Dream and Nightmare

Chapter 28 - The Watchtower

"Oy!"

The shout was so loud that it made Anah nearly fall out of the bed she was sharing with Jack, and she felt him flinch beside her.

"None of that, you two. Separate beds, separate rooms, separate houses if we can manage it." Anah recognized the voice as Rendel, but his words didn't sound like his own.

"Why the hell do you care?" she asked, squinting through the light.

Oh I don't, but Kell's face was getting mighty purple so I figured I'd say something before he exploded." He nudged the much larger man with his elbow. "Don't forget to breathe, there."

Anah's face burned when she saw her brother standing next to Rendel, and his skin was looking rather plum-like. "I just fell asleep here." She said.

"Let's try to keep that from happening again," he grumbled.

That annoyed her. There he was, trying to get all father-like on her again. "It's really none of your business anyway."

"You'll be leaving with Ken and I. We don't have a lot of rules, but no sleeping in the same bed as a boy is one of them," he argued, crossing his arms.

Anah scowled, knowing she was beat.  As much as she didn't want someone telling her what to do, she knew they were making a huge sacrifice by taking her in. So Anah stood up. "Can you walk?" she asked Jack, hoping to talk to him more.

He nodded. "Probably, but..." He glanced up at Kellen and then back at Anah with a hint of a smile on his lips. "I'm just in my boxers, so I should probably put some pants on first." Kellen's face went from plum to all out violet, and Anah could even feel her face getting darker. "I was going to tell you, but you were already asleep." He shrugged unconcerned. "I can meet you on the porch in a few minutes," he offered.

"Yes," Anah said quickly, brushing past her brother to get out of the room.

Everyone else was just starting to stir, getting ready for the day. It was easy for Anah to slip outside without being noticed. There, she waited impatiently for Jack, watching a chattering squirrel to pass the time. He stepped out of the house with perfect hair and completely dressed, giving Anah a mischievous smile. "Let's go on a walk," He offered, limping forward.

"Are you sure you're recovered enough?"

He shrugged. "We don't have to go far. I just happen to know Kellen's staring at us out the window, and I'd rather have some privacy."

Anah agreed and they held hands as they wove their way through the trees, further into the woods. Anah didn't trip once; she could have been floating.  They stopped after only a short while, and Jack was already breathing hard. He leaned his back against a tree, that big smile still decorating his face despite his pain.

Anah stood close to him, wanting to comfort him. "Is it too bad?" she asked. "Should you sit?"

"No, no. I'm fine." He looked up at the trees as he caught his breath, thinking. "What about the boat?" he asked finally.

"The boat?"

He turned his light eyes to her. "When I tried to kiss you, you stopped me. Why?"

She laughed. "Because you're an idiot! On the ocean? That's where you wanted our first kiss to be? I was terrified, and I certainly didn't find it romantic."

"But you wanted to kiss me?"

"Of course I did, but then you started talking about Felidy, and I nearly gave up on you."

Jack slid his arm around her waist pulling her closer to him as his breathing started to slow. "Felidy was always my second choice. Because I didn't think you cared for me that way."