by Lenore, Lani
Now, after a period of healing and a bit of help from Wren, as well as the native people that had grown to love him, Sly was walking and moving on his own without difficulty. The only thing that had changed about him was that he could no longer communicate with the land. With the sun’s gift however, he still knew a great many things. He had been teaching Wren to use the power that was formerly his, for it was her duty to carry on now.
There was always something in the way Sly looked at her – faced her, rather. The corners of his small mouth were always soft and smiling fondly. His manner never ceased to astound her, and she would never, never forget what he had done to save her life.
He knelt down beside her, and she felt as though he was looking right into her eyes from behind his bandages.
“I know you feel that there’s a lot of pressure on you, but you can’t force yourself,” he told her in that gentle, endearing way of his.
He took her smooth hands in his clawed ones, pressing them to the ground.
“Think of the roots,” he instructed. “Ease the earth. Make it feel comfortable and safe, so that it won’t be afraid to be fruitful.”
Wren tried once again to focus. She thought of roots and blooming petals, touching the ground very gently to soothe it, but it was still difficult, even having Sly with her. Perhaps she was wanting it too much?
“I’m not relaxed,” she confessed, shaking her head and blaming herself for it.
She turned away from him, reaching her hand into a bag to scatter a few seeds across the ground. She paused to look at the names etched into the boulders. Henry, Nix, Mech – and many others, along with a list of the orphans that had lost their lives those years ago. The fallen – they deserved to be remembered. These loved ones were gone from her, and they would never be forgotten, but there was no doubt in her mind that they all would have been proud of what she had done.
Nodding briefly to herself, Wren lowered her hands to the ground once again, and this time it did not take much.
The ground accepted the seeds. Before, the soil had possessed no imagination for bringing things up on its own, but with these tiny maps, it was ready to construct. Roots buried themselves into the ground. Green stems sprung up before their eyes, branching out with leaves and blossoms. Colors flowered in their vision, and while Wren concentrated, the others were in awe as the land began to understand what she wanted. The seeds themselves were precious and few, but a small number seemed to get the process started in a large area, as if, when presented with a seed, the ground said: Ahhh yes, I remember.
The plant growth spread down the slope, filling the barren spaces with lush, flowing grass and sweet-smelling flowers. It spread to the bottom of the hill, and that was as far as it went before Wren sank back, feeling tired.
She let herself rest, looking around at the others in her midst – the remaining members of the Wolf Pack, at her side until the end.
Toss took a deep breath of the scented air, stroking Bruno. Finn instructed Mach concerning the Tikilin mechanism. Calico kissed Sly, holding his hands. They talked softly. It did Wren’s heart good to see all this. It was as if none of them were aware of the lingering darkness.
She heard their lighthearted chatter, but the smile soon fell from her mouth. She looked out into the distance – toward the sky – and her brow furrowed. Though she was happy to have the remaining members of her family around her again, one of them was missing and she was keenly aware. How could she not be? He meant everything to her.
Wren had tried not to mourn Rifter’s absence. Of course she was often sick with worry, losing hours of newfound sleep to bitter tears, but she had made her choice in what she would believe.
He will come back. He has to come back!
She did not know what had been in his mind when he’d gone into the sun, though she’d often tried to imagine it, but she could not believe that he was gone forever. She would not believe that.
A light touch on her shoulder drew her back, and she turned to see Sly standing next to her, bandaged eyes directed toward the distant horizon.
“He’s still out there, you know,” he said to her. It was a reassurance as much as a lie, but Wren agreed.
“I know,” she said. “I just hope that he’s alright.”
“He will return,” Sly promised, and she considered his words prophecy.
Wren lifted her eyes, glancing toward the burning orange sun for only a moment before she looked away. It left a black spot in her vision, much like the hole in her heart.
Come back, Rifter, she sent to him silently – wherever he was. The world needed him to survive. She needed him. And she would be there, waiting, no matter how long it took.
In the darkness of the fall, Rifter opened his eyes. He was alone, plummeting through space, chilled by a harsh and bitter cold. His body was weak with a pain like he’d never known, but worse still was the torment within his mind as his last memories flashed across him. Rifter was alone with them now. There was no one to take them away.
He was still smoldering, unconscious for days, but even as his skin healed, he opened his mouth and released a piercing yell for all the anguish that was pent up inside him.
His voice traveled across the empty expanse, but no one was near to hear his pain. He was utterly, completely, alone.
***
Thank you for reading! If you enjoyed it, please leave a review and rating to let others know how much you liked it!
Look for the final book in the Nevermor trilogy, Shadow Sun, coming 2015!
About the Author
Lani Lenore is a writer of gothic horrors and dark fantasies. In addition to rewriting well-known fairytales with a twist, she also writes original stories in a style she calls ‘dark fairytale’, which uses fairytale elements to build horror and fantasy stories. Most of her tales, though horror, have a subplot of romance. She loves to keep readers on the edge of their seat, spook them, and immerse them in worlds of beauty and terror.
She is currently continuing work on the Nevermor trilogy. If you’re a fan, check out these links to get connected with news and info.
Visit the Project Nevermor blog to get more information on the series http://projectnevermor.wordpress.com/
Follow Lani Lenore on Twitter https://twitter.com/MissLenore for information about upcoming works!
Like Nevermor on Facebook! https://www.facebook.com/pages/Nevermor-by-Lani-Lenore/553358604674836
Find Lani on Goodreads: www.goodreads.com/MissLenore
Also, see more art by Nevermor cover artist Omri Koresh: https://www.facebook.com/omrikoreshart
