Eyes of the Midari

Part 12

Lucca

Lucca trailed his hand up the cold iron railing, climbing onto the last step to Jess's loft. He expected to find her flipping a knife at a picture of Aria, but all he found was a beautiful picture of her curled up on her bed sound asleep. There was no way he could stand up, he bet even Jess's head touched the ceiling. He crawled into the small space and sat down on the edge of the mattress with his legs kicked out. He watched her chest rise and fall and he tried to match his breathing to it.

He couldn't help but stare at the way her hair contrasted the lilac sheets, and how small she was in comparison to the bed. He wanted to wrap himself around her and keep her from everyone else. Anyone she could ever think she could disappoint or would disappoint her.

Lucca sighed, "If only you knew."

He was going to be the biggest disappointment to her of all.

He leaned back on the mattress and closed his eyes. He recalled being on the boat with Jess, and how she admitted small spaces give her comfort. Now he understood the loft being her sanctuary. He wondered why own so much space if you're going to stay curled up here all day. He fiddled with Talia's ring in his coat pocket. He twitched every time he touched it. This was his brother's eye encased in a glass prison and he was just keeping it in his pocket. He would tell them eventually, especially Aria, but right now he was too concerned about coming up an eye short when they reach the final destination.

Jess shifted in her sleep and Lucca turned his head fast to find her facing him now. He reached out ever so gently and brushed some strands of hair off her face. If he failed to open the chasm of heirs, whatever that may be, the life Jess created for herself would be ruined.

He couldn't be the reason her freedom was taken from her, not again.

"What are you doing up here?"

He smiled, turning his head back to a groggy-eyed Jess. He decided her first waking up was a new favorite look for him.

"I was tired too and Levi fell asleep in your guest room. Go back to sleep, a half an hour is hardly enough for someone who stayed up all night."

She rubbed her eyes and let out a yawn, "Did Aria and Silas leave?"

"Yeah," he fidgeted with the ring, "I sent them to go scope out the palace security for tonight."

Jess's shoulders seemed to relax when she realized her friend was not in her home. "Why didn't you go with them?"

Lucca smiled and propped his head on his hand, "I wanted to make sure you were okay."

"That's not your job." She pulled the sheets to her chin like a child. "I'm fine."

"You're so cute when you lie." She gave him a death glare and he pointed out on his fingers. "You came back sisterless and you got into a fight with your best friend that ended with a gun at your head. You're not fine, love, and no one expects you to be."

"You're insufferable," she flicked the sheets up over her face, "last night just brought up too many memories. Memories I wish I could forget."

"Will you tell me what happened?"

Jess's form remained still under the sheets, the features of her face poking out in delicate folds of fabric. "There has to be a way. To care for wounds without reopening them. To name the pain without inviting it back into me."

Lucca's silence answered her question enough; that's simply not possible.

She mumbled beneath the sheets, "I found Jewels. She was so radiant in the market, like nothing I have ever seen. Freya had made her so happy I couldn't possibly drag her away and back into that ghost mansion."