by Halle Dean
"Ah, sorry," he said. "I didn't realize who you were."
Carl narrowed his eyes. "Who else would it be?" he asked acidly. "This is our house, is it not?"
"Yes, sir," Warner said, noting that the man still carried his weapon. "I only meant that I didn't hear you arrive."
"I didn't notice either," Sophie chimed in, stepping out from behind Warner.
"You seemed distracted," Shelby said curtly.
Warner saw Sophie blush as he felt his own face heat up. "We were only talking," he said. He tried to stay polite, but he was annoyed at the two for interrupting his moment with Sophie. She had embraced him—of her own accord! And other Warner hadn't been there to ruin it.
"I know what talking looks like," Carl said. "That was not it."
"Would you please stop?" Sophie asked. "I was the one who hugged him, so leave him be."
"Sophie, do you remember what we only just talked about?" Shelby asked pointedly.
"Of course," Sophie said. Warner wondered what they had talked about. "I am an adult, Mrs. Smith," she continued. "I will take what you said into mind, but this is my life and I will do things in the way I see fit."
Shelby sighed. "You are so stubborn."
"Yes," Sophie agreed. "Now, we are going to go to sleep. You are going to leave Warner alone. And, in the morning, we are going to say goodbye and be on our way."
"You can't do that," Carl said. "Shelby filled me in on what's happening here, and I am not letting him take you back to your uncle."
"Yes, you are," Sophie said. "It has nothing to do with you and you will stay out of it."
"But, Sophie..."
Sophie just walked past them. "I'm going to sleep."
Carl and Shelby focused their attention on Warner, who didn't know what he should say.
"If I find out—" Carl started.
"I'm doing everything I can to not hurt her," Warner interrupted. "And I can keep her safe from everything else."
"Oh, can you?" Shelby asked, rolling her eyes.
"Yes," he responded, ignoring the sarcasm. "I can. And I will."
"You seem very confident," Carl said.
"I'm confident that I can protect her," he said. "If nothing else, I'm confident of that."
"What makes you—" Shelby started.
"I told you two to leave him be!" Sophie called from the living room. "You are not my parents. You have no need to be so protective."
"If we were your parents, we'd be dead by his hands," Carl said.
Warner looked at his feet in shame, having nothing to say to that. Then, much to his surprise, Sophie strode into the hall and took him by the hand. He let her march him past the two glowering Smiths. He was unable to think of anything except for the feeling of her hand in his. It was the second time she had touched him in as many as five minutes. What was she trying to do to him?
"Um," he said, once she released his hand and he could think straight again. "Why are you suddenly not afraid?" he asked her.
She sat on one of the beds and looked down as they heard the door of the Smiths' bedroom close. "I am still afraid," she said quietly. "But I need Mr. and Mrs. Smith to think that I am not."
"Oh," he said, disappointment flooding through him. Stop getting your hopes up, he mentally scolded himself. Even if she did want to be with you, it can't happen. But that didn't stop him from wishing. And he still wasn't hearing anything from the dark side of him. "So, that's why you hugged me?" he asked glumly.
"No," she said, shaking her head. "That's why I took your hand. I'm not entirely sure why I hugged you... I couldn't stand to see you so… unhappy. I was attempting to improve your mood."
"Oh," he said again. "Well, it worked flawlessly. You can do that whenever you please."
"It wasn't as bad as I expected it to be," she said.
"Well," he said. "That sure boosts my self-confidence."
"I only meant that I wasn't as afraid as I thought I would be," she corrected. "I actually… enjoyed it."
"You…"
"It felt good," she said softly, avoiding eye contact.
You are so pathetic. Suddenly, Warner could feel the darkness pressing against his consciousness again. He almost jumped in surprise at the intrusion in his thoughts, but managed to stay composed. The dark thoughts felt strangely faint, and Warner felt more confident than usual.
I'm not pathetic, he argued.
You're letting your emotions take over, other Warner pointed out.
Yes, Warner agreed. That's a good thing.
