speaking amongst each other. We don’t want any suspicions. Especially with our Aster.”
Mariyah shook her head. “I never knew there were any at all.”
“There are more than you’d think. Hidden, of course, but they’re there. There is nothing for us to do inside these walls but, our hearts are with Shifters.”
Mariyah was silent for some time, envisioning that many Kingdomers actually disagreeing with the king. She’d never thought of that possibility. But her heart lifted quite a bit at the thought.
Polly huffed out a breath. “We didn’t know where you’d gone or what you were doing. Turns out you’ve been freeing prisoners. I suppose that says enough for me than you will.” Polly pulled away and gave her a lifted brow.
Mariyah frowned.“I didn’t have much of a choice. They would’ve killed them.”
“Most people would’ve said the same thing, except as an excuse for them turning away.”
She shrugged and looked at the wooden floor. “I’ll be leaving soon, anyway. I’m going to Chaiaysa with a friend I’ve made.”
“Are you? That’s wonderful, Mariyah.” Her face lit up as she placed her hands on Mariyah’s. “I can rest knowing you’re safe.”
Mariyah nodded with a small smile. “I will be. Thank you for your help, I’m so grateful,” she said quietly. “Oh, also…in the note, Clover said he wanted to show me something?”
She nodded. “But you need to be able to walk. We can wait a few days until your leg is healed,” she replied.
Mariyah frowned. “I have to go back to the village. There’s people waiting for me. I can shift and fly. I won’t have to walk.”
“You’ve lost much too much blood, Mariyah, you can’t-”
“How’s she feeling?” Clover interrupted, stepping through the doorway.
Polly smiled and turned around. “She’s getting there.” She looked at Mariyah who nodded her head with a pained laugh.
Clover looked down at the girl. “I’m so sorry, Mariyah.” He leaned over and hugged her quickly.
Polly began, “She can’t walk but she insists on returning to her village as soon as she can.”
Clover looked at Mariyah. “Then we better get going. I’ve got to get to showing you what I mentioned.”
“Going? She can’t go now. She’s just lost who knows how much blood!”
Mariyah cleared her throat. Her eyes were foggy and her body was weak, but she wished to leave more than her ailments hurt her. “I can fly, I won’t walk. And I will rest once I return to my group.”
Clover frowned. “What’s the rush?”
Polly answered, “Probably to leave here as fast as she can!”
“You’re leaving? That’s so good to hear, Mariyah.” He gave her a small smile. Clover nodded his head hesitantly. “Alright. We’ll be fast.”
Polly gasped and crossed her arms. “Did I not just say-”
But Mariyah shifted into an eagle and perched on the bed with one foot. “I’ll be okay, Polly. I promise.” She smiled with her small face before Polly hugged the eagle tightly. “You be careful out there?”
“I will.”
Clover huffed out a breath. “I’ll be waiting by the front door. It’s nearly dark. Don’t let anyone see you shift, alright? You’ll have to limp for a while. Wait until we make it to the forest.”
Mariyah nodded her head and turned back to Polly as Clover left, shifting back into a human weakly. A different kind of worry was spelled out all over the wife’s face. “What is it?” Mariyah asked.
“It's just-I want him to help you. I do...but I worry about my husband and my son.” She stared at the blankets. “That’s the same for most of us sympathizers. It’s not that we wish to sit and allow these things to happen to you all. But if the king were to discover that Clover was helping you...he’d be imprisoned or worse. So would my son...and the thought...the thought kills me. I can’t stop envisioning all the things they would do to him and-” She covered her mouth as a sob almost fell out as she began to cry. “And I can’t bear it, Mariyah. I can’t.”
Mariyah watched the woman as she spoke to her as the tears fell down the woman’s cheeks. Her heart fell, and she slowly embraced Polly into a hug. “I cannot thank you enough for allowing this. I want you to know something.” She pulled back and looked at the woman. “Though I won’t be here, I will protect Clover and Aster the best I can. You have my word. I will send people every week to come check on you if I need to. ”
Polly’s eyes met Mariyah’s. “You’d do that?”
