A Collection of Short Stories

Part Four: Dez

It was the burning that started to get to me. My muscles screamed in protest, but I ignored it just like I had been for the past three and a half weeks. That's how long Lucan had been gone. When I woke up to the note, he left me, I couldn't stand still. I paced in circles contemplating. But it took only minutes for me to make the decision to completely defy his request. Ember and I were packed and gone soon after. Since then, I had barely slept, barely eaten, barely taken a second to breathe. I understood that he would be angry with me for trying to find him and that he needs time to mourn the love of his life. But he is my family, I can't just let him slip away. I heaved a sigh as I leaned against a tree, squeezing my eyes shut for just moment. I hadn't let myself mourn Taredd. I felt as if I didn't have the right. He was my best friend, a part of the family that we created. His absence felt like the loss of a limb. I'm not sure how I should function without him. And with Lucan's absence on top of that, I don't think I can bring myself to function at all.

"Let's rest, love. For a moment at least." Ember's voice was a soft whisper inside my head. I felt her arms wrap around my waist, and her head rested on my shoulder. All the exhaustion, the fear, the crippling darkness began to melt away. I twisted around in her grip and latched on to her. With my face nuzzled into her neck, I let myself breathe for the first time in weeks. She held me like that, in silent comfort until I felt like I could speak again.

"I love you." My raspy voice choked out. Though it wasn't the first time I had said that to her, this time she needed to hear it just as much as I needed to say it.

I laced my fingers in her pale white hair, bringing her face close to mine. Our lips almost touching but not quite. And then she closed the distance, and everything froze for just a moment.

Ember abruptly separated from me, and her gaze snapping upward. Her milky-white eyes were fixated on a tree in the distance.

"There's something up there." Ember spoke in my head, a hint of apprehension apparent in her tone. I grabbed the front of her jacket and pulled her into me, tucking us behind a tree.

"I'm going to go check it out, stay here and watch my back." She nodded, and I pulled my bow off my shoulder and slid an arrow into place.

I rolled quietly down a small embankment and crouched my way to the other side of the tree that Ember was focused on. I saw movement, there was certainly someone or something up there. I raised my bow, poised to send an arrow out without a second thought. But, just then a gust of wind blew the branched to the side, and the thing that I was prepared to kill was in full view. It was a child. No older than eight years old, I was sure. I looked at Ember and shook my head, lowering my bow, to let her know that it was okay. I slung my bow over my shoulder and approached the tree. I gazed upward, and there he was. A thin framed boy, with hair as dark as a raven reaching his shoulders, and piercing green eyes looked down at me. He was quiet, and still but his eyes sent a message that he was not one to be tampered with. We held eye contact for what seemed like forever. I believe it felt as such, not because of the intensity in his eyes, but because he didn't seem to blink, not even once. His eyes snapped over to Ember, who was now standing next to me. They looked at one another with an unmatched focus, Ember was communicating with him. I watched her, trying to figure out what she might be saying, but my eyes snapped back to him when I heard the branches shift. He landed on his feet in front of us in one swift motion. I knelt down, a small smile pulled at the corners of my lips.

"Hi, my name is Kai." I smiled softly and glanced up at Ember. "And this is Ember. But I'm sure she's already introduced herself."

"Dez." He spoke so quietly I could hardly hear him.

"That's your name? I like that." I reached for my bag and he flinched, bracing to climb back up the tree. I paused, putting my hand up to show that I am no threat. "Are you hungry? We have food if you'd like some,"

His eyes widened, and he sat on the ground grossing his legs. Ember grabbed the tomato from my bag and knelt down next to me, setting in in the grass in front of him. Dez wasted no time, grabbing it. He devoured it in seconds and asked politely for another. We obliged.

After he was finished, there was a small smile on his face that hadn't been there before. I laughed quietly, sitting down next to him.

"So, are you out here alone Dez?" I asked him with a warm tone, hoping that he could trust me.

"No, you're here, aren't you?" Though his voice was distant and questioning, his words made a fond feeling rise in my chest. Ember glanced at me, the smile on her face grew wider.

"I guess you're right, huh?" He was trying not to smile, but I could see that he wanted to.

"You can come with us if you wanted to." Ember spoke, her voice as smooth as silk. I was surprised. We had just met this boy, we knew nothing about him. It was evident that he was human. And just from my observation, I could tell that he may have been a shadow sorcerer. A part of me wished he would say no because he could be dangerous. Lucan taught me to be that way. Weary, and closed off, for my own protection. But I saw a bit of myself in Dez, and I knew that if we had walked away without him that day, there would always be a sense of regret within me. My eyes snapped to him, and I waited for him to say something. Anything.

I didn't realize how much I had wanted him to say yes until he did.