Fate Breakers

Chapter 9

Gannon

"So you actually grew."

Isla's laugh sends shivers through me. Her laugh is the same. Knowing after all these years that her laugh never changed brings so much comfort. For the first time in years, I feel at home. Even when Isla punches me straight in the arm.

I shove her back, hissing and joining into her laughter. "Oh, and you're strong now too? Damn, this shit just isn't fair."

"Shut up before I send water up your nose like I did that one summer at Port Drosera."

"No! Oh Gods! Please!"

Neither of us could say anything to that. I don't want to. Instead, I take Isla in as she laughs. Her cloak's an emerald green, it suits her well. Her hair's still seaweed green, but it's shorter now. Doesn't matter, the bob suits her. Isla's eyes are still that same ocean blue, and now, they sparkle like how the ocean does when the sun sets. I've had everything taken from me over the last few years, and now, I finally have something back. I've got my sister.

"Gannon? Is?"

Both of us freeze. I swear my heart's about ready to slam out of my chest. When I get a good look at who's in the doorway, I feel like it's gonna give out.

Calvel can hardly fit in the doorway, his pale blonde hair almost skims it as he walks in. I want to mourn the shaggy cut he wore as a kid, but the shorter waves suit him so much better. He's got a scar on his neck now, I don't feel ready to dwell on how he got it. His eyes are still that same, bright topaz color, almost perfectly matching the orange of his cloak.

Vince catches me off guard. He's shorter than I expected, and he's keeping his hair in a fade. He's got grey hairs in the sea of black, not that I'm one to judge. His eyes, they're still that same sunflower yellow, they still look just as bright. His cloak reminds me of the petals of a daffodil, his mother's favorite flower.

I blink, and then I realize we're all just staring at one another in silence. There's so much I wanna say, so much I need to say; that I love them all so much, that I've missed them, that I've spent so many waking moments thinking of them and only them. An ugly, strangled squeak comes from my throat, and my eyes burn the harder I try to speak.

Someone shuts the door, and Vince slowly walks over to me. I don't want him away from me any longer. I don't want any of them away from me for any longer.

The aches I've had in my arms for years finally subside as I wrap them around Vince. He still smells like honeysuckle and sandalwood. Isla steps over, and I only let go of Vince to bring her into the hug. Vince only lets go of me to bring Calvel in.

None of us say anything. At some point, we all just move to the floor, holding one another. I could sit here for years and never know it.

I'm home.

After all these years. I feel at home.

↻

"It took them seven tries to detain you?" Vince is staring at Calvel in utter disbelief. I think at this point, it would've been more merciful for Calvel to've just slapped him.

Calvel nods, sipping the water from his glass. This damn cabin really didn't have shit. We managed to get the well working, but Isla still insisted on purifying it before any of us did anything with it. None of us were gonna argue with her.

"Seven tries," Calvel says, picking back up his story from before Vince interrupted. "Rob and I took off running, and we actually made it a quarter of the way to Nihall before our wardens caught back up to us." Calvel rubs the scar on his neck. "We were able to get off easy because of this beauty. I told them that if they tried to put us in isolation again, I'd get them charged with negligence for letting my wound get this bad."