Shadows of the Woods

Chapter 23

My footsteps echoed as I made my way down the hall. The light that came in through the tall windows was pale and soft, and it made my skin look perfect and smooth. I paused to look through a window; the streets were full of elves as they made their way down to the Vita Pond. The cobbled walkways were filled with bobbing silver and dark heads, and even though no sound came through the glass, I could imagine excited chatter and laughter as the crowd moved.

" Lilah."

I looked up at my name. Hayane was drifting down the hall towards me, a vision in pale yellow faerie silk and his hair pulled up in an elegant ponytail. His wings hummed quietly, a blur through the light air. His face was expressionless, but his light green eyes were light.

"Hayane." I turned to face him squarely, leaning my hip against the window sill. "Are you on the way to the pond as well?"

He nodded , drifting to a stop beside me. His pale eyes flickered to look out the window, and I wondered what he was thinking as he watched the bobbing heads below. "I have nothing else to do now, I suppose. Ildor sent Prenjaw off back to Xiou before I came here."

"Oh." I frowned. "I didn't even get to say goodbye."

"I'm sure he's not overly offended." Hayane smirked in amusement. "He's looking forward to seeing his father and sister again, but he did tell me to tell you that he looks forward to meeting you again."

"I see you guys are good friends now." I smiled up at him, remembering the friction the first time they'd met.

"Well, there's camaraderie among princes." Hayane smiled back ironically. He had delicate, pale hands, and they tapped leisurely on the sill. "Also, I learned I was invited to meet him several decades ago."

"Oh, really?"

He nodded. "Yes, but I declined. It was right after my sister died."

There was an awkward, heavy pause.

I felt his eyes flick to give me a sidelong glance. "How are you, Lilah?" His voice was very soft. "Times like this can't be easy for you."

I avoided his gaze, looking out at the travelling elves again. I knew the pain was flashing in my eyes, and I didn't want him to see it. "I'm alright." I told him bravely, smiling widely. "Who knows what the day will bring, am I right?"

"Yes." Hayane was still watching me closely, and his voice was careful.

I flipped my hair back. "Anyways, how about you?"

Hayane blinked in surprise. "Me?"

"Yes, you." It was safe to look at him again. "How are you?"

Hayane looked back at me, looking for something in my eyes. Whatever it was he was looking for, he apparently found it; his eyes cleared with understanding. "Ah." He smiled wryly. "You're wondering if I'm bitter that I didn't get to kill Castrone myself."

It was my turn to be taken aback. "Hayane..."

"I haven't forgotten what I told you in that barn, Lilah." He turned so that he was leaning against the sill as well, but his eyes were still trained on mine. "I was consumed to dull rage and sharp revenge, and all my thoughts were spent on killing that fiend."

I leaned forward, looking at him cautiously. "Was...?"

Hayane laughed softly. "Yes, was." He glanced at me. "Ylaris turned me from my destructive thinking."

"Your sister?" I asked, bewildered.

"Yes." Hayane smiled sadly. "When we were trapped in that hell hole, Greta had her fun torturing us with images of lost loved ones."