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“You know as well as I that Jeremiah won’t be found if he doesn’t want to be.” Quiet, Tyee’s voice held notes of tired acceptance, his face suddenly wearing the many years of his long life. “We must wait for him to come to us.”
Isaiah met the other man’s gaze, and for once, he didn’t feel like he was under scrutiny. What he saw when he looked at Tyee was a man who’d lost his friend, a man who’d quietly accepted what had happened without shattering into so many shards of glass.
“Thank you for taking care of Rukia last night.”
Isaiah couldn’t have been more shocked at Tyee’s words, but he displayed none of the reaction on his face. Passive, he merely inclined his head and gave the Elemental a subtle nod.
No one had to thank him for taking care of her; he’d done so of his own accord. It’d been an immutable response that had driven him to see to her needs. Why, he still couldn’t fathom.
Chapter Eleven
Grittingherteeth,Rukiashook off the melancholy vibes of their conversation. Instead of lingering with the sedate group to wallow in grief, she’d begrudgingly departed for the solitude of the offices in the compound’s south end.
Gideon had been thoroughly embedded in Paracel’s daily life and that of their Search and Rescue business. Now, in his absence, she’d need to step up to the plate. Passing through hallways she’d walked thousands of times, she intentionally averted her eyes to avoid looking down the corridor to Gideon’s empty office.
Her steps echoed against the white walls, the familiarity of the hallway comforting. Jeremiah’s office was empty, as she’d expected. But when her feet continued toward Gideon’s office of their own accord, she found herself unable to resist the lure.
She didn’t notice the other presence in the room until she’d stepped through the doorway.
Jeremiah sat in silence; his hollow eyes trained on the bonsai tree on Gideon’s desk. It’d graced the office for centuries, the small plant an understated tribute to the element that their monarch had skillfully wielded. The once thriving tree had turned a golden brown, the moss that covered its base dry.
Red rimmed eyes framed his weary expression, white knuckled fists clenched on the fabric of his dress pants. He hadn’t changed since last night, that much was apparent.
Rukia’s soft voice broke the silence. “How long have you been here, Jeremiah?”
His lips parted but he shook his head. “I don’t know.” Jeremiah slowly turned his head to meet her gaze, tears filling his eyes. “I keep thinking about how I did nothing, Rukia. How I couldn’t do anything to save him.”
Unable to keep the tears from her own eyes, Rukia’s face twisted. “I keep thinking the same thing.”
And suddenly, they were holding each other, silent with the pain of loss that they felt so keenly. They stood, huddled together in the hush of Gideon’s office, for what seemed like an eternity. Rukia and Jeremiah simply took comfort in each other, unable to abandon the space that held traces of his personality, his life.
It wasn’t until Tyee’s steadying presence arrived that they split apart to look at the other Elemental. A sad smile graced his lips before he put a tender hand on each of their cheeks but didn’t speak.
“We need to gather everyone,” Rukia breathed. “Tell them what happened.”
And that was what they did. They gathered the Elementals who were near and spoke to what’d befallen their monarch. When the town hall meeting was over, and everyone had left, the sun had cast long shadows over the earth.
By the time they’d finished, Rukia was numb.
She’d experienced the gamut of emotion during the course of the day: anger, bitterness, denial. No two Elementals had reacted alike, and the stress of her people’s sentiments had stripped her of her own.
Having been caught in a long-winded conversation with one of their oldest residents outside, Rukia wasn’t surprised to find Jeremiah and Tyee were waiting for her.
The two Elementals were speaking in low tones with Nina and Aidan. Frowning, Rukia glanced around for Isaiah. Her heart unexpectedly jumped into her throat at his absence, but it turned out her fears were unfounded when she glimpsed him only seconds later.
Arms crossed, he stood alone on the other side of the great hall. Statuesque, Isaiah’s unmoving form leaned against a wall, gazing emotionlessly toward the group of other immortals. He was entirely and utterly alone.
Something about it rubbed her the wrong way.
Marching toward him with purpose in her step, Rukia halted mere inches away from him. “Are you self-isolating, Raeth?”
An ebony eyebrow raised at her insolent tone, inexpressive features turning her way. “You don’t have to pretend that I’m well liked.”
“While that may be true,” Rukia scoffed, “you’re not a leper. Don’t act like one.”
Before she turned back toward the other group, she deliberately grabbed his forearm. A shock of sensation bristled through her veins as their flesh connected, an absent awareness of Isaiah’s inherent strength running through her very bones.
Concealing her reaction with an exhale, Rukia let go when Isaiah followed her lead. She had the distinct feeling that he’d been deliberately tempering his characteristic sarcasm and obstinance in light of recent events.