Not to me, it isn't, other Warner grumbled. That little brat is almost as bad as Sophie.
Don't speak of my daughter that way!
Perhaps she'll be easier to kill, since she's so small and weak, other Warner suggested.
I won't allow you near her! Warner thought. You can't take control anymore. She gives me more light. So, I'm in charge.
We'll see about that, other Warner mused. A moment ago, you thought I'd disappeared, but you were wrong. You'll be wrong again. I'll get stronger. Just you wait.
"It's not going to happen."
"What?" Sophie looked quizzical.
Warner blinked. He realized he must have spoken aloud. "Oh, I apologize," he murmured, scratching the back of his head. "I was talking to myself."
Sophie leaned back, looking wary. "To your other self?"
Who else would talk to me? other Warner asked.
Quiet, you. "Uh, yes, actually," he said. "He was gone for a while, but he came back to berate me for getting emotional."
"Is he going to—will he take over?" she asked, looking fearful.
Yes, other Warner said.
"No," Warner responded resolutely, both to other Warner and to Sophie. "At least, for the time being, I'm stronger than he is. So, he's trapped. He's only trying to infuriate me because he can't do anything else."
"What is he saying?"
Tell her I'm reminding you that I'm the last one who kissed her, not you, other Warner taunted.
Warner felt himself flush, half with embarrassment, half with anger. "You don't wish to know," he said. "We should sleep now."
"Oh, yes," she said, still seeming slightly worried. "That is a good idea."
* * *
Warner actually slept fairly well, for once. Better than normal, at least. The nightmares were still present, but they were less vivid than usual. He could only barely tell what was going on. Then the dream shifted; it was no longer the worst night of his life.
"Warner, are you awake?" fourteen-year-old Sophie whispered.
Warner rolled over in his bed to see her standing in his doorway, wearing her night clothes. Her hair was messy and he thought she looked nervous. He also thought she also looked beautiful. He shook the errant thought from his mind. "You should be in bed," he reprimanded half-heartedly.
"I can't sleep," she said.
"So, you're going to make me not sleep either?" he asked, sitting up and yawning. "That's very kind of you."
"You're not asleep anyway," she said, walking into the room. "You're still fully clothed."
"Yes, I was up late talking to the knights after the ceremony," he said.
"What will happen now that you are Knight Captain?" she asked, speaking strangely quickly.
"I suppose that I will lead the other knights?" he suggested. "What did you think?" She folded her hands in front of her and looked down at them. Warner couldn't figure out what was bothering her. Why can't she ever say exactly what she's thinking? he wondered.
"Will that mean that you're too busy for me?" she asked.
"Oh," he said, realizing what her issue was. He felt himself blush. Why does she have to be so blunt? he thought. What am I supposed to say? She looked up after he didn't say anything for a moment. There were tears in her eyes.
"So, is that a yes?" she sniffed. "You'll have too much to deal with?"
"Wh-what? Of course not!" he said, standing up and placing his hands on her shoulders. What could he say to make her stop cr
ying? He had to make her feel better. "I'll always have time for you," he said. "What do you expect me to do? Live without you? Impossible." He smiled down at her, hoping he'd fixed the situation. She started crying harder and his face fell. Very good, Warner. You've made things worse. "Ah, sorry," he said, scratching the back of his head. "Was that the wrong thing to say?"
She stood on her tiptoes and threw her arms around his neck, confusing him further. "No, you idiot," she said. He didn't know which part of what he had said made him an idiot, but he didn't care very much. He just returned her embrace, smiling. She said something else, but it was muffled by his shoulder.
"What was that?" he asked.
"Wake up! Wake up! Wake up!" a small voice shouted.
"Shhh. Let him sleep," another, more familiar voice gently reprimanded.
"Daddy, it's time to eat!"
Warner tried to cling to his dream, but something was pressing down on him and being very loud. His eyes opened and were immediately met by two very similar eyes, along with dark, messy hair and a bright smile. Ella was kneeling on top of his chest and peering closely at his face. The little girl grinned even wider when he blinked up at her. She sat up straight and threw her hands in the air, shrieking with delight.
