Volcan Knights

by Bowler, Laurie

  “You know he loves you, don’t you?” he said interrupting my thoughts.

  “I know he does,” I said. “And I think I love him too. But it’s hard to adapt to this new world. You know for a while I wondered what kind of a person I really was when no one came forward to claim me as part of their family and the only person who shred so much as a tiny concern was my boss.”

  The sweeping sound of wings ended the conversation, the smell of Sam circled around me and his face started to come into view, the expression of longing and yet holding himself back away from me was all too clear for me to see when he let me. I marvelled at his approach, swiftly his wings dipped in and out of the sky, the amazing colours sending rays of reflections from the light, and his eyes penetrated through to my soul.

  “Sam,” I breathed when he landed beside me.“What are you doing here?”

  “Well,” he smiled gently. “You two took so long to get back I got a little worried and so did the others. What have you been doing?”

  “Oh,” Ethan laughed. “I’ve been chatting her up in the hope of getting a date one night, you don’t mind do you?”

  Sam laughed and swatted hi shoulder playfully.

  “Well,” he said. “Actually I do mind, I’m afraid my friend you’ll have to look elsewhere because this particular lady is mine,”

  “Oh well,” Ethan said dramatically dropping his arm from around my shoulders and winking at me. “I guess I’d better move onto the next woman then. Back to the drawing board as they say for me.”

  “Come on love,” Sam held out his hand and I took it eagerly. “We better get back before dark,”

  To my complete amazement the sky had darkened considerably, since arriving with Ethan and so caught up with the conversation neither of us had paid much attention. It would soon be time for when the shadows would be at their most devious and spread their evil across the world, my skin shivered slightly with the thought but I remained embraced by Sam’s arm around my shoulders.

  “Do you want to fly on your own? I think you look a little peaked after all excitement,” he commented gently sweeping his eyes across my face. “Shall I hold onto you until we reach the house?”

  “Yes please,” I wanted to hold onto him forever at this point and I hoped he wouldn’t mind at all.

  “Ok,” he said. “Ethan are you coming back with us?”

  Ethan stood a few feet away, his eyes watchful with a certain kind of longing hidden in the depths, I knew what he was thinking and feeling and my heart went out to him, I wanted to tell him everything would be ok, and that he would find a mate to spend his life with but I was entirely sure that he would, or that another human would be able to withstand the pain and the endurance of being transformed into a Volcan.

  “Nah,” he grinned. “I’m off to find me a woman to spend the night with,”

  “Well be careful,” Sam admonished gently before peeling his eyes away from mine. “Come on we’ll be fine, the sun hasn’t quite gone in yet.”

  Gracefully he entered the skies, his wings flapped around us both while his arms held me close, I huddled myself as close as I could into him, my own wings safely enfolded back into their cocoon the pain I’d felt before had now completely ceased.

  “Are you hungry?” he asked lightly. “I have made us something to eat,”

  “Really?” I asked, genuinely surprised that he would have thought to do that.

  “I can cook you know,” he laughed. “The others have left now to their own thing. So it’s just us, is that alright with you?”

  “That’s perfectly fine,” I said. “What did you make?”

  “Wait and see,” he teased leaving me eagerly anticipating the meal ahead of us both.

  We landed silently, his wings engulfed us both and then rapidly retreated back to their safe haven, his hand reached and sought mine, holding it lightly as if he was afraid to become too close to me and shock me a little too much.

  Since finding and releasing my own Volcan self, I felt at ease with him, I was still swamped by the sadness of my daughter and her tragic ending of her life, but it was still Sam who had stayed beside me and kept me safe through all this time that had separated us, my memories were still hazy but I knew without a doubt that I’d found my home.

  “This is a surprise,” he said grinning and producing a scarf from his back pocket.

  “What are you doing?” I laughed as he turned me around and gently placed the scarf over my eyes. “Now don’t try to take it off,”

  “Oh come on,” I said as I tried to peel it away slightly. “At least let me try to peek.”

  “No way,” he removed my fingers and guided me into the house, “There’s a small step,” he instructed. “That’s it a little to the left. Don’t forget the tables in the way,”

  Laughingly I joked that he wouldn’t be able to direct me without causing me any injuries, but rather gravely he answered that if he did he’d spend the rest of the night outside in the cold until he forgave himself.

  “Yikes,” I jumped when something crept softly against my hand. “What’s that?”

  “Merlin,” he laughed. “Your cat,”

  “My what?” again I tried to peek through the scarf to see this mysteriously creepy animal that belonged to me but hadn’t so far appeared until tonight. “Let me see him?”

  “No,” he teased pulling me firmly by my hands. “Not until you sit at the table then you can see him. I brought him for you, you always complained about the lack of animals around the place and I thought it might make a difference,”

  “A difference in what exactly?” I asked rather suspiciously.

  “In the way you behave around me and you might start to treat the house like you actually belong inside it rather than that of a guest,” he remarked.

  The edge of the table dug itself against my thighs, a reminder that we’d arrived out the destination that was secretly laid out for me.

