Chapter Sixteen
Siria did not leave the next day, or the day after. She found herself relenting when Lev asked and eventually two months had passed and Siria still had not left and at this point she didn't want to leave. The Gaians were fine with this, but Devin's death had spooked many and when another tribe near by was attacked most wanted her gone, but with Lev and Aravinda in her corner, she was able to stay. One evening Siria was at Lev's tree house wrapped comfortably wrapped in his arms. She had decidedly moved in after a few weeks of spending the night. She leaned her head back allowing him to kiss the top of her head. "Siria, I love you."
She laughed. "You've been saying this all day; what's up?"
"What do you mean?" Confusion crossed his face.
Siria turned to face him. "Don't get me wrong; I love when you say that its just today you've been saying it like you want to say something afterwards. Lev, you're going not breaking up with me are you?"
Lev's eyes widened. "No, Siria I wanna marry you."
"W-what," She started in disbelief.
Lev reached into his pants pocket pulling out the snow drop pearl earrings. He looked at her smiling. "Yeah, I want to spend the rest of my life with you."
Siria smiled taking the taking the earrings and putting them on. Then wrapping herself back in Lev's arms she sighed. "I'm so happy."
"So you're going to marry me?"
"Of course, I owe everything to you; getting over my baby, Jay everything. And I love you." She looked up at him and smiling she kissed him. As the kiss became deeper Lev reached for the lamp trying to turn is off when he heard the uncharacteristic heavy rustle of the trees and bushes outside. He pulled away from Siria placing his hand over her mouth to quite her protest.
"Something isn't right outside. I'm going to check."
Siria grabbed his arm keeping him from getting up. "No, what if you're attacked."
Lev looked at her then grabbed her bow and arrows handed them to her. "the noise is coming from out the window so stand ready and if you see anything abnormal shoot."
Siria nodded and moved over to the window weapon ready as Lev left the tree house. She positioned getting ready for anything and hoping she wouldn't have to shoot. As she looked out into the darkness she could just make out Lev who was hiding behind a tree. He was watching the path that wound near the tree house waiting for someone to pass. Siria did the same looking at the trees beyond the path. For minutes she didn't see anything but then through the several closely cluster trunks she saw something red move. She quickly pulled back blocking out all sounds then aiming she let go. She didn't hear Lev yell for her to stop and was shocked by the sudden scream. She had hit someone.
Siria threw down her bow in disgust then rushed to see what had happened. As she made her way down the rope ladder she saw Lev in a friendly embrace. She moved back into the shadows to see who it was without being seen. At first she couldn't tell be as she concentrated she saw that it was Amber. It had finally come. She was going to have to explain that she wasn't going back to the Mall. Soon two other people came out of the forest: one was a short girl with braided hair who looked distressed, but was unharmed. She was wearing a red coat. Siria smiled. It was Ebony. But then Siria saw the guy with her: Jay. She moved to hide behind the tree but saw Lev moving toward her, smiling.
"Siria its Amber, come on." He grabbed her hand pulling her forward. As he came closer his grin became wider. "This is my fiancée, Amber"
The smile on Amber's face faltered slightly, "Siria?"
Siria tried to smile but felt Jay watching her. "Yes."
There was a long silence as Siria tried to keep from looking at Jay. Finally someone broke the silence. "Well, if this isn't interesting." Ebony said with false sweetness. Siria was finally able to turn her head looking at Jay, the hurt and anger clearly on his face.
"Yeah," He murmured in agreement.
Siria did not leave the next day, or the day after. She found herself relenting when Lev asked and eventually two months had passed and Siria still had not left and at this point she didn't want to leave. The Gaians were fine with this, but Devin's death had spooked many and when another tribe near by was attacked most wanted her gone, but with Lev and Aravinda in her corner, she was able to stay. One evening Siria was at Lev's tree house wrapped comfortably wrapped in his arms. She had decidedly moved in after a few weeks of spending the night. She leaned her head back allowing him to kiss the top of her head. "Siria, I love you."
She laughed. "You've been saying this all day; what's up?"
"What do you mean?" Confusion crossed his face.
Siria turned to face him. "Don't get me wrong; I love when you say that its just today you've been saying it like you want to say something afterwards. Lev, you're going not breaking up with me are you?"
Lev's eyes widened. "No, Siria I wanna marry you."
"W-what," She started in disbelief.
Lev reached into his pants pocket pulling out the snow drop pearl earrings. He looked at her smiling. "Yeah, I want to spend the rest of my life with you."
Siria smiled taking the taking the earrings and putting them on. Then wrapping herself back in Lev's arms she sighed. "I'm so happy."
"So you're going to marry me?"
"Of course, I owe everything to you; getting over my baby, Jay everything. And I love you." She looked up at him and smiling she kissed him. As the kiss became deeper Lev reached for the lamp trying to turn is off when he heard the uncharacteristic heavy rustle of the trees and bushes outside. He pulled away from Siria placing his hand over her mouth to quite her protest.
"Something isn't right outside. I'm going to check."
Siria grabbed his arm keeping him from getting up. "No, what if you're attacked."
Lev looked at her then grabbed her bow and arrows handed them to her. "the noise is coming from out the window so stand ready and if you see anything abnormal shoot."
Siria nodded and moved over to the window weapon ready as Lev left the tree house. She positioned getting ready for anything and hoping she wouldn't have to shoot. As she looked out into the darkness she could just make out Lev who was hiding behind a tree. He was watching the path that wound near the tree house waiting for someone to pass. Siria did the same looking at the trees beyond the path. For minutes she didn't see anything but then through the several closely cluster trunks she saw something red move. She quickly pulled back blocking out all sounds then aiming she let go. She didn't hear Lev yell for her to stop and was shocked by the sudden scream. She had hit someone.
Siria threw down her bow in disgust then rushed to see what had happened. As she made her way down the rope ladder she saw Lev in a friendly embrace. She moved back into the shadows to see who it was without being seen. At first she couldn't tell be as she concentrated she saw that it was Amber. It had finally come. She was going to have to explain that she wasn't going back to the Mall. Soon two other people came out of the forest: one was a short girl with braided hair who looked distressed, but was unharmed. She was wearing a red coat. Siria smiled. It was Ebony. But then Siria saw the guy with her: Jay. She moved to hide behind the tree but saw Lev moving toward her, smiling.
"Siria its Amber, come on." He grabbed her hand pulling her forward. As he came closer his grin became wider. "This is my fiancée, Amber"
The smile on Amber's face faltered slightly, "Siria?"
Siria tried to smile but felt Jay watching her. "Yes."
There was a long silence as Siria tried to keep from looking at Jay. Finally someone broke the silence. "Well, if this isn't interesting." Ebony said with false sweetness. Siria was finally able to turn her head looking at Jay, the hurt and anger clearly on his face.
"Yeah," He murmured in agreement.