The Lores of Lyra - Burning Star [Book III]

Chapter 12 - An Unexpected Visitor

Chapter 12 – An Unexpected Visitor

Eric wasn’t ready to wake up yet. The land of dreams was so comfortable compared to reality. He wanted to stay with the beautiful scenery, and the magical feeling of protection. Rolling over, he realized that something was stopping him from moving.

His eyes shot open, and he stared down at his chest. Brown hair was spread out across her abdomen, and a feminine arm held him in place. It took him several moments of confusion before he realized it was Amelia.

The strangest thing was his own reaction. As he watched her shoulder rise steadily with every breath, he was overthrown with the desire to wrap his arms around her. He wanted to protect her from all harm, and a part of him wanted never to let her go.

He didn’t particular understand the new feelings. The overall desire to keep her safe wasn’t new to him, but the need for her to be in his arms seemed irrational. Eric fought against his own wishes, but at last, he caved. His right arm moved to cover her abdomen, and he smiled when she let out a small sigh.

The sun hadn’t risen yet. He could feel his uniform slightly moist from the pre-dawn dew around him, and the soft wind rustled Amelia’s hair. The darkness wasn’t as severe this time of the year, and he could see that the sun was starting to light up the horizon. A small whimper from Amelia caught his attention, and he looked at her.

Yesterday, he’d called her sweetie. It had surprised him as much as it had surprised her. He liked it. There was nothing else to it. He liked holding her, calling her sweet things, and he liked to make her laugh.

Of course, Eric didn’t know what all of that meant for him, so he had to figure it out as soon as possible. Amelia moved, and he held his breath. She snuggled closer to him, causing his heart to skip a beat. His hand was still on her shoulder, and he found himself unable to stop his thumbs from moving in circles on her skin.

Eric released all the air in his lungs. What was he doing? Amelia was still a child; he couldn’t be fooled by her mature appearances. His internal scolding helped a bit, and his fingers stopped moving.

Solem, she looks so peaceful, he thought.

A sound came from his right, and he jerked his head around to find Joshua playing with his Star scope. Eric breathed a sigh of relief when it didn’t seem as if Joshua had noticed him.

‘I’ve noticed you,’ Joshua said inside his head. ‘Surprise.’

Eric cursed. He wanted to scream, but remembered the sleeping girl. Carefully, he untangled himself from her arms, making sure her head was safely placed on his jacket. He skidded over to Joshua, contemplating whether to hit him on the shoulder or not.

“No need for violence, Eric,” Joshua muttered, keeping his eyes on the Star scope. “It’s your own fault. I told you several times to practice shielding your thoughts. They’re literally screaming at me, man.”

Eric didn’t know how to answer. It wasn’t as if he hadn’t tried to practice. It just seemed to be collide with his desire to keep on moving. Sitting with his legs crossed, humming with closed eyes—it wasn’t really his thing.

“Have you found out anything?” he asked.

“Actually…” Joshua glanced back at the sleeping Amelia. “I’ve discovered quite some things.”

“Well?” Eric urged.

“This is not the best place to speak.” Joshua kept his eyes on the stars.

‘Then talk here?’  Eric suggested.

Once again, Joshua glanced at Amelia. ‘It won’t work. Just be patient.’