  Slowly and with the most exquisite care Sam removed the blind fold, his fingers drifted to my cheek where he purposely rubbed his knuckles softly, I inhaled deeply feeling the atmosphere around us shift suddenly with the intensifying feelings between us.

  Outside at the back of the house, under the many lights that had been strung in the landscape garden, and the sky darkened with the stars twinkling softly, Sam had laid a small table.

  I looked around me in awe at the romantic atmosphere that was so exquisitely prepared for us both, but yet it wasn’t overwhelming, incredibly the fountain in the background trickled softly creating an atmospheric environment, one that was perfect for lovers.

  “Sam,” I breathed. “It’s wonderful,”

  “I was hoping you might like it,” he said capturing me in his arms as he came up behind me and stared at the display over my shoulder.

  I rested my head back onto his shoulder and revelled in the closeness of his touch, the softness of his skin next to mine, for years I’d yearned for this kind of closeness and I hadn’t come close to feeling it.

  “Dinners ready,” he said, gallantly he walked ahead and pulled back one of the seats, his hands spread wide indicating he wanted me to sit down.

  Shyly and with the newly found spring in my step I walked over and took the offered seat, while Sam whistled softly and took the remaining one opposite me.

  Appearing out of nowhere, Regan and Mike appeared they’d changed their clothes to the penguin suits I’d only seen on TV worn by the waiters of the expensive and highly esteemed restaurants. Their faces serious as they crossed the small distance, in their hands they carried silver trays of food, the trays were lined with crisp white tray liners, the royalty feeling sprang to mind along with the great enthusiasm of these strange new men around me that I was growing incredibly fond of.

  “Food is served Madame,” Regan bestowed me with a lopsided smile; his hands gently lowered the tray for me to see the exquisite meal that they’d painstakingly prepared for me and Sam.

  “Do you like it?” Sam asked softl
y across the table, just as Regan settled the tray on the table beside us and began to light the candles.

  “Like it?” I asked stunned. “It's amazing. Where did you find time to do this?”

  “While you and Ethan were playing your game of course,” he said lightly, “A lot of time passed while you were out there with him, I was starting to think I’d lost my mate for a second,”

  “Never,” I shook my head vehemently.

  Regan tittered softly between his teeth and was caught sharply by Sam’s foot as it swept from underneath the table and jabbed him in the ankle, stumbling slightly and nearly spilling the champagne he steadied himself and gave Sam a filthy ‘you going to pay for that’ look to which Sam ignored and focused his attention back to me.

  “Never,” he echoed. “That’s a very long time, did you know that?”

  “Sam,” I sighed. “I haven’t been this happy or had this sense of belonging in so long. I know our daughter’s memory will always remain between us, but we can build a bridge and repair what we have. Can’t we?”

  My voice trembled at the end, his eyes softened immediately as soon as he heard, Regan and Mike scuttled out of the way both of them knowing they were intruding on a romantic emotional moment between us, and neither of them wanted to witness it.

  “We can,” he took my hand from across the table, his fingers traced small circles. “I hope you’ll realise how important you are to me, to us, to everything that we have here and everything that we will be,”

  I nodded, my throat clogged with unshed tears, the tears of happiness. I had promised myself deep inside my heart that there would be no more sorrow and those of the Devourers that had shred my family and my once happy existence away from me, would pay and with their own existence I’ll find a way to banish them.

  “Let's eat.” He said.

  His eyes trailed slowly almost reluctantly from mine and then he looked at his plate and laughed softly.

  “What?” I asked frowning across at him.

  “Look at the sweet,” he said pointing.

  Regan and Mike had gone to all lengths t make this as romantic as they could, the chocolate sweet had been decorated with red hearts that swirled decoratively around the plate, the striking contrast was pure romance.

  Just as I was looking at the sweet, the music meant for lovers drifted across to us and the lights twinkled and slowly traced each other along the string, their dazzling beauty a wonderful sight to behold.

  We ate in silence, the slow love songs drifted across us both, the clinking of the cutlery on the plates as we both ate our meals, the air crackled between us and our eyes clashed constantly across the table.

  Slowly I finished the last morsel of the delicious chocolate soufflé, its melted texture slid down my throat and the taste was magnificent, my taste buds were on high alert for more, I knew Regan and Mike had long since left, their cars had drifted out of the driveway with ease and in the softness of the evening it was a clashing sound against the romantic backdrop.

  “Shall we walk?”

  Eagerly I took his offered hand, with my clasped inside his it felt unreal and the closeness was undeniable.

  “We have to stay put for a little while Zera,” he said. “The devourers will come for you every chance they can get. I don’t want you to be hurt or even worse killed.”

  In my mind, I thought he’d just entirely killed the romance of the evening by mentioning the devourers and all that involved them and my life. There was something that bothered me, why hadn’t the Volcan’s defeated them before now? Surely it wasn’t impossible to be able to do.

  “I want to return to work,” I said, afraid he might deny me. “It's my job, people will worry about my whereabouts and then there’s the gossip as well,”

  “Do you mean the gossip from your friend?” he asked.

  We continued to walk along the edge of the garden, the fountain’s relaxing sounds as the water gently trickled down the picturesque expertly carved winged bird that appeared in the centre and surrounded by men.

