Stoke - 6. Soul Eater

I lowered my arms and panted as I looked around. A black curve extended over the four on the ground. I winced at the small bits of glass stuck into my forearms. Wren and Eon seemed to be in the same boat as me and my brother was glaring at the window. Wren snarled low and vaulted over the floor and our friends. His claws gripped the windowsill and he glared into the night. For some reason, losing the timid and shy Wren was a relief. Talon’s shield dropped and he hauled Hanja into his arms.

“Cellar?” He asked Eon.

“Cellar.” My brother nodded. Tyren led the way, Talon behind him, and then Amaris right after. Eon turned and looked over his shoulder at Wren.

“Go.” His white hair fell into his eyes as he turned slightly to face us, expression in his pink eyes unhinged, “We have an unwelcome visitor.” He lifted his fingers in a delicate motion and liquid rose off the floor. I gasped as I saw our blood swirl into the air. What dripped down my arms and Eon’s flowed to Wren. The little amount spun around him. His eyes closed and his attention turned back to the window. I had never seen him use this part of his Magik. I jumped back when Eon drew a knife from his pocket and slashed his arm. He turned the cut downward and his blood added itself to what surrounded Wren almost as soon as it slid from his cut. My stomach rolled, but I took a deep breath and held my wrist out. Eon frowned, pulling the knife away.

“Do it. He’s going to need all the help we can give him.” Eon’s frown deepened, but he took my wrist. The metal was cool against my skin and Eon worked fast. A sharp bright pain that dulled almost right away and my eyes locked on the slash. I was mesmerized as I watched my blood bead on my skin before rushing across the room. I took a second to wonder why it wasn’t making me sick. But I convinced myself it was best to not look a gift horse in the mouth.
When our bleeding naturally slowed, Eon dragged me from the room. The house was shaking, an unnatural wind blowing through it. I cringed at the voices. Hearing them in person was worse. They all talked at once, interrupting and drowning out others. I babbled a spell as we stumbled down the hallway, healing us the best I could. The house groaned when we reached the stairs and I looked back once. Blood was splattering from the inside of the room so hard it was hitting the hallway wall. I turned away and we booked it to the little closet. Talon stood outside the door and he relaxed the tiniest bit when he saw me. Eon disappeared inside and Talon looked behind me as he waited for me to follow.

I made it into the closet, I gripped the trap door to lower myself. Then I froze. I looked around and my surroundings shifted. I was in Krinn. More specifically, I was in Talon’s living room sprawled across one of his dark couches. There was a knock at the door across the room.

“Hey, babe. I need you to open the door. I bought too much at the market.” I frowned. That…wasn’t right. This wasn’t right. Something had been happening. I had been somewhere else. Even so, I felt the sunlight on my face from the big overhead window. I was dressed in loose linen pants and one of Talon’s vests, my chest bare. I pushed myself up and was hit again with an overwhelming sense of wrongness.

“Hey hurry up! This shit’s heavy.” A frustrated voice said from the other side of the wood. This was my home and memories flitted through my head. We’d come back not long ago. That was right. Home. With Talon. I glanced down at my left hand where a silver and black band adorned my finger. Yes, that was right.

“I’m coming!” I laughed nervously. I reached for the doorknob. My fingers closed around it, and I twisted.

Kalian stop! Stop!

I froze as Talon’s voice ripped through my head. It made me dizzy and as I looked around, the image flickered. I blinked and the living room came back into focus. I was confused. Frowning at the door, I reached for the knob again, “I said I was coming. Don’t have to scream at me in my head too.”
A laugh on the other side of the door had me shaking my head. I opened it. I smiled as my eyes tracked up his body, arms loaded with packages and boxes. My eyes moved farther up and I took a step back. Talon’s mouth was curved in an unnerving smile, and he didn’t have eyes. Black shadows hovered over where they should be. As if someone’d scribbled them out. I took more steps back and glanced behind me. The house was gone. Everything was gone. Even the not-Talon when I looked in front of me again. I turned in a circle. A light went on to my left and my heart skipped as I saw the path. The one into the woods. Black fingers came out of the dark toward my face and I ran in the opposite direction. I tried to get my Magik to flicker to life, but I couldn’t focus. It was there, but my thoughts were too scattered to call it to me.

