knew some Guardians were women. Callista’s was. Who was…”
He tossed the small bag at her, cutting her off. “It’s really late, Chloe. Do you want the first shower, or what?”
She looked from the little bag to him. “You’re dodging my question.”
“Forgive me if I don’t want to talk about dead parents anymore, ok?” She flinched. Mentally, he kicked himself. Her own father’s death was so recent, so sudden. “Sorry. I didn’t mean that the way it came out.”
She just shrugged, face unreadable. “I guess it never gets any easier.” She held up the shredded plastic bag. “What’s this?”
“I thought I saw you looking at it. Go ahead. Open it.” He wanted to be cheerful, but the atmosphere in the room had darkened. He tried a small smile anyway. “I want to see if I was right.”
Plastic peeled off in strips until she held a cut-glass pendant dangling from a black cord. She held it up to the light. The glass distorted the light and colors around it; cupped in her hands, it looked like a shadowy tree with branches that were both skeletal and graceful. “Yes! It reminds me of the apple tree in my back yard. My mom loves that stupid tree. I’ve never seen another like it.” She held it up to the light where it pulsed and sparkled. “I know this is the symbol for the tree of life, but it caught my eye because it reminded me of home.”
“Your tree is from the orchards, in Annwyn Forest,” he told her. “I don’t know why there was one in your back yard. I guess Miranda brought a seed. Or Aran, more likely. He had a way with earth. But back there, there were hundreds of them. You used to climb up into them way too high and I’d have to get you down. Or you’d hide and spy on me as I played with the other boys. Or there was the time you ate a whole pile of apples before they were ripe, and I had to carry you all the way back while you were sick all over the place.” He made a face before he could stop himself. “That was the worst twenty minutes of my life. Until recently,” he added darkly.
She laughed, her dark hair framing her face, and just like that, the room felt lighter. “Ok already! I get it! I was a pain. I’m sorry.” As she slipped the cord around her neck she buried her hands in her face, her shoulders shaking with silent laughter. “Eliot Gray, Guardian mine, I beg your forgiveness and promise never to eat too many unripe apples ever again.” Then she moved fast. Guardian fast. So fast, he didn’t expect it. One hand fingered the pendant while the other cupped his neck. “Thank you. For this little piece of home. Both homes; the one I know, and the one I forgot.” Her kiss was quick as lightening and just as searing. She bounced off the bed and headed towards the shower.
For that, he had absolutely no reply.
He checked the heavy lock and secured the chain on the front door while the room filled with steam and the scent of flowers. He claimed the bed closest to the door by sliding a few weapons under the pillow. His sword he placed openly between the nightstand and his bed. He pulled on worn gray sweatpants, a t-shirt from the Audubon Zoo, and sat cross-legged against the pillows, waiting and fighting off sleep.
Some unknown amount of time later, his eyes flew open into total darkness. His muscles were tense and something warm and heavy smothered his side. He pushed against it, struggling, until her sleep-clumsy arm thumped down on his chest.
“Stop,” she murmured. “Just a dream, Eliot.”
“Chloe?” He could feel her beside him, curled into a tight little ball on her side, facing him.
“Shut up and go back to sleep.”
“What happened?”
“You fell asleep on top of the covers when I was in the shower. I tried to get you up, but you weren’t budging. Then you woke me up twice while you were dreaming, so I covered you up with my blanket and climbed in.” She jabbed him in the side with her elbow. Sharply. “I hate being cold. And sleep deprived.
He tossed the small bag at her, cutting her off. “It’s really late, Chloe. Do you want the first shower, or what?”
She looked from the little bag to him. “You’re dodging my question.”
“Forgive me if I don’t want to talk about dead parents anymore, ok?” She flinched. Mentally, he kicked himself. Her own father’s death was so recent, so sudden. “Sorry. I didn’t mean that the way it came out.”
She just shrugged, face unreadable. “I guess it never gets any easier.” She held up the shredded plastic bag. “What’s this?”
“I thought I saw you looking at it. Go ahead. Open it.” He wanted to be cheerful, but the atmosphere in the room had darkened. He tried a small smile anyway. “I want to see if I was right.”
Plastic peeled off in strips until she held a cut-glass pendant dangling from a black cord. She held it up to the light. The glass distorted the light and colors around it; cupped in her hands, it looked like a shadowy tree with branches that were both skeletal and graceful. “Yes! It reminds me of the apple tree in my back yard. My mom loves that stupid tree. I’ve never seen another like it.” She held it up to the light where it pulsed and sparkled. “I know this is the symbol for the tree of life, but it caught my eye because it reminded me of home.”
“Your tree is from the orchards, in Annwyn Forest,” he told her. “I don’t know why there was one in your back yard. I guess Miranda brought a seed. Or Aran, more likely. He had a way with earth. But back there, there were hundreds of them. You used to climb up into them way too high and I’d have to get you down. Or you’d hide and spy on me as I played with the other boys. Or there was the time you ate a whole pile of apples before they were ripe, and I had to carry you all the way back while you were sick all over the place.” He made a face before he could stop himself. “That was the worst twenty minutes of my life. Until recently,” he added darkly.
She laughed, her dark hair framing her face, and just like that, the room felt lighter. “Ok already! I get it! I was a pain. I’m sorry.” As she slipped the cord around her neck she buried her hands in her face, her shoulders shaking with silent laughter. “Eliot Gray, Guardian mine, I beg your forgiveness and promise never to eat too many unripe apples ever again.” Then she moved fast. Guardian fast. So fast, he didn’t expect it. One hand fingered the pendant while the other cupped his neck. “Thank you. For this little piece of home. Both homes; the one I know, and the one I forgot.” Her kiss was quick as lightening and just as searing. She bounced off the bed and headed towards the shower.
For that, he had absolutely no reply.
He checked the heavy lock and secured the chain on the front door while the room filled with steam and the scent of flowers. He claimed the bed closest to the door by sliding a few weapons under the pillow. His sword he placed openly between the nightstand and his bed. He pulled on worn gray sweatpants, a t-shirt from the Audubon Zoo, and sat cross-legged against the pillows, waiting and fighting off sleep.
Some unknown amount of time later, his eyes flew open into total darkness. His muscles were tense and something warm and heavy smothered his side. He pushed against it, struggling, until her sleep-clumsy arm thumped down on his chest.
“Stop,” she murmured. “Just a dream, Eliot.”
“Chloe?” He could feel her beside him, curled into a tight little ball on her side, facing him.
“Shut up and go back to sleep.”
“What happened?”
“You fell asleep on top of the covers when I was in the shower. I tried to get you up, but you weren’t budging. Then you woke me up twice while you were dreaming, so I covered you up with my blanket and climbed in.” She jabbed him in the side with her elbow. Sharply. “I hate being cold. And sleep deprived.
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