Ever So Lightly- Book 1

49

Slipping away from Zephyr as soon as the meeting adjourned, Saria led Bennet from the room.

"Where are we going?" he asked, with that grin that drove her mad while making her heart soar. Saria hesitated, wondering for the thousandth time if this was a good idea. She decided to run with it before she finally changed her mind.

"There's someone I want you to meet."

After making their way through the twisting tunnels and then the busy streets of Heart, Saria felt as though her own heart would slam its way out of her chest. Standing at the door of the city's library, she suddenly realized she couldn't do this. Not yet.

Ready to turn and run, she felt a hand slip into her own.

"It's okay," Bennet said softly. "I'll be right beside you." Saria could only nod. Turning back toward the door, she pushed it open and made her way inside.

Slowly, she passed shelf after shelf of books, looking down every row, even though she knew exactly where to go. Sure enough, in a small alcove at the back of the library sat Lara, pouring over yet another stack of books. Saria let out a cough. Her mother's head snapped up from what she was reading. She stood slowly, taking a few tentative steps toward where Saria stood frozen to the spot.

"Hello." That was all she said, and Saria hadn't the faintest idea how to respond to that. Bennet gave her a small push forward.

"Hi," she whispered, her voice failing her. "I just wanted to come by... wanted to introduce you to someone." She tugged Bennet forward, ready to use him as a shield if necessary. "This is Bennet DeGrae. We, um... he's..." She couldn't find the right words, couldn't force them out. Her palms were slick and tears were beginning to prick her eyes. That's when he swooped in to save her.

"We're together is what she's trying to say." Bennet flashed that annoying, aggravating, infuriating, wonderful grin at her mother, and Saria wanted to kiss him right then and there. He stuck out a hand. "It's so nice to finally meet you."

Lara reached out and took his hand in her own, looking back and forth between her daughter and Bennet.

"She's amazing," he continued. "I've never met anyone like her. You should be proud." Lara pressed her free hand against her lips, closing her eyes tightly as Bennet stepped back and pulled Saria close. They gave the older woman a few moments to compose herself.

"Thank you," Lara said, at first to Bennet. Then her gaze shifted to fall on Saria. "Thank you so much." And Saria felt a wave of relief. Relief that her mother understood she was offering a semblance of forgiveness, in the only way she really knew how.

~

Zephyr led Jasper up the dark stairwell, up, up, up, until at last they came out onto the very same plateau she had jumped from days earlier. The sun was beginning its descent, falling ever so slowly behind the mountains, painting the sky every shade of pink, orange, purple, and finally fading to black at the edges.

"It's so beautiful." Jasper stared in awe as Zephyr pulled him over to the rock face. She slid down it until her bottom hit the solid ground. Yes, much better to stay away from that ledge, once was enough.

Jasper plopped down next to her, his gaze too seemingly caught on the ledge where she'd finally jumped.

"That was incredibly brave, Zephyr."

She chuckled. "It didn't feel brave when I did it. It felt like my stomach was going to shoot out of my rear." Jasper laughed so hard at her comment that it took him a solid two minutes to catch his breath.

"I bet it did. Aren't you afraid of heights?"

"Well, yes, but it's more the falling part that really gets me."

He nodded, still smiling. "Yeah, me too." A long silence stretched between them as they watched the sky darken, minute by minute, inch by inch.

"That's not all I was talking about, though," Jasper finally said, turning to face her. "What you did in that council meeting, that was amazing." He bumped her shoulder with his own. "I knew you had it in you, but wow, when you blew her papers off the table I wanted to stand up and clap." Zephyr winced.

"I should probably apologize for that, shouldn't I?"

"I wouldn't worry about it too much, I think it impressed her more than it pissed her off." Jasper slid his hand into the pocket of his jacket, searching for something. After a few moments he pull his hand back out, fist closed around something.

"Now," he said, giving her a stern look that for some reason she just couldn't take seriously. "I have something for you. But I don't want you to panic and, I don't know, fly away with your new powers or something. Hold out your hand."

Zephyr did, unable to keep a smile from her face. Jasper dropped a chain with some sort of pendant hanging from it into her palm. She lifted the chain, letting the pendant dangle in front of her.

"Jasper," she said softly, her voice full. "It's stunning." A small glass starburst hung from the end of the chain, every facet reflecting a different shade of the sunset onto the rock surfaces around them. "Where did you find something like this?"

He grinned sheepishly. "I had it made, from pieces of the glass dome. I thought a star was fitting."

"It's perfect," she said softly. "I'm almost afraid to wear it." Jasper laughed, taking the necklace from her to place it around her neck.

"Don't worry about that," he said as she lifted her hair and turned her back to him. "I might actually have saved some extra glass in case we need to get another one made. I know how clumsy you can be." He let the necklace rest on her collar and she turned to stick her tongue out at him before giving him a genuine smile.

"Thank you so much. For everything. I can never repay you for what all you've done, Jasper."

He nodded. "Your company is enough for now, I can't think of anything else I want."

Zephyr leaned against his shoulder, letting this one perfect moment soak in. Soon, the sun has passed behind the mountain peaks and the sky began to grow steadily darker. Jasper slapped her knee before standing.

"Come on," he said, reaching out a hand to pull her up. "It's going to be too dark to see soon." He led her back toward the stairs. "I heard a rumor that Chira is going to be sharing some of her precious Feiwyn whiskey tonight, so we'd better get down there before it runs out. And I don't want to fall off the ledge. Unless you really can fly?"

Zephyr laughed as she stepped into the stairwell behind him. "No, I don't think I can really fly."