“Of course. I’ll do the best I can,” she replied. She loved their family, and they’ve been a part of her life since she was born. Ensuring their safety was the least she could do. “You all have done so much for me.”
Polly hugged Mariyah once more before helping her down the steps and to her husband. Mariyah met Clover by the doorway and pulled up her hood, following him through the village, still walking slowly to avoid limping. Once they made it to the forest, hidden by the darkness of the night, Mariyah shifted into an eagle and flew alongside him as they began their trek. Her energy was low, and the pain in her leg was difficult not to obsess over, but the drive to return to Cal and the others was giving her enough strength to push on. It wasn’t for some time that Mariyah spoke up. “Were you there?”
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Clover glanced at her in the darkness. He pulled out a torch from his jacket and struck his steel, enflaming the torch before answering. “I was.”
She nodded as the cool breeze hit her feathers. “I buried them. They’re out here in the forest. I’ll show you one day when it’s safe,” she said softly.
He gave her a sad smile. “I’d like that.”
The deeper they got, the less the plants she recognized. In the dim light of the torch, she observed mushrooms scattered across the trail they were following. Mushrooms of all different colors and flowers that she had never seen grew on the trees. “Where are we?”
“You’ll see, Mariyah,” he answered. He looked back at her as he walked, some silence going by. “How did you escape the king?”
“Well…he more so let me go. He took me in to speak with me and warn me. He said if I don’t leave Seenparay or if I continue on this…‘path’, then he'll break me.” She held her finger up. “Not kill. Break…so I guess I’ll be tortured to death if I don’t leave.” She let out a light but nervous laugh. “I suppose I shouldn’t be complaining since he let me go.”
But Clover remained silent, as if he was rolling over the thoughts in his head himself.
It wasn’t until a half hour later that he stopped. She stopped behind him and looked around. “Where have we gone to?” she asked again. There were massive trees and large vines hanging down from almost all of them, similar but different than the ones she had seen during her own exploration.
“You’ve read the story of …” He looked at the girl.
The Tale of the Healing Trabea Flowers. She remembered reading it in secret on the wall, and tucking it into the stone after every read. She nodded. “I found a copy some time ago."
“Well. Then you’ll remember how the flower has been said to have died off.”
Again, she nodded. The flower said to have given part of the human race the ability of changing form. The flower that created the ability in humans to shift.
“That isn’t quite true.” He walked over to a large willow tree whose canopy and leaves drooped down so low, almost as if it was a wall of plants. “The flower lives on, Mariyah.” He pulled the leaves aside, exposing a massive dome-like glassy structure in front of her.
She shifted into a human and froze in her steps, staring ahead. Her mouth fell agape as she sat in silence for a moment. “What…what is this?”
He beckoned her inside where his small torch illuminated the area. Thick, green vines grew up from the soil in the shape of a massive circle. The vines grew up and curved inward, overlapping each other at random, creating a wondrous shell of vines in a domed shape. In between the gaps of vines was a material that looked like glass lodged in between it all. A dome with borders of vines and walls of glass tucked into the gaps. In the far back, her eyes made out what looked to be a single golden flower. Clover held out his hand and led her inside the dome through a circular opening that resembled a door.
The forest continued inside the dome, the structure just covering any trees in its path, but not stopping the growth of the forest at all. Her eyes fell to the ground where she noticed the golden flower in the distance. Mariyah’s mouth fell open as she gasped and she rushed over to the small plant. She fell on her knees and drew her face close to the flower, her body mindlessly twitching for a moment as if she had a reaction to it. It's petals glowed in the darkness, and Mariyah swears she could see its stem breathing.
“This must be the only one left. It’s made sure to keep itself protected.” He stood by the entrance. “It’ll sit here alone, unless its pollen takes off and spreads. But as of now. Just this one.”
