Mystic

Chapter 6

Through the freezing cold, the two returned back to the village. Andre jumped to his feet when they walked through the door and Neve wasn't with them.

"If she's not back by tomorrow morning, we're going searching. Once we find her, we're going to the castle," Taryn had said.

"Are you sure?" Andre asked.

Taryn nodded, and without another word, she laid down on the floor of the inn, the wood pressed against her face as she tried to fall asleep.

Andre put Zeph to bed and laid down on the opposite side of the room from Taryn.

The innkeeper walked by the door a few times that night. At every creaking floorboard, Taryn would jump awake, checking to see if it was Neve. It never was. She'd lay back down and try to fall asleep, only to wake up to another noise a few minutes later. Only this time it'd be Zeph thrashing in his sleep from one of his nightmares, or Andre getting up to comfort him, or even just Taryn moving in her sleep.

After one of Zeph's nightmares, Andre was about to go back to sleep when he spotted Taryn sitting up, staring at him.

"Is everything okay?" He asked, sitting down next to him.

Taryn blinked a few times. "Of course, I'm just worried, that's all."

They stared at each other for a moment, the silence passing between them. Taryn tilted her head slightly, staring at the way the moonlight from the window perfectly silhouetted his rough jaw, the indents of his eyes, the slope of his nose, the faint glow of his amber eyes. It came together perfectly, like every part of his face had been hand sculpted by the finest Southern artist on the entire continent.

"Tell me something about you," Taryn said.

Andre raised his eyebrows. "Me? Why?"

Taryn pulled her knees to her chest. "I'm curious. You lived in the south, right? What was it like for you? Why'd you come to Adralis, how did you get to the northern kingdom, what made you leave Rhayda?"

"You sure ask a lot of questions," He said, a slight laugh in his voice.

"You don't give a lot of answers." She said, a slight smile on her face, knowing that Andre couldn't see it.

He laughed and looked away from her gaze for a moment gathering his thoughts. He looked back up, their eyes locking. Taryn held tighter to her knees, waiting to hear his answers.

"Our mother was a drunk," He started. "Neither Zeph or I know who our father is. She would work all day, and then go spend her money at the bar, all by herself, with strange men. I had to fend for myself, which as hard as it was, was fine until Zeph came along. One of our neighbors, though as poor as he was, managed to give us what little food he could, and we used it to survive."

Taryn scooted closer, intently listening to his story.

"Then it just happened one day. I don't know how, or what, but suddenly our mother was gone. As neglectful as she had been, I would lie if I said I wasn't upset. Maybe it's because I thought of all the things that could've been, that could've happened, that didn't. But with our mom gone, I knew there was nothing left for us where we were. I made a plan, and after several tries and several prison sentences, I made it over the border, Zeph right beside me, and we left to the Northern kingdom."

"That's amazing, I never would've thought... you two... I never realized how bad it was for you guys down there."

Andre nodded, a saddened look in his eyes. "There's nothing you could've done," He said. Another floorboard creaked and Taryn's back straightened, looking around for where the sound had come from, looking to see if Neve was there.