The Way of the Soul by Stuart Jaffe Page B

remained seated with his leg crossed over his knee and his fingers laced behind his head. “You’re talking to me. You don’t have to be putting on a show.”
    “What show? I’m angry.”
    “Oh, I can see that much. But there’s no need to pretend you don’t want Tommy coming along with us. How many times have we been through this? You have always told him you don’t want him taking this risk or that risk, you don’t want him doing magic, you don’t want him coming along on this fight — but you do. He’s saved us so many times. We need him.” Fawbry leaned forward. “Besides, you’ve been wanting him to join back with us since this whole thing started. But first there was the wedding and then suddenly he was married. That normally comes with responsibilities, but marrying the Artisoll meant having to help run the world. Except now a lot of time has passed. I know I miss him. I’m sure you do, too.”
    “Not another word.” She stomped over to the balcony, put her hands out wide on the rim, and breathed in the ocean air.
    She hated the thought brewing within her — Fawbry might be right. No might about it. He was right. She missed her Tommy, missed the sweet boy she had saved from slavery, missed his ingenuity, his strength, and his smile. She didn’t mind that he had married. She was happy that he was happy. But not having his help, not having him traipsing across the worlds with her felt foreign. Just her and Fawbry felt unbalanced.
    Yet she could never ask Tommy to join. And his volunteering felt more manipulative than ever. She didn’t want him along for those kinds of reasons. But who was she to decide what his reasons were?
    She smacked the balcony. Denying what she wanted, something the other person wanted too, because it felt wrong, seemed more wrong than everything else. Her head ached. This was the reason she preferred to shove thoughts like these down deep. No good could come from thinking about such things.
    She had spent her years with Tommy. She had saved his life, and he had saved hers. But to expect that life would not change was childish. They had moved on. He had found love, and he had found purpose within that love. The rest was her petty selfishness.
    Fawbry approached with hesitant but loud steps. He cleared his throat. “I have the same muddled up, conflicting thoughts I’m sure you have about all this. But after spending over a year with you looking for Harskill, I’ll tell you — I don’t think I’m cut out to be your sidekick alone. I need help. If not Tommy, maybe Hirasa or somebody else.”
    Malja straightened and turned around. “Don’t worry. I’m angry because I knew from the moment Tommy volunteered, he’d be joining us. It didn’t matter what I’d say, nothing was going to change that.”
    “And that makes you happy, doesn’t it?”
    “Yeah.”
    “And that makes you angry, doesn’t it?”
    “Yeah.”
    An awkward silence grew between them. Malja had the distinct impression that Fawbry waited for her to open up more. Thankfully, the waiting room door opened, and Tommy stepped through.
    Fawbry rushed over and spun Tommy around. “Good to see you again, friend.”
    Malja approached and offered a solemn grin. “You sure?”
    Tommy punched her lightly on the shoulder and nodded.
    “Then let’s get ready.” Malja headed toward the door, stopped, and turned back. She stood quiet a moment, looking at Fawbry and Tommy — both older, weathered, but still her Fawbry, her Tommy. “We’re all together again.”
    Fawbry laughed. “As it should be. Now let’s get the heck out of here. I’m just dying to get a whiff of that swamp stink again.”
    As Malja turned back, she heard the ocean laughing in the distance.

Chapter 8
     
    Reon
     
    Racing along the top of the pipe, Reon watched the swampland passing beneath her. Insects zipped and fluttered by while rust-colored reptiles dashed away from her feet. On three occasions, she reached a junction in which