The Exodus

by Ali Winters

  After she’d recovered from her injuries, she’d found it in her cloak and had kept it with her since. At first glance, it looked like nothing more than an ordinary watch that needed winding. It sat heavy against her leg and felt strange without a mark’s energy attached. Yet, she couldn’t bring herself to get rid of it. She liked having something of Kain’s with her.

  Outside Nivian’s kitchen window rain tapped gently on the glass, falling to the beat of a silent harmony. The first sign that winter was fading into warmer spring days.

  “Are you free this weekend? I’d like to take you somewhere.” The sound of Kain’s voice broke her trance.

  Tearing her gaze away, she faced Kain. He leaned against the wall and drank from his own cup. A stray piece of hair had fallen across his forehead and obscured one of his eyes.

  “Where?” Nivian asked.

  “I’d like it to be a surprise, if that’s all right?” He pushed off the wall and ran a hand through his hair, the movement expressing his uncertainty over her response. When they had met, he was always confident, but lately, anytime he brought up spending time together, he became another person, not simply a friend, or a Hunter—more human. She studied his hopeful expression and couldn’t help but smile.

  “I’d like that.”

  His eyes brightened with her acceptance. With only three simple words, she was able to create that look on his face. Nivian marveled at the ease it took to feel like more than just a Reaper in his presence. Seeing his joy made her realize that she was looking forward to it, more than she’d expected when she had agreed.

  Kain set his mug down on the counter and closed the space between them. He swept her up in his arms, giving her a tight hug. She laughed at his youthful display and wrapped her arms around his neck as he spun her around once before setting her back down on her feet.

  Her hands clasped a round, metal object. Uncurling her fingers, she revealed the crescent moon with a howling wolf broach. It glistened in the late afternoon.

  “Nivian?” a familiar and distant voice asked as a hand curled over hers. Slowly, she tilted her chin and looked up. His face hidden by the bright light directly behind his form.

  The image grew hazy and faded into darkness. She focused harder trying to bring it back. To see the face behind the shadow.

  “Nivian?” The voice called to her again. But this time it changed, more gentle and warmer than before. A hand gently caressed her cheek. “Nivian? Wake up, we’re here.”

  She blinked into the bright light that greeted her. “Mmmm, wha—” she mumbled glancing around, trying to remember where she was.

  Nivian reached up and wrapped her fingers around Kain’s wrist, holding on to him as if he might disappear any second. Sunlight framed him in a nimbus of light. She forced her eyes to focus on his features and the green gaze sparkling down at her. She leaned into his hand and smiled back. He let his hand slip away and reached over to turn the key in the ignition, silencing the vehicle.

  She strained to remember the details of her dream. Had it been Kain with her? The harder she grasped at the fractured images, the more they slipped away from her, like clutching grains of sand in a tightened fist.

  “I fell asleep?” she asked, still groggy from her unplanned nap.

  Kain’s smile slipped slightly. “If you’re not feeling up to it, we can come back another time.”

  “No, I was just dreaming… I think,” Nivian muttered as she reached down to unbuckle her seat belt. “I’m awake now. I was just trying to remember what it was about.”

  “Was it a memory?” Kain asked tentatively.

  “I’m not sure. It was too fuzzy.” Nivian shook her head pushing the thoughts away. “Where are we?”

  “I think you’ll like this,” he said confidently and opened his door.

  Together, they stepped out of the car. A wave of dizziness threatened to overtake her as she stood, forcing her to lean against the open door for support until it passed.

  Why am I so weak? Nivian wondered, pulling her strength to her. Kain had been looking forward to this trip all week and he would worry if he knew she was feeling off. Instead, she straightened and looked toward the gated entrance before them. Full trees and bushes covered the gate surrounding the area, leaving one two-sided opening for visitors to come and go below the metal archway with curling lettering over the entrance.

  “Zoo?” she asked. “Is this the place with the animals?”

