An Immortal's Favour

Jack- Departure

*

Karlton and Gale stumbled into the house, their laughter melting away the stony silence. The early evening breeze filtered through the windows, but the general atmosphere became warmer, thanks to them.

"Hello, Jacob, Kaia. Did the two of you get my note?"

"What note?" I asked, raising a hand to rub one of my eyes, the movement making Kaia stir in her sleep.

"You didn't get it? One of the maids must've thrown it away by mistake. How was-" Gale cut herself short, catching how Kaia shifted once more. She mouthed an apology and linked a hand with Karlton, dragging him into the kitchen. The firm shut of the garden door echoed throughout the quiet space of the lounge.

Occasionally, a soft laugh would drift in through the walls, from the garden beyond. Faint chatter would then mingle with the steady hum of waterhoppers. The words being said were a mystery, essentially gibberish to my worn out mind. But their softness acted as a balm to the throbbing in my head and I fell asleep.

Peppercorns.

The powerful smell of crushed peppercorns jerked me into consciousness. My eyelids peeled back, and I pressed one hand against an armrest, hauling myself into a sitting position.

"-It's fine, Karlton. Don't worry about it. Kaia could you pass me the- Oh, Jacob, you're awake! Come over here and have something to eat." Gale beckoned me over with her fingers, leaning to her right to get a better look at me.

Shuffling over the carpet, I passed beneath the overhead arch and settled into one of the dining chairs, relaxing into the cushiony seat. Kaia raised the lid from a dark pot at the centre of the table, and Karlton helped himself to some more charred corn cobs from a plate. Gale then clapped her hands together and took the seat between myself and Karlton.

"What were the two of you up to today?" I said.

Ducking her head, Gale pursed her lips and inhaled deeply through her nose. "We didn't do much. We went for a walk around the area just before you came back, but stayed here for the most part." She swallowed. "We talked."

Karlton's eyes flickered over to her as he toyed with his food.

"Just talked?"

"What else would we have been doing?"

"Er, nothing in particular."

"Doesn't sound like it," Gale replied.

Kaia snorted, hiding her lips behind her cup of water when Gale raised an eyebrow at her.

"You know what? Forget I said anything."

"Jacob, you should know...I'm leaving. I have to go back to Danso."

"Come again?"

I set my fork down, noting the uneasiness that'd fallen over the room. Kaia drew her shoulders back, lifting another spoon full of rice towards her mouth, all the while keeping an eye on me.

"That's what we were talking about," Gale admitted, bending one of her fingers back. "I didn't know how I'd tell you. Okay, actually, I'd planned to tell you this morning, but you were in such a hurry and I sort of shied away from it. Karlton and I were going to visit one of the lakes-"

"Gale. I think you should wrap this up," Karlton suggested in a low murmur. He licked his lips as she nodded frantically.

"I thought you'd be annoyed; it wasn't supposed to turn out this way, with me leaving now. Well, tomorrow morning. I always find a way to spoil your plans, don't I?" Gale said, even forcing a dry chuckle.

"Why are you leaving?"

She flinched at my words. "I got caught back at Danso. I'm sorr-"

"Don't apologise. It's okay."

From the beginning of our journey together, I knew Gale and I would have to part ways. But that point in time had always seemed out of reach, and was nothing more than a hazy mark that, up until then, I'd managed to ignore. I couldn't do that anymore, and the realisation weighed my stomach down.

Karlton cleared his thought, snapping me from my thoughts.

"Jacob?" Gale murmured.

"If this is your last night here, let's make the most of it. Which lake were you going to?"

The legs of my chair screeched harshly against the floor as I forced myself back, shooting up to search around for my coat. For a moment, the others stood still, but they moved after me soon enough.

I flung the front door open. The smell of rain was carried along by the midnight breeze, which itself stayed gentle. All four of us piled into my car, and I switched the engine on.

*

Discussion: Time has caught up to Gale at last, and the moment of her departure is fast approaching. How might her final night with Jacob and the others turn out?

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