Kalian! I’m right here! Wake up! Snap out of it!

I stumbled and ducked as I felt those hands reach for me. They snapped through the air above my head and I ran, trying to regain my balance. Clawed fingers swiped at me from the left, so I went right. I tripped again on a root and I felt those fingers curl around my biceps. I took a deep breath and managed a tiny light. I struck out behind me. The image shifted and I heard a gasp. The dark scenery faded around me and I was standing in front of the cottage. I looked around frantically. My eyes settled on a figure close by. Talon was staggering away from me, holding his arm to his side.

“Talon?” I asked, terrified as I watched blood drip down his arm where he held a deep looking cut.

“You back with me? Good. Get inside and get in the cellar before it takes you again.” He rasped and I noticed cuts all over his arms and even one on his cheek.

“Get him under control, boy.” Wren flipped over us, feet hitting the ground hard. Talon’s blood lifted and shot to him. Wren had streaks of it all over his body and looked back at us, snarling, “Move you idiots! I told you to do something!”

Talon tugged me to him and pushed me toward the cottage steps. I stepped up and then chanced a look to where Wren had been. He spun a knife around his fingers, blood circling him at dizzying speeds. His eyes met mine and then he took off into the trees that surrounded the safehouse. He’d followed the path. The path. Talon gave up on me and picked me up, rushing inside. The wind outside was ten times worse than in the safe house. Even so, the house still made noises of protest as it whipped around inside. Talon set me in front of the closet and I watched as he kept looking over his shoulder.

“Down, now. We’re not doing that again.” I nodded as I met his fearful gaze. I climbed down into the dimly lit space. Hanja was laid out on some blankets on the floor. He was sweating and breathing hard. Tyren sat next to him, face serious and grim. Amaris reclined on a wooden crate, narrowed eyes locked on where I’d descended. Eon grabbed my shoulders and pulled me to him once I hit the ground.

“Did you see him again?” He whispered. Wren. He’d meant Wren.

“He can take care of himself flame boy.” Talon dropped down into the space and I wasn’t sure he’d even used the ladder. He jerked his hands down hard and the trap door slammed closed violently.

“You’re bleeding. Did it get you?” Amaris gasped.

“No. It took control of Kal.” Talon grunted as he sank down by Hanja, “Hey, wake up. We might need you by the end of this, healer.” Tyren glared sharply at Talon who met his look with a glare of his own.

Hanja shifted on the ground and a hand came up to pinch the bridge of his nose as he got control of his breathing, “I fell victim to its tricks. Again. Weak.”

“Yes, but we may find a way to forgive you.” Talon quipped as he looked around the small room. There were more blankets, stockpiles of preserved or dried food, and extra clothing. Hanja gripped his wrist without looking and Talon’s cuts and scrapes began to heal. I couldn’t concentrate on anything. Wren was out there alone! He’d run after that thing by himself! Who knew what was going on out there?

“We can’t leave Wren out there alone!” I gasped as my calm snapped, “It’ll kill him!”

“You, most definitely, are not going out.” Talon growled, narrowing his eyes at me.

“Then someone else. This is wrong! We’re going to hide down here while Wren defends us alone?” I snapped back, meeting his eye contact.

“None of us are you and Talon, Kalian. Besides you two, Wren may be the only one of who could hold his own.” Eon rubbed the back of his neck, eyes continuously straying to the ceiling where the trap door was.

“Then I’m going out.” I declared and Talon raised an eyebrow slowly.

“Did you hear anything we said? I told you no.” He ground out, fingers pressed against his lips as he tried to rein in his temper.

“Good for you.” I yelled. I shoved past a surprised Eon, who tried to catch my waist at the last minute. I avoided him and was scrambling up the ladder before he or Talon reached it. Using my Magik, I blew the trap door open. I dragged myself up, lifting myself through the opening. Fingertips grazed my ankle. There was yelling below, but I didn’t hear it. I slammed the trap door closed and crawled out of the closet. The wind screamed through the cottage now. When I emerged into the main living space, every window on the first floor exploded. I wrenched Magik over myself at the last second, gasping as glass still nicked my wrist and ankles. Once the shards weren’t airborne, I straightened. I couldn’t hear the voices. I ran to the door, my eyes watering as the wind swiped at them. It was so dark outside, and my eyes dropped to a familiar path. As I made my way down the stairs, my ears picked up snarling. I headed in that direction, recognizing the voice.