  “You’ve probably seen them all before thousands of times but—”

  “Actually, I haven’t seen many. I’ve spent my time around humans…” She frowned. “Almost always at a distance.”

  “I think you’ll really like this then.” His smile was contagious and his words melted away the lingering shadow of her dream. Kain entwined their fingers together as he led her through the gate, only letting go to purchase tickets.

  Inside, large topiary bushes trimmed into large animal shapes, and plastic tree trunks created arches overhead while a few small shops filled in the spaces between. People passed them, headed in every direction but Kain wove a path between them expertly. Stopping at a stand in the middle of the square where several paths met, he grabbed a paper and unfolded it, revealing a map.

  “What would you like to see first?” he asked holding the paper in front of her. It was odd and not what she expected; the drawings were cute, and next to the name of each species was the face of the animal.

  Nivian looked over the map and considered her options. Having no experience with any of these creatures to know better, she pointed to a small white bear head. She gazed up at his face to see if she’d chosen correctly, but he only smiled as if he knew how random it really was.

  Kain folded the paper and stuffed it in his pocket before taking her hand again. They walked through the park, her trailing behind by a step and a half as she took everything in. The terrain changed as they went, from fake, dense forest, to desert, to grasslands, and swamps. Kain slowed as they reached a massive white building that looked as if it were made of ice.

  “Are you sure you’re all right? You’ve been really quiet.” He asked as they reached the entrance.

  “Mmm,” Nivian nodded. “There’s a lot to see, that’s all.” She smiled up at him to further her point, hoping she hadn’t been swaying while they’d walked.

  “You’ll tell me if that changes?”

  “I will.”

  A musky odor hit her as he pushed open the glass doors. She wrinkled her nose at the offending scent as she blinked to adjust to the lack of light. It was surprisingly quiet and empty considering how busy the rest of the zoo had been.

  “It does take a few minutes to get used to,” Kain laughed.

  The light dimmed even more as they walked through a tunnel made of the same glass like substance as the outside. Coming out the other side, Nivian felt her jaw go slack at the sight of a thick transparent wall that stretched out ahead of them with water filled to the midway point. Fake icebergs lined the back wall and several large, white bears swam around. When Nivian had picked this exhibit, she hadn’t realized they would be so massive. She walked up to the glass amazed at the size of the animal.

  Nivian pressed her hand against the barrier and watched, mesmerized by the graceful dance of one bear as it dove into the water and somersaulted. It passed, pausing to look at her before pushing off the glass with a large black paw opposite her hand.

  She didn’t know how long she stood there watching, only looking up when Kain placed an arm around her shoulder. His eyes focused straight ahead, and he looked at peace with a smile on his lips. Leaning into him, Nivian wrapped her arm around his waist and turned back to the bears.

  When they finally stepped out of the cave-like exhibit, Nivian noticed the sun had moved position in the sky, it was still early yet, but a considerable amount of time had passed. Together, they meandered through the park, the whole time Kain held her hand. She remembered the strange feeling of the first time he’d woven his fingers thr
ough hers, even then it had given her a strange sense of comfort.

  Passing a seemingly empty exhibit, a distant howl stopped Nivian in her tracks. She turned to look into the dense, manmade forest separated from the wall by a deep ravine. Three wolves ran through an opening between the trees. Their grace and beauty made her lips part in wonder.

  The nostalgia they brought at the sight of them released a surge of emotions that was unexpected. Her legs threatened to give out beneath her with the longing and familiarity. Were it not for Kain holding on to her, she would have collapsed.

  Strange… Nivian thought. The image of these playful beasts demanded she remember something, but she couldn’t place what. A ghost of a thought danced at the edge of her mind, staying too far inside the shadows for her to understand. The harder she reached for it, the faster it fled. She knew what they were, though she could not remember seeing one before.

  “Are you okay?” Kain’s worried voice broke the spell they’d woven.

  “Uh, yeah,” she murmured. “I just feel a little tired is all.”

  “Let’s go sit down for a bit.”

