Chapter 41
Areit was fuming.
He felt like Cassius had made him look like a fool in front of Aurora. He used the fire boiling in him to goad his horse faster. He didn’t want to miss the show after all. It was strange to him how Cassius had not told Aurora about the wishing well. Why would he want to hide this from her? He was quickly approaching the troll forest and he couldn’t wait to find his answers.
*
Arriving at the wishing well, I wasn’t sure how I would feel.
After all, it was this well that had brought me into this land. Without it I would have never met Cassius or Evver. I was surprised to see a large amount of people standing in a circle around the well. Evver was there. When she saw us she squealed and ran toward us. I couldn’t make it to her fast enough. I tripped over my dress several times. I was laughing and crying at the same time.
Many were staring at me but I didn’t care.
Throwing my arms around her, I was busy checking to make sure not a hair was harmed on her petite head. Ironically, she was doing the same thing to me. I thought for sure Cassius would be stepping behind me, but he was nowhere in sight. When we both found our heads, we started looking for him. He was walking toward the wishing well. It looked like he was in a trance. I called his name and so did Evver, but there was no response. Evver and I rushed toward him.
“Cassius, what’s wrong?” I pleaded.
“Don’t you see it?” I looked at the well and only felt pain.
“What are you talking about?” I looked to Evver and she looked as confused as I was. King Calan had made his way over to us and he was watching Cassius as well.
“You really don’t see it?” He asked dumbfounded. “It’s right there” He pointed into midair above the entrance to the wishing well.
“What are you seeing?”
“It’s the missing Para” Cassius walked toward the well and reached into the air. We saw nothing but when his hand returned he was holding a golden coin. Gasps were heard from around the circle. No one could believe what they had just witnessed. Cheers went out around the crowd.
All I could think was this simple gold coin could be my way home.
*
At Cassius’ insistence I was now holding the final golden coin in my hand.
King Calan and Cassius had both wished for the same thing, prosperity and peace for their kingdoms for a thousand years. Now, here I was standing in front of the well praying he would stop me. I looked around the circle of so many I have grown to love. I realized Paradan had become more of a home to me in a few short weeks than Oregon had ever been.
Looking into Cassius’ eyes I willed him to stop me.
I couldn’t believe I was about to leave them all. I willed the solid gold coin in my hand to disappear into thin air, so I would never have to make this.impossible wish. I stepped closer to the well. Looking down at the seemingly endless hole in the earth I braced myself. Closing my eyes, I held the coin close to my lips and whispered quietly to myself “I wish— to go home.”
The coin dropped quickly out of my hand and into the darkness. It burned my fingers as it left them. I looked into eyes of the man I loved so dearly, afraid this was the last moment I would ever see them. I focused on him, trying to remember every inch of the love I would soon lose.
Golden smoke started swirling up out the well, coming out in small spirals at first, until the entire sky was shrouded in the golden fog.
It has been said “Be careful what you wish for, it just may come true.” As much as I knew how true those words were, it would never stop me from wishing.