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His second-in-command grumbled to himself while Kai leaned forward, keeping his voice low. “Please excuse him.”
“It’s fine,” I said in response, shaking it off. “Tensions are high. It’s understandable.”
Even if Kai seemed unsure of me still, he seemed like a decent enough guy, and I was glad to see he was willing to try and help us through our predicament.
Soren stood somewhat warily in the doorway and cleared his throat. “I apologize for not having better answers for you, but I’ll send word out if I find anything.”
I knew it would’ve been wishful thinking to assume he’d be able to cure us right away. It was a unique situation, and it would take time to get to the bottom of it.
“I appreciate it,” I said, giving him a nod. “If you need anything else from me, let me know.”
Soren bowed his head, then returned to his books in the other room. At the very least, he wouldn’t be preoccupied by patients, since the place was deserted.
“Do you need a ride back to the hotel?” Kai asked, distancing himself from Finn while he calmed down.
“No, I should check on Griffin. I can walk.”
“Very well,” he returned neutrally. “I’ll be in touch.”
Acknowledging him, I murmured my goodbyes, then slipped out of the clinic.
I scanned the nearby area with the hope of finding Griffin, but I couldn’t see him anywhere. Even as I began in the direction we arrived from the hotel, I didn’t even catch a glimpse of him.
Even while I wondered where he went or what he was up to, I knew he could take care of himself. Assuming he had gone back to the hotel already, I went in the same direction.
The clinic was further away from town, nestled in the trees. There were some paths instead of roads, one of which I decided to take. It was quiet and peaceful, and I didn’t mind the chance to clear my head.
It was not the doctor's fault, but the lack of information was troubling. While my thoughts on the matter seemed to be correct, there was no denying just how much we didn’t know.
With an inhale, I reminded myself that we would figure it out eventually and that I had no reason to rush things.
Willow even told me herself that I’d be able to shift once again based on what she saw in her vision. Still, there was no way for me to know exactly how that would happen.
After several minutes of walking, I saw familiar flaming red hair in the distance. Interest piqued, I tried to see where she was going.
Willow ventured off the main road and onto a path that went through the woods. She was on her own, seemingly lost in deep thought.
Curious, I couldn’t help but follow. I didn’t know where she lived or what else she got up to, and a part of me hoped she might’ve given me the chance to speak with her.
Aware that I was toeing the line with someone who wanted nothing to do with me, I pushed forward anyway and made my way into the woods.
The path was vague and winding as it led me through the trees. The birds chirped all around me, along with the whirring bugs and the tousle of leaves. The further I went, the more at peace I felt.
In the distance, I spotted a little log cabin. It wasn’t the biggest house, but it looked nice even from there.
Interested, I pushed forward, wondering where Willow had even gone.
I moved quietly to not scare her, but I knew I’d have to make myself known eventually.
Taking the opportunity, I moved in and found another path made of what looked like hand-picked rocks arranged in a wavy pattern that led up to the front steps of her wrap-around porch.
There were several flowerbeds out front, all full of beautifully blooming flowers as they swayed in the breeze. Not far to the left was a fenced-in vegetable garden in all of its glory.
Between the muted green paint on the outside of the house and the flowery cut-out embellishments, it looked like a nature-lovers cottage.
It looked incredibly whimsical, and I quickly realized the type of person Willow was.
I never knew how important the carefree, eclectic lifestyle was to her, but it made me regret being so hateful of witches. I may not have understood at the time, but it seemed that she only ever wanted a slow and careful life, and lived deliberately through all of her actions.
