Chapter 518: What of The Goodbyes We Never Said? [2]
[HAWI]
"How long will you be away, Mistress?"
"I don't know… It may be five years, or two or a hundred. You'll all still be alive when I come back so that shouldn't worry you as much. And besides, Mbali will be coming with me since she is the only other one who doesn't have a mate like me.
"I could have taken Hudhayfah too, but he is important to the transition of the Greyson wolves. I left you all with your mates so you could take care of each other and not worry too much about where your mates were elusive or dead.
"As for Mbali, she will always be safe with me, no matter where we end up, that I can promise you," Hawi said and the Savasci knights stared at her in earnest with soft eyes. She had lost someone and yet she was still considerate of them all.
The realization of her words was slowly dawning on them and they didn't know how to react to it all. This girl was putting them before herself and she was also caring for their emotions.
She knew they were all newly mated and hadn't been able to explore their mate bonds, and she didn't need to take that away from them. Oh, but she was easily the kindest person they could think of, and it hurt to know that she had lost her mate.
"Letting us be without mates while we weren't able to protect yours," Rio voiced with defeat, as he looked at Hawi and then at Theo.
Clearly, none of them had paid attention or the way they had been left earlier, which was even more interesting and painful now that they knew what that meant. They should have been better, but what could they have all done?
They didn't have the slightest idea that that would ever happen to Hawi and it was not much that they had contributed to her quest for freedom. But what was freedom when everything hurt regardless?
"We were all there, Rio. I should have come earlier and protected your crew too, but I failed. I never intended for you to lose Drew and the sailors and that is something that I will forever regret.
"It wasn't supposed to be like that, truly. I didn't know you would all give up your magic for me like that. That was the sacrifice that cost you our friends and family and I'm truly sorry for how it panned out.
"I hope you understand that my loss is not as great as yours, and I don't downplay your loss, ever," Hawi said in earnest, even though they all knew that her loss was the greatest loss ever.
She had saved everyone and failed to save the one person that she loved the most. That was something they would eat her to the core and if they were lucky to see her when she came back, they wouldn't even recognize her.
But then maybe fate wasn't as cruel, right?
"That wasn't your fault… Hawi. We all played our part in the redemption of the realm. Sacrifices were made and losses were things we had to expect on the battlefield. We shouldn't have lost Rukiya like that though, and that is on all of us, not just you.
"I hope you know that too," Rio said in earnest and Hawi smiled sadly. She would never be able to understand what Ruru's sacrifice had been for and she was angry, way too angry, just that she couldn't afford to show it to her knights.
These people had been to war for her and she didn't need to burden them with the guilt of not being able to save Rukiya. Her mate had made that choice, and Hawi was going to figure out why.
"Anyway, now that we got that out of the way, I need to add a few things. When Mbali and I leave, don't come looking for us or even try to find us. We will come home when we come home.
"I know that this will be hard for you, but it is something that you must do for the sake of everything we have all worked hard for, and everything we sacrificed. Don't let our sacrifices be in vain.
"We will come back, I already said that, so don't wait for us for too long. Live your lives so that we have a great reunion when we meet each other again. Don't try to track us with the mind links, because I will shut them off for the time that we will be away.
"You can however look forward to the day the mind links reopen because that will mean we will be home with you, again," Hawi said and they erupted into whispers of disapproval.
She had expected that but what else was she going to do to keep them on the same page as her?
This wasn't how life had been meant to be and regardless of how they wanted to see this madness and their attempt at salvation, there was no denying that reality was one that they had to deal with.
"Isn't that a bit too much, Hawi?" Elodie asked, her voice soft and defeated as she looked at her sister. She had sworn she would always be there to protect Hawi and yet once again, Hawi was leaving her to run the pack.
There were times when Elodie wished she wasn't a warrior who could be brave enough to be left behind. She wished that she was the sister that Hawi always needed to protect because if that was the case then Hawi would always have her tag along. Continue reading at My Virtual Library Empire
Granted, she would have been a burden to Hawi, but then knowing Hawi, the woman wouldn't have said shit to her. She would have just let Elodie tag along, no matter how long it would take.
That was one of the wishes that she had and regretted not being like. She hated seeing her sister leave all the time. All she ever wanted was to be beside Hawi and fight beside her, for her, or whatever the fuck it was that sisters did.
But then in the past four years, all they had had was just a year, most of which was spent on planning for the war that had eventually cost them their soul.
It was not what Elodie wanted for her sister anymore but she knew that she wouldn't be able to talk Hawi out of this one or maybe she would convince Hawi to stay a little longer.
Well, that was some sort of hope, but it was never going to be enough for her anyway because Hawi was always unpredictable.
Now she had just mentioned that she would be gone for an indefinite timeline and Elodie was defeated listening like that was the only thing she was good at.
"I have to protect you, sister. You're the only family I have left, and the Savasci knights can do that for me. I won't put you in danger again and I refuse to bring war to the doors of Sicario again.
"We do know what the protectors meant by something happening in Sicario, but one thing I know for certain is that as long as I'm here, wars will find their way back to our doors again. I am the trouble that everyone needs to be rid of.
"I need to leave for you all to have at least a timeline of peace. We can't always be fighting all the time Elodie, you and I both know that it is unhealthy. Besides, you found happiness in Malika.
"She will love you like you need to be loved, and like you deserve to be loved. She means so much to you, which is why she is remaining to keep you happy," Hawi explained and Elodie facepalmed.
She was sick of always being the one protected by Hawi. She was tired of always having to wait on Hawi, to always be the one that got to step out after the danger was gone, she was a warrior and Hawi had made her an alpha.
And yet even with her alpha status, she was still like a princess, always protected, always served, always given everything that she wanted. Elodie hated this type of thing and she wanted to let Hawi know of that.
Perhaps that would make Hawi change her mind about leaving this time, right? Surely that had to count for something, no?
"But I don't want to stay behind, Hawi. I don't want to be the alpha. I don't want to be protected. I want to come with you and be beside you. I wasn't to be there for you all the time. I want to stay where you are and not leave.
"I don't want to always be the one to worry about and make decisions for. Why can't you just let me come along? I promise I won't be a nuisance. I will learn to fight well if that is what I need to do. I will do whatever it takes, just please, don't always leave me behind.
"What happened to us protecting each other? You have always been one to carry the burden for all of us. And besides, we only came together to form the knights' team because of you.
"We endured all of this for you, Hawi, not for any of us, we did it for you… Please don't leave," Elodie pleaded with teary eyes.
She knew that this wasn't going to be easy, but was it too much for her to ask for her to desire a life with her sister? They would always have wars, and all that but all she wanted was Hawi. Was it a lot to ask?
"I'm sorry, but I have to leave one last time. Just this once, I promise, then I won't leave again, ever," Hawi said and Elodie sighed.