Broken Vows
Chapter 6: Clear Path

The cry of pain from Cadmus and Victor shatter my heart. I don’t want to hurt him like this. Cadmus falls to his knees, clutching his chest as tears fall from his eyes. I want to rush to him to help him, but I did this to him; I don’t know how to help. I take a small step forward, and Cadmus snaps his head up, still holding his chest. I don’t think I have ever seen him cry. He didn’t even cry the first time he shifted. With tears still falling from his eyes, he stands up and walks to me in just two quick strides. I try to back up from him, unsure what he might do, but I’m not fast enough.

“I don’t accept,” Cadmus growls out before grabbing my arm and pulling me to him. I was about to try and protest, but Cadmus cut me off, “I will replace that rat. He won’t be safe from me. He’s up to something; I know he is. You shouldn’t trust him so easily.” Cadmus lets me go and walks past me, shifting into his dragon form. Shredding his clothes and leaping into the air flying in the same direction Hadeon had left.

My knees give way as sobs overtake me, and I feel my mother at my side and helping me to my feet. I fling my arms around her and cry into her shoulder and hair.

She strokes my hair and tries to soothe my sobbing, but it seems like ages pass before I can control myself again.

“Let’s get you inside and talk about what in the world just happened out here. I had servants franticly telling me Cadmus had lost his mind in rage?” My mother quarries.

Feeling panicked, I stifle a sob as I look towered the woods, “Cadmus said he was going to kill him, mother. I have to do something.” I start for the wood before my mother grabs my hand.

“No, you will stay here, and I have it on good authority that Hadeon will be fine.”

“What? how?”

“You forget who I am, child. I knew he was on the balcony, and I brought the boy inside before he could get himself killed by a hurt and angry dragon. I will warn you, I don’t trust him, though. I can’t see anything about him. Not his past, not his future; it is all masked in smoke, and I don’t trust that Willow. I have him in a guest room, and that is where he will stay till the morning. You will go to your room, and in the morning, we will all have a nice long chat about this.” Mother is now in complete supreme persona, and there will be no arguing with her. I know better than to try as she walks me all the way to my room.

I also know that the servants and wall will be her eyes and ears, so I will have no choice but to stay in my room. I would like to go and replace Hadeon and try fixing this whole mess. I want to know what he heard from the garden. Does he know that Cadmus was… I can’t even believe it still. How is it that I didn’t feel the mate bond at all? Nothing is making any sense.

“Mother, will you stay with me? I just can’t be alone with all these thoughts I can’t make sense of.” I mutter as we reach my door.

“All right, maybe we can replace some answers together.” She responds thoughtfully as she follows me into my room.

***

Mother stayed with me all night, just talking with me. I was glad to have her there to hold me as I cried. I hate that Cadmus told me I’m meant to be his. I hate that he loves me and that I had to reject him. I’m also worried because he refused to accept the rejection. Which will just make things even more painful. I don’t think I will ever want to see him again; I lost my best friend last night. Why did he have to tell me, and how is it that I feel nothing? Everything is a mess now. My biggest worry was replaceing the right dress to wear to the next party just a month ago.

Mother just left my room, and the birds have just started chirping outside. I walk to the balcony to try and get some fresh air as my door flies open, and Rana is panting out of breath, “What happened last night, Willow.” she demands, still panting. She regains he breathe as tears start pooling in my eyes again. I’m wrapped in her warm embrace before the first tear falls.

I tell her everything that happened and wait for her to say something. I wonder if she will be hurt. I know how much she loves Cadmus, and I hate that he’s not hers. I think he should be. Rana has been quiet for a long time, which only adds to my anxiety.

“I knew, and I’m sorry that I didn’t tell you. I didn’t know for sure, but the night of the Ball, I had a pretty good idea of what was happening. I know he has always loved you, but that night was different. Maybe if I had said something sooner. I could have prevented last night from happening.” Rana looks at me and sighs. “are you upset at me for not telling you about his feelings sooner? I just never thought it would end up like this.”

“No!” I gasp, hugging Rana. It’s not her fault that everything happened this way.

“Are you in love with Hadeon? And you really rejected Cadmus?” Rana sighs, still looking at the floor.

