The Orion's Factotum

Ch. XI | Stars and Smoke

I could see it in his face the moment he inhaled to the moment he stood to his true full height out of that cavern where he had been trapped for who knew how long – he was free. His chest heaved as he sucked in breath after breath.

I couldn't help but notice the smeared blood along his neck or the wounds that leaked sluggishly by his neck where he was attacked. Even the hand where I now saw was smattered with the