"Do you believe what they say?" she asked, her face almost pressed up against the flower.
"About?"
"Do you believe the flower gave Shifters their gift?"
He chuckled. "I think it's known that is how things came to be. People just don't like accepting that."
She recalled the story she read over and over without bore. The Traeba Flower. The Healing Traeba Flower. The flower that seemed to have a mind of its own, and healing properties like no other. When its natural healing abilities were increasing in use, the flower was harvested far too much, resulting in less and less of its growth.
The citizens soon realized that the flower's healing abilities did not end where they had thought, rather, the flower could heal itself from its becoming extinction. The flower adapted, and in return, it began to change its form. When harvesters neared, it'd turn into a flower with thorns, a useless daisy, a violet even. Such abilities for a plant are so outrageous to even consider, it was thought by the majority that surely it couldn't be true. But it was confirmed, so they say, after countless sightings of such a change and transformation being witnessed.
Soon after the flower evolved into such a plant, those who consumed its pollen then realized they too had a new ability.
Their body changed form just the same. But rather into animals. The same trait was passed down to its consumers- the ability to shift at will.
Mariyah never knew what to think of such a tale. Nobody in the kingdom ever spoke about it presently, and she had known better than to bring it up. Myth or not, Mariyah thought, the ability was theirs and has continued to be passed on throughout the human race. No matter where it came from, it didn't matter now. It was a part of human's existence.
Clover looked up around the structure. “Your father…he found this quite a time ago, without the glass.” He motioned around them before continuing. “The flower had been plucked so many times throughout the years…it seems to have formed a protection.” He ran a finger over the vine shield of protection. Now the glass-” he knocked on a shard above him. “The glass was melted into the vines by your father.”
Shivers ran down her back. My father.
“He saw this and knew that it was the perfect sanctuary. He worried something would happen…and he was right. He wanted you to be safe and prepared no matter what would occur." He continued in a soft voice, “So your father made this in his free time.”
She shook her head in disbelief as she stood up, and traced her hands against the glass and the edges of the vines. The transparent glass intertwined with the vines looked as if it came from a story book. The edges of the glass blended with the vines so seamlessly, overlapping with thinner layers over the vines for sure protection of every part.
“He walked in this forest every night for months, plotting to be sure there were no tracks. To be sure no one knew of this place.” Clover tilted his head back, looking around. “I suppose if others knew of this place, the flower wouldn’t have lasted this long.”
Tears began to well up in her eyes as she admired the structure. The grass under her feet was green and thick, still receiving sunlight through the glass. Her eyes wandered every inch of the large and tall dome. “He did this for me?” she asked in a hushed whisper. Her face showed wonder and awe. “But how? The glass…I don’t understand how he did it…” Her finger grazed across the glass.
Clover nodded his head and stood with his hands behind his back, leaning against the structure. “He wanted something that would allow sunlight to hit the flower and decided glass is perfect. But this isn’t your common glass, Maryiah. If you look close enough, you’ll see there’s a gold tint. It’s the glass material inside the stones he uses to make the king’s swords. He discovered it long ago while welding. He realized the material didn’t crack no matter how hard he slammed his hammer. He tried everything, I’m sure you know the story. That’s how he became as successful as he is now after all…was.”
He cleared his throat. “Anyway, he melted the edges and pressed them together and let them dry up among the vines. He did that repeatedly, until every gap was filled. He was a smart man, and he loved you very much. That’s why he built this...For you,” he finished, turning to Mariyah who was now in tears, sniffling away them as best she could.
Her eyes wandered up to the tall, tall roof. There was a small circular cut out. “What’s that?” she asked in a low voice.
“It's for fires. You can pull it open when a bonfire is lit and close it when the fire’s out.” He pointed at a long string dangling from the opening down to eye level. She stared at the hole in the roof for a few minutes as it set in. He intended for this to be a place to stay, a place of protection. “Why didn’t he let us live here? We would’ve been safe... He would still be alive and so would my mother!”
