Eight Intertwined

171 - Clarity

Primrose would recognize Darius' type from anywhere. 

Initially, Primrose had wondered if perhaps her paranoia from the battle against Simeon had skewed her perspective in ways she wouldn't want the other travelers to know about. The way that Darius carried himself had been a bit too familiar, but she hadn't wanted to say anything about it. She didn't know much about the situation, and she knew it... But that didn't stop the alarms in Primrose's mind from going off and screaming for her attention. Primrose wanted to assure herself that everything was fine, that she was being overly dramatic in her assessment of him... 

But it had all melted away the instant she saw the look on Therion's face. Primrose knew that fear bitterly well. She had seen it in her own reflection after she learned the truth about Simeon. Primrose hadn't wanted to come to any conclusions, had been desperate to think that she was reading too much into the situation, but after seeing the way Therion reacted, she knew what she was witnessing was true. Darius was every bit as miserable as Simeon, and Primrose could tell. 

She wasn't going to breathe a word of it to the other travelers yet though. Therion had promised that he would talk to the group about Darius when he was ready, and if Primrose had to guess, that would be later in the evening. She should have given Therion the space he needed, but she couldn't do it. If Darius really had so much in common with Simeon--and Primrose knew he did--then she needed to talk to Therion about it as soon as possible. Leaving him with his own thoughts would only lead to him burning himself alive, and Primrose couldn't do that to him. She had seen what she could do to herself when given the chance, and she loved Therion too much to watch him succumb to his own phantoms like that. He may have come to hate her for it, but Primrose didn't care. She knew what needed to be done, and she would do what she had to as long as it would keep her friends safe. 

When Primrose saw Therion again, it was just outside the inn. The sun was starting to set on the horizon, blanketing the desert in the chill the region had never been known for. Therion was staring up at the sky overhead like he thought he could find some meaning in the starlight. In the end, he saw nothing, but he kept searching anyway. 

There was something different about Therion now, and Primrose could see it easily. He seemed more relaxed now, but it wasn't a complete peace. No peace could truly feel real after what they had seen that afternoon. Therion barely even noticed Primrose as she approached, and he saw the tear tracks on his cheeks long before he thought to look at her. When he finally did, he blinked at least half a dozen times to convince himself that she wasn't a mirage. "Oh," Therion said simply like he couldn't think of anything else to comment on. "Primrose." 

"Therion," Primrose returned. "Mind if I sit with you?" Therion nodded before moving over, and Primrose gladly sat down beside him. He hadn't been this receptive to talking since before Miguel. That should have been a victory, but Primrose couldn't bring herself to believe all was well as long as he looked so exhausted. Despite how tired he seemed, Therion felt happier than he had in ages, but Primrose couldn't bring herself to trust it. She needed to hear it from Therion's lips, and if he wasn't ready to tell her of how he felt, then she would simply wait until he was. It was the least she could offer.

Therion continued to watch the sky long after Primrose had joined him, and she quickly figured out that he wouldn't be starting a conversation on his own. She wasn't surprised by this, but she didn't entirely know how to start a discussion with him either. In the end, Primrose decided to not bother with beating around the bush. They both knew why they were there. Primrose hadn't asked if anyone else in the group knew about Simeon's age, but she didn't need to. They had all figured it out either through eavesdropping or instinct. Therion had heard about it too. Primrose could feel it.