The Night of No Stars

Chapter 3

Firelight flickered, reflected in his bright blue eyes. Bodies, people, pressed all around him but he was alone in his grief. It numbed him. Clenched in his hand, the point digging into his fingers, was the locket he had given her when he had declared his eternal, never ending love. A love that would keep living long after her death.

Why? The question haunted him endlessly. It had plagued his mind for the last few days, since that moment when her closest friend arrived, eyes bloodshot from crying, on his doorstep. Her closest friend, who was romantically linked with the thief Etim, who in turn there were whispers about. Whispers about his involvement in the disappearance of the mysterious key.

He stood across from him now, arm around Nela. She pressed her head into him and he rested his on hers. He stroked her trembling shoulders.

Caul saw them standing there, alone in the crowd of people. Everyone was a blur but them. Why?

"We should talk to him," Nela murmured. "This must be hard for him." Etim nodded, looking across the fire. He had never really spoken to Caul before, aside from the occasional greeting when Nela and Idam met up, but the other boy looked blank and deeply shadowed. The key lay heavy on his own chest, a physically chilling reminder of why Caul's love had died.

Something cleared in Caul's eyes and the pair locked gazes. The air between them trembled with the tension. Does he know it's my fault? Etim wondered as he wound through the throng of people with Nela. Everyone around him was murmuring in tight clusters, reminiscing what their life with Idam had been like. Constantly Etim heard phrases such as "what a nice girl," and "always so kind to others." His own memories of Idam hadn’t been quite the same – indeed, whenever he spoke to her she acted like he didn't exist. Consequently he didn't speak to her often, preferring to leave Idam and Nela to talk alone while he stood off to the side.

"Caul?" Nela reached out hesitantly and touched his shoulder. The boy stirred, meeting her eyes but looking distracted again. "Caul, if you ever need someone to talk to remember that I'm here for you."

"Is it true?" Etim started at the gruff, pained voice. "You've got it, don't you?"

Unconsciously the black haired boy touched his chest, and the key that lay under his shirt. Caul gave a deep sigh.

"You should get rid of it."

"Caul? What are you talking about?" Nela's hand still rested on his shoulder but now she raised her other hand to rest on Etim's. The slight pressure pushed them apart and broke the tension.

"How?" Etim asked. Many questions quivered in that word. How do you know? How did you find it? How do I get rid of it?

Caul nodded towards the slowly burning down fire. "Idam's body was there," he whispered. Fresh tears flooded his eyes. "And now she's nothing more than ash."

Ash… Because of me.

Etim pulled the key, ignoring Nela as she squeezed his arm and looked around nervously. He coiled the string up and rolled it about in his palm for a moment. Caul simply watched in silence.

"She's dead because of me," Etim said harshly. The words grated and stuck in his throat. "She shouldn't be there right now." He threw the key into the fire. For a brief second the strange cat, the aramat, reappeared. It bounded alongside the key as it flew through the air and vanished amongst the suddenly writhing flames.

"Etim…" Nela whispered. Around them people began leaving, the air heating up and growing taut. It wrapped around the three who remained, squeezing and embracing them. "What's happening?"

Fire blazed in Caul's eyes, the dullness from earlier evaporated. He shared an intense, powerful look with Etim before gazing back at the glowing mass in the centre of the pyre. The key heated quickly. It turned into a bubbling, seething mouth of bronze amongst the ashes of what once was Idam. As it crackled the fire turned a menacing silver the same colour as the aramat.