THESE HIDDEN WINGS

BONUS CHAPTER [168.2]

Harvest moved through the maze, his jaw hard and rigid, dark brooding eyes steadfast ahead.

There was a steady ticking in his head that he couldn't get rid of, cursing beneath his breath in rabid frustration.

The moon gleamed faintly in the blackened sky, not a star in sight, his only illumination as he made his way through the neatly trimmed hedged walls of the maize that led to the Fare-born forest. The hedges barred him on either side before coming out into the open.

He stopped abruptly in his tracks, eyebrows arching at the sight of the moon that had suddenly disappeared.

"Someone's angry," Raskei whistled gayly stepping out from the shadows that grew around them, enclosing them in a darkened space.

Harvest rolled his eyes, fists loosening when he turned slightly, glancing over his shoulder.

"Trust me," he grunted, "You would know when I'm angry."

"Frustrated perhaps?" Raskei pushed, stopping a little ways behind him.

Harvest scoffed at this, turning to face her, mildly unimpressed.

"I would like to believe that you have more important things to do than stalk me from the shadows. There are plenty of beings that already have that job," he sighed, glancing at the crown of trees that led to Fareborn Forest.

"So you're pissed," she grinned.

Harvest sucked in a breath, trying to keep calm.

He had been trying to keep calm for the past few hours.

So far, this was the best he would do.

"Does it matter?" He huffed looking down at her as he tucked his hands into his coat.

"It depends," she continued, walking past him slightly, eyes set on the trees for a few seconds before turning back to him, "on the reason," she finished, folding her arms.

Harvest's eyes zeroed in on her, knowing the game she was playing already. He let out a shallow breath running a hand through his hair as he set his eyes on the darkened sky.

"You forgot to form the moon." He stated.

"It's not important. It won't make a difference." Raskei replied, her words fast like she could care, eyes never leaving his face.

Feeling those brown orbs on him, he glanced down again with a sigh, grunting for a bit.

"Well. In my defense, many things piss me off, I'm just good at hiding it," he grinned cheekily, "but if you must know, right now, you're on the top of the things that are pissing me off. Friend or not. Enough nagging Raskei."

"It's bad enough you have her mark, Harvest," Raskei stated plainly, shooting straight to the point, his breath hitching slightly, "bad enough she knows what she knows, and now, she's in your head, and maybe already...in your heart-"

Harvest chuckled at this, eyes shining for a moment, shaking his head as his eyes shifted from her, "my heart.." he echoed like it was a joke," a hand hovering over his chest, "won't be there for long," he grinned though there was no warmth in his eyes as he said so, his lips straightening into a thin line-, "You know better than that."

"So she isn't the reason why you abruptly left the match and disappeared for hours?" Raskei fired a lit flame in her eyes.

Harvest paused at this, his breath fanning her face slightly as he studied her for a moment. He couldn't help but think back to it.

His previous frustration returned, fists clenching again.

Yet her gaze remained intensely searching his. Normally, it would have been easy to hide, but the more he tried to, the more he thought about it, about her.