Til Death

26. Blake

BLAKE

The bags underneath Ignacio's eyes had lightened and his laughter had begun echoing through these empty halls. Watching him reminded me how to do it. I sat at the end of my bed, wrapped up in my sheets and watched in awe as Ignacio recited a novel, changing his voice to suit different characters and sometimes impersonated the characters like he was really putting on a play. For so long, I was a baby bird with broken wings and now, I could feel them flutter.

"And that concludes chapter three!" Ignacio announced and as he bent over in a grandiose bow, I clapped with the thunder of a full crowd. I shot off little sparks from my fingers to add to the effect. Just the way Ignacio had taught me.

"Thank you, thank you. I'll be here until the end of time." Ignacio bowed again.

"Can you read the next chapter?"

"Yes, but I promised Myrtle that I'd get you to eat a full plate."

"I will!" I grabbed the brass tray of beef stew and crunchy bread with butter. Grinning, my eyes grew wide with excitement as I insisted, "I'll even have seconds!"

Ignacio laughed again and I brightened at the playful sound.

Then, there was a knock at my window and I held my breath, holding it still inside my chest. Carefully, I sat down my tray and prayed they'd just go away if we didn't make a sound. But Ignacio cocked his head as a man on the other side whispered, "Henry? Are you there?"

My blood ran cold while Ignacio took a step towards the sound the way cats do hearing mice squeak. Throwing off my sheets, I grabbed Ignacio's arms. I couldn't hide the panic in my whisper. "You have to leave this instant."

"What? Who is that—"

"No one. Pretend you didn't hear anything."

Ignacio dusted off his old somber expression, putting it back on like a well-worn coat. "I can't... I can't lie to Edward."

I squeezed his arms. "It's not a lie if you never tell him. If it's never brought up. If he asks if  someone came to see me, it's not a lie if you say you were my visitor."

"Henry, I don't—"

"Henry? I'm already sick to death with worry and not hearing your answer will drive me insane. I shall break down this door if I have to." Nicholas called from the door, his voice booming. That sound nearly brought me to tears as it resonated deeper than my bones. Down to my very soul. Nicholas.

"Please, Iggy go," I begged. "Don't tell Edward."

Ignacio's eyes stayed trained on my balcony, but he still vanished from my hands in a puff of red smoke. I whispered to the air, "Thank you."

"Here I go!" Nicholas warned again and I jumped to attention.

"Don't! Don't!" I shouted, running to my balcony door and throwing the curtains to the side. 

My heart jumped up into my throat, cutting my air off. The light of the outside blinded me for a moment, but when my eyes adjusted and the world settled around me, I looked up at my own personal sunshine after centuries of a cloudy winter. Somehow, Nicholas was more beautiful than I remembered. He pressed his hands against the glass, tense all over. I worried if I knocked him with the door, he might shatter and I'd lose him again.

The second I opened the door, Nicholas pushed inside and threw his arms around me with so much force, we both stumbled into the middle of the room. He picked me off the ground, putting me on my toes as he breathed me in. "I was going mad without you. Ask anyone in the village. They were quite ready to run me out." He took a deep breath of me again, holding my body even tighter.