The Return
Incomplete YA-ish Fantasy Stuff
"I've forgotten the language," she said softly. Her nose was so close to his that she had the strange sensation of breathing the same air between them. In and out, both of them sharing. "It's been too long, Declan. You know that."
His eyes were closed and she studied his eyelids, the dark and almost feminine lashes resting against pale cheeks. His mouth, turned down slightly at one corner in either concentration or bemusement. "All you have to do is close your eyes." He took her hand in his, effortlessly finding it though he could not see her. Giving it a squeeze, they both gasped softly as the tiny spark of electric current surged through their palms. "You'll remember," he whispered after a moment. "Ok..." she said hesitantly and slowly closed her eyes. She breathed in slowly, deeply and suddenly her breath caught in her throat. She moaned softly at the strangeness of the sensation. A ball of energy seemed to be growing in the center of her chest, pushing aside her lungs, making her breathless. She felt the familiar golden glow fill her until she could see it against the back of her eyelids. Warmth pulsated from her center out into her arms and legs, her entire body tingling with anticipation. "Take my other hand, Briony," came his soft voice, his lips so close she could feel his breath on her own. She started to lift her hand from her lap and paused. She knew what this would be like and she wasn't sure if she was able to handle it yet. She wanted it so badly but there was no going back after this. No takebacks, he'd warned. It was all or nothing. All or nothing. Was she ready for all or nothing? Was she ready to go with him and never come back? Was she ready to stand back and watch him leave without her? She wasn't ready for either. Dammit, why did it have to be all or nothing? Why couldn't things stay as they had been? Quiet and perfect and hopeful. The golden glow began its fade into white hotness behind her eyelids and the energy in her center threatened to burst through her skin. She felt no pain but the struggle of her decision. She bit her lip and he felt her hesitation. "Oh," was all he said and began to let go of her right hand. Her heart convulsed in her chest and nearly stopped as the connection began to be severed. Suddenly it was all too clear what she had to do. What she wanted. She reached for his other hand and squeezed it hard. The circuit was complete and they exploded into the intense white heat within them. It was a sweet amalgamation of both intense fiery pain and purest pleasure. She gasped and gripped his hands tighter, almost pulling herself into his lap as wave after wave of sensation throbbed through her body. She felt his fingers tighten against hers and she held on as if her life was dependent upon keeping the connection. Then it was over. The waves ceased and a sense of exhaustion settled over her as though she had been running full-tilt for hours. Perhaps she had been. Perhaps the intensity had stemmed from how hard she had run away from him before he'd caught up with her and pulled her toward his world again. Opening her eyes, still gulping after breath, she gazed at his quiet, beautiful face. "Declan?" she whispered. "What is it?" he breathed, also opening his eyes. His lips curled upward just a bit at the corners in a gently mocking expression as he took in her shock. She glanced around and felt her fingers clench at his even more impossibly tighter. He didn't flinch, rather pulled her closer as her body naturally desired to move, until she was nose to nose with him again. And then she was in his lap and his lips were in her hair. His breath was so soft, so tender against her that she felt tears spring into her eyes even as the confusion of what had just happened began to rush in with overwhelming power. "Where... where are we? This isn't what I remembered." And that was true. The landscape, though still verdant and vast and exquisitely lush, was disrupted. Something was out of place and it didn't take her very long to figure out what was amiss. Several yards from where they sat entwined was a dark patch of black dirt. The grass and trees had been uprooted and shredded. It was a horrible patch of leftover violence from some unseen horror. It made her throat feel thick and tears finally begin to stream from her eyes. Declan closed his eyes and turned his face away. "The war," was all he said. And his face explained the rest. He had brought her here to fulfill the destiny she had been designed for so long ago. The one reason she was still alive in spite of the dogged pursuit of the Hunters and the impossible escape she had made those five years ago from this place. It all flooded back to her in rich colors and echoing voices. "I'm here to die. Aren't I?" she asked in the softest of whispers. "How could you bring me here now?" "I... we needed you," he answered and a lone tear slid silently down his cheek to the corner of his perfect