The Crossing (Book 1)

Chapter 12

     Trill smiled down at Cera, "I need to eat something. I'm feeling a little tired and its hour's past dinner time. Let me eat something and then I will tell you about Noa."

     Brae stood up and watched as Trill walked out of the room. Running his hands through his hair he stood behind Cera and watched as she turned away from him. He could only imagine what she was thinking at this very moment. There's no way she's believing any of this. I'm hardly believing this. If she had the chance, she would probably run straight to the cave and try to figure out how to get home. Brae shook his head and balled both hands into fists. No! She can't leave. I have to convince her to stay...with me. But why would she want to? She's getting married. He closed his eyes and let all his sadness wash over him.

     Walking around Cera, Brae plopped down into Trill's chair and looked at the fire feeling disbelief, lost, and completely alone. From the day he was taken to live with his Aunt he had waited to hear the truth about what had happened the night his parents had died. He had wanted the gaps filled so that the story of how they died could be complete. One minute he was playing with his family before bed and when he was woken up, they were gone. Brae had never had the chance to say goodbye and that hurt him more than anyone could imagine. He looked at Cera when he heard her shoes slide against the floor. Cera. Brae repeated her name in his head over and over again. He watched her shake her head and frown at the fire before turning to look at him.

     Cera turned to sit back in front of the fire and held onto her legs. What? Cera turned and looked up to Brae's desolate eyes. She could have sworn Brae was calling her name over and over, but he wasn't. He wasn't even moving his mouth. Cera kept her eyes locked with his and though she felt she should look away from him, she couldn't bring herself to do it. The way Brae was looking at Cera kept her from turning away; as if she was captured, and for a split second she thought she was and didn't want to be set free.

     Brae slid off the chair and onto the floor next to her, his arm brushing hers as he put his arms around his legs like Cera. Brae stared at her face, roaming his eyes over every inch as if he could memorize every detail from this moment. He grabbed a strand of her hair and slid his finger over it until the strand fell back into place. Brae cleared his throat as Cera's eyes glanced at his hand and then shook his hand through his hair, "You must be dry by now, I know I am."

     Cera watched him run his hand through his shiny black hair and her stomach jumped. She breathed deeply and blinked a few times before pushing the forming thought out of her mind, "How are you?"

     Brae laughed in surprise, "You're stuck in a foreign land, surrounded by strangers and creatures you never knew really existed, just found out an enormous amount of information about people you have never heard of and you're asking me how I am?"

     "Of course I am. Brae, I don't know you but I feel," Cera bit down on her bottom lip, stopping herself from saying what she really wanted to say, "I would never wish anything like that for anyone. I know what it's like to not have your parents. My parents died in an accident, yours...well, it's not the same. But we both don't have parents. So yes, I'm asking how you are."

     Brae's eyes narrowed as he tried to look into Cera's mind, "What do you feel?"

     "I'm sorry?" Cera was caught and her pulse quickened, "What do I feel?"

     "Yes. You said, 'but I feel' and then stopped."

     "I don't know," Cera looked into the fire, "I lost my train of thought for a moment."

     Brae smiled knowingly but didn't push her as he looked into the fire with her, "You must think we're all crazy."

     "Surprisingly," Cera shrugged a shoulder, "I don't think that."