CHAPTER TWENTY
Ten days since Roxie left, and it felt like an eternity—at least it felt like that to Isaac.
He kept himself busy. He attended to matters that should have already been attended to by his men but did it himself anyway. He went out and ventured into new territory, expanding the boundary so his people could be freer in their movements and endeavors. It left him with absolutely no free time to himself, and by the time he went back to his quarters at night, he was so dead tired that all he could do was crash in bed and catch up on sleep.
The dreams still came, some vivid and some blurred. In all of them, he saw those rose-gold eyes and smelled autumn leaves and mint, and it haunted him.
It made him irritable sometimes, and grouchy often. It got to the point where even Urban had grown quiet and subdued around him, and the man used to be quite the talker.
Then he got the call one day.
“What in heavens has been going on with you?” Isabella asked over the phone—the one he hadn’t been answering for the past few days now until he had no choice because he was pretty sure his sister would come here and cause a riot if he kept this up.
“I’m fine.”
“Don’t try that with me. I may be younger, but I know you.” The irritated tone left her voice, to be replaced by worry. He didn’t like his sister worrying—come to think of it, he didn’t like keeping things from her as well, and this by far was the biggest thing he’d kept to himself. “Tell me everything or I’m marching over there right now.”
Isaac thought it over for all but a second. Then he heaved a sigh and grumbled that he was only going to tell because she was so damn insistent, and he started at the beginning—particularly, Pine’s curse and the truth of its cause, then Roxie’s entrance into his life. Isabella kept silent on the other end, and Isaac didn’t hold anything back as he finally told her what he was really feeling about the matter.
When he was done, the line stayed silent, even though he could hear her quiet, steady breathing. Finally, she spoke out.
“I’ve only got one thing to say.”
“You always do,” he muttered. “What is it?”
“Roxie was right. You are an idiot.”
Isaac made growling noises, and Isabella snapped back at him. It reminded him of their dynamics when she was here, and he suddenly missed her. But it lessened considerably than before, and he knew there was someone else he missed more.
God, so much more than he expected to.
“She wanted to go home,” Isaac replied to Isabella’s accusation.
“And have you ever asked her where home was?”
No, he hadn’t. In fact, he’d gone out of his way to make her feel that he would rather have her go back to Autumn Court than stay there, when in fact he wanted the opposite.
He wanted her—no, he cared about her intensely, too much that he only wanted her to be happy.
Yet he pushed her away and ran in the other direction as fast as he could without even asking where her happiness lay.
All at once, Isaac realized the mistake he had made. All at once, he realized that he felt helpless for the first time in his life.
Isabella’s voice calling his name on the other line finally interrupted his thoughts enough for him to respond.
“No, I hadn’t,” he said.
Isabella sighed. “I knew it.” Silence filled the line, then, “Prepare two rooms there.”
“For?”
“I’m coming over.”
He frowned at the need for two rooms. “You and Masters?”
“No. Me and Robin.”
*****
The portal was opened in Rio de Janeiro really quickly once Robin got there, with no questions asked. How they could have gotten fairy blood to make it work, Isaac didn’t know. But he didn’t even make it five seconds to think it over as he crossed to the other side and arrived in the court that was full of oranges and reds and everything that reminded him of Roxie.
Not exactly able to show his face to Pine, who would no doubt play another game with him if she saw him, Isaac went directly in search for the lake where the ripe spot was, intending to wait there as long as was possible until she appeared—hell, even if it lasted months, come to think of it. He already had a game plan for how he’d survive in that spot alone.
And if she wasn’t going to come and he grew impatient, then he was going to march inside that castle and look for her, consequences be damned.
He snuck into the familiar forest that led to the spot, finally stepping into the clearing, where he saw the blue lake. He stopped. He stared.
Roxie stood at the corner, her back towards him as she sat down on a rock and simply stared at the lake. He’d recognize that messy, reddish gold anywhere, and the vision assaulted his senses. He wasn’t prepared for it, and looking at her profile now brought a charge inside him that punched him in the gut and had him staggering.
An ache filled his body, then his heart, and he knew it was no longer care. Love blew him in the guts and filled his soul, and he stepped forward with that rush of knowledge, no longer caring about not making a sound.
She turned her head in his direction, a sigh escaping her lips. “Sinda, haven’t I told you that I don’t care what my mother wants because I’m going to Brazil whether she likes it or not?”
He stopped at her words, and she stopped at his presence. They drank each other in silence, and he watched her eyes turn dark and flare before she stood up and stepped forward.
“Your life could be in danger here,” she said, her voice shaking. “You could be—”
He didn’t let her finish her words. Isaac went to her immediately and pulled her into his arms, kissing the life out of her and reveling in the way she responded immediately. She opened up to him and clung onto him, and it was like breathing fresh air after being deprived for so long. Happiness filled him, and he realized that despite his peaceful life, it had been missing that kind of joy for a long time.
“I’m sorry,” he groaned out, tongue tasting her. “I’m sorry for taking so long.”
“No, I’m sorry for not telling you how I feel,” she murmured. “I just didn’t realize…”
She didn’t realize he would feel the same way.
Jesus, he was so stupid.
“You have to know something about me.” He took a deep breath. Then he let it out. “I killed my youngest sibling. My brother, Jason.” He told her everything, pouring out his heart and soul and laying it bare. Then he looked at her. “You deserve better than a murderer, Roxie.”
But instead of being shocked and moving away, Roxie only moved closer, placing her hands on his cheeks. She looked him in the eye, and in her gaze, he saw it—all the love and acceptance in the world.
“You only did what needed to be done. We’ve both done things we had to do, but it doesn’t change what’s between us. I…I want to be with you, too. And your home…it felt like home to me.”
And just like that, it felt so simple and complicated at the same time. Roxie closed her eyes and stayed in his embrace. A few minutes later, a portal appeared in front of them. A smile slid off her lips and did him in.
“Well, what are we waiting for?” she asked softly. Teasingly.
Isaac looked at the portal, then at her. You, his mind said. He’d been waiting for her all his life, and he didn’t know it. And now…now she was here.
So he grinned at her—ferally. Then he smirked.
“Not a damn thing,” he replied.
Then he was pulling her towards the portal and into the place she belonged.
Home.
THE END