"Quiet down, Ella," Sophie said. "He'll go deaf."
But Warner smiled and sat up carefully, moving Ella into his lap. "Daddy," she said. "You're funny when you sleep. You talk a lot."
"Oh," he said, trying not to look embarrassed. "I was talking in my sleep?" He looked over at Sophie, who was standing at the stove in the kitchen.
She shrugged. "You always have," she said. "At least as long as I've known you.
"Always?" he repeated incredulously. "Why didn't you ever tell me?"
"I didn't want you to know I was listening," she said, her cheeks tinting with red.
"We're eating porridge, Daddy." Ella climbed off of his lap and attempted to drag him along with both hands.
He got up and let himself be pulled into the kitchen area, where Sophie was cooking. Ella sat down at the table, but he remained standing, watching Sophie. He had never seen her cook before. She seemed to know what she was doing though. He wondered if she had learned how to cook while she was locked away by Edric.
"Mr. Smith left for guard duty already," Sophie said. "Mrs. Smith took Mary and went to the market. I've already said my goodbyes to everyone except Ella. Darrell went back to sleep, but I'll wake him before we leave so he can take care of Ella until Mrs. Smith gets back."
"All right," Warner said, still watching her.
She looked up at him, seeming a bit self-conscious. "What are you looking at?" she asked.
"You," he responded simply. Her face flushed and she turned back to the stove. Warner expected a comment from the other part of him, but nothing came. "I didn't know you could cook," he said, wondering why his dark half kept disappearing.
"Oh," she said, starting to ladle the finished porridge into bowls. "I started learning before you left. After—well, once I thought we were going to… be married, I thought I might learn, in case we were ever out of the castle." Neither of them looked at each other as she brought the bowls to the table. "I gave up on it for a while after everything happened," she continued, sitting next to Ella. "But Caroline and Jane taught me a few years ago. That way I wouldn't have to wait for them every time Ella or I got hungry."
Warner sat down on the other side of Ella, unsure of what to say. Instead of speaking, he ate. Neither he nor Sophie seemed to know what to talk about. Ella made up for that by talking almost nonstop. She told stories; some about what happened in her life in Hestia, and some clearly made up on the spot.
"We should go on an adventure!" Ella exclaimed as she finished her breakfast.
Sophie brushed her fingers through Ella's tousled hair and sighed. "Not today, Ella."
"Tomorrow?" Ella asked, picking up her bowl and bringing it to the wash area.
"Be careful with that, sweetheart," Sophie said as the little girl tried to get her dish onto the counter.
Warner got up with his own empty bowl. He took Ella's from her and put them both in the wash basin. Then he crouched down next to her. "Ella," he said. "Mommy and I have to go back to the castle now. We… forgot something. But it will take a long time to get there and come back." He wondered if she even understood what he was saying. "So, I need you to be good while we're gone, okay?"
"If I'm a good girl, you'll come back?" she asked.
"Oh, sweetheart," Sophie said softly, getting up from the table.
"We'll be back, no matter what," Warner said, placing his hand on top of Ella's head affectionately. "But you still need to behave."
"Mmhmm," she said, looking down.
"Good girl," he smiled, ruffling her hair.
"Hey, I just fixed that." Sophie knelt and attempted to flatten Ella's hair back down, but Ella ducked out of the way. She ran to hide behind Warner, giggling. "Ella, get back here," Sophie said, reaching around Warner. He looked at her in surprise as she leaned across him and, only then, did she seem to notice what she was doing. "Oh!" she exclaimed, jumping back as her face turned bright red.
It stung when she recoiled from him. She had done so many times, but each occurrence was as painful as the last. It was almost worse after her closeness the previous night. But he couldn't blame her.
He sighed and stood up. "Sorry. I'll get out of the way."
"My hair is messy like Daddy's," Ella laughed, poking her head around his legs.
Warner patted his hair down, self-consciously. He had neglected to take care of it recently, but he didn't think it looked that bad.