Clover looked at the young girl with eyes of pity. He stayed silent for some time before speaking. “I think he wanted his family to live, Mariyah. He didn’t make this for you to stay locked away in if he could help it. He made this to protect you if he could no longer. Not a cave to hold you in.”
This didn’t have to be a cave, Father. This could have been a sanctuary. Mariyah wiped under her eyes and breathed out heavily. “Do you think he knew? That it would come to this?”
He put a hand on his side and looked up at the ceiling as he thought. His face looked heavy for a moment, saddened by his own thoughts. “I don’t know, child. In his head, I’m sure this was just a precaution. But I sense he may have had a bit of a feeling down inside him. Though if he did, he never spoke it to me.”
She nodded as she took in his words, her emotions clogging her lungs. “I miss him so much,” she whispered.
“Me too, girl. Me too.”
After some time of failed attempts at composing herself, her mind began to wander. She couldn't stop herself from imagining bringing her friends into this place. A haven for Shifters, a sanctuary where they were promised safety.
“I...I don’t know what to do, Clover.” She wiped her wet cheeks with her hand. “I don’t know if I should leave or stay.”
“You said you were leaving?”
“I know. I thought I was. But so much has changed.” She shook her head. “So much keeps changing.”
Clover let out a quiet breath and looked up at the setting sun above them. He stood there in thought for some time. “You’re a young girl, Mariyah. You’re only seventeen. You are gifted in a special way that I don’t quite understand. But you are. And you could leave here to go off and live with that blessing in a home where you are free. Free of this death, this suffering and pain. You could forget it all.”
She looked into his eyes earnestly as she heard him speak, picturing thoughts of new friends and a life without shame or burdens of this kingdom. Visiting new countries, learning new languages…but any image faded within seconds as the faces of her friends in this home would not allow her to think of enjoying anything else. She blinked, unsure. “And if I stayed?”
He looked at her with an intent stare as he continued after a pause, “If you stayed, I cannot tell you what will happen.” He breathed out loudly. “All I will say is that I know Soliath fears you.”
She squinted a bit. “What do you mean? Soliath is not afraid of me.” She let out a short laugh at the thought. “I wish he was.”
“Solaith said he would break you,” he reminded her. “You rescued one group of Shifters, but that one rescue has ignited a small ember that is warming the surrounding Shifter villages. All a wildfire takes is an ember.”
She tilted her head. “I don’t understand.”
“Soliath has no reason to have spared your life. He has innocent Shifters framed as criminals to execute solely to push this idea that he’s protecting the people. You free an arena of prisoners…and the entire kingdom hears of it. He has you in his possession and he doesn’t execute you, instead he warns you.” He lifts a brow. “Now, why would he bother showing you mercy?” He shook his head. “There is one reason. And it was not mercy. It was fear. He fears what you have started and he wants you gone. And he wants it to be seen that you’ve left. He wants it to be seen that you’ve abandoned this cause. So you know what I think?”
She looked at him with wide eyes.
“I think he’s scared of the hope you’ve given them. He knows how powerful Shifters are, he knows the advantages you all have, and he uses his boot to keep you all down on your knees. But if one person begins to rise, they all will, and he cannot have that. So he will break your knees as you stand. Or he will try to. Before the others follow.”
Mariyah watched Clover’s face as he spoke, taking in each word. She didn't know if she believed him or not. But it made sense...it made too much sense, and she began to find herself feeling frightened at the thought.
After a long silence, Clover pressed, “You’d really consider staying?”
Her eyes slowly trailed to the ground and her face grew serious. What have I done? She considered the strange ability she had, the lives she had lived alongside Naturals and Shifters, the desire to help that has only risen inside her since she was young. Could there be a chance at helping here?
But the fear of the suffering that would find her made her shake her head. “I want to go. I do. I don’t want to stay here, I don’t want to watch this happen anymore. I hate the king, and I hate watching my people suffer. It pains me more than you know, Clover.” She exhaled softly and shook her head. “I want to leave.” Her voice came out as a weak whisper as she looked up into the sky. “I’m scared of what will happen if I stay.”