Down the path my feet took me. I fell into a jog when the snarls stopped and a loud cry reached my ears. I was getting closer and I sprinted the remaining distance. A gap in the trees. Wren stood in the middle, blood dripping at an alarming rate from his leg, baring his bloody teeth. Towering above him across the clearing was the Soul Eater, in person finally. It was almost three times as tall as Wren and looked as it had in the last dream. It’s hands were in the air, fingers moving in that disturbing halting way.

“What are you doing?” Talon gripped my shoulder and roughly spun me to face him, “We need to get back now! Are you trying to get killed?”

I wanted to be angry at him, but the terror in his voice made me second guess the emotion. His eyes darted from me to the scene behind me and I could see fear settling around his shoulders like a cloak of fear to match the Soul Eater’s one of shadows. I was opening my mouth to argue when a ragged scream tore from the clearing behind me. I whirled around, tearing from Talon’s grip. Wren was on the ground, the monster standing over him. His entire right side was ripped open, soaking the ground under him with blood. His eyes were wide in shock and yet he was still attempting to get to his feet.

“Okay, what’s the plan?” Talon fell into the space beside me. I almost had whiplash from his abrupt change of heart. Fear still rippled over the connection, but it mixed with rage as Talon watched Wren bleed.

“I need you to distract it. Maybe I can heal Wren?”

“Maybe. Comforting. Alright. The minute you think you can’t, grab him and get out of there.” I wanted to argue. To ask the question on the tip of my tongue. If I took Wren and ran, Talon would be left alone with that thing. I had no room to ask. I’d forced us into this. Sure, Talon hadn’t had to follow me, but never in a million years did I think he wouldn’t. He didn’t hesitate. He lunged from the trees and as he slid behind the Soul Eater, a long blade extended in his hands. He brought it down where the backs of its knees would be. It blinked out of existence and appeared on the other side of the clearing.

One long finger wagged back and forth in sharp jerks, those eyes shifting from Talon to me as it spoke in my head, and I assumed Talon’s, “Now, now children. That’s a rude introduction.”

Talon moved the blade around his head and then pointed it at the creature, “Here, here nightmare boy. Focus on me.”

“You are less interesting than that one.” It answered, motioning to me.

“You wound me. Thought I stole something from you? You don’t want it back?” Shadows slithered from the forest and ground, pooling at Talon’s feet and he grinned up at the dizzyingly large horror, “come and fucking take it.”

“It is mine. I will rip it from you and then eat your love and mentor.” It spat and moved so fast toward Talon that it ripped a gasp from me. He dodged one large hand of serrated claws. I watched, in awe, as it continued striking out and Talon managed to continue jumping and ducking out of its reach. The speed was unreal. I knew instantly that if it’d been me, the thing would’ve shredded me. It roared and appeared behind him. I barely managed a strangled cry as its claws came down. Talon spun and his own clawed hands caught the Soul Eater’s. My mouth fell open as he struggled against its much larger form, their fingers locked together. Black spread fast from Talon’s hands, his claws grew longer. It reached his shoulders and branched out over his chest and up his neck. Jagged black lines licked at his jaw and his irises flooded black. He let out a deep, guttural growl and avoided the monster’s face lunging toward him. He had been holding his own, but now he planted his feet and started pushing the gargantuan monster back. It lost a few steps and I couldn’t take my eyes off Talon. I knew he was powerful, but…This thing was what the stories that scared Wren in the middle of the night were based on. And Talon was stopping it!

“Hey, we had a plan. You need to try, not watch me!” Talon gasped out and I darted to Wren who was trying to push himself up. I reached him and his crazed eyes met mine.

