by A. K. Koonce
What Do You See
Luca seems drawn to Gabriel, I’m not sure why. He’s the opposite of every male in this community. Maybe that’s his appeal... The one armed, redheaded, blind hybrid that sticks out like a fish walking on land.
Through the throng of people, she leads us. They shift aside easily, making way for the two of us like tiny fearful row boats trying to avoid a hurricane. Luca’s confidence is evident with every deliberate step she takes, in the way her shoulders are held, in the way that her hips sway as she walks. I realize where we were going the moment his voice carries over the crowd to us.
I don’t know if my body will ever not recognize Asher’s. Before I can even see him, my nerves are on edge, aware of his location like a magnet pulled to hard metal.
The crowd parts and Asher and Gabriel appear, standing against the tree line—outsiders looking in. No one gives them a second glance, but to my surprise, Kaino is there with them. Strangely enough, he’s smiling—something I have never in my life seen the commander do. His smile is wide and wolf-like, white teeth fully on display. His hulking mass shakes at the shoulders from something that Asher says to him. The three of them laugh among themselves, amazing me even further when Asher pushes the commander’s shoulder lightly, causing them all to laugh a bit more.
Their good mood falters and evaporates at the sight of us. Even Gabriel is aware of the change without seeing a thing.
“Good evening, Fallon, Luca,” Kaino says, nodding politely to us, his personality turning bland the moment he sees us.
I smile at Kaino as Asher takes a drink from his cup, seemingly disinterested in both myself and Luca.
Kaino looks around like he might make his escape plan, like I’m suffocating him with my mere presence. I suppress an eye roll but Luca wastes no time joining the men, ignoring the awkward hum that surrounds us.
“You guys aren’t dancing tonight?” she asks a bit sarcastically.
The idea of Kaino moving his hips, arms or feet for any purpose besides warfare seems unrealistic to me but I say nothing.
“I would but you haven’t asked me yet,” Gabriel says shrugging his shoulders at her.
An unsure smirk pulls at Luca’s full lips as she eyes the hybrid, taken aback by his reply.
“Are you flirting with me, hybrid?” she asks, raising her head higher to meet his empty, white irises. A flicker of fiery curiosity ignites her eyes.
“Absolutely.”
She steps closer to him. He doesn’t move but I can see his breath falter slightly from her nearness, his wide chest hesitant to breathe around her. He stands tall, maybe an inch taller than Luca, his muscle tone is even and strong but not overbearing, more lengthy than bulky.
“Why?” she asks in a speculating tone, tilting her head at him, a soft line creasing her brows.
Why? Is she serious? She’s a bit intimidating sure, but she’s beautiful. Not that Gabriel knows that, I suppose.
“I’d be an idiot not to.”
“How do you know I’m not hideous?” she says, studying him up and down, taking her time appraising the unseeing hybrid.
“Are you?”
He smiles at her, his teeth a brilliant slash of bright white and Luca leans into him at the sight of his kind smile.
A few moments pass between them, the beat of the drums counting each second.
“Of course not,” she says confidently, pushing her bronze shoulders back straighter.
“I’d have to be more than blind not to know that, Beautiful.”
Her usual glaring eyes and tight set lips break into a genuine smile at his words. Asher’s eyebrows rise over his cup as he takes another long drink. He steals a glance at me and I can’t help but smirk at the situation that’s unfolding around us. Even Kaino isn’t scowling… For the moment at least.
“Do you want to dance?” Gabriel asks, touching her arm lightly, his fingers lingering against her caramel skin.
She wastes no time, grabbing his hand and pulling him into the mass of people, disappearing from sight.
And I’m alone. With Kaino and Asher. The two mystics I avoid as if my life depends on it.
Perfect.
A silence stretches around us. Asher stands between us, his eyes drifting between Kaino and myself, waiting with a smirk to see which one of us will break first. It’s a game to him, one he can easily win. His years of experience within the compound makes silence a friend to him.
