Sun and Stone

XV

Flying towards the broken figure that was my friend, I couldnt contain the light that flared up from the ember in my chest and filled my body. I was shining like a beacon atop the ridge, vibrant and brazen. I felt like an erupting volcano, ready to inflict destruction on the unsuspecting city below. Fears of the Fae and their machinations faded to the background. Let them try to keep me from my friend. Gray raised his head as I approached and instead of flinching from my light, his eyes widened in awe.

"Took you long enough to catch up." Obviously half delirious with pain and exhaustion, he was trying to hide behind jokes. Grays smirk quickly fell and he sagged forward, held upright only by the black ropes around his chest that bound him to the tree. I scowled and my light brightened further but my voice came out clear and even.

"Who did this to you?"

I flew around to the back of the tree, inspecting the knots larger than my body as Gray replied. "Malavy said it was for the best." Becoming brighter still, I glanced towards the tree line, searching for the treacherous Shadow who surely would emerge any minute now. I needed to get Gray free quickly so I could deal with Malavy when they arrived.

The ropes were unlike any I had seen before. They were deep black, as wide as my body, and I couldnt see any grooves or texture to the material. It was like solid lines of dark matter had been wrapped around Gray. When I reached my hands out to tentatively pull at the knot, I felt a chill and an all too familiar sense of dread. Pushing through the fear and cold, I felt and heard a sizzle as my illuminated hands made contact with the rope. I flinched back instinctively, surprised when I saw hand-shaped divots in the knot where I had touched the ropes. My hands were unburned and there was no residual feeling of heat in them. In fact, they felt extremely cold, nearly frostbitten. Furrowing my brow, I glided forward again and maintained contact with the rope. Smoke followed the sizzling, but as I held on it quickly disintegrated under my touch. The knot disappeared like a shrinking shadow under the rising sun, and then the black lines retreated around either side of the tree. Gray fell forward, landing awkwardly sprawled on the pine needle covered ground with a loud thump.

Rubbing my achingly cold hands together for warmth, I flew around the tree to find him rolling onto his side, clutching at his abdomen with a wince. Approaching in concern, I hovered a foot away from his prone form, unsure what help I could be to him. It wasn't like I could lift him to his feet on my own. Hovering above his face, I took inventory of his injuries. Grays nose was swollen and dark purple, dried blood crusting on his upper lip and chin. Judging the bend along his normally straight bridge, I guessed it was probably broken. He clutched at his ribs, curling in on himself. More bruises or broken bones were hiding under his shirt. Memories of injuries I had seen Gray suffer over the years floated to the forefront of my mind. It was a miniscule collection, mostly scraped knees and elbows from childhood, and a single black eye from a fight in high school. This was a new level of beaten that neither of us had experienced. I remembered how firm his skin seemed last night, and how easily he was able to overpower Malavy in the tunnels. The Shadow had been holding back before. I had felt uncertain of trusting the stranger, but also guessed Grayson was stronger. The man who had always been my rock, who had become so fierce in his protectiveness over me as to sound feral at times, lay broken by their hand. I now understood Malavy was a true, immediate threat. A twig snapping across the clearing sent a bolt of electric vigilance through me and I glanced anxiously back to the tree line.

Malavy materialized from the shadows under a tall pine. Clearing their throat as they approached, they cast a haughty look to Grays fallen figure. "I see you did not break my trust." Looking up and down their sinuous form, I was reminded of a panther approaching their prey. With their hair now fully unbound, curling around their face like a dark mane, perhaps a lion was more appropriate. They seemed, if possible, angrier than when they had spewed their annoyed rant at me on our journey here. I felt my pulse speed up, sweat making my palms feel clammy, but as I glanced down to Grays broken body, my nerves sung with energy rather than shock as my fear was replaced with rage.