Chapter 6Alec found Caerula waiting for him when he returned. She was sitting patiently in the shallow water next to the charred oak he called home. He yawned in exhaustion, desperately needing to rest, but his sense of duty overrode his desire for sleep. He turned his back to his tree and sat down in the narrow strip of grass separating his home from the water.
She pointed to the budding leaves that sprouted from the oak’s burned and mangled branches. “It’s so resilient.”
He nodded in agreement.
“So welcoming and kind. It’s been through so much, but it still reaches for the sun.”
Alec shrugged, feeling uncomfortable, and said, “I suppose.”
“You did a sweet thing, helping that boy.”
Alec nodded, still blushing.
“What do you have there?” she asked, placing her aqueous hand over the w