  “Yes,” I smiled. “She means well but she does like to have a little gossip once in a while,”

  “You can’t go back yet,” he turned to me, his eyes sad. “It's too dangerous. They’ll attacked at will,”

  “What if I keep away from the shadows?” I desperately clung onto any ideas. “I mean if I don’t go into shaded areas then they can’t attack me, can they? Isn’t that what you said, they stick to the shadows because there is no other way they can attack me or anyone else,”

  I found myself questioning him, and using his own explanations as a basis to be able to resume some kind of normality to my life. The balance had been considerably knocked with the events lately, and I was determined to be able to gain back some balance and the rights of myself to be able to keep my job and an aspect of my old life.

  Although, deep inside I knew I wasn’t able to keep most of my old life, with the new revelations of my life and now I was a Volcan Knight, the only female remaining member.

  Sam studied me for a long time, the question were in his eyes as he looked at me, his eyes never left mine, and I felt myself feeling guilty for considering an part of my old life, which was due to the fact that he was offering a new life, with him. Just like how it used to be, or so he says.

  “I think,” he began slowly. “If you really want to return to work, then you can but under the strictest of supervision and no wondering into volatile situations with your friend. She obviously doesn’t have much concern for her own safety but I have for yours and so you should too,”

  “She isn’t that bad,” I laughed at his expression when he spoke of my friend. “She’s alright, she just gets a little excited when we’re called out that’s all, it doesn’t happen very often,”

  “Which is why I make sure it doesn’t happen at all, if I can help it,” he replied.

  “I know, I know,” I sighed deeply.

  I felt torn between the offerings he was giving to me and the ones I’d left behind.

  We continued to walk across the gardens, the late night hour was catching up with us both faster than before, and the sky was darkened, the only lights I could see were those arranged expertly in his garden, this felt more like a dream to me, a pure romantic chick flick dream that I didn’t want to end.

  Never before in my darkest hour of needing reassurance when I woke from continuous nightmares about things that I didn’t understand or had any idea had happened, and then to find myself in a cold sweat, anxious to learn the truth but my memory and my brain didn’t seem to work in synch with each other, and I battled again and again against a brick wall of nothing but darkness and many tiny black holes that seemed to join with each other, my memory. Throughout these nights I had wanted nothing more than a cuddle from someone who knew me, although I may not know them, it had seemed even then, when I thought back that I was alone, when in actual fact the people that knew me, loved me and wanted to be my family had been around me in one way or another the entire time.

  “You’re very quiet,” he commented gently while taking my hand in his. “Are you ok?”

  “Hm,” as he spoke his voice and the gentleness of his tone brought me back down to earth with a thud, I’d been lost inside my own thoughts that I hadn’t paid much attention to him or any kind of conversation, “Sorry,” I mumbled sheepishly. “I was thinking that’s all,”

  “Want to share those thoughts?” he asked tenderly.

  I sighed.

  “I was thinking back to the nights when I would wake up to find I couldn’t remember what had made me wake up, I did remember having nightmares but I don’t know what they were about and then I would start to sweat when I realised there was no one there with me and I was alone to face them on my own. When all along you guys were here with me, the entire time, I still can’t remember anything but I am glad that you have told me and shone some light onto the situation for me,”

  “You can remember some things Zera,” he chided gent
ly. “You just need to be able to place them into perspective and try to deal with the emotions that come from them, I have had to stand by and watch you suffer, all I wanted to do for a long time was pick you up and run off with you to keep you safe,”

  “Then why didn’t you?” I asked turning to face him and stopping him from walking.

  His face shadowed with unspoken guilt, and I felt equally as terrible for asking him the questions.

  “Because I couldn’t,” he said in a soft voice. “I couldn’t risk you relapsing which may have been twice as bad as what has happened now, the only reason why I decided we had to intervene the other day was because you placed yourself in harm’s way with a mental case,”

  “He wasn’t mental,” I said trying hard not to laugh at his angry but serious expression. “He’d seen you and the others and it pushed him to his limits of understanding, I mean Sam, really,” I found myself asking him something that I knew would break the spell of this awful compassionate speaking we seemed to always fall back into. “If you saw a flying human bird in the sky, wouldn’t you have issues with that?”

  He laughed, his eyes lit with the suggestion and a naughty gleam entered the depths of his eyes. I found myself fascinated by him, the one person who’d been my boss had now become so much more than I’d realised was possible.

  The mourning and the loss that we shared had built their own bonds, if only I could remember a few more details to fill the holes inside of my head then this would be a perfect moment. But nevertheless, I still felt elated to be able to have this moment with him, however lamely romantic it felt and appeared to be.

  “I guess,” he chuckled. “We could always find out?”

  I stopped breathing and I heard the distant sound of the fountain as the water continued to trickle down its large depths and then gracefully drop into the water pool below.

  Was he serious? Did he really mean for us to fly tonight? Surely it was dangerous?

  “I don’t know what you mean.” I said hesitating between hope and fear.

  The freedom I felt when I flew in the sky lately, had managed to dispel any of my other fears and the feeling of complete despair when I tried to remember my daughter and my life with Sam.