“It will kill him! Get me up!” Wren rasped, one bloody hand held to his side. I didn’t answer. I pressed my hands to the large slashes on his ribs and hip. I rushed through the spell, my hands starting to glow. I went faster and faster, trying to tune everything out. The wounds were closing. My attention snapped away though when I heard Talon gasp. He was on his knees now and the Soul Eater was bent over him, it’s mouth opening as it neared. Talon cried out as it wrenched his hands back. I heard bones snap and Talon’s hands fell limply to his sides.

That mouth came down and I watched Talon smirk up at it, unflinching, “Well damn.”

I screamed and Talon’s eyes fell to me, a cocky smile on his face. I watched his fingers twitch and straps of darkness sprung up. The multitude of voices screamed and cried in outrage and pain as the straps wound around its body. Talon fell back and dragged himself away. He rolled awkwardly onto his back and his fingers made another small movement. The darkness dragged the Soul Eater to the ground, restraining it against the dirt.

“Go! Go you stupid boy! I’m fine.” I left Wren’s side after I confirmed it was healed enough for him to get up. I was by Talon faster than I had ever moved.

“Give me them!” I ordered, gritting my teeth when I realized this was beyond me. I could do skin wounds like cuts and whatnot, but mending bone wasn’t something I couldn’t manage.

“Get out of the way!” I was pushed aside and my eyes widened when Hanja fell in front of Talon. His hands were bare and he gripped Talon’s wrists harshly, earning a gasp of pain from my partner and a serrated smile.

“Pay attention Kal!” I jumped when blue flames erupted from beside me. The Soul Eater had broken it’s bonds when I wasn’t looking. The cone of fire flared, and Eon stepped beside me, driving the wide open black hole mouth away.

“Oh, this one is mine.” The creature noticed the healer. Hanja stiffened and his hands stilled on Talon’s wrists. Hanja’s shoulders bunched up and his head slowly turned in the monster’s direction. Tyren came from my other side. He fell on Hanja’s back, cupping his hand over his ear and mumbling into it. Hanja’s shoulders relaxed after a long minute and he resumed his efforts, much to the monster’s disbelief and fury. The voices roared in disbelief and outrage. It was struggling to find a way around Eon’s flames. They were so hot, someone would have felt them from the other side of the clearing.

“Knife!” Amaris yelled as she passed my brother. He handed off the knife he’d used on us earlier. He kept letting off bursts of flame that exploded, driving the creature back. Amaris sliced a line across her arm much like we had. She coated her nails with her own blood and a thin net of crimson slammed down on the Soul Eater. Shadows twisted up from the earth and restrained its hands against the snow-covered ground. I looked back and Hanja was staggering over to Wren. Talon was rubbing his wrists as he strolled over to us. The monster was thrashing, voices screaming and cursing at us.

“Thank you for joining us. We have some questions.” Talon crouched in front of it, voice pleasant. He raised his hand and the Soul Eater’s shadows started abandoning him, sliding into Talon’s palm. It’s pointed ears and dark skin were visible now, as were its lack of eyes and mouth.

“I will gnaw the very soul from your body and make your lover watch! Or should I let you live and let your curse eat you alive?” It screamed and laughed. I stepped up to stand next to Talon. My reason had forsaken me. All I could see and focus on was the noise Talon’s wrists had made when they’d been broken. The cry that had ripped from his mouth. Wren struggling and bleeding out on the ground. A two-inch blade of light extended from my middle fingers and I held it in front of one of its sockets.

“Threaten him again.” I didn’t recognize my own voice and I ignored the lust that danced into my mind from the connection.

“I can give you power child, immeasurable power. You have only to let me go. I promise you.” The voices cooed and almost whined as its head flinched away from the blade I still held close.

“You don’t make agreements with humans. You were the only one who didn’t.” Wren spoke up, rewarding me with a feral smile as I looked toward his voice. He was on his feet and Hanja took up a position next to Tyren as we circled the Soul Eater.

It’s strange face turned to me as if waiting, “I’m okay thanks. Have all the power I need.” I glanced pointedly down at the blade when it snarled.

It snapped in Wren’s general direction, “Useless, ruined, lost, little boy. You should never have lived this long. You cheated death.”

“Hey, we said we had questions.” I sliced the light into its cheek and there was a chorus of gasps, hisses, and cries. Dust fell instead of blood.

“What or who let you out?” Eon demanded from a little ways behind me.

