New Dawn

Mare

I am hot and sweaty from my sparring with Evangeline. When fixed us both up after the fight, but her powers don't stop sweat from soaking through my clothes.

I still can't believe we're back. That I'm in the same place as Cal. It doesn't even feel real.

Eve and I walk forward, toward the central eating area. We are going to get breakfast before we reconvene to work on Julian's device. I am eager to talk to her. After months of tiptoeing around the subject of Cal and my's relationship I am excited to speak openly about it, because now there is something real to go off of.

We take seats at a table on the balcony overlooking the river. It flows toward the stilts. My old home. It feels like another life. Like a dream that feels so real until you wake up, and you remember what your real life is like. I miss Shade, my family, Kilorn. I miss that simple dream. But things are so much better now.

As we take our places at the table and begin to eat, neither of us says anything. I'm suddenly embarrassed to talk about my night with Cal, worried about invoking judgement from her. I don't speak. Luckily, she breaks the tension.

"Was it like you remembered?"

A simple question. One I turn over in my head. Taking a moment to process before responding.

"It was. Only better." I say truthfully "it was like all of the passion from before, but with more love than ever, and more adventurous than ever before."

I chuckle slightly as she pulls a face.

"Disgusting, Barrow." She says with a grin. "Tell me more."

So I do. I unload on Evangeline all of the events of the previous night. From our first kiss, to spending hours catching up, to waking in his arms, to being flipped over his shoulder, to asking him to stay over and everything that happened after that. She takes it all in stride, nodding along, smiling at the sweet parts, letting out a low whistle that earned her a kick in the shins after the being thrown over his shoulder bit, to raising her eyebrows at the events after I invite him in. She is a good listener. After spilling it all I somehow feel even fuller of life, and happiness. She smiles.

"You seem happy, Mare" she says "I'm glad."

I return her smile. "I really am, Eve."

She squeezes my hand. "I'm glad something good came of this trip" she says, her eyes trailing to her hands.

Suddenly all the weight of why were here seems to fall back onto both of our shoulders. She stumps in her chair slightly as do I. But for much different reason. I check my time keeper.

"15 minutes to 11:00." I say.

She nods. As we begin to clear off the table and head back to our congregation room she chuckles.

"What?" I ask.

"Nothing. I just can't wait to tease you is all. The Little Lightning Girl likes it 'adventurous', just wait til the media gets ahold of this!" She chuckles again.

I flush red. "Evie!" I protest, holding in a laugh "you wouldn't!"

She laughs as well "you're right. I wouldn't. But I will tease you and Cal forever. I hope you know that." She says.

I nod.

"I wouldn't expect anything less."

And it's true, I wouldn't. After all, she is my best friend.