Chapter 22

"I'm so sorry," she apologizes sincerely. Oliver turns his gaze to the redhead, tilting his head a little without understanding.

"You haven't done anything wrong."

"Your mother is an amazing person; she could never hate you. I'm sure she never blamed you for anything," she tried to smile at him, "it wasn't you who pulled the trigger or stood in the way of the bullet; it wasn't your fault that your mother died that night."

His emerald eyes opened again in shock and then watered again, Chrystal didn't want him to cry again, but she knew Oliver needed it; if no one else could understand that it wasn't his fault she did, she saw the complicated situation and she had to make him know that he was carrying something that wasn't in his hands.

"It wasn't your fault Oliver, your mother knew the consequences of her actions, and she made her decision just like that man. You don't deserve any punishment."

She couldn't help but hug him again, repeating the same thing. Perhaps, deep down, she also needed that hug; she needed to draw strength and courage to venture to ask.

The green-eyed boy froze before the redhead's new embrace, not used to so much affection, but after a few seconds, he accepted it, feeling his heart flutter again and then warm-up. Chrystal Daly didn't believe he was a murderer or that he deserved every terrible thing that had happened to him. No, she thought him, she told him what he longed to hear: it wasn't your fault. Because yes, before accepting that he deserved every one of Mr. Craig's cruel punishments and adopting the idea that it was all his fault, Oliver longed for someone to disprove the man and tell him that he didn't do anything, he just hoped that the beatings would end and he would be left alone. Oliver had been unable to do anything to prevent the death, and six years later, those words came to his ears, again and again, bringing him more peace.

He could imagine his mother at that very moment, with a smile on her face telling him that nothing that happened that night was his fault, that he wouldn't have been able to get very far, even if he managed to get out of Elliot Craig's domain and that what she did was the last resort to obtain his freedom, even if it cost her to abandon her little boy.

"Thank you."

He whispers in her ear, hiding his face between the hollow of her neck and shoulder. Now he was sure that Chrystal Daly was to be trusted and that she wouldn't leave him until they reached their destination; he also knew that by telling her this, he was putting the redhead in danger, to take her to The Gold Star was to go towards death because at some point Elliot Craig would find them. He had to think of some plan to protect her; he couldn't let another important person be taken away from him again.

They stayed in each other's arms for a couple of minutes until their furry friend joined in. Both boys laughed lightly, lying back down on the grass.

"Oliver."

She called the brown-haired boy's attention.

"Yes?"

"How likely is it that man followed you?"

The hair on the back of his neck stood up at the question; he had tried not to think about it to enjoy the outdoors that just remembering how he almost caught him on the dock sends shivers down his spine. Of course, Elliot Craig wouldn't stand idly by; he didn't want to imagine how close or far away that monster might be.

"He couldn't stop me from escaping; the boat was too fast. He'll be looking for me everywhere; he already knows where I'm going, so I guess this is the way he'll look for me, although...."

Oliver left the sentence in the air as he feared for his friends, he didn't want to overthink about them either and less in a negative way, but he had no idea if they arrived at the same place as him or if they were somewhere else and if from where they were they could reach The Gold Star. If there was more than one way to get there, there was a chance that they would get back together.

"Although what"

"I don't know if there is another way to get to the gold star, Jack and Annette must also get there, and if there are more routes, likely, Mr. Craig is not exactly around here. He will send his people to look for us by all the existing roads; maybe we will be lucky in not running into him... however, if we don't run into Mr. Craig, it will be Mr. Mason, his most loyal companion right-hand man. "

"That doesn't sound very encouraging either," thought Chrystal.

"To get to The Gold Star, we must cross the Golden Sea; it covers the entire west. If your friends crossed the sea as you did, be sure they will reach the Golden Sea, as will we."

The boy nods, feeling pretty good about the whole conversation that took a lot of weight off his shoulders.

"We must hurry to get there, the temperature is starting to drop, and it will start to snow in a week. Arriving in Neshala, we can look for something to defend ourselves with in case we are attacked."

Oliver nods again, trying to remember where he had heard that name. Was it part of his mother's stories? It wasn't; he was sure it wasn't fiction. Why was he unable to remember?

"Thank you for telling me, Oliver," Chrystal's voice interrupted his thoughts, "I understand how hard and delicate this is, and believe me, I plan to protect you until the end; no one deserves a life like yours; you deserve to live and know the world your mother told so much about."

Chrystal's smile made Oliver's stomach feel strange, or was it her words? It was the cutest smile he had ever seen on the redhead; he thought it was cute that they were now friends, and both knew each other's lives from being strangers. Oliver smiled back, amused that they both had the same thought: to protect each other.

"I want to protect you too, Chrystal Daly. You also deserve to know the world my mother spoke of."

Was that a love declaration? Of course not, Chrystal was attracted to that freckled brown with curious eyes, but neither she nor he was ready for a relationship; she shouldn't worry about that. Oliver was her friend, the person she had to take care of and who would also care for her. She had discovered why she was with Oliver in that forest admiring the stars: she needed to know another facet of the big world and who better than by the side of a boy who admired and appreciated everything like a child.