Convergence - The Last Science #2.2 - Heroes and Villains

Interlude VII - Call of Destiny - IX

  As they laid out the sleeping bag near the fire that night, Riley watched it crackle with fascinated eyes. "So you can just... feel it?" she asked.

  "Yeah." Rufus had taught him how to find the fire's enchanted logs and feed them more magic to keep them burning. They already had a strong supply, and he fed them a bit more to keep them alive until morning. The effort took a lot out of him, but he was already planning to go to sleep anyway, so he didn't mind.

  "I'm... I'm still thinking about it," she answered, to his unspoken question.

  "I get it, really," he said. He laid down on one side of the sleeping bag, grateful for the nicer pillows that Matthew brought him. "If you have to go, I understand."

  "But you're staying here, right?" she asked.

  "...Yes. This is..." He trailed off.

  "What?"

  "It sounds too cheesy," said Lani, embarrassed.

  "I love some good cheese."

  "It feels like this is my destiny."

  She didn't laugh, to his relief. Instead, she sat down—and instead of getting in the bag as he expected, she laid on top right next to him and pulled the blanket over them both. Her long bag sat next to them, just a few feet away.

  "It doesn't sound cheesy," she said softly.

  "No?"

  "I mean, I don't really believe in destiny or anything like that," she went on, "but what do I know, right? Magic turned out to be real, so who knows what else might be?"

  "She saved my life, then she saved it again when I awakened. It doesn't feel like coincidence," he explained. "Meeting you, too. It can't be."

  "So now I'm your destiny too?" she asked.

  Lani's face lit up red. "I mean—"

  Riley laughed gently. "It's okay. I don't mind. I didn't really think anyone would ever say something like that about me." She hesitated. "I kinda like it."

  Lani smiled. She leaned forward and kissed him, and he returned it, with the fire crackling nearby and the sound of the stream rattling along outside.

  "All right, let's get some sleep," she said, finally breaking it. "Even if I end up only staying here a few days, I want to make the most of it."

  Lani nodded. He grinned, since he hadn't told her about the second trick with the fires. He sent the command like Rufus had taught him, and suddenly all the light went out. The whole cabin was plunged into darkness.

  "Whoah," she murmured. "But... it's still warm."

  "Yeah," he agreed.

  "Magic, huh?" She laughed. A few minutes later, she was asleep. As Lani started to drift off, he felt her moving in her sleep—and slowly, she came to rest next to him, pressing up close for warmth.

  He wondered what Jeremy would think, knowing how Lani had come so far in only a day when he'd been investigating for months without any kind of progress like this. Thoughts of Jeremy were driven away by the magic he'd found, including his ability to summon spirits which was almost totally unlike anything Cinza's people had shown him. His thoughts of magic were driven out yet again by memories of Grey-eyes—her awakening him in the tent, their conversation, and how she had saved him from near-certain death up in Canada.

  Thoughts of Grey-eyes were replaced, finally, by the long, exciting couple of days he'd spent with the exciting, adventurous young woman, still gently clutching his hand while she slept next to him. Lani's eyes slid closed and his mind faded away with that warm thought. He finally felt content. He wasn't searching for answers anymore, or for a reason, or anything else so existential and philosophical. He didn't need to keep moving, after having migrated across oceans in search of a place to stay. The spirits filling the world around him had shown him the way.

  Lani was home.