Olive gulped down in fright. That simple river that looked so beautiful? It turned Wayne into what he was? How in the world?
“I… can’t believe this,” she muttered under her breath.
“Mufasa had said that the river didn’t make me what I turned out to be. It only opened the door to it,” Wayne stated as he looked into space.
“How did you manage to even go to that side? At what age?”
“When I was five, I followed my father to watch some trees being cut down for timber at the Lochill Woods. He had no idea I had wandered off and gotten lost. I saw the river and entered. I was just a kid,” he answered and shrugged.
Olive exhaled and looked at his eyes. So dark and cold. To her, he didn’t deserve to live the life he lived. If only he could have a little light in him. To be a little like a normal person.
“Why didn’t the river have any effect on me? The only thing I felt was that it was ice cold which you later warmed. Or, was it because you warmed it? That was why it didn’t affect me?”
“No. To be truthful, that was the very first time I managed to warm the White River for over ten minutes. It would usually go back to being ice cold after that ten minutes and I would not be able to warm it again for that whole day no matter what I did. So, my plan was for us to swim for just ten minutes and leave it. I was surprised when it stayed that way for over an hour.”
Olive’s eyes bulged.
“Why? Could it be that… that the river is losing its true nature? What if it is slowly becoming a normal river?” she asked with curiosity shining in her eyes.
“I went back there with Jake secretly the day I returned from my trip. That was even before we came to the castle. I warmed it up again and after ten minutes, it was cold as the North Pole. Jake placed his hands in it and after a few minutes, felt the cold traveling up his arm towards his heart. The river was still very much itself,” Wayne answered and got on his feet. He refilled the empty glass in his hand then returned to the sofa. He however, stood in front of Olive instead of sitting beside her.
Olive was lost in thought. Why hadn’t the river reacted to her? Could it be that it was because she was his mate? Did it also have to do with the prophecy?
“Mufasa told me the reason,” Wayne’s voice cut into her thoughts and she focused her attention on him.
“He did?” she questioned.
“Mmm hmm,” he nodded and sipped from his glass again. He exhaled and looked at his mate.
“The river recognized you as my other half the moment you stood by its bank. Since it accepted me, it accepted you. But, it couldn’t turn your heart ice cold like it did to mine. Your heart, as Mufasa said was already made cold. But your soul is fighting against that cold and wants you to be free from it. The soul… the river could not defeat the will of your soul.”
Olive stared at Wayne as if he had just finished speaking a foreign language to her. She heard him, but she couldn’t process the news well.
“You have a very strong soul, baby,” Wayne grinned at her and she blinked her eyes repeatedly.
“What?” she muttered and gasped.
“I don’t know why I took you there that day. But I felt like it was the right thing to do. Jake was so angry with me though.”
Olive didn’t hear the things he had said this time. She was busy trying to comprehend what he had said earlier. That she already had a cold heart. As much as it hurt her to hear that, it was true. She was a cold being, an empty vessel. Back at the cult, she lived without finding reasons to smile. She was so cold inside. But, yes, she was fighting it. She wanted to be free. Wanted to be happy again. Her soul was truly strong. It was that inner self that kept her going. And Wayne was making her happy and alive again. Olive had no idea that the White River could detect this so easily.
“Babe,” Wayne called and she snapped out of her reverie.
“Yes?” she blinked to clear her vision because it had turned blurry.
“I said, would you like to see me fight?” he asked again, frowning at her.
“Fight? Why?” she asked in return. He glared at her and she gulped down.
“I’m so sorry, I wasn’t listening to you,” she apologized immediately. He cleared his throat and gulped down the whole of his wine. Then he collected Olive’s glass and gulped everything down too. She had been holding unto it for too long already.
“Mufasa had said I shouldn’t hide anything from you. But, some things I can’t explain. So, you would just have to see for yourself,” he stated and she nodded.
“You are right. So, are you planning to beat someone up for me to see?” she asked with a smile. He laughed.
“No. I don’t have that luxury of time. However, I think the graduation ceremony of the army school is around the corner. I could join in the test for the graduands. I usually do that, but I didn’t think I’d be a part of it this year.”
“Like, a public fight to test the graduating student’s abilities? Wouldn’t you be too much for them?”
“Oh come on! Do you think I go to unleash the full me on them? That would be a massacre,” he answered. She got on her feet too and walked to him.
“Baby,” she called and hugged him. He was confused as to the reason for the hug.
“What is it? Wait, I hope you’re not scared of me? I’m not that bad, okay. Don’t be scared,” he said with a little bit of fear. She chuckled against his chest.
“It’s not that, Wayne,” she said and held him tighter. He hugged her back, with his right hand circling her upper back and the left hand pinning her waist to him.
“What is it then?” he asked again.
“I want to love you. That’s all. You need it,” she stated honestly. He smiled.
“I guess that’s what mates are for. To love even the worst of creatures,” he mumbled.
“Even if I wasn’t your mate, and I had an opportunity to come this close to you… I would still fall in love with you,” she confessed and he stilled.
“I love you, Wayne. I love you despite the darkness enclosed in you,” she muttered firmly and hugged him tighter. Wayne gulped down and pushed her from him. He held her at arm’s length and stared at her like he was a mad man. His eyes turned moist and dark. Like, literally dark. His eyeballs had slowly turned from dark brown to black, like they had done earlier before he attacked her. But this time, Olive felt no fear at all.
“Olive,” he called in a calm, dry and dejected voice.
“Yes?” she answered firmly.
“You don’t know me,” he stated.
“I do. You’re my mate,” she replied.
“I’m evil, Olive. I’m bad. I… I deserve to rot in hell for what I’ve done… to people. Do you know how many children I’ve orphaned?” he asked. His voice was sad, like he was going to break down.
“What matters right now is how many children you’re ready to provide for. And make smiles appear on their faces.”
“Is it that easy?” he asked sarcastically.
“I would help you. I want to help you change from being this… this thing you are.”
“It isn’t easy, Olive,” he stated and his Adam’s apple bobbed up and down.
“Wayne, I love you,” she repeated her sincere confession and moved closer to him. He pushed her and stepped back.
“Let me help. We can make things better,” she whispered but he stepped back again. She stood still and exhaled.
“Are you the one doing this or is a certain Green Witch controlling you again?”
He raised a thick eyebrow at her. Something flickered in Olive’s mind after what she just said. Her eyes widened as she remembered. She couldn’t believe she had forgotten something so important.
“What is it?” Wayne asked. He was still in his dark brooding self, but was well conscious of the change in his mate’s demeanor.
“Lord Lina, where is she?” Olive asked.
“Underground,” he answered with a puzzled look. He tried to read her but she spoke up.
“She is the reason The Green Witch could still possess you. Lord Lina being here is creating a form of connection to you despite she’s been imprisoned. They can reach you because of her. Actually, she pretended to be defeated by you because she wanted to create that connection to you. With Lord Lina still here, you’re bound to be under their control,” Olive explained. Wayne’s dark and brooding self retreated.
“How do you know this?” he asked.
“I had forgotten completely. But that was actually what The Green Witch said. That Lord Lina was just following orders,” she answered.
“All because of my fated mate,” Wayne muttered more to himself as he thought back. He remembered the victorious look on Lord Lina’s face the time they had fought after they captured her back. She had wanted to fight with him. He had defeated her again in that fight, but she looked so satisfied after it. He remembered what she said. She had called Olive’s name. Now Wayne fully understood the reason for that fight. It was to know his mate and report to whosoever was her superior.