“New really does travel fast. Yes, I couldn’t think of anything else to do. He was going to go after Hadeon, and I couldn’t let that happen.” I reply, getting up from my bed and moving to the balcony; at last, Rana follows me out there as we look out at the garden. I think over the events of last night for the hundredth time. Trying not to cry.

“What happens now?” Rana asks.

“I wish I knew, but nothing is clear to me anymore.” I breathe, feeling completely lost for the first time in my life; there is no clear path.

***

I don’t want to leave my room and even knowing that Hadeon is still in the castle. I know my mother has gone to speak with him, and I just don’t think I can face him after everything that has happened.

I just convince Rana that I am fine and just want to go to bed so she would leave me with my thoughts. I’m still sitting on the balcony, watching the sun slowly set. The guards roaming the grounds are doing little to make me feel any better about anything.

My door opens, and my mother walks into my room. I can see her from my place on the balcony. She joins me and strokes my hair lovingly, “You know you can’t stay in your room forever.” She says. I know she’s right, but I just don’t know what else to do.

“I know that I just can’t replace the path I’m meant to take. Cadmus is hurt, and it’s my fault. I didn’t want to lose him, but I also don’t belong to him. I want to choose who I love, and my heart chose Hadeon, but after last night, he may never want to speak to me again.”

“if that’s true, then he wouldn’t be worth caring for, would he?” My mother remarks. “I still don’t know what to make of Hadeon, but you should know he left this afternoon. He said it was important.”

I’m shocked to know that he has left already, and I hope that last night wasn’t the last time that I ever see him. My mother must be picking up on my growing anxiety when she wraps her arm around my shoulder and squeezes me slightly, kissing the side of my head. “You will see him again. He asked to call on you properly when he returns. I told he may, but I still don’t trust him, Willow. I still can’t replace out anything about him. He keeps everything hidden. Whoever taught him was a very good teacher.” Mother has a concerned look on her face as she scowls out at the garden.

I’m happy that Hadeon asked to see me again, but I’m worried that it will be awkward, that and my mother’s concerns about him even have me nervous. Then there is Cadmus; he never did accept the rejection, so what will that mean? I need to know, so I pluck up my courage to ask, “Mother Cadmus didn’t accept my rejection. What exactly will that mean? What will happen if he never excepts it?”

“Well, I’m not sure you want to know, Willow.” My mother sighs. I nod my head slowly and follow her gaze into the garden. She takes a long steady breath before continuing. “Well, if my understanding of these things is correct, he will be putting himself through something terrible, and it may even drive him mad. He has returned to his home, and I let the dragon elders know what has happened. They told me they will try to convince him to accept the rejection. If he won’t, they will take matters into their own hands. I don’t know what will happen then.”

The tear that rolls down my cheek is quickly wiped away. I’m tired of crying; that seems to be the only thing I have done all day, and I don’t want to cry anymore. I can’t help but feel bad for Cadmus, and this whole situation is because of these silly mate bonds. No wonder I can’t stand them. He just needs to accept the rejection and move on with his life; I’m just sorry that the cost is our friendship. I have spent most of the day going over our childhood in my mind, and I just want things to be that simple again, but I know they never will be.

“Come now, things will look brighter in the morning, and we just have to wait and see how all of this plays out. Even as the Supreme, I don’t always know the clear path to take. That is just life. Even with all the magic in the world, we just don’t get to know everything.” My mother remarks as stars start to dot the darkening sky.

“I always thought you could see everything.” I muse, and my mother laughs.

“If only that were true, I could have saved so much heartache.” She kisses my head again and pulls me gently into my room. “I think that you should get some rest and we will reflect more on thing in the morning. Maybe together, the path will become clearer.” She kisses my forehead. “I love you, Willow. It will all work out for the best; you’ll see.”

“All right, I love you, mother. I’ll see you in the morning,” I reply softly, feeling completely unsure.

If I had known then that that would be the last time I would see her, I would have held her tight err I would have made her stay with me a little longer. If I had known what would happen next, I would have chosen a different path. But I didn’t know then what I know now, and that was the last time that I saw her face in anything other than my dreams.