Why did I come with Luca tonight?
I take a deep breath, my feet shifting nervously on their own accord.
“You look pretty tonight,” Kaino says without emotion, waving a wide hand vaguely in my direction.
If he’s being honest, I don’t believe it. Kaino looks about attracted to me as a mouse is to a napping cat.
I roll my eyes at him as a laugh bubbles over Asher’s lips.
Asher bumps his elbow into Kaino’s arm. “You didn’t tell me you were such a charmer. Got to give a guy warning before you use a line like that.” Dimples mar his beautiful face as he winks at the stunned commander and casually walks away, brushing his chest against my arm as he weaves around me. His skin is against mine for mere seconds. The lost look in his eyes as he stares down at me breaks my heart, his eyes dip to my mouth as he swallows hard and in an instant he disappears into the crowd. Leaving me out of breath and alone with Prince Charming himself.
What a jerk.
* * *
Hours pass, the dawn threatening to overtake the skyline, and finally with reluctance, I decide I should go to bed. Night terrors have consumed my dreams for the past several nights. I wake sweating and shaking, wishing badly that Asher was there with me… If only I had the nerve to talk to him publicly, to find that closeness we once had.
I toss my empty paper cup into the fire and stand from my dusty spot on the hard ground. Kaino abandoned me long ago, Luca and Gabriel have kept me company off and on before disappearing into the night together.
As I leave, I see Declan sitting alone, his legs spread wide as he watches the celebration, his shoulders slouching low. I pause near his spot along the outskirts of the crowd, set far away from the others.
My heart slips a little, dipping for just an instant as my eyes meet his.
“Are you okay?” I ask, kneeling at his side.
A slashing white smile fills his face, a smile that I don’t believe for an instant. “Perfect, thanks for asking.”
I swallow, wondering why he alienates himself like this. Why did he say those things about us? I thought we were friends…
“Are we okay?” he finally asks, his eyes focusing on the empty cup in his hands.
I clasp his palm in mine, it’s warm and calloused… Just like him.
“Yeah, we’re okay,” I say with a half-smile. “Could you help me get something? Supplies?” I ask, an idea crossing my mind.
“Of course. What do we need? I’ll take care of it.”
He sits forward now, his forearms resting on his thighs, coming closer to listen to my instructions.
Ripper makes his way from an enormous group of children, they all track the happy dog’s every move. Out of everyone, Ripper might be the only one unaffected by what happened last year. The dog trails over to me on quiet paws, dancing at my side until I run my fingers through the short white hair at his temples.
“Can you get into the Department of Human Health?” I ask Declan in a conspiratorial whisper.
One of his blonde brows cocks high for just a moment before he nods slowly.
A real smile fills my face, excitement pushing through me. Declan’s lips quirk, a smile almost touching his lips as he sees my happiness.
I explain to him what the supplies are and what they might look like at the department, supplies that would normally never be wasted on lower class citizens. Supplies that Declan will have to steal from the government.
Declan agrees easily, not questioning why I need what I do, though I’m sure he knows. The special medical supplies are not something normal
mystics need but will help one in particular.
There’s nothing left to do. I make my way through the crowd and follow the shoreline to the mass of trees that my pallet resides in, Ripper follows me through the night. I don’t make it into the forest though. There, standing at the shore is the walking image of the corpse I watched float away from me, never to be seen again. Until the Infinity witch stole her reflection.
My stomach sinks as her eyes meet mine. My mother smiles and the pain builds in my chest.
My feet move, walking toward her like I’m coming home after all this time. A low growl signals Ripper’s dismissal. I stare after the little dog as he makes his way back to the children that love him. Some things never change. Ripper might always be wary of some of the mystics, but mortals have harmed him more than anyone…
The witch and I stand side by side, the breeze shifting strands of her hair all around her worry-filled face.
“Sorrow so heavy I think it might cripple you fills your eyes whenever you look at me,” she says as she glances down at me “What do you see when you look at me, child?”
