The Dreamer and the Deceiver (The Last Light Book 1)
Page 11
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“Emil, you’re always out here, I swear. It’s like there’s no point in you even having your own room in the house!” He watched the quiet reflection of the stars that shimmered up above and then he turned his gaze. Her warm smile shined brighter than the sun to him, bringing warmth even in the cold of the night.
“Yeah, you know how I am. I’m used to the outdoors. It’s nice out here. It’s quiet.” Emil flashed a gentle smile at Serenity before returning his gaze to the stars up above. Drawn to the same sight, Serenity tilted her head towards the atmosphere and watched the twilight glimmer from above.
“Wow… It really is nice, Emil…room for one more?”
“Sure, make yourself at home.” Emil scooted his body over to the side, allowing Serenity to lie beside him on the same bed of flowers where he was accustomed to spending his down time. Serenity laughed as the yellow petals tickled her nose with the passing breeze before she parted her bright red hair that blew onto her face. For some time the two of them watched the sky above and reflected in silence, until Serenity softly spoke to Emil.
“Hey, give me your hand.” Across the bed of flowers, her hand extended towards Emil’s, open and willing to receive his bare palm on top of hers. “Don’t be shy…come on. Perfect.” Her hand grasped his as she moved in closer to him, laying her head on top of his chest. “I never got to tell you before, but thank you for what you did back there with Hugo. Thank you for saving us, Emil. And…thank you for looking for us. I knew you wouldn’t quit, no matter what.”
“I—”
“You’ve always loved me, right? You always loved all of us. That’s why you risked everything, huh? I appreciate everything you’ve done for us…done for me, but you have to let me go, Emil. I’m dead.”
“Serenity, what are you talking about? You’re right here! We’re in the garden. I can touch you. I can feel you. You’re right here!”
“You and I both know it’s not true. I died, Nerai is gone. You’ve got to let go. I know it hurts…but you have to let go. I know you remember. The fire, Silvia, your brother. This isn’t real, Emil. Look, it’s all fading away.”
Serenity pointed up to the heavens, sectioning out a vortex that stirred amidst the cosmos. The hand that she had extended up to the sky slowly began to corrode, turning black before breaking off and transcending into the night sky.
“Forget about me, Emil. How can you be great when all of your energy is wasted crying over me?” The words that came from his reflection of her were pure, earnest—a true notion from his own soul, struggling to move on.
Emil pulled her hand from out the sky as he clutched her body close to his. “I can’t! Serenity, I can’t! Not just yet!”
“If you love me, you’d let me go.”
The vortex that swirled overhead grew more violent as Emil refused to let go of Serenity. The ground around him began to tremble as the terrain and its surrounding began to decompose into dark matter, further fueling the storm. Flashes of lighting blazed across the sky and the winds grew more turbulent. The dark void grew closer. A stream of yellow petals swept past his face and twisted as they clung to the sky, caught in the eye of the swirling vortex. Between his arms, he felt her when she began to slowly corrode away. Her soft skin grew hard, her warm body grew cold. He watched her as she silently awaited her fate. With the last of her strength, Serenity placed the palm of her hand on Emil’s face and wiped the tears from his eyes with her thumb.
“Don’t cry. Don’t be afraid. Be strong. I love you.” As she spoke her final words, Emil watched the light within her fade from her eyes, accompanying her soul as it drifted away into the darkness.
The Last Light Book 2: All Things Eternal
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