A Song Of Freedom || A YA Fantasy story for Lovers of SJM and Sabaa Tahir

Chapter 4: Eliza

"Eliza!" a small boy with brown eyes and a mischievous smile was calling to her. Why did he sound so scared? Eliza wasn't sure. "Eliza!" the world seemed to shake, and Eliza opened her eyes to Dante standing over her with his hand on her shoulder, shaking her awake. He was already dressed, and it seemed he'd moved the mattress from next to her bed back into the other room. The soup Alia had brought them last night lay cold and untouched on the table in the opposite corner of the small room. Dante's eyes were wild above her.

"What?" she said, as she sat up, looking at Dante blearily. "Tindel raid" he whispered urgently. That woke Eliza up rather quickly. She suddenly became aware of the crashing coming from downstairs, the sound of yelling, and the horribly familiar clank of steel capped boots against the wooden floors. "Dante." Eliza's voice changed abruptly from blearily from sleepiness, to urgent and serious. "You remember my mother?" Dante's eyes widened so much they looked like brown dinner plates. "You-?" Eliza interrupted him "-They can't look in my bags."

"I have an idea. You won't like it." Dante grimaced and said "Play along. I'm sorry." Eliza finally caught on to his plan, and hated it just as much as he seemed to, but she also knew the clank of those boots were far too close to their door for them to come up with a better idea. She nodded, granting him permission, and lay back on the bed. The clanking was louder now, they were on the steps. Goosebumps of terror rose on her arms, but her eyes were hard with resolve, the green and gold mirror of Dante's.

Dante whipped off his shirt. clank, clank. Eliza bit her lip to keep from crying out. He leapt onto the bed and threw the woolen blanket over them. Clank, clank. She closed her eyes as he rolled over top of her and positioned himself so that his dark hair formed a curtain around her face Clank, clank. Their door burst open and Eliza snapped her eyes open as Dante whipped his head around, his traditional smirk plastered across his face as he drawled "Well my dear, it seems there is no privacy to be found in this blasted town. Unless of course... he wants to join us...?" Eliza let out an encouraging moan and winked at the guard from beneath Dante. Somehow his smirk seemed to become wider, and the soldier in the doorway merely looked at them in disgust as his pale cheeks reddend "Fucking Wildern heathens" he muttered and slammed the door. As his clanking footsteps disappeared down the hallway, Eliza let out a laugh. Dante stared at her in disbelief and finally a real smile spread across his face and he dropped his head and began to chuckle. Between snorts Eliza gasped out "He was, he was so scared" she laughed harder, body shaking, completely forgetting their compromising position. "You," chuckled Dante, "are absolutely insane. What was that moan??" Eliza punched him playfully as he dropped down onto the mattress beside her "It was your idea!! I just played along" She giggled, mockingly innocent.

Dante's face became serious again "In all seriousness, I am sorry. I know you've been living at your grandmother's house, there aren't exactly many people around there. You probably haven't ever... Well in any case I'm sorry.". Eliza stopped laughing "You're right. I mean, there were some hunters that I... thought about, but well I never even really had friends." she shifted, but it didn't take long for the smile to return "But it worked didn't it? And his face! Completely worth it." Dante put his hand under his head and the twinkle returned to his eyes "Completely." He agreed.

Eliza suddenly became aware of how the covers had shifted, Dante's upper chest was now exposed, and she could see the hard muscle that came with a life of hard labour, her breath caught in her throat and she forced her eyes back up to his face. Dante's playful smile returned "Enjoy the view?" He purred, his face inches away from hers. "Dante!" she squealed, she squealed? Since when did she squeal? Eliza banished those thoughts and allowed herself a little fun. She pushed Dante off the bed, cheeks burning. Dante laughed out loud as he tumbled from the bed in a tangle of blankets "Put your shirt on you arse!" "piece of arse you mean." Eliza threw her pillow at him and laughed, feeling truly at peace.