But she shook her head and tears filled her gentle eyes as she fought with herself as thoughts of the village flooded her mind. Her heart grew heavy and her eyes lowered as she tried to picture herself living a life in a distant country, knowing her people were being persecuted and killed off. She shook her head. “But I don’t know if I can go.”
And I don't know if I want to.
His eyes wandered down to her face. “I know your father would want me to advise you to be safe. And I feel that is my responsibility as of now. I would want him to do the same for my child if the situation was reversed. So I’m going to tell you Mariyah, I think you need to go. I know these are your people, and it isn't’ fair. It isn’t. But this is not your problem, my dear. It’s not. You’re a pure heart and you don’t deserve to be surrounded by this when you have the option to leave.” He watched her distant face. “Look at me, Mariyah.”
She bit her lip anxiously as she met eyes with him. It seemed so logical, such an easy decision. Leave. Just go. But her heart. Her heart begged to differ.
“You should leave this all behind. You do not deserve a life like this, your heart is too pure.”
She furrowed her brow as she tried to silently talk herself out of such silly thoughts. No. Anyone in their right mind would have left by now. You’re knowingly staying in this dangerous place...This is irrational to even consider staying, Mariyah. You need to leave.
She breathed out softly, her young eyes wide and full of emotion. “I want peace.”
“Then you must go, Mariyah.”
But she shook her head as she watched him. “I want peace here. For both of my people.”
“You think staying will provide that?”
“I don’t know…but I have a better shot at giving my people that here than across the ocean.” She gave him a small guilty smile. She didn’t know if she could bring peace, she had no answer. But she knew that no matter how hard she wanted to ignore it, she liked the taste of the arena raid, and as bad as she wished it would, leaving her country would not calm the thoughts that have been inside her all her life.
“I want to argue but I have a heavy feeling it’d be a waste of breath.”
“I have a sanctuary for my people." She ran her hand alongside the dome, “I have an abnormality that must have a meaning behind it. I can change into almost any animal I wish, and I’m one of the only people who has lived alongside both groups like this, Clover.” She looked at him with a smile that had a brightness to it he couldn’t ignore. “I cannot go.” She looked up at the sky once again. The bright moon was full today.
Marcy’s smile flashed through her mind. Rose’s sweet laugh filled her ears. Sare’s attitude tempted a giggle in her chest. Gil and David’s bravery warmed her heart. Kindrick and Pyle’s music tickled her ears. Huntro, Bray, and Dyelen’s light hearts lifted hers. And the smiles didn’t end.
She looked at Clover, her brown eyes locked in his. “I can’t go.” She lowered her eyes in thought but a small smile tugged at the corners of her lips. A small sensation fluttering in her heart, turning into a rising excitement as she thought to herself. “You think he’s scared of me?”
“I shouldn’t have said that.” Clover stared at her face that somehow looked broken yet so hopeful for some time. He studied it closely before nodding his head slowly. “I do wonder if your father knew that would be your decision if anything happened to him.” He looked at the large Dome that reached up just below the tops of the tallest trees.
She gave him a small smile. “Thank you for showing me this, Clover.” She quickly hugged him. “Thank you for everything,” she whispered into his shoulder as he held her tightly.
He nodded once again. “I’ll be on my way home now, unless you need anything else.”
She shook her head and waved him goodbye. “No. Please, be safe,” she said to him.
“I ask the same of you, Mariyah. Don’t get yourself into any trouble, girl. I can’t have Victor’s ghost hunting me down for not keeping ya safe.” He let out a somber chuckle, followed by a small sad giggle from her lips. “Keep this flower a secret, Mariyah. There’s no use in telling anyone since it’s just a single flower. Can’t do much as one. They used to grow in the hundreds. Leave it be, and maybe it’ll spread.” Waving her goodbye, he began his trek back home.