"Don't worry, Warner," Sophie said, grabbing Ella around the middle and pulling the girl into her lap. "You look good disheveled." She pointed to the end of the counter, where some clutter was piled up. "Will you hand me the comb? I believe it's over there."
"Um, yes, of course," he said, feeling a bit flustered. He scratched the back of his head as he handed her the comb.
"You only make it messier when you do that," she remarked with a small smile. "Hadn't you ever noticed?" He dropped his hand to his side. Ella wriggled and tried to escape her hair being combed, but Sophie persisted. "Ella, sit still," she instructed.
Warner wanted to stand there and watch the two girls all day, but he knew they had to leave. He was going to miss Ella. Every time he looked at her, any pain he felt melted away. It was as if she repelled anything negative. In fact, both times the darkness had disappeared, she had been there with him.
Is she keeping him away? he wondered. How could she be doing that?
* * *
Warner had a lot of trouble tearing himself away from Ella—and not only because she held onto his hand. She kept talking and looking at him like she couldn't be happier that he was there. If he stayed any longer, he knew he would never leave, so he, regretfully, handed his daughter off to Darrell. She cried as he and Sophie prepared to leave, which made him want to stay all the more. He kissed her forehead as they said their goodbyes.
"We'll see you soon," he said. "I… I love you, Ella."
She calmed down enough to speak as Sophie hugged her. "I love you, Daddy." She sniffed. "I love you, Momma."
"I love you too, sweetheart," Sophie told her. "Be good!"
"I'm a good girl," Ella promised. "And Daddy and Momma will come back soon."
Every step Warner took away from the Smiths' house made him feel worse. Sophie was crying and trying not to let him see. He was thinking through his whole plan, ensuring that he'd thought of every problem that could come up. There was no way he was going to let Ella down. He would be back.
I'll be back after finishing off Melody and Sophie. The dark thoughts hit Warner hard, making his head hurt. Then it will be much easier to take control.
You will never get anywhere near her, Warner seethed. I'll make sure of that.
You'll slip up, other Warner assured him. I will win. It's only a matter of time.
Fifteen
Reluctant
Sophie plucked at the edge of her blouse as they neared the edge of town. Warner had bought her new clothes so she wouldn't have to wear the dirty gown any longer. She wondered briefly how he was able to afford them, but mostly her thoughts were consumed with Ella. The last two weeks had been so hard without her; she hadn't been away from her since before she was born. It was even harder to walk away for a second time.
"Perhaps you should stay," Warner said, as if he knew exactly what she was thinking. "I'll search the castle again. I'll find Melody this time."
"You searched the castle?" Sophie asked.
"Did you think that I would accept that I had to kill you to get her?" he asked. "No. I only went to find you once I couldn't find her."
"Oh," Sophie said. "Then… how do you expect to find her now?"
Warner shrugged. "I don't know," he said. "All I know is that it isn't fair to force you to come with me."
"What if you can't find her?" Sophie asked.
"I don't know," he said again, looking anxious.
Sophie sighed. "I'll help Melody," she said. "I don't want her trapped there, like I was."
"Sophie, I don't wish to put you through anything else," Warner said as they came upon the south gate of Hestia. He stopped outside the gate and turned to stand in Sophie's way. "It's my own fault she's there, so I shall fix it."
"I've already made up my mind," Sophie said, trying to step past him.
"What if I fail?" he asked, holding his arms out on either side of him to block her path. "Both of you could die. And it would be my fault."
"You aren't going to fail," she assured him. "I can distract Edric long enough for you to find Melody." She paused for a long moment. "But you must promise to come back for me," she said.
"Of course," he said, looking down at her. "But… do you even trust my promises?"
"I don't know," she said. "I suppose we shall have to see. If I survive, then I can trust you. If I don't, then it doesn't matter anyway."
He looked at the ground. "I'll make sure you survive," he said. "Even if it kills me."
"Warner, I grow weary of you speaking that way," she grumbled, crossing her arms. "If you mention your death another time, I'll be forced to hit you."
