After War Storm

Mare

I wake with a jolt, covered in sweat, shaking from my nightmare. He's crying again. I must have been screaming, it must have woken him.

Still feeling the effects of sleep, I climb out of bed, rubbing the sleep crust from the corners of my eyes and approached the cot in the corner of my room.

"I'm sorry, baby," I cooed to the small bronze-eyed boy sat in front of me. His glossy black hair sticking up from where he slept on it.

I reach into the cot and pick up my small child, cradling him in my arms. He is hot to the touch, as usual when he is crying. I don't care. I rock him gently back and forth in my arms and his crying starts to cease. "I'm sorry I woke you."
"Mama," he says, bringing a wide smile to my face.
"Time to back to sleep now," I tell him, carefully placing him back in the cot and tucking his black and orange blanket around him.

I have officials been a mum for 1 year and 4 months. I still can't really believe it. And after everything my little baby is a Burner.

I haven't told him yet but I plan to very soon. It's not fair that he doesn't get to see his son grow up. I have to go back but not just because of the baby.

Clara is 2 now and her teleporting has got Farley going crazy though currently Clara is staying with us whilst Farley is in Norta. I would be too though, if I were her. I don't have to worry as much, just keep little Tiberias away from a fire and we should all be safe. No flame maker bracelets yet; I don't want him setting fire to his cot in the middle of the night.

2 years. It had been 2 years since I'd left Norta, and him. 2 years since I had moved to Montfort. 2 years since my new life had begun.

2 years and I hadn't received one letter from him. I knew he was alright. Julian has written to me. Not a lot but enough that I knew he was  well, as in physically. I never knew how he felt. Julian never told me. I guess he thought it would mean I made the choice to return sooner than I would have done otherwise. He wasn't wrong. If Julian had told me that he was in pain, I would have gone back immediately. I couldn't stand the thought of him being in pain.

Being me, I had refused to be the one to write first. I had wondered if that was the reason he hadn't been writing but I had never been one to give in.

I was finally going to return. I missed him. He didn't know I was going back. I hadn't told anyone yet, except for the Premier because I needed a flight back and he had been the one who would arrange that flight. I had told him two days ago. And I'd told Julian in the last letter I had written to him, two weeks ago. I had specifically told Julian that he could not tell him. I had only told Julian because I thought someone in Norta should know I was coming and the main Silver on the council would be a good start.

I needed to go back. I missed him, a lot more than I would admit to anyone. He needed to see his child. I could not keep that from him any longer. It would be unfair to him and selfish of me though it was not something I would do begrudgingly, I very much wanted it to happen. Then there were the nightmares. I knew he would have them too. Mine were mainly of Maven though many included him and my son but if it was them, it was nearly always of them at the hands of Maven being killed or tortured with me stuck watching, helpless.

I fingered the red earring that had never left my ear since I had pierced it. I had six piercings in total, including his earring: the three from my brothers, the green one from Kilorn and finally the one I had gotten to match Gisa's.

My fingers moved to one of my other earrings: Shade's. There wasn't a day that I didn't miss him. Ptolemus had never been my favourite person, even before he had killed my brother but we got on a bit better now because of my best friend: Evangeline Samos. Once a powerful Samos daughter (though she still is a powerful person just not in the same way), once betrothed to my love (on two separate occasions), once my enemy. That faded partly when she saved me from Maven what seems like a lifetime ago. Not entirely, but it was gone now. We had bonded during our new lives in Monfort. She was now married to Elane and Ptolemus (who was now married to Wren) had provided them with a child, which Wren had given consent to, so Elane was now 6 months pregnant. Evangeline thought I should have returned to Norta a while ago.