  Nivian looked up at him, concern made his mouth turn down at the corners, betraying the lightness in his voice. He knew she was feeling worse then she’d let on, but he wouldn’t push her. A fact she appreciated when even she wasn’t sure why she wasn’t feeling like herself.

  Walking to the main square of the park where the majority of shops surrounded the edges, Nivian took a seat at a wooden picnic table as Kain came around to her side. He placed a palm against her cheek and tilted her head up. The look on his face caused her stomach to tighten as a kaleidoscope of butterflies took flight. Kain leaned down and placed a gentle kiss upon her forehead, smiling warmly.

  Nivian’s gaze followed him as he walked to a shop across the square. Once out of sight, she focused on her breathing. Sunlight flickered through the leaves above warming her skin. Nivian contemplated the feeling. Temperature had never once affected her in such a way. Of course, she’d always felt it, but this was the first time she could recall that it brought about a reaction in her. Musing over the new sensation, she wondered what would bring it about. Kain’s sudden entrance in her life had allowed her mind to open up and free the memories of her death. Could it be possible that his continued presence over the past few months had created this change in her as well?

  “You look pale,” he said holding out a bottle of water and taking a seat across from her.

  “I’m fine, really. You don’t need to worry.” She tilted her chin up and met his gaze, accepting the water with a small smile before taking a long drink.

  Kain studied her for a long moment, eyes narrowed. “I suppose it is warm for a spring day,” he said, relaxing back.

  Nivian couldn’t tell for sure if he was humoring her or not.

  They sat and talked for a while, the branches of a nearby tree hanging over them created shade. It was those moments she enjoyed the most, and they were what she’d wanted since they met. Though, the more time they spent together, the more his green eyes seemed to smolder, burning their way through her walls. The feelings he inspired with just a touch or glance were new to her. Nivian wasn’t sure what to make of it, but she found herself addicted and wanting to explore them to find out what they meant. It spoke to her of an emotion that was both foreign and familiar. Kain reached his hands out to hers and his fingers caressed hers as they spoke. Their conversation wound down, coming to a natural lull.

  “Are you ready to head out?” Kain stood, and offered his hand.

  Nivian followed behind Kain, suddenly tired and feeling drained. The relaxing time in the shade helped keep the world from spinning, but did nothing to restore her energy. Her wide, unblinking eyes stared straight ahead. She didn’t realize they’d reached the car until he spoke.

  “Nivi?” Kain asked, breaking her out of her reverie.

  “What? No… Huh?”

  “Are you okay?” His brows drew together in concern.

  “I know you’re worried about me, but really I’m—” she tried to dismiss his concerns.

  “I know; you’re fine.” Kain pulled her to him, clasping both of her hands in his. “I can tell something’s wrong. I think you should go see Caspian today, maybe he knows what’s happening.”

  Nivian inhaled a sharp breath. He was right, she couldn’t hide whatever this feeling was from Kain, and she knew something was wrong. “All right, I promise.”

  “Okay, well. I have something for you.” Kain let go of her hands and fumbled to unlock the car as he spoke.

  “You do?” she asked with a tilt of her head.

  Without answering, he opened the door behind the driver’s side and leaned in. A slight shimmer caught her eye as Kain turned quickly, hiding an object behind his back as he closed the door with his free hand.

  “Now, it’s nothing big, but I hope you like it.” He brandished a small box wrapped in silver paper covered with a mosaic of lion faces. The light of the early setting sun reflected off the shining flecks, making it look as if it were made from crushed diamonds.

  “Thank you,” Nivian whispered. The box was beautiful. It was the first time anyone had given her a gift, and she didn’t know what she was expected to do. Heat rushed to her face as she hugged the box gently to her chest. Her smile faltered as Kain’s grew.

  “Go ahead, open it,” he urged.

  She appreciated when he gave her cues to what the correct response was rather than scolding her. It was one of the many reasons she enjoyed spending time with him. That and she found herself drawn to him in a way she could never quite figure out. Learning to be a Reaper at the start of her existence had been far easier than learning what it meant to be alive.

