Sorcerer's hill

20

When the last bits of fire died out, she was the only one left. A few people came to her, wondering if she was alright. She just waved her hand at their worries and looked deeper into the fire pit.
When the festivities came to their end, she could only sigh in relief. Apart from Joe and Melly, no one seemed to notice her gazing at Thane every few minutes. She watched him, scanning the place around him for any danger - but everything was as calm as a summer evening could be.
The night was chilly. She shifted on her seat and tried to keep the fire from dying out - but it was pointless. The disappearance of the light and warmth seemed as inevitable as the day that slowly started to creep into the atmosphere. Even though she couldn't see any lighter shade of blue in the dark sky, she could sense it wouldn't take long for the first few stripes of sunlight to bathe in the lake in front of her.
Thane appeared behind her. "Are you sure about that?"
His voice was stern. She admired how he didn't even care how little sleep he got. He still seemed as if he woke up an hour ago, fresh with clear thoughts. His foot kicked one of the stones into the lake.
"Yeah," she reassured him. Or herself. She didn't really know. "I have to talk to him."
"He might not believe you. Let me rephrase that. He won't believe you."
"You don't know that," Keira turned to face him. "He's my friend."
"He tried to hurt you."
"Not true," she shook her head. "He tried to hurt you."
Thane sighed. "Fair enough."
She could see his disapproval. But she had to do it. What if Kayden knew something they missed? What if there was something else she was supposed to know? She couldn't rely only on the things she knew for now. It was like trying to catch the water - it ran through her fingers every time and only a few drops were left on her skin.
Also, she desperately wanted to know he was alright. He hurt her, but she wasn't any better. When she reflected on how she treated him, she wanted to slap the person she's become.
He took her in when no one else did. He cared for her well-being, he helped her to acclimatize to this crazy world. He was the bridge between her and this world. She couldn't do all this without him. He was like a brother she never had. And she didn't even thank him properly.
"I want to see him," she uttered, trying to put her thoughts to words. "He's my - I don't know how to - I mean-"
"It's okay," Thane pulled her close. "I trust you. And I trust him."
She understood. He just wanted her to be safe. They talked about all this when the last creatures left to sleep.
They still didn't know who was the culprit behind all this. Thane knew someone wanted to kill the Protectors to gain their powers. What he didn't know how powerful they actually were. Keira shivered at the thought. What would he do if he found out she could call out the dead? The dark spirits? The monsters?
"Shh," he patted her back. "You'll be alright." He didn't know she suddenly felt cold because of something entirely different. She didn't feel the need to correct him.
"What about you? What are you going to do?" She asked after he let her go.
"I'm gonna be with Seth. Today's the last day."
"Oh," she whispered. "Are you sad?"
Thane smiled and shook his head. "I'll see him in a year."
She watched his sad face. There was so much pain hidden behind his eyes but she understood more than anyone what it meant to seem strong. So she pretended she didn't catch the glimpse of sadness and nodded. "When does he leave?"
"The first touch of the Sun."
"I'd love to say goodbye," she said, her voice unsure. "Would that be okay?"
"You mean that?"
His eyebrows were raised and his mouth gaping. She had to genuinely smile at that.
"Of course."
He smiled, looking almost shy, unsure what to do next. He looked so vulnerable it made her heart melt.
When they reached the village, they parted their ways, promising to find each other later that day.
"Remember," he reminded. "If anything happens-"
"I know," she rolled her eyes, pulling him closer to her.
Their lips brushed against each other slightly. Keira sighed in his arms.
"Promise you'll come to me-"
"So you want me to run this dreadful hill just because I'm in danger? You can't be serious. Can I borrow a broom?"
He rolled his eyes.
"I'll make you one if we get through this," he joked. She smiled at that.