“A man…ambitious, evil.”

“So, every man to walk the earth?” Amaris scoffed.

“I resent that,” Talon threw over his shoulder at Amaris before turning back, “Anders? If so, you’re consistent. You still haven’t made a deal with our kind. He can’t be human. I’m leaning toward rat hybrid.”

“Yes him.” The voices answered, “You are foolish child. If you think this is over. I will come for you again.”

“Do it.” I slashed hard and dust spilled from its face as agonized noises filled the air, “Come for me again.” I stabbed into its shoulder, “Threaten Talon and my friends again.” I dug the point into its neck, the sockets on its face, “Fuck with my head again.”

“Kalian, babe, as hot as this is, let it answer more questions.” Talon’s fingers ghosted over my shoulder. I moved back.

“What do you mean by Kalian was gifted and Talon stole their gifts?” Tyren asked from behind us.

“The golden child was gifted his power by my dying kin. That one,” Its head turned to Talon, “Dug his fingers into my soul and ripped his power out of my very being. He called to it and it deserted me.The Magik knew he was doomed to suffer. A life of pain and despair.”

“Eh, sounds about right. What can I say? Your power had taste.” Talon shrugged.

“You said that the one who gifted me my power died. Why?”

“Refused to eat people. Our direct line to Magik was cut off long ago. Eating humans with Magik is the only way to sustain us.”

“Why did Talon have to awaken my power?” I asked, still vividly visualizing stabbing it repeatedly in its damn sockets.

“Our power isn’t like the humans’. We were all born of the same old Magik. Yours calls to each other. That is what awakened your gift. That spell simply nudged it along.” It jerked violently and managed to free one of its arms and get it under itself. It started to push up, breaking the restraints through sheer force. I grit my teeth and lifted my hands up. When I snapped them down, a huge net covered its entire body. It anchored the monster to the ground, it’s skin sizzling where my light touched. The noises were pitiful now, pained, and outraged.

“Do you report to Anders?” Hanja mumbled softly.

“He believes so.” It rasped and then thrashed under the light net. As we watched, it shrunk down on itself and vanished.

Wren snarled as I let my light fizzle out, “We should have let Kalian shred it to pieces.”

“I would have. Gladly.” I bit out, disappointed that I hadn’t reacted when it started shrinking.

“That was the Soul Eater? I expected more.” Amaris sighed, a hand held to her bleeding arm. Hanja held out a hand and I noticed he was avoiding our eyes.

“Easy for you to say, it didn’t snap your wrists like pencils.” Talon said sulkily, rubbing them again.

“Hanja it controlled me too.” I sighed as I turned to the healer, noticing his mood.

“You didn’t turn against your friends and partner.” He replied, already turning to walk back to the cottage after tending to Amaris. Tyren watched him go, an unreadable expression on his features. We let Hanja go. I didn’t have the energy to address anyone else’s negative thoughts. Not yet anyway.

“We won today, but I’m scared things will only get worse from here. I would like to research what the Soul Eater told us, but I’ve no resources.” Tyren tried to smile at me but failed miserably. He closed his eyes and then stood. With one last forlorn look at us, he followed the path Hanja had taken.

“As much as I like monster hunting, I’m exhausted.” Amairs held her arms behind her head and left the clearing as well.

“I’ll stay here and calm Wren down.” Eon said, eyes scanning me to make sure I was okay, “Talon I expect you to check my brother over. I have no idea what that was earlier, but Kalian, I’m even more worried about you.”

“Nothing to worry about. He didn’t doubt himself for five minutes and you think something’s wrong?” Talon’s arms wrapped around me as he steered me the direction the others had gone.

*Eon*

I watched Talon and Kalian awkwardly shuffle away, the much taller man glued to my brother’s back. I shook my head and rubbed the back of my head. Wren was quiet and when I looked at him, his eyes were on the spot on the ground still wet with his blood. I stepped closer and his eyes swooped up to my face, “That’s the closest I’ve ever come to dying. I don’t like it.”

I laughed and tipped his chin up. He pulled away from my grip and I watched him lift his hand. He eyed his claws, clinking them against one another. His eyes jerked back to mine and his hand smacked the center of my chest. His claws dug in as he pushed me back. I went willingly and winced when he backed me hard into a tree, my head bouncing off the trunk. His eyes turned up to the moon and flashed red.

