The Thief King

31 | Butterfly Heart

Hours passed by. Time could be a cruel companion when it did not bring what you most desired. The ticking of seconds sounded to the beat of her heart, reminding Sera of one thing. Absence. Hollowness. Desolation. She stood in a crowd of people, her friends at her sides, smiling, laughing and asking questions she did not know the answers to. She knew their questions were meant to comfort and support her, but all they did was push the dagger in her chest a little deeper.

Sera was swiftly approaching a sheer waterfall; rushing towards it with nothing to grab on to, she knew it was only a matter of time before she flew over the edge and shattered on the rocks below. Tears would ruin everything. They'd all see, all comment, all comfort her, but all she wanted was to be alone. If the one person who meant the most to her could not be here, then she did not want to be here at all. It was too hard, too painful, and Nena and Evelynn, as much as they tried, could not fill the wound, and Sera desperately wanted them too.

She had smiled all evening until her cheeks hurt. The assuring squeezes and hugs she received from both girls were wonderful. So kind it hurt, and so compassionate Sera felt like a monster for not feeling like it was enough. There were tales, meant to teach children life morals, of the value of friendship, and the value of finding strength in being alone. Sera knew them. She had told them to Hannah when Hannah had still sat and listened to tales of silly children with ridiculous objectives.

"A treasure hunt for a cat?" Hannah would cry. "That's not treasure, it's just a lousy cat."

The bells tolled, ending a day and starting another. The cacophonous torrents of fireworks, fused and ignited, made Sera jump, craning her neck back to marvel starbursts, and subsequent falls, of indigos and golds. They pinwheeled, spiraled and imploded, each a nova, each a brief, beautiful existence that burnt from the inside out. Each spark's path leading them to dissipation. They climbed, reached for the sky, fell short, shined and then disappeared until all that was left was the stars.

Life was made up of fireworks and stars. Some things burst with life and colour, but just as possibilities feel tangible, it ends, fades to smoke and memory. Stars were reliable. You could plan around the stars, for you always knew they were there come nightfall, whether you could see them or not.

As the sky swallowed the last spark, and the smoke began to fade, a moment of clarity settled upon Sera's shoulders. A moment that answered her questions, confirmed her dread. He should've been there. But he wasn't, and she knew he wouldn't. She knew, in that moment, he was not coming.

"I hate potatoes," Hannah moaned, leaning her forehead against the lip of her bucket of water and potato peels. "I'm never going to look at one, let alone eat one after tonight."

"Ye'll find ye won't be picky on an empty stomach," Travis retorted, giving his potato a zealous scrape with his knife. "About now, I could eat one of them whole and raw."

"You can't be that hungry," Hannah scoffed. "Look at them." She pulled a face. "Or don't, it's offensive—the whole casket."

Travis smirked, but Joey, working silently on the other side of the room, chopping the pile of potatoes in half and throwing them into the boiling water over the heath, said nothing.

"How much longer do you think Porter's gonna keep us here?" The question was posed to no one in particular, but it was Joey's slumped back Hannah watched, hoping he would answer, hoping he would say something.

Travis groaned, twisting in his seat. "The fool has likely fallen asleep." He laughed at the idea, but Hannah stiffened. It had to be after midnight by now and the punishment had only meant to last a few hours. What if the joke held merit?

She dropped her bucket and sprang to the door.

"What are you doing?" Travis demanded.

"Checking if our captor is asleep." The door opened without a creak and she slipped through. The halls were dark, candles long since burnt out. The rank smell of hay, musty wood and boiled cabbage hovered like fog in the air, so thick and strong Hannah felt like her head was swimming. Her tread was soft across the flagstones. She heard louder ones behind her and pivoted. Travis met her eyes, shrugging. Rolling her eyes, Hannah placed her finger to her lips and then pointed to her feet. Travis looked down first and nodded his understanding.

The stairwell announce their ascent, echoing every time they moved or breathed. Eventually, Hannah gave up and ran up the final few steps, Travis at her heels. A rush sped up her heart. Travis was following her. Her. Usually it was Joey's silent, comforting presence at her heels and this time it was the daring, brave Travis, who was unpredictable, and sometimes harsh. But he was only harsh because of his commitments, his promises to those that needed food and warmth.

"This room," Travis whispered, grabbing her elbow and steering her towards a closed door. "Listen."

Hannah obeyed and after a few moments, heard snores behind the thick wood. "Balls!" she hissed. "The old coot's asleep"

Travis pulled her away from the door and led her to the stairwell. "Ye got a bed time?" he asked as they jogged down the stairs.

Hannah felt her pride prick. He was only two years older than her, and the question seemed belittling and offensive. "No," she retorted hotly.

Travis halted on the stairs, forcing her to stop as well. He turned. "Calm down, I be asking cause I got a place to be, and was wondering if ye'd join?"

Butterflies tickled Hannah's heart, tickling her insides and bringing heat to her cheeks. He was looking at her, asking her to come with him. It was a simple question, so why could't she answer. "Yeah, sure, I just gotta get Joey."

"I be inviting ye, Hannah, not the bag of shaking bones."

The butterflies calmed, their delicate wings stilled. "I'm not leaving him here, nor am I going anywhere without him."

"Up to ye," Travis shrugged. "I thought ye'd like to meet the Thief King."