unclear. I have to sort things out, make sure it even makes sense to involve you in all this.” His eyes softened. “Just give me a little time. For now, take solace in the fact that you’re in one of the safest places in both realms.”
They walked onwards in silence, passing the lake. Even when Aaron was distracted with confusing thoughts, the sight of the beautiful lake somehow managed to calm him. The water was still, the blue too rich to be real. Aaron had the urge to climb down the bank and touch it, to see if his fingers would interrupt the glassy perfection and cause ripples in that calmness. But his dad had walked past the lake, so Aaron followed after him. They continued down the path until they arrived at a woodland area. Aaron stared at the vines that stretched up and intertwined with a brass sign hanging between two thick tree trunks that said Orchard .
Aaron followed his dad into the orchard bathed in dazzling golden sunlight. He couldn’t help but stare in wonder at the perfectly lined trees, with branches that dipped down with the weight of their fruit, ripe and mouth-watering, ready for the picking. Aaron’s stomach growled noisily, reminding him he had not eaten since yesterday’s lunch – a miserable cheese sandwich his mum had got from a petrol station. At least he had eaten his; Sam and Rose’s sandwiches were still in the car, untouched.
Chris led Aaron deeper into the orchard, past wicker baskets filled to the brim with oranges, apples, mangos and fruits Aaron didn’t have a name for. He was tempted to reach out and grab something, but didn’t.
They reached a grapevine, pitched horizontally to the trees. A dark-haired man with his back towards them was picking grapes off the vine. Despite the soft ground under their shoes, somehow the man sensed their arrival. He stopped and turned around. He had a sharp, angular face with deep-set brown eyes, which were slowly widening with shock.
“Chris?” he whispered, his brow creased.
A warm, genuine smile spread over Chris’s face. “Hi, Drake.”
The next moment, both men had stepped forward to embrace, like brothers would. Aaron watched in quiet surprise. The man – Drake – stepped back but clasped both hands around Chris’s arms.
“By God, Chris, it’s really you.” He shook his head, making wavy strands of hair fall into his eyes. “What...what are you doing here?” An uneasy expression flitted over him. “I told you it wasn’t safe.”
“I didn’t have a choice,” Chris answered.
That’s when Drake’s gaze moved to Aaron. The brown eyes gleamed and a small smile spread across his face.
“Aaron?” he asked, looking back at Chris.
Chris nodded with a smile. “Aaron, this is my good friend, Drake Logan.”
Drake held out a hand. “Pleased to meet you, son.”
Aaron shook his hand, noticing the tattoo of a silver dagger on his inner wrist.
“I need to speak with you,” Chris said. He paused to look at Aaron. “Why don’t you have a little wander around, Aaron, see Salvador. I’ll meet you at the table in half an hour.”
It was a dismissal and Aaron knew it. As he turned to walk away, a spark ignited in his chest, anger burning him. His dad was purposefully keeping him from learning too much about this place, this realm. But last night’s events were still fresh in his mind, so disobeying his father wasn’t an option right now. His dad’s words echoed in his mind. You must always do as we ask. Believe us when we say we know best. I can’t stress the importance of this: you must trust us enough to do as we ask.
In an act of defiance, though, Aaron swiped a hand at the basket he passed and scooped out two apples.
Aaron walked out of the orchard, munching on the apples. He didn’t know if it was because he was hungry or if the apples of this realm were just this good, but they were the best things he had ever tasted: sweet, juicy, refreshing and strangely filling. He wandered down another path, this one
They walked onwards in silence, passing the lake. Even when Aaron was distracted with confusing thoughts, the sight of the beautiful lake somehow managed to calm him. The water was still, the blue too rich to be real. Aaron had the urge to climb down the bank and touch it, to see if his fingers would interrupt the glassy perfection and cause ripples in that calmness. But his dad had walked past the lake, so Aaron followed after him. They continued down the path until they arrived at a woodland area. Aaron stared at the vines that stretched up and intertwined with a brass sign hanging between two thick tree trunks that said Orchard .
Aaron followed his dad into the orchard bathed in dazzling golden sunlight. He couldn’t help but stare in wonder at the perfectly lined trees, with branches that dipped down with the weight of their fruit, ripe and mouth-watering, ready for the picking. Aaron’s stomach growled noisily, reminding him he had not eaten since yesterday’s lunch – a miserable cheese sandwich his mum had got from a petrol station. At least he had eaten his; Sam and Rose’s sandwiches were still in the car, untouched.
Chris led Aaron deeper into the orchard, past wicker baskets filled to the brim with oranges, apples, mangos and fruits Aaron didn’t have a name for. He was tempted to reach out and grab something, but didn’t.
They reached a grapevine, pitched horizontally to the trees. A dark-haired man with his back towards them was picking grapes off the vine. Despite the soft ground under their shoes, somehow the man sensed their arrival. He stopped and turned around. He had a sharp, angular face with deep-set brown eyes, which were slowly widening with shock.
“Chris?” he whispered, his brow creased.
A warm, genuine smile spread over Chris’s face. “Hi, Drake.”
The next moment, both men had stepped forward to embrace, like brothers would. Aaron watched in quiet surprise. The man – Drake – stepped back but clasped both hands around Chris’s arms.
“By God, Chris, it’s really you.” He shook his head, making wavy strands of hair fall into his eyes. “What...what are you doing here?” An uneasy expression flitted over him. “I told you it wasn’t safe.”
“I didn’t have a choice,” Chris answered.
That’s when Drake’s gaze moved to Aaron. The brown eyes gleamed and a small smile spread across his face.
“Aaron?” he asked, looking back at Chris.
Chris nodded with a smile. “Aaron, this is my good friend, Drake Logan.”
Drake held out a hand. “Pleased to meet you, son.”
Aaron shook his hand, noticing the tattoo of a silver dagger on his inner wrist.
“I need to speak with you,” Chris said. He paused to look at Aaron. “Why don’t you have a little wander around, Aaron, see Salvador. I’ll meet you at the table in half an hour.”
It was a dismissal and Aaron knew it. As he turned to walk away, a spark ignited in his chest, anger burning him. His dad was purposefully keeping him from learning too much about this place, this realm. But last night’s events were still fresh in his mind, so disobeying his father wasn’t an option right now. His dad’s words echoed in his mind. You must always do as we ask. Believe us when we say we know best. I can’t stress the importance of this: you must trust us enough to do as we ask.
In an act of defiance, though, Aaron swiped a hand at the basket he passed and scooped out two apples.
Aaron walked out of the orchard, munching on the apples. He didn’t know if it was because he was hungry or if the apples of this realm were just this good, but they were the best things he had ever tasted: sweet, juicy, refreshing and strangely filling. He wandered down another path, this one
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