“When did you eat last? You’ve been using so much blood.” Pink eyes slowly rolled to me and the tips of his fangs pressed hard into his lower lip.

“It’s been a while, muscles. Are you keeping track of my feeding schedule?” A single claw scraped over my jaw hard enough to break the skin.

“What if I am little monster? We need to find you food?” I should probably be afraid. Wren was starving and I was food. The claw on my jaw tapped my lower lip and I tasted blood right after. Wren’s normal, faint, blood smell was missing. If I didn’t hear or see him, I wouldn’t believe there was anyone standing in front of me.

“C’mon, the woods should be safe for at least a little bit with it gone. We’ll find you a deer to destroy.” I stepped around him and away from his touch and felt an inkling of my most basic instinct.
Don’t turn your back on a predator.

“What if I want to destroy something else, fire wielder?” Came the low growl from behind me. I wasn’t impervious to Wren’s…rougher edges. I wasn’t immune to fear, but other than the inkling of warning in my brain, it didn’t seem important. Wren had never hurt me in a way I didn’t like. So, I walked away from him through the woods. I didn’t hear footsteps, but then, that was to be expected. I continued on and waited to see how long it’d take him to let me know he was following. I stopped short when he dropped in front of me. Claws dug into my chest and he growled up at me, eyes devoid of recognition. I raised an eyebrow and let flame creep up from my hand, sliding under his palms.

My clothes singed and Wren leapt back, hissing, “You burned me, you ridiculous flaming giant!”

“You were considering eating me pretty seriously.” I sighed, kissing his cheek as I slid past. His eyes were back to normal. I started listening for animals and looking for signs that any had come through the area. I ignored the pulsing pain from where his claws had slid into my skin. I heard him stalking behind me and grinned. I tried not to let him know I’d seen the very non-threatening pout on his pink lips.

*Talon*

I leaned against the wall, sitting on our bed. Kalian was trying to put something in the window for a makeshift replacement. He hadn’t spoken much since the clearing and he was making a conscious effort to ignore my eyes on him. He wasn’t getting away with it that easily. I wasn’t going to act like I hadn’t seen him act that way. Impossible, it was too good. I was always attracted to him, but that clearing had been a whole new side to the man. I wondered if this was how he was when he’d come for me? It was hard for me to merge these two versions. It was possible he was slipping farther and farther from the shy, whiney kid I’d met in Krinn.

The changes in our entire group were becoming more obvious. Not that I minded. The only problem was, the behavior seemed to bother Kalian. He was too quiet, lost in his own thoughts. He’d closed me off pretty successfully and all I could get was that he was upset. About what I didn’t know. So, I leaned back in the bed and waited for him to talk about it because we would. The most recent meeting as a group had convinced me that every aspect of our lives needed better communication. Friendships and romantic relationships included. He frowned at the blanket he’d secured to the window, clearly unhappy with his work.

“It looks like it’s going to be cold tonight.” He padded softly over to the bed, and I again struggled to merge this Kalian and the one from only twenty minutes ago. He crawled onto the bed to sit next to me and leaned against the wall as well. His shoulder pressed to mine. After a bit, his head rested against my shoulder.

“Anders is more formidable than we thought apparently.” He murmured softly. I didn’t answer, turning to press my lips to his forehead.

“I believe we decided the Soul Eater was going to be a much bigger threat as well.”

“It broke both of your wrists and almost killed Wren.” He pulled back to frown.

“Mm yes, and then you went a little wild.” I smirked and he brushed me off, pulling a pillow into his chest and wrapping his arms around it.

“I would’ve killed it. I would’ve made it hurt. For what it did to you two and Hanja.” He admitted quietly.

“Is that a bad thing?” I laid down best I could in the too small bed, and he followed suit, bringing his pillow with. Or rather, my pillow. I bent my arm under my head as I watched him.

“I’m not like that. I’m not cruel and I don’t want things to hurt just because.” He looked so sad that it curved my lust until it was buried under concern. What? Just because? What was he talking about? Gods knew I never felt bad if I was defending him or our group…violently.

