I woke up the next morning to fluffy snow blanketing the ground. The cold snap was a shock to my parents, since there hadn’t been enough time to bring in the plants, but I loved it. I left for school early so I could take my time and enjoy the sound of the snow crunching under my boots.

As I passed a corner store, I felt that same tingling feeling I’d felt around Lilli. I looked around, but there was no one else on the street. I looked through the window, but the only person in the store was the cashier, and they were too far away. The feeling was just too strong for that distance.

I sighed, then laughed at my foggy breath. Maybe I’m thinking about it too much.

I turned back to my walk, but stopped when a dark shape in the snow caught my attention. It looked like a rock, but the snowfall should have covered it. Leaning down, I picked it up. It was smooth and jet black.

I realized that I was holding Daren’s stone.

He must have dropped it. I thought, slipping it into my pocket. I should give it back to him.

As I continued my trek to school, another thought came to mind. I could just put it on the tiara. That would solve the problem.

I shook my head. It wasn’t right. Daren had dropped it, he hadn’t given it to me.

But it would be so easy. I’d have won.

I stopped walking a block from the school. Daren was walking away from the main entrance, but his head was down, scanning the snow.

“Daren!” I called out.

He looked up and scowled. “What do you want?” He shouted back.

I jogged over and pulled the stone from my pocket. “You dropped this by the store.” I explained.

He stared at the stone in my hand, but made no move to take it. A low growl reverberated in the back of his throat. “Why is it still loose?” He finally asked. “Why didn’t you just add it to your tiara?”

My gaze fell to the stone still sitting against my blue glove. “I didn’t.” I finally said. “Because it wasn’t your choice.” In saying it, I realized just how I felt about the whole situation.

I reached out and took his hand. Turning it upward, I placed the stone on his palm. “I don’t want it unless you give it to me yourself.” I looked up and gave him a smile. “It’s your choice. If you want to be my Guardian, then I’ll take the stone. If not, then I’ll wait.”

Daren wrapped his fingers around the stone and shoved it in his pocket. Neither of us moved or said anything for a while. Eventually, he met my gaze.

“I’m not the only one who wants the tiara broken.” He said. “There are others.” He looked away. “I…I’m willing to wait and see what happens. I’m not going to ambush you. But the others… They may not extend the same curtesy.”

He turned his back to me, but didn’t walk away. Eventually, he looked over his shoulder. “I’m going to be the one to break it. Got that?” He trudged through the snow into the school.

A chill ran over my arms and I rubbed them. The wind wasn’t even that cold, but I was suddenly numb.

He’ll leave you. A voice that wasn’t my own echoed in my mind. He won’t stay by your side.

I shook my head. If Daren had his reasons for hating the tiara, then it wasn’t my place to try to persuade him not to. I knew there was something he wasn’t saying. I knew it was eating away at him.

If he saw me as the enemy, then there was nothing I could say to change that. All I could do was wait. Maybe, over time, he’d see that he wasn’t alone. I wanted him to realize that darkness isn’t so bad if you aren’t by yourself.

I made my way into the school, the numbness spreading through my entire body.