Shadow of The Flame

Chapter 8- Telling them

     "Let's do this" he peered over at me his curly bangs falling into his face.

     I brushed them back up with my thumb, smiling at his boyish, goofy, smile. When he gave me that kind of smile it's hard to believe Elara is his mother. I don't think I've ever seen her smile, it's more of an evil smirk. I shiver thinking about her looking at me is terrifying. 

     "It's getting late, tomorrow?" I hedged, pulling my hand away from his hair. Even though this is what I wanted I'm still a little nervous about how this will turn out.

     "Ok," he smiled more seriously, "I'm gonna finish this paperwork, go ahead and go to sleep."

     I started for the door, sometimes I think he's going to work himself to death. 

     "Oh and Mare," I turned back at him gripping the golden door handle.

     "Yes?" I responded, grinding my teeth.

     "Let's keep this between us, let everyone know at the same time," he smiled but something more cold lay underneath it.

     "Ok, good night Maven," I said opening the door, "I love you?" It sounded more like a question, I felt uneasy about how he had suddenly begun to behave.

     "I love you too," he said before I shut the door and speed past the guards outside his study. They flinched, not surprising seeing that the last time I visited guards got electrocuted.

     I strolled back through the corridor, running my hands along with complicated tapestries and molding. Outside the moon was shinning barely lighting the corridor. Something felt off, I didn't feel the familiar hum of electricity. I saw the silhouette of a lanky man outside the long rectangular window. I was too dark to make out who it was but before I could comprehend much about whoever it was he disappeared.

     I rubbed my eyes, must be tired I thought casually. Even so, this is weird, I summoned my lightning, letting it run down my arms briefly lighting the hall. At the end of the corridor, I saw the same figure I had out the window.

    "Hey!" I shouted at him, he ran up the hall and I chased after him, sprinting but he was much taller, I couldn't keep up.

     He led me to a passage the led out of the palace. I chased him to the garden, my lightning still running through my fingers, it wanted to be used but I held back, what if?  No, I can't think like that it isn't him, he died, I saw someone else in the arena. The flower smell flooded my nose and made it slightly distracting. 

     He stopped about five yards ahead of me his back turned to me, it seemed he was looking at the moon, studying the shadows. I couldn't make myself worry, I felt safe and I didn't know why.

     "Shade?" I asked the figure before I could stop myself, the words caught slightly in my throat it almost hurt to say them.

      He stopped starring off, and turned to me, his face shadowed by the moonlight, but the details were there. I let out a light gasp trying to stop myself from screaming, it was him I'm sure.

     "Mare," he spoke softly, smiling sadly, he didn't run towards me like I thought he would or gush over my new life. 

     I ran to him, he didn't run from me this time. I was a few feet from him now, I was so close I could almost feel the heat radiating from his body. I had him grasped in my arms for a moment I thought I felt him rest his head on mine, and I sighed. But it seemed as quickly as I had caught up to him he disappeared from my arms. I looked down at my forearms where I was supposed to be holding him.