“It hurt people you care about. It’d been toying with your head, torturing you in your dreams. I think you had the right to lose it a little bit. Not to mention that we’ve all been under a ridiculous amount of stress.” I ran fingers through his hair, tucking an unruly strand behind his ear as he refused to look directly at me.

“Do you think I’m a bad person?” His voice was so soft I almost didn’t catch it.

“Do you think I am? I’m far worse than you Kalian and you’ve never complained or shied away from me.” I curled a piece of copper hair around my pointer finger.

“It used to scare me. I thought you liked making people suffer for the fun of it. I never thought you were bad though. Despite Lex’s best efforts.” He finally looked at me and I ran my thumb over his jaw as those lilac eyes searched my face for something.

“You’re not a bad person. Farthest from it.” I mumbled softly, breaking eye contact. Sometimes Kalian looked at me with his wide, innocent eyes and I remembered everything bad I’d ever done.

“Do you think Hanja will be okay?” He mumbled, face pressing to my chest after releasing my pillow. I snatched it and squished it between my head and arm.

“It’s his pride more than anything else. Pretty sure Hanja isn’t fond of apologizing either so that’ll be interesting.” I answered, meeting those striking eyes for a few seconds.

“I never realized. He was more on edge, sure, but to think we were going to betray them? Maybe there’s some truth to what he said. We weren’t totally truthful. None of us were. We can’t have that when we face Anders.”

“That reminds me, when we regrouped after Mallex was taken down, Eon mentioned you had maps? I also saw you’d taken papers from the camp. Where is all of that? You’ve never brought it up.” I felt dull fingernails trace the triangles on my chest as his other hand rested on the arm I wrapped around him.

“We haven’t really made any plans about the Anders thing. Our main goal was to wait until I had more training. Then it was to get over the border. After that our goal was to get to the safehouse, and most recently it was defeat the Soul Eater.”

“You still have them, then?” I nuzzled his cheek and I saw his lips curve in a smile.

“Yes, of course. I went through a lot to get that information.” I winced and held him tighter to me. He was right. We’d been repeatedly turned from our end goal during the last year plus a few months. Returning home and throwing Anders’ into the afterlife was still our main mission. I wasn’t looking forward to any part of that. I didn’t understand why we couldn’t run further? Get away from Dimian and make a home somewhere else. Hanja and Tyren weren’t originally from here, perhaps they’d want to go back to their nations of origin? I winced again, internally this time. Maybe not. It was possible that, like me, they didn’t even remember them.

We settled into the blankets and I watched him fight sleep almost desperately. It was hard to watch, but I understood the struggle. His mind for at least the last few days hadn’t belonged to him. I couldn’t imagine how scary or frustrating that would be. Especially when it was piled atop all the other things he was dealing with. He’d already been struggling and the Soul Eater had compounded the suffering. I ran my fingers over his shoulders and kissed his forehead. He yawned hard enough to crack his jaw and I grimaced. I wondered absentmindedly when the last time he’d slept an entire night through was. His lids looked impossibly heavy and he shifted against me, cheek rubbing against my sternum as his hands curled against my back, holding my tunic lightly. I only let myself relax when he visibly did so. The tension left his body and he stopped fighting it. I let my endless worrying go and followed him into what I hoped would be normal dreams for both of us.

*Tyren*

I sat cross-legged on the poor excuse for a bed. I had stripped down to my thin tunic and I already regretted it as ice cold wind drifted in through the broken window. Apparently, every one of them had broken in the safehouse. How inconvenient. I sighed and cringed as Hanja paced across the broken glass, ignoring it somehow. He wore shoes, but it had to be biting through the soles by now. He wore his simple black robes and I caught glimpses of the ruby red crane embroidered across his back. His hair was free and snarly for once as it hung limply around him. He hadn’t spoken since I’d entered the room. Red eyes had met mine for the briefest of moments and then he’d returned to pacing. I’d had to squeeze around him to get to where I currently sat.

“Hanja, it’s not the end of the world. Kalian was affected as well. Wren thinks he may have been also which would make sense. His behavior has been strange to say the least.” I let out a sigh as he continued his march back and forth, back and forth. Pulling at a dark coil on my head, I watched him, “They’ll forgive you. We need to be honest with each other.”

