A Surprising Spring

Chapter Twelve - End

it's the end! only 12 chapters, decided it needed to come to a conclusion before they all got too angsty! hope you enjoy! - this parts my favourite (cause i'm a romantic sucker)

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Dawn found Nicholas sitting hunched by the stream, his body frozen into position. His eyes were open, and he was staring steadily at the bank opposite him, but his expression was blank.

The day was grey and windy, the sky threatening rain with its looming, dark clouds. The breeze ruffled Nicholas’s hair, he closed his eyes for a minute, tried to keep himself together.

During the night he had wondered if he was being a fool. They had said, the day before, that Zekiel had feelings for him too. There might be something there, part of him whispered when the moon hung overhead, staring coldly down at him. You should stay… But he knew he couldn’t. It wasn’t a decision he expected Katy or even Bastien to understand. He doubted, if Zekiel were somehow ever to know how he felt, the Messenger would understand it either, although just maybe he would.

They weren’t mates, Nicholas kept telling himself as the night creatures moved around the forest. There was no magical bond binding them, and definitely no promise of a glorious happy ever after. It would be foolish to pretend to himself that they were. It was just love, simple little love, tearing at his gut.

As the weak light of day trickled over him, the Sprite knew he had to go. There was that same small part of him that told him it would be good to stay, but in truth he had to leave. Everything would only get more broken if he remained.

Before Nicholas could pack up all of his things, however, Katy appeared at the clearing edge. Her face was flushed as if she’d rushed to get there, but she was calm and slow, as if cornering a wild animal she didn’t understand. He attempted a mocking smile, a sarcastic little Nicholas grin, but his muscles wouldn’t contort themselves the right way and he merely nodded.

“You’re not crying,” Katy said, breaking the stillness of the air.

He raised an eyebrow in surprise. “Did you think I would be?” His voice was harsh from the hours of silence, his throat dry.

She shrugged her shoulders, moving towards where he stood by that same tree stump. “I would be crying,” she told him, “But then again, I don’t think I would leave. No, I don’t think I would ever leave love.”

Nicholas turned away. “But you are a girl, and you are a mortal, and I am mad and magical. Am I not?” he asked, glancing over his shoulder at her.

“Perhaps. But before you leave…”

He sighed, squeezing his eyelids shut again. “Katy, I told the both of you yesterday that I was going to leave at dawn. It is dawn.”

Gently, she reached out and placed a hand on his shoulder. “I know.” He didn’t move from under her touch, and she took a deep breath. “But Nick, let this silly little mortal girl say her piece before you walk away.”

He didn’t say anything.

“Please?” she pleaded. “You’ll never have to see me again?”

Slowly, Nicholas turned around. “Thank the powers that be,” he muttered, although there was a small part of him that ached at the thought of leaving his small patch of forest and all that had happened to him there. In some ways, it was barely anything. On the other hand, it was everything.

“So you’ll stay?” Katy checked, crossing her fingers inside her pocket. “Just for a little while?”

He glanced up at the sky. “For a little while, yes.”