Eleanor Stargazer

Chapter Seven

"Can you see me?
I'm dancing on my own
Can you hear me?
I'm crying out for help
Is it ignorance?
Or selfishness?
You said stay here
But I'm running out of air
I hope you know
As I wait
I suffocate"

- Suffocate, Hayd

Damian

His uncle. His father? Damek was still sitting where Damian had left him. His head in his hands. Damian cleared his throat, shifting his gaze along the dark floorboards.

"Damian?" Damek's husky voice whispered hopeful.

The floorboards creaked as Ellie's footsteps approached. Damian glanced at her, and with an encouraging smile she nodded. He turned his gaze back to where Damek was sitting but did not look up.

"I don't want to talk about it. This." He kept his eyes on the dry floorboards. "But there are big things happening right now, life and death sort of things, so we should focus on that. For now." He sighed, trying to push the events of earlier out of his mind. "We need to talk to help Ellie and the kingdom."

"Damian." There was a grimness in Damek's voice. "Look at me."

Damian scratched his head as he shut his eyes, struggling not to replay the words father and Damek in his head.

"Damian." Ellie whispered, her cold fingers pressing the palm of his free hand lightly.

He sighed, dropping his hand, hesitantly looking up at Damek.

Damek just stared. He didn't seem confused or shocked. He just looked at Damian, his face a blank canvas.

"My eyes..." Damian's voice trailed off. Why did he have to explain what was clear to see? "Wait, why do you not look surprised? Did you do this too? Did you unbind me or something because I now know the truth?"

"I did not undo the binding, Damian." Damek sighed, picking up the half-peeled potato and kitchen knife again.

"Are you seriously going to peel potatoes now? When I'm trying to talk to you?"

"It helps me think." His uncle, Damek, let out a breath, a sad smile curving on his lips. He looked at Damian. "Looking at you, with your eyes like that, it makes me worried. It is difficult for me to think when I am worried about you, Damian."

A big frown knotted between Damian's brows. He was angry and pained, and he wanted to show it. His hands were now balled up fists, his nails cutting into his palms. He does not get to be calm, when I'm like this.

"Damek," Ellie's gentle, but firm voice made him shift his gaze to her, his fists opening. "If you didn't unbind him, who did?"

Damek's hands stilled, and he took a second before turning his head to face Ellie. "You." He answered. "You undid the binding."

Eleanor

"What?" Ellie sputtered.

"You did this." She waited for Damek to break out in laughter or something. Instead, he just gave her his regular sad smile that he has been giving out these past few days.

"What do you mean she did this? How could she do this? Were you not the one to bind me?" At least Damian was talking to him, be it a bit angry.

Damek sighed again – another regular occurrence in this household it seemed.

"If I did this. You would have known. It takes time to undo a binding. It is not an easy task to bind someone, and much harder to undo it."

"Then, how come she could do it?"