"I thought you said you were the only live sentry for while we were down here!" Sunray crouched down at her partner's side once more. She and Raevyn had practically flown to the top platform after hearing an attack from another living darkald.
"I was supposed to be!" Raevyn retorted in shock, standing behind her. "Either we took longer than expected, and this one took his next post, or-" He broke off, his large eyes widening. "-or someone noticed I was missing."
Although she was concerned for Raevyn's safety, Sunray was mainly focused on Night. He'd managed to kill his attacker, but hadn't been left unscathed; there were five deep claw marks across his shoulder, and it looked bad. She gritted her teeth in worry, while Oscuro- standing beside her looking anxiously at his son- had tears in his eyes.
"He'll be okay," she tried to tell the former guardian again. "We just need to get him to Milan."
"Right." He shook himself a little, then knelt down and very carefully picked him up. Raevyn, who still looked nervous, reached up and pushed the heavy door open several feet. With Sunray's help, Oscuro climbed up and out onto the road, then laid his unconscious son gently on the pavement.
Just before Sunray joined them, her darkald friend tapped her on the arm, and she leaned closer to hear him murmur, "I know we couldn't get your mother today because that would risk your identity even further, but I'll bring her to you tomorrow, okay?"
She gazed back at him gratefully. "Thank you so much, Raevyn," she choked happily, then leaned closer to hug him as a thank-you. However, Raevyn instantly flinched away the moment she reached for him, his eyes briefly flashing with fear. She stopped, wondering if she should have asked first.
He looked around awkwardly for a moment, then replied with a forced laugh, "It's, uh, no problem! I think. Um. Yeah."
Although she was a little confused as to why he seemed so flustered all of a sudden, Sunray smiled. "I won't forget this. We'll see you again sometime, right?"
". . . Are you kidding?" Raevyn's eyes narrowed slightly, giving the impression he was smiling, and she breathed a silent sigh of relief that the awkward moment was over. "I don't intend to stand in the sidelines when you two defeat Preciser."
"I look forward to it," she replied with a grin. "Take care of yourself in the meantime."
"Will do." Raevyn gave her a brief nod, then vanished among the darkness right before the large door slid closed again.
Biting her lip, Sunray turned back to Night, who was groaning again, his eyes opened halfway but rolled into the back of his head. Oscuro was waving a hand over his face, but Night wasn't responding.
"I can't wait till he's recovered," she commented softly. "Even before his accident, he seemed pretty stressed and overwhelmed. I kinda miss the older times . . . when we first really became friends. We weren't completely carefree, but things were a lot simpler back then."
Oscuro looked at her for a moment, then smiled faintly. "Oh, trust me, Sunray. Take your own encouragement. If he recovers enough to the point that he's the more mature version of his childhood self, he'll be like that again, and better."
Sunray blinked at him, slightly reassured, then cast a wistful glance back down at her partner. Was that really true?
"For now, though," the older guardian went on, shifting his gaze back down to his son, "we need to get him some help."
She started to ask if Night had told him where he lived, but her partner interrupted by echoing in a shaky murmur, "Help . . ." Slowly, he closed his eyes and feebly curled into a ball, trembling violently the whole time. He croaked, "Please," then vanished into thin air.
YOU ARE READING
Where Light Meets Dark
Teen Fiction[COMPLETED ~ TO BE PUBLISHED... eventually] Sunray was the light, lonely and shining. She was a beacon of hope to the public, but quiet in her own life. To everyone else, anyway. Night was her shadow, sworn to protect her just as much as his home. H...
