Chapter 38

• Morning came faster than expected. Elena sat up from her bed and stretched before finally taking in her surroundings. The old man took her through a small stairway that led to the back of his home, away from where Calhoun was. She couldn't complain, though, because where she was kept was even more beautiful than the house entrance. The garden at the back was much larger and consisted more of vegetables than flowers at the entrance garden. Not that it made it any less beautiful, because the different scents assaulted her senses, even as she slept.
• The man took them to a small bungalow at the back of the house, and despite how it looked from the outside, it was much larger inside. He told them there were five rooms there, and Elena and her friends could select whichever they liked. Forest was delighted with the suggestion, and being himself, he took the largest of the rooms. Elion had just shaken her head at his antics, though she couldn't hide the indulgent smile she had for her brother. Though Elena noticed a distance between them– probably caused by how long they had to be apart– they were trying hard to mend it. She made up her mind to help them in any way she could.
• She took in her environment as she hadn't been able to when she arrived the previous day, utterly tired from her journey. The old man had agreed to talk with her the next day so they would go about how she would carry out her training. She couldn't wait to start her practice. That was the thing she had been looking forward to. Her room was spacious, though not as large as the one Forest had selected for himself. There was a small hearth and a mantelpiece with several woodworks placed atop it. Her room was flooded with light, and she stood up and walked towards her window, which was behind her bed. The window showed her a glimpse of the garden behind the main house, and she couldn't have appreciated a more incredible view. She smiled and walked to the bathroom on the other side of her room.