had, Tor might be alive and the Lands of Men might still exist. Earth might have been a better place.
He squinted, seeing someone near a patch of evergreens and big round bushes. He paused, pulling the Mini to the curb and rolling down the window. A young boy, maybe eight years old, emerged from the bushes, clutching a teddy bear. Jet-black hair, striking blue eyes and chapped white lips greeted Elwen with a silent hello as he approached the Mini, his feet bowing inwards like he was a penguin.
“Terminal ward?” Elwen asked when Krishani was near enough to hear him.
The boy bit his lip and nodded, gesturing to the back seat. “Get me out of here,” Krishani said; his voice paper thin and scratchy. His eyes look desperate and frightened, like a tiny animal. This wasn’t like the boy Elwen knew so different that something in him snapped.
Elwen’s pulse skyrocketed as he unlocked the doors and slid out, folding the seat forward to allow Krishani into the back. The boy shuffled across the sidewalk with bare feet, shivering at the cool August air. Elwen slammed the seat back and ducked into the car, pulling the door closed behind him.
“I hope you don’t get caught,” Elwen muttered as he pulled up to the cul-de-sac and rounded it, the hospital grounds surprisingly empty at 2:00 am He rumbled down the street, doing forty instead of twenty and rounded the sharp turn at the end of the street. He glanced at the rearview, Krishani clenching and unclenching his fists, his jaw set in a tight line.
“Darkesh won’t …”
Elwen grimaced, the familiarity of what Krishani had become radiating through his decaying form. “I meant the bobbies.” Elwen didn’t relish the idea of kidnapping a young boy but Krishani devoured the soul and if he didn’t take care of him, another body would end up in the ground, another family would grieve, and Elwen would feel slightly responsible for what he’d never been able to do: control Krishani.
“They’re only human, I can handle them,” Krishani seethed and for an eight-year-old boy he seemed vicious.
Elwen glanced at the rearview again, meeting Krishani’s electric blue eyes and pale face. “They have guns, we need to be careful.” Elwen pulled onto Lewisham High, heading back to the apartment but stopped, smiling at his own stupidity. The place would be swarming with the very thing he wanted to avoid.
Krishani looked defeated, twisting his small hands in his lap, the teddy bear against his polka dot clad thigh. “Then go somewhere safe.” He went back to gritting his teeth and picking at his cuticles.
Elwen sighed. He turned and began driving north. “We’ll need to pick up a few things,” he said absently as he thought about northern England and the residence he abandoned in the eighteenth century. The mansion was still there, and hopefully the rumors about it being haunted remained. He could settle there until he figured out what to do. He glanced at Krishani through the rearview, curiosity in his bones. “Why are you doing this?”
Krishani let out a long sigh, his head drooping forward. “I wanted to know what it’s like to be young again.” He sounded sarcastic. Elwen’s eyes tightened, not in the mood for games. “I need to find someone,” Krishani amended.
Elwen smirked. “That’s going to be tough with the illness. How long do you have?”
Krishani fidgeted, looking out the window. “It’s not about how long I have; it’s how long I need.”
“How long do you need?”
“Forever.”
Elwen laughed. “You won’t get that.”
“I’ll settle for as long as humanly possible.”
Elwen smiled, catching the irony. He set his hands on the steering wheel and continued around the outskirts of London. He needed to stop by an old friend for clothing and food, and head to the mansion in Leeds. The Bobbies wouldn’t look far for the boy and nobody would notice him missing until it was already too late to find him. Elwen had no idea what else
He squinted, seeing someone near a patch of evergreens and big round bushes. He paused, pulling the Mini to the curb and rolling down the window. A young boy, maybe eight years old, emerged from the bushes, clutching a teddy bear. Jet-black hair, striking blue eyes and chapped white lips greeted Elwen with a silent hello as he approached the Mini, his feet bowing inwards like he was a penguin.
“Terminal ward?” Elwen asked when Krishani was near enough to hear him.
The boy bit his lip and nodded, gesturing to the back seat. “Get me out of here,” Krishani said; his voice paper thin and scratchy. His eyes look desperate and frightened, like a tiny animal. This wasn’t like the boy Elwen knew so different that something in him snapped.
Elwen’s pulse skyrocketed as he unlocked the doors and slid out, folding the seat forward to allow Krishani into the back. The boy shuffled across the sidewalk with bare feet, shivering at the cool August air. Elwen slammed the seat back and ducked into the car, pulling the door closed behind him.
“I hope you don’t get caught,” Elwen muttered as he pulled up to the cul-de-sac and rounded it, the hospital grounds surprisingly empty at 2:00 am He rumbled down the street, doing forty instead of twenty and rounded the sharp turn at the end of the street. He glanced at the rearview, Krishani clenching and unclenching his fists, his jaw set in a tight line.
“Darkesh won’t …”
Elwen grimaced, the familiarity of what Krishani had become radiating through his decaying form. “I meant the bobbies.” Elwen didn’t relish the idea of kidnapping a young boy but Krishani devoured the soul and if he didn’t take care of him, another body would end up in the ground, another family would grieve, and Elwen would feel slightly responsible for what he’d never been able to do: control Krishani.
“They’re only human, I can handle them,” Krishani seethed and for an eight-year-old boy he seemed vicious.
Elwen glanced at the rearview again, meeting Krishani’s electric blue eyes and pale face. “They have guns, we need to be careful.” Elwen pulled onto Lewisham High, heading back to the apartment but stopped, smiling at his own stupidity. The place would be swarming with the very thing he wanted to avoid.
Krishani looked defeated, twisting his small hands in his lap, the teddy bear against his polka dot clad thigh. “Then go somewhere safe.” He went back to gritting his teeth and picking at his cuticles.
Elwen sighed. He turned and began driving north. “We’ll need to pick up a few things,” he said absently as he thought about northern England and the residence he abandoned in the eighteenth century. The mansion was still there, and hopefully the rumors about it being haunted remained. He could settle there until he figured out what to do. He glanced at Krishani through the rearview, curiosity in his bones. “Why are you doing this?”
Krishani let out a long sigh, his head drooping forward. “I wanted to know what it’s like to be young again.” He sounded sarcastic. Elwen’s eyes tightened, not in the mood for games. “I need to find someone,” Krishani amended.
Elwen smirked. “That’s going to be tough with the illness. How long do you have?”
Krishani fidgeted, looking out the window. “It’s not about how long I have; it’s how long I need.”
“How long do you need?”
“Forever.”
Elwen laughed. “You won’t get that.”
“I’ll settle for as long as humanly possible.”
Elwen smiled, catching the irony. He set his hands on the steering wheel and continued around the outskirts of London. He needed to stop by an old friend for clothing and food, and head to the mansion in Leeds. The Bobbies wouldn’t look far for the boy and nobody would notice him missing until it was already too late to find him. Elwen had no idea what else
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