Equinox (Book One of the Firebird Chronicles) WATTY AWARD HIDDEN GEM WINNER 2015

Chapter Thirty Two: Promise?

'Are you okay?'

Drunk Fabian narrowed his eyes in confusion, lowering his face to meet my own. He presumably realised that his ear whispering stunt had caused me minor paralysis, and was unhappy with my lack of response.

But maybe I should have given him more credit, because he wiped away the tears on my eyelashes with a gentle and non-judgemental hand.

I looked away.

'I'm fine,' I lied without thinking, and I saw him give me a hard stare. He knew I wasn't okay.

His gaze flickered from my face to the sky, and back again. A lopsided grin rose, and I watched it grow along his jaw.

'Do you want to get out of here?' he asked.

His voice was low with anticipation. I almost took a step away. He was so close.

'Get out? As in, go? Where?' I replied, glancing around us. Aside from the people at the fairground, still mingling in the stalls, there was no one nearby and nowhere to go.

At least, nowhere I could think of.

But obviously Fabian had another idea. His grin continued, unfaltering.

'Let's run,' he said.

'What? No!'

'Just for one night,' he pleaded, and I wondered again how much he'd drank. 'Together. Promise.'

I didn't say anything. What did he mean?

He proffered a hand to me. 'Will you trust me, Mina?'

Mina. Heat flushed my entire body, and my hand reached for his without question. Our fingers laced together, his touch sending my belly flipping with the mad desire to fling myself at him.

'I already do,' came my hoarse reply.

Grinning now with excess energy, Fabian pulled on my arm, dragging me closer.

'Then let's run!' he cried, quickening our pace until we jogged, hand in hand. We burst through the caravans and fair tents, disgruntling the crowd watching Kitty.

We nearly collided with Sakura, but Fabian sidestepped with the grace of a panther excusing himself, and the poor girl looked shocked.

'We're going out to have fun!' Fabian told her, gesturing at me. 'See you tomorrow!'

Sakura's own grin caught from Fabian's. She glanced between us two, wiggling her eyebrows as Fabian tugged me on.

'About bloody time!' I heard Sakura yell. 'Be careful!'

The sun was setting fast now, and Fabian's grip on me tightened. He ran faster, the people angrily stepping aside before he could barrel into them. The wind whipped around us, enough to urge us forward.

'Where are we going?' I cried, glancing back at the disappearing stage of our travelling troupe. 'Aren't we coming back?'

Fabian gave me a sheepish smile. 'Not tonight, no. Hurry, before it gets dark!'

'Hurry?' I repeat in astonishment, 'Where are we hurrying to?'

Squeezing my hand, he said, 'You're coming to meet my friends, dear.'

Did he just call me "dear"? I missed it over the noise!

Deciding not to question my tipsy friend any further, I did exactly as he asked - and trusted him. He led me beyond the fields, towards the shanty towns, where crude settlements made of metal and clay stood hobbled against the red embers of the sun. The smell of earth and mud and rust filled my nostrils with each shuddering breath.