Enaya: Solace of Time
Page 33
He extended his arm forward, clutching stone that protruded from the floor with all his might, and he pulled himself closer to the wall. Then, he did it again with his other arm. His muscles tightened and he lost his strength with each pull, but he made it. He pulled himself up, breathing against the stone. Urine decayed the place, but he inhaled a deep breath anyways, trying to catch it. He peered through the small opening and could see the frost on the ground. He smiled. It was a sight of life.
He stuck his lips against the opening and breathed in the cold air. He exhaled and closed his eyes, leaning against the wall. He remembered it. He remembered the sand, the gray skies, and ocean. He remembered Ashera holding him. He remembered her watery eyes, her smell, the warmth of her breath. He remembered everything and it played out in front of him.
“Don’t give up,” Ashera said, reaching for Nile’s hand.
“It isn’t that easy,” Nile replied.
“Then let me lift you up,” she said.
Nile opened his eyes and peered through the opening. He missed her so much. He longed to kiss her. He longed to hold her and laugh with her. There were all these sensations that ran down his spine that he just wanted to feel again.
He took a deep breath and leaned his forehead against the cold wall. His fingers picked at the stone and he closed his eyes, slowly rolling himself over to his back and sitting against the wall. It was a few moments before he realized that his face was wet with tears.
***
Ashera was never much of a singer. She sang the regular wizard hymns her uncle had taught her, but she never sang to herself or in front of people unless she had to. Ashera had almost forgotten how to sing. Her memories had been consumed with fear and pain.
However, Ashera sang on this day.
Her song was beautiful and sad, telling the story of a love never forgotten. Nile Whitman. She thought of him every day and wondered if he was alive. It pained her to know if he had died. The thought was lonelier enough, but what if he did? What if they beheaded him, burned him, and hung him? What if Norcross dragged him out and shot him? What if . . . ?
It killed her, but she remained hopeful. She remembered one of the last things Nile had said when they were being separated. The Ancrya had landed into the dome and Nile was shoved out after just waking up. His hands were tied behind his back. He stood to the side with four soldiers behind him and watched Ashera depart the ship and stumble, by force, toward the opposite corner.
They had stared at each other and Nile forced a smile. He was just as scared. He stayed strong though. He looked at Ashera and said, “Have hope.”
Ashera’s hope carried her every day.
It was revealed in her song.
Then, her song became tears and she found herself falling to the floor, grabbing the bars. She looked up, peering through the steel and at the wall opposite her. She reached her hand outward, arching her fingers.
She whispered, “Il ac’s yeur bejari.”
Nothing happened. Ashera had lost her magic. She hadn’t seen the moon in months, and the moon could not hear her whispers. She had tried every day to bring down that opposite wall, only hoping to see Nile.
But Nile Whitman could be dead.
Every day, it was the same thought that forced her to push her hand down and slide it between the bars. She fell to the floor as thoughts of Nile’s smile flashed through her mind. There was nothing more she wanted than to be with Nile, in life or in death. There was nothing more she could say or do to bring him to her.
Even though she thought that Nile might be dead, she believed he was on the opposite side of the wall by himself. She imagined him sitting in his cell, crying for her, wanting her, missing her.
And the truth was, even though she did not know it, Nile was sitting on the opposite side of the wall. He was in his cell, peering out of the coin-sized hole missing Ashera, but Nile never thought that Ashera was on the opposite side across from him.
Two lovers had been separated by stone.
And one day, they would meet again.
About Justin C. Trout
Justin C. Trout lives in Southwest Virginia, where he has obtained a master’s degree in education with a specialization in counseling from Lindsey Wilson. Aside from writing and counseling, Justin is an actor and has appeared in a number of independent and short films. He was also a director for his directorial debut indie film Fade Out. Justin lives in the mountains with his wife and children.
Justin can be reached at justin@justinctrout.com
To find out more about Justin and Enaya go to:
www.justinctrout.com
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Twitter: @JustinCTrout99
Facebook: facebook.com/ Justin C. Trout
Table of Contents
Chapter 1: To Every Beginning
Chapter 2: The Moon Song
Chapter 3: Something Ancient
Chapter 4: Something New
Chapter 5: A Twenty-One-Day Good-Bye
Chapter 6: Nightmares
Chapter 7: A Parallel Universe
Chapter 8: The Kingdom of Walsh
Chapter 9: Across the Ridge
Chapter 10: Eight Hairy Legs
Chapter 11: The Prophecy
Chapter 12: The Fall of Hope
Chapter 13: A Time for Peace
Chapter 14: Ripples in the Air
Chapter 15: The Ancrya
Chapter 16: A Stroll Down Memory Lane
Chapter 17: The Fall of Man
Chapter 18: The End of Innocence
Chapter 19: Solace of Time
Chapter 20: The Fate of Us All
Chapter 21: The Growth of Evil
Chapter 22: Ashera
Chapter 23: Return to Solace of Time
Chapter 24: Close Call
Chapter 25: The Snake Queen
Chapter 26: Azeul
Chapter 27: Old Man Bancroft
Chapter 28: A Place of Solace
Chapter 29: Peoria
Chapter 30: The Nightwish Inn
Chapter 31: Rats for Supper
Chapter 32: The Forgotten Season
Chapter 33: We Are Brothers
Chapter 34: They’ve Come
Chapter 35: Defeat
Chapter 36: The Truth
Chapter 37: The Angel of Solace
Chapter 38: Keys to the Heart
Chapter 39: Beneath the Dome
Chapter 40: Shebris
Chapter 41: The Undead Army
Chapter 42: It Starts Here
Chapter 43: Far From Home
Chapter 44: Death
Chapter 45: Capture
Chapter 46: Walk With Me
An exclusive chapter from Book 2
About Justin C. Trout