  Reapers were simple. They were born with one purpose. The living were much more complex, creating their own rules, their own joys, and reasons for living.

  Gently, she turned the package around in her hands and shook it. Something light shifted, creating a shuffling against the inner cardboard. She plucked at the edge of the paper and peeled it away, careful not to rip it despite the randomly placed tape. Chewing her lip, Nivian flicked her eyes up at Kain before lifting the lid.

  Inside sat a stuffed, white bear with a cute little nose and large black eyes glinting up at her.

  “I had a feeling you would like the polar bears the best.” Kain ran a hand through his hair.

  “You didn’t have to do this…” Nivian murmured starring at her gift. Her fingers stroked the top of the bear’s head and found that it was softer to the touch than she would have thought possible. Lifting the gift out, she studied it. Turning it this way and that, she looked into its sweet, beaming face.

  “I know, but I wanted to. I hope you like it,” he said as he took the box from her hand.

  Hugging it to her chest, it felt like a cloud, and she never wanted to put it down.

  “Thank you. I do—I—” A feeling so overpowering stirred inside her heart, but the words that had begged to fall from her lips retreated to the back of her mind, refusing to identify the truth of what they were. Nivian looked from the bear to Kain, his smile dropped a fraction but his eyes held an all-new intensity to them she’d never seen before.

  Nerves getting the best of her, she dropped her gaze back to the bear and pat its head. “I love it, Kain.” She snuggled the bear against her cheek.

  “Good, I was beginning to—” he started.

  Nivian held on to the bear tightly with one arm and before she could help herself, she threw open her one free arm, hugging him with as much strength as she could.

  Kain let out an “oomph” of surprise, and then wrapped his arms around her holding her to him.

  After a minute, she pulled back, but not enough to remove herself from his embrace. “I’ve never been given a gift before…” she admitted, “At least not one that I can remember.” Those words deflated her, taking a small part of the joy out of the moment when it brought the realization of her missing past to th
e forefront of her mind. “I still can’t remember anything from… before. Maybe I’ll ask Caspian if he can help me when I see him later.”

  “Nivi,” Kain said, tilting her chin up and meeting her eyes. “I know it bothers you, but you’ll remember eventually. Try not to worry for now. There’s probably a reason for it.” Kain spoke with an understanding smile, but there was a tightness to it that made her wonder if he believed his own words. A mortal might have missed it, but her sharp vision caught the difference. The corners of his mouth didn’t raise as they normally would, and his eyes narrowed a fraction of an inch too much. She still couldn’t read humans very well, however, the more time she spent with Kain, the more she had come to understand him.

  She’d agreed to let him take her out on this date under the pretext of just “trying it” but Nivian was glad when the opportunity came up. At first, she rejected anything of the kind on the grounds of him being a Hunter, and her mark at that. Though, even once everything came to light and Silas removed the mark on him, she had kept insisting it was a bad idea.

  Nivian felt every part of her was being pulled to him more and more each day, and it scared her to death. All their adventures were tame and boring compared to the thrill being close to him made her feel. She examined his face, looking for any hint that he felt the same pull she did.

  She nodded. “You’re right.”

  Kain let his hands slide down her arms, his fingers lingering on her hands before dropping to his sides. “Good, now let’s—” His words caught mid-sentence as Nivian stepped away, the heel of one foot caught on nothing but she felt the ground tilt away from under her.

  “Nivi…” Kain caught her and held her upright.

  When she looked into his dark green eyes, she knew it didn’t matter what she said; he already knew the answer to his unspoken question. No.

  “I’m just dizzy, it will pass.” Nivian hadn’t meant to brush it off, but something deep inside her didn’t want to admit that something could be wrong. Though, what could ever befall a Reaper? Reapers didn’t get sick, they didn’t get injured. So why, then, was she feeling so… off?