lips. "You're the key." Briony's jaw dropped and her eyes turned fierce. Pushing away from him with both palms on his chest, she pulled herself to her feet in one, smooth movement. Turning around in a circle, she surveyed the land. From where the land seemed to join the sky in the west, to the smokey black barrenness in the north, to the large forest surrounding Mount Hostrinder in the east and south. Her fists doubled at her side, fuming, she kept her eyes searching the horizon and the ground. She felt him stand up beside her but she said nothing. The land was scorched in so many places that it took her breath away and renewed the tears that had been falling earlier. He reached for one of her clenched fists, his face now a composed mask of determination. "We have to go, Briony. They'll know we're here in a matter of moments." Pulling her hand away from his touch, she whirled on him. Her voice was low and every word clipped short between her clenched teeth as she seethed. "Do you think I really care now? You tricked me! You brought me here so I could be your stupid key. Well, I don't want to be a key. I want you to take me back. Now." "Good grief. It's like the last five years never happened. As though you haven't grown beyond 12 years old. Though you were less petulant at 12." His voice was even, unperturbed but she saw the faintest flicker of annoyance in his eyes. Or was it something else? She tried to look closer but the look was gone now and he took her wrist firmly. "We have to go." She began to open her mouth to protest, but his words had pierced her bravado and she faltered. "W-why? Why do we have to do anything, Declan?" "Now, Briony. We have to go now." And he was running, almost dragging her behind him eastward toward the forest and Mount Hostrinder. Her feet struggled to catch up with the sudden forced movement. Declan glanced quickly over his shoulder only once as he pulled her along behind him. She caught sight of what looked like fear in his expression before he turned swiftly, pulling her so hard that her shoulder felt as though it was being yanked from the socket. She screamed in pain and stumbled until Declan lifted her up and tossed her across his shoulder, plunging suddenly into a stand of spruce trees on the edge of the forest. A few minutes ago she might have kicked at him and insisted he let her down but all she could do was hold on as tightly as possible to his shirt. They weren't far from the mountain and she knew he must be trying to get her up into some hideout or safe house hidden there. And she could hear them now. They were so close she could almost smell them. The Hunters. She had never seen one but she had always been able to sense them in her world. Here, they were well protected by their special brand of magic and it was a miracle even Declan had become aware of them before they were too close to run from. Suddenly she was tossed to the ground and he held her arm to steady her. "Get up the tree, Briony," he said hurriedly, glancing over his shoulder again. The trees were larger here. Not just spruce anymore but what looked like the great redwood forest they had left from in her world. Girding one massive reddish trunk in front of her was a netting of ropes forming a makeshift ladder that was all but invisible from a few feet away. Briony reached one shaking hand for the rope netting and hoisted herself up. Declan followed behind her and they climbed as quickly as she was able. About twenty feet up, the trunk shuddered violently and Briony lost her grip on the net ladder, falling backward into Declan with a barely stifled scream. He caught her with a soft grunt and clung to her, pressing her against the tree with his body as the trunk shuddered again. "What are they doing, Declan?" Briony whispered, trembling so that her teeth chattered. Declan looped one wrist around the net ladder and used the other hand to position her better so that she could begin to climb again. His face pained with the exertion and his answer was scarcely audible. "They're cutting it down. Climb. Now." Her fingers were slick with the perspiration of her fear and her heart fluttered in her throat as though it were trying to escape before the tree fell beneath her. She kept slipping and once her boot caught Declan in the face. He made no sound. She wasn't sure how going up was going to help them if they were cutting down the tree but she worked at it. Higher and higher they went. The thudding on the trunk was less noticeable now but it was still so hard to climb on the net as her body rebelled. Then she saw the ledge of a rocky outcropping that jutted out from the side of the hill and the zip flyer nestled into the tree leaves. As she reached for the last loop of the net ladder and pulled herself onto the ledge, the tree tilted dangerously sideways. Declan reached up a hand to the ledge and missed. Briony screamed, "Declan!" and reached out for his hand as the tree fell away, taking Declan with it.