“I accused our group-our friends-of trying to keep things from us and being dishonest. I accused you of..of…” He trailed off and I saw his eyes fill with pain. I cringed at the memory. It’d been last night. His brain had cooked up an imaginary scenario where there was something between Talon and I. Of all the people to pair me with. A blind and deaf person would be able to pick up on how obsessed Talon was with my student. Luckily for me, the Soul Eater had fabricated an entire vivid, graphic dream to thoroughly traumatize my normally stoic partner. I had never seen him like that, or this for that matter. He’d been raving when he threw his accusations at me, and I’d been speechless. Even during disagreements, Hanja was frustratingly calm and levelheaded. I was the irrational one.

“Unforgivable. Clearly, I would like to continue cultivating friendships with the others, but above that…you.” He stopped pacing and finally looked at me.

“Me?” I questioned softly.

“You are my heart and I caused you pain.” He knelt in front of me and I winced again as I heard glass crunch. He didn’t even wince, almond shaped red eyes focused on my face, “I don’t deserve your forgiveness. The sheer dishonor.” He rambled off into a very dramatic speech about his honor and how it was forfeit. About the time he started in on regaining his honor by committing violence against himself, I interjected.

“Stop. You’re being ridiculous. This isn’t the old country where you have to slice yourself in half to atone for your misdeeds.” I groaned and guided a long piece of hair away from his face, “You could start with sorry and finish with making it up to me in a more…carnal way?”

He stared at me with a blank expression before hiding his face in my lap when it turned into a rueful smile. I rolled my eyes. If only everyone could see how dramatic the man could be. I ran fingers through his hair, shaking my head at all the tangles. When he started thinking right, he’d be absolutely incensed. He shifted and I heard the glass grind into the floorboards.

“Please get up and off the glass. You’re doing my head in.” He stood slowly and I fixed him with a look when I saw him wince. His palms were bloody, and his knees looked like they could be as well through his robes. I blew out a breath, “You know these kids look up to us. How would they feel if they walked in on you monologuing while kneeling on glass shards? Impossible man.”

“Kids? They aren’t much younger than us. Also, one of them is a centuries old monster.” He mumbled as he stripped his robes off. My eyes catalogued the familiar scars etched into porcelain skin. His forearms were a mess as well as his hands, and sure enough, so were his knees.

I pointed to his forearms, and he gave the smallest shrug, “I woke up with them. Down in the cellar. Perhaps when the window broke?” I nodded. The blood did look less fresh than what was on his hands and legs. He sat on the bed, and we remained quiet as I picked glass out of his skin, collecting a startling amount of pieces in my lap.

“Do you believe they will actually forgive me?” He asked softly between his humming as I finished his arms and he began healing them.

“They are our friends. They care for us as we do for them. You made a mistake but no one in the house can say they haven’t done the same.”

“How many times do you think they’d make me apologize?” We had continued working. His forearms and hands were done and I was leaning awkwardly over the side of the bed to work on his knees when he asked the pearl of a question.

“Once would probably be a good start, Hanj.” I rolled my eyes up at him, making sure I communicated how I felt about this entire conversation.

“I suppose you’re right.” He nodded and I sat up, watching the skin on his bony knees heal.

“I usually am.” I grinned at him and reached past him to grab the brush. As I began working on his tangles, I felt his eyes sliding over me. They were appraising. Hanja was ever practical and rarely stopped thinking every action through in excruciating detail before he chose to speak. No matter the situation.

“What?” I yanked extra hard on a knot and his eyes flashed.

“What did you have in mind when you used the word carnal?” His head tilted to the side as I worked on a horrendously snarled bit of hair.

“Hanja, we’ve been having sex for nearly 18 years, 15 of those while in a relationship. We were 17 and I didn’t have to spell it out to you. I should not have to explain it to you now.” I sighed as I finally brushed his hair, triumphant when it didn’t snag.

“I’m aware, Ty. That is not what I meant. I was merely asking how you wanted it.” He leaned across me until I fell back onto the bed.

“Oh, well, say it that way next time.”

“Duly noted.”