Chapter 3

Rushton lay asleep, arms outstretched, with his head resting gently on Rosalind's stomach. His hand held hers, soft but firm as she lay in a deep sleep, lost in her memories. He hadn't left her side in days, always there just in case she woke up. When we brought her to the healer hall he asked no questions, demanded nothing and waited patiently by her side, stroking her hair. His silence frustrated me, there was so much I wanted and needed to know but I couldn't find my voice to ask him the endless questions, and I didn't even know where to begin.

I stood silently by the window next to Rosalind's bed, staring blankly, unseeing at the world outside. The rolling fields, bright sunlight and cloudless sky seemed so wrong in contrast to the dark, overwhelming atmosphere of the healer hall. I felt so suffocated by it that I could hardly breathe or think, and I had lost all concept of time and how long I had been standing there so still and stiff. Even the incredible warmth of sunlight streaming through the window failed to warm the chill that had spread through my entire body. I shivered inwardly, feeling so cold and numb to everything around me, despite the sun beaming happily down at me. At that moment everything that had happened in the past few years seemed to hit me all at once. Cameo and Jik dying, Ariel, Madam Vega and Alexi torturing Rushton and I, losing Matthew, Angina falling and Dragon's coma. I turned to leave, unable to bear the stifling darkness of the room as it slowly killed all that was meaningful in my life, but something caught my attention. On the floor next to Rosalind was a small white envelope. Heart racing, I quickly bent down to pick it up and slowly ran my fingers over one word – Elf. Suddenly, I felt slightly warmer inside and my hands shook as I held the letter that could be the answer to all my questions. Without hesitation I haphazardly stuffed the letter into my shirt pocket and headed for the door. I reached to turn the door handle but stopped and glanced quickly at Rushton before leaving.

"Elspeth, what are you doing here? You should be resting." Dameon said sensing my presence. He was sitting in his room, sipping from a mug of cider and staring out his window, taking in the smell, the pleasant coolness of the wind and breathing in the surroundings without seeing. Thankfully he was alone.

I ignored him, crossed swiftly across the room to where he was sitting, and stood in front of him.

"Elspeth… what is it?"

Without saying a word I pulled out the letter from my pocket and placed it in his hands. He sat there for a moment, feeling the letters E, L and F. I watched as his face transformed into shock and utter bewilderment. I knew he had heard of what had happened with Rosalind. No doubt Kella had told him but I was almost sure she hadn't told him about the visions I experienced. Even though she didn't say it, I knew Kella believed the shock was causing me to hallucinate. "It's perfectly normal… after all you've been through." She had said, her eyes full of pity.

I sat down beside Dameon and took the letter back from him, tracing the word Elf again with my fingers.

"It's from Matthew."

I could tell Dameon was shocked but he didn't question me. That's what I loved most about him. He trusted and believed in me. He didn't tell me I was crazy and that Kella was right to pity me.

He simply held my hand and said, "Read it to me."