Insurrection (Completed) [editing]

8. Silver

Chapter eight - Silver

"Can I ask you something?" Keira said as she cleared the dishes from the countertop and placed them in the sink.

"Sure Kaira, what is it?" Xander replied.

He watched Keira turn the faucet and soak the dishes in soapy water. Keira turned around and dried her hands with a paper towel. She sat across him and took a sip of her orange juice then spoke.

"What is a peacemaker?" She said.

Xander was surprised at how casually she had said the word. It didn't seem to bring out any sort of strong emotion in her that it usually did with other people.

"I was afraid you'd ask that after the council meeting," he said.

Xander avoided making eye contact with Keira and took a sip of his juice, while he thought of a way to answer Keira's question. She continued to look at him expectantly and she rapped her fingernails on the table in a slow rhythm.

"I don't know how to explain it. You know you really shouldn't say that word or mention a peacemaker around here. Peacemakers are both feared and hated by guardians," Xander said.

"I don't see why we can't talk about them, I mean peacemakers are people with purposes too like guardians right?" Keira asked.

She felt confused. When Xander had been talking about the creatures, he had been so enthusiastic and excited but now he seemed flat. It was quite odd to Keira that his attitude should change because of one word. His eyes had even gotten a shade darker and he looked a tad surprised when she had asked him. Keira waited for him to answer, but nothing came. She thought that he was probably making up something to say like she had been doing for the past two days.

Keira hoped that Xander would change his mind and say something that would encourage her to tell him how she felt. She had been thinking about those hours in the shed when she had been in so much pain, she felt like giving up and letting the creature devour her. Keira was glad that she hadn't been able to see the maflakof's face, it would have scared her to death and she wouldn't have fought as much. Keira wanted so badly to tell Xander what had really happened and to explain her encounter with the beautiful black ferliobog that had saved her. She felt so heavy and piled up with hidden emotions that were screaming to be revealed.

When Xander cleared his throat Keira looked up at him and smiled, expecting him to say something wonderful but the words that came out of his mouth made her heart drop.

"Can we talk about this some other time? I don't know much about them."

Xander lied through his teeth.

If there was something Xander knew about, it was peacemakers. His great grandfather had been one and he wasn't about to tell Keira everything he knew. It was the fear of being cast out like his grandfather. Into the forest with nothing to survive alone. Xander had heard of secret camps that peacemakers had but he had never gotten the chance to travel outside the boundaries. His shape-shifter friend, Alador had asked and pleaded with him many times to try and sneak away but he had refused, knowing that it could cause trouble. Being acquainted with a Ferliobog shape-shifter was dangerous enough, disappearing would make people believe that he really did have some sort of interest and attachment to ferliobogs. He also didn't want Keira to think that he was a weirdo, it was bad enough that he was attracted to her and couldn't show it.

"I guess you can leave now then," Keira said. She took his glass away from him and walked to the sink.

That was the hardest thing Keira had ever done, walking away from an attractive guy who had information she needed and telling him to leave. As much as she wanted him to stay, she felt that he was done and that she didn't need to be talking to him anymore.