A World Away

36. Closure of some kind

Az was cleaning his knives as Eve groaned, waking up. Her eyes instantly connected to his. "Morning, did you sleep alright?" Eve blinked, "I didn't take my pill yesterday. I didn't get any nightmares though."

"Do you get them often?" "Everyday." Az gulped; Mother, he hated that Eve had gone through so much.

"Eve," he started hesitantly. "Hmm?" Eve looked away as yesterday' events came to her mind. In her moment of vulnerability, she had spilled her heart out.

"Thank you for confiding in me yesterday," Az said softly. Eve blinked, not knowing how to react. When Eve didn't react, Az sighed. "Others are waiting in the hall, if you want to come, they want to talk about how much Mike meant to all of us- like an eulogy of sorts." Eve nodded after a moment. "Ok," she said quietly.

While walking, Eve took his hand which made his heart swell twice in size. He tightened the grip but didn't say anything.

Eve's heart was beating at a double rate. She didn't know why though; she had wanted everyone to acknowledge what had happened to him but now that they were, Eve felt like running away than hear them out. Still, she made her way to where her friends waited.

Before entering she stopped and turned towards Az. "What is it?" he asked softly. "Were you the one who recovered Mike's bo- body?" Az nodded solemnly. "It felt inhumane to not do so and.... I think he would like where I placed him."

Eve's eyes filled with tears as he said that. Throwing herself at him for a hug she said, "he would. He always loved that field." Az hugged her back, calming her down all the while. He never really liked physical contact but somehow with Eve, it felt right to have one. He felt comfortable and at peace. She leaned behind and staring into his eyes said with all the gratitude in the world, "thank you." Az felt his throat choke with emotion. He shook his head. "No thanks is needed." Eve nodded and after taking a few deep breaths, she opened the door to the rest of the world.

Cassian was the first one to break the silence that was breathing heavily down Eve's neck. "We wanted to do something in honour of Mike's memory. The- the only reason we didn't do something like this before Eve, was because we miss him so much that it hurts. This Circle will never be the same without him," He said, looking intensely at Eve who had her eyes fixed on the floor. She nodded, not looking up.

Eve shifted on her feet as she felt the gazes of the entire room on her- Cassian, Mor, Amren, Feyre, Az, Rhysand, Bri and even Nesta.

"I will start then," Amren' said, surprising Eve by volunteering first. "Mike got thrown into our lives.... Literally on Starfall. In some sense, one might say he was like a star himself; he shone so bright and his death was a colossal event that affected all our lives. He was a good friend who was far more deserving that what he got in the end. Him and Eve bought light in our lives when we were in depths of misery and anger. They helped us survive and live when we had almost given up hope. I will never forget the brilliant soul of Mike Pears who always had some interesting fact to tell me or some math puzzle that he thought I would find invigorating... which I always did. I will miss him and cherish what we had." Amren's voice had turned a bit hoarse by the end and Eve's throat bobbed as she tried to stop the onslaught of tears. Amren gulped and kept a puzzle which Eve assumed Mike had given her, on the table. She missed the human boy.

Cassian cleared his throat. "He was a survivor and he was a warrior. Mike was a breath of fresh air. I remember him waltzing for training one day, stating that his training hours needed to be increased," Cassian's mouth twitched upward at the memory. "It was near Starfall when we all were feeling the absence of Rhys. He went through the pain and effort of training rigorously for three hours along with passing random comments and horrible jokes that helped me for the time being far more greatly than I would have initially thought. By the end of it, he was rolling on the floor yet, he did not give up and kept on distracting me throughout the day- accompanying me in the streets of Velaris- limping. Mike was like a brother to us. He was a brilliant male whose taste for pranks will be a legacy for us all to carry," and with a slight chuckle and glassy eyes, Cassian sat down on the couch but not before putting a bit bloodied- now dried- knife down. Eve recognized it as the one Mike had on him in the human lands.

Tears fell down freely on the floor and she had to sit down, bracing herself as Mor stood up to speak.

"Since the day he arrived, he had been nothing but kind and understanding. He was the kind of person who would stay by your side when you felt alone, kept your secrets safe and when you felt insecure about them, comforted you. Mike was a special male. He will always remain in our hearts. He will be remembered," Mor said, looking at Eve with those gentle eyes while saying the last part. Eve nodded. Smiling a bit, Mor kept down a piece of paper which had a sketch of a dress on it done by Mike.

Rhysand started next. Eve wondered how she hadn't broken down completely yet. "I didn't know him for long. But, even though I knew him for limited period of time, his resilience, courage and heart awed me. He was so far away from his home yet, never did I hear a word of curse for this one. He made the best hot chocolate," Eve chuckled a bit at that, "and was just as sweet. I will miss him."

Feyre kept a small sketch she had drawn of him before saying a few words. "Mike lost his life while defending my sisters- I will carry that with me with a heavy heart. The magic he made when he played any instrument and his sweet voice remain a source of comfort to me whenever I am down. Thank you Mike for coming into my life. It was an honour to have known you."

Nesta's face was expressionless but her eyes were glazed. She walked to where Eve sat- now with both hands clasped into Az' for support. "I knew him the shortest but that didn't stop me from knowing what it felt like to be his friend." Eve whimpered. "It was an honour. He was the best of the lot that existed and we will make sure he gets justice." Eve blinked in confirmation- knowing that the 'we' consisted of herself and Nesta. Another tear slipped down.

Azriel rubbed her back. Clearing his throat from emotion he said softly, mostly voicing his feelings for himself and Eve. "He was brave, mischievous, resilient, kind, observant and talented. But mostly, he was full of light. He was full of life. Since the time he came here, he never stopped fighting for himself and his best friend. Some people even after getting hundreds of years are only able to survive but Mike lived. He lived and taught us the same when we had forgotten its meaning. May his golden soul rest in peace." He let one of his shadows float and keep a relic on the table representing a life well lived.

Eve opened her mouth to speak but instead a sob came out. It didn't stop. Soon, she was crying while being encased in Az' embrace. After a while, looking at the picture Feyre had drawn, she said, "He was my tether. He was my everything. He was my best friend. I will always love him and not a moment will pass by where he won't reside in my heart. There aren't enough words or time for me to express how much this guy meant to me." A sob escaped. "Mikey, I miss you. I hope you are at peace. You were loved, you were so amazing."

Bri was next. The Shadowsinger had personally informed her about everything that had happened since the duo had left for the human lands. She couldn't get the words out though, emotional creature. So, instead she crushed Eve into a hug. The two slid down onto the floor. The others soon joined and remained so for a long time.

Goodbye Mike Pears. I will meet you in the next life. Eve thought as she closed her eyes, letting the familiar leather smell encase her. 

Happy reading :) 

I swear my goal isn't to make you'll cry

XOXO,

the amazing author