Siren's Call

Chapter 10 - Halo Of Dreams And Reality

10 - Halo Of Dreams And Reality

The hushed pause that followed Lucas' seemingly simple words lasted for an infinitude. 

"Fly?" Danae asked hesitantly. When his only response was to look calmly back at her, she snorted. "And how do you suggest I do that?" Disbelief wound its way into her words.

Lucas waved a careless hand in reply. "Follow me," he said. They swam out of the little cave, and out among the corals and fishes. He hoisted himself out of the water, and Danae was startled to see him dry. Perched on the tank, beside a ladder that she had not noticed before, he reached out a hand to pull her out of the tank, but ignoring his hand, she flipped gracefully out of the water to sit beside him; she too, looked like she had never touched the water.

She tried to ignore the confused look that masked his face.

Once on the ground, Lucas paused, and motioned for Danae to move back. "Watch me," he said, and shut his eyes.

A second of silence, and then slowly, but surely, he began to glow, emanating the same golden splendor as he had when Danae had first witnessed his act. But now, so much closer, Danae saw this brilliance from a new perspective. 

Enveloped in the soft radiance, Lucas seemed much more older and wiser than he should have been at eighteen years of age. The lambency inundated his lean form with a golden outline, a halo that spoke of wisdom, pride, and an everlasting sadness that would forever be present, the same sadness that had first intrigued her when she had first set eyes upon this handsome man before her. Gradually, the light faded to gentle glow that fringed his silhouette, and with that soft hue Danae felt the warmth that he seemed to exhale.

He lifted his lashes to meet her awed eyes, and a small, tired small tipped his lips. Then, he shut them again, and his form seemed to ripple. The radiance now seemed focused on one single area, and from his back, the same black wings she had seen the last time erupted. Danae stumbled back, and let a tiny gasp slip through her lips. As Lucas opened his eyes once more, she watched him with new eyes.

He looked like an angel fallen from the heavens, though for what reason, she could not imagine. 

The black wings resembled that of Nyala's, except his was much more ethereal than her horse's could ever be. It was much more comforting, a protective shield that vowed to protect her as he walked forward to meet her. 

But this effort tired him, for she could see the exhaustion in his eyes that echoed in his body. His tanned complexion had faded some, leaving him pale. But his footsteps were still strong as he moved to stand before her, wings outstretched, giving her the illusion of the midnight skies. Feathers glimmered beneath the light, but the beauty of his angel wings hardly caught her attention for more than a few seconds. Her gaze was locked on his.

"This, is how you fly," he murmured, his lips at her ear. Then, in a fluid motion, he stepped back from her, and in another, he was in the air.

Danae watched him swoop and dive, his control over the wings impeccable. Suddenly, she longed to join him in flight, and her heart pulsated harder at the thought. "Teach me," she called, and he landed beside her again, his mischievous smile wide on his face.

"Do you know what's an aura, Danae?" he asked as the wings flickered once, twice, and vanished altogether, leaving nothing behind but a single black feather that Lucas held gently between his fingers, and even that too disappeared after a while.

The term was familiar, and she nodded. "It's like a personal force field, right?" 

Lucas nodded his approval. "Everyone has an aura, and the strongest of them are the ones that we look out for," he said. His voice seemed to soften, a bewitching tone. He snapped his fingers, and his aura sparked on his fingers, a little golden flame that gave her more warmth than any fire ever could.