She isn’t anything like the first Infinity witch I met. She isn’t lust filled or conniving. A feeling of wisdom and worry rolls off of her petite shoulders as she wraps her arms around herself.
I shake my head, not wanting to answer her.
“Answer my question and I’ll answer one of yours.”
I stare up at her, her face is so painful to look at.
“My mother, I see my mother.” My voice shakes but I don’t allow the emotion to grow. “Why are you different from the other witches?”
She smiles, a tired look that etches thin lines around my mother’s beautiful face.
“Because I’m done. I wait for no one, other than death, my child. I spent centuries devouring love like a vulture to decaying meat. And I’m… exhausted. I want to be light again. Like youth before the dawn of adulthood, like sorrow before the tears, like the power of trust and the weakness of envy. I want to be full and I want to be empty all at the same time…”
My eyes widen at her confession.
“How long have you lived?”
“Sometimes life isn’t about the number of years lived, but the amount of emotion felt.” Her pale eyes appear lighter in the clear moonlight. She studies me for a moment, my mother’s features smoothing into a sight of kindness. “In all of my life, I’ve never once had anyone look at me the way that hybrid looks at you.”
I swallow hard and blink up at her. How does Asher look at me?
She lifts her arms and dithers for just a moment, unsure of herself, before wrapping her thin arms around me, embracing me.
“What do you wish you would have told your mother?” she asks, as I cling to her, wishing I would just push this strange witch away but also never wanting to let go.
My breath catches, coming out uneven and harsh, as my lungs grow tight. “I-" I gasp in an attempt at finding my breath again. “I wish I would have said thank you.”
She knew that I loved her. So much. But she didn’t know how much I appreciate all that she did for me. She lost her life to give me a better one.
“You’re welcome, Fallon.”
Chapter Ten
The President
The much-awaited Treaty Celebration is finally here. My stomach fills with dread at the thought of meeting the representatives. Luca’s swift fingers tangle my waves into a simple knot, a few loose tendrils curl around my face, threatening to cling to my lips.
“The mortals don’t have much taste but I think this should do,” she tells me, her mouth twisting in a look of uncertainty as she eyes my hair.
“That sounded incredibly close to an insult,” I say as my eyes narrow on my friend.
She smirks at me, the dim light catching her golden-like eyes as she appears lost in thought. Flipping her long maroon hair, she turns away, striding to the door in a few long steps.
“I’ll meet you at the dinner in just a few minutes.” She races from her hut without explanation, the thin door creaking shut behind her, leaving me staring after her.
That was odd. She seems to be in a bit of a hurry.
Raske’s warning for the hybrids to stay out of sight tonight circle my mind. I wonder if she’s helping them hide, if she’s using it as an excuse to get closer to Gabriel.
I sigh and begin pulling on my dress for the evening. It isn’t the Wanderer’s normal attire. It’s a black dress that falls to my mid-thigh with thick straps over my tan shoulders. The smooth material feels nice against my skin. It swishes around my thighs with each step I take, reminding me of how calming the simple fabric feels. It might help me with my nerves tonight.
The sound of the door shutting quietly is heard as I pull the dress over my thighs. My heart skips a beat as I hold the fabric to my chest, glancing over my shoulder my gaze collides with hungry eyes.
Asher clears his throat, brushing a hand through his messy hair as he hastily looks to the floor. “Sorry, I-” he stammers. The always assured hybrid can’t seem to fill a sentence right now.
A shy smile pulls at my lips as I finish pulling on the black formal dress, the dress hugs my shoulders, barely revealing any skin in the front. The length of my spine is displayed with the low dip of the material in the back.
I face him when I’m fully clothed and he finally meets my eyes again, a sweet smile fills his face.
“I just wanted to see you before everyone got here,” he tells me in a quiet voice.
