The Moon Calls

46

Between Hector and Lucas, no one felt safe outside of the shelter, so they opted to stay inside it until morning. No one wanted to be ambushed in the night, after all.

"What if he comes down the chimney?" Lance asked.

"Then he'll fall into the fire." Eugene assured him.

"Ohh, okay." Lance nodded.

Varian chuckled, imagining Hector launching himself out of the fire with his butt on fire. Footsteps alerted him to Donella coming out to rejoin them and she walked over to sit next to him on one of the couches quietly.

"Hey." He greeted. "How are you feeling?"

"Not much better." She admitted. "Varian...do you hold it against me at all?"

"Hold what?" Varian blinked, tilting his head in confusion.

"Coming back without your mother...leaving her there...sealing her...inside." She wrapped her arms aroundherself, pursing her lips tightly.

"What? No! Of course not!" Varian placed his hand on her arm. "Donella, how could I be angry with you for doing something that you not only had no choice in but also didn't want to do? Is this because of what that Lucas guy said?"

Donella sighed and stood up, walking over to look out the window, the moonlightshining in at her. "That day...if I'd kept a better eye on her...if I...if I'd stayed, maybe I could've found a way to help, but...I was...afraid." She looked down in shame. "I was afraid of her."

"Donella." Varian got up and walked over toher, Hugo doing the same. "Donella, you can't blame yourself for it. You said so yourself, you had to seal her away because she wanted to hurt people! No one thinks you should've stayed and fought to your last breath!"

She looked up at the dark ceiling. "...I do." She admitted softly. "I think that."

"Donella." Varian frowned.

Donellaclosed her eyes and sang softly.

"When I had to seal her away,
there is so much I failed to say."

She looked at Varian, a sad smile in her eyes.

"Why did I not try much harder,
to bring her back to your father?"

She turned and walked away a bit.

"Now, I'll never get to say
all the things I should have said.

Because of me, there's only echoes of

a life you should have led!"

She threw her hands out to the side.

"If I could take that moment back,
If I could keep her mind from breaking,"

She turned back to Varian.

"She would be here with you right now.
Instead,we're both here aching."

She brought a hand to her chest, clutching at the tough fabric of her shirt.

Varian sighed. "Donella..."

"No,Varian..." She shook her head.
"Maybe, if I didn't run,
maybe, if we didn't go,
maybe things would be different, but
now we may never know."

She walked towards him and he smiled sadly to her, his eyes so similar to her, his smile, his face, even his freckles - everything about him was a reminder of his mother to her. She reached out and gently cupped his face in both hands, tears welling up her eyes.