He crosses the small room until he’s just a foot from me. His eyes trail over my skin, making a flush creep over my neck and face from the appraising look he’s giving me.
“You’re beautiful, Fallon,” His voice is barely a rasp. “You’re always beautiful.”
I lean into him, unable to help the pull I feel when he’s around and he wraps his arms around me in an instant. The beat of his heart fills my mind as he just lets me relax against his body. The anxiousness I felt moments ago isn’t there anymore. I breathe in his warm scent as I nestle into his chest, my hands slipping around his trim waist, brushing over the hilt of the Crimson Sword as I go.
“I wanted to tell you to be careful tonight,” he says against my hair.
Just like that, the calmness is pulled out from under me.
“Why?”
“I know what Raske intends for you.” I shift until I’m looking up into his concerned eyes, a thin line creases between his brows. “I—I’m not going to—I don’t want to talk about that.” He closes his eyes and takes a deep breath before meeting my confused gaze again. “The government isn’t just going to let him join the races. Be careful of your words. I wish I could tell Raske to be careful, as well. Don’t put yourself in danger for him.”
I swallow hard, knowing he’s right. I’ve thought the same thing hundreds of times. I nod and lower my head back to his chest, hoping to find the comfort I had. But it’s gone. A nervousness churns my stomach as he holds me close. I close my eyes against the growing dread that is now heavier than it was before.
I won’t have Asher to lean on tonight.
* * *
At Luca’s side, I sit, shifting restlessly in the hard chair that bites into my spine. The tent has been lowered, we’ll eat beneath the shining stars tonight.
In silence. The ever present drums that accompany the celebrations are not beating through the wind tonight.
“Nervous?” Luca asks, quirking her eyebrow at me as I wiggle in my chair once more.
I bite my lip and nod. No one has joined us yet aside from Kaino and Shane, who sit side by side. The two don’t speak or even acknowledge each other. Stiff posture fills their broad shoulders as they stare off into nothingness. They’re odd, almost intentionally ignoring one another.
The need to turn away from them fills me as their uncomfortableness begins to seep into me. I glance toward the head of the table as Raske and a group of five walks toward us. They take in the sights of our camp, admiring the display of mystic
s as if they’re a rare commodity instead of a shunned community.
Kaino stands, meeting his father’s eyes, his hands held neatly behind his back.
“President Docile, you remember my son, Kaino,” Raske says, waving an arm proudly to the warrior standing before them.
I find it strange that Luca isn’t mentioned once. The daughter of the lord apparently isn’t of importance.
The president is an even stranger sight. Dressed in all black from head to toe, a shrouding black veil covers the woman’s face. Soft blonde hair slips out beneath the curtain, revealing a single feature to us. The uneasiness flips in my stomach again at the hidden sight of the president.
Why is she dressed like that? Is that the way everyone dresses in Congress? Has she lost someone she loves? An appearance of mourning symbolized in her attire…
I glance toward Luca but she doesn’t return my confusion. A charming smile is plastered across her lips as she gazes at the president.
“Please take a seat. Dinner will be served shortly,” Raske tells them in a formal voice that I have never heard before.
I sit on my hands to keep myself still as the group of representatives begin taking their seats across from us.
A man pulls out the seat across from me. As he’s about to take his seat his dark eyes meet mine, stopping him in his tracks.
“Ayden?” I stand, an astonished smile filling my face, the strange president and my anxious nerves all but forgotten.
“What are you doing here?” he asks, his eyes tracing every curve of my body, seemingly searching for injury where there is none. “Are you all right?”
He comes around the table, holding me by the arms as he does his assessment at a closer stance. An enormous and filling happiness floats through me, making me unable to contain the smile on my face.
“I’m fine, Ayden.”
Everyone has stopped what they’re doing and is now watching us intently. Kaino and Shane have even snapped out of it enough to realize something is happening, their eyes moving from me to the representative that has me clasped in his hands.
“I thought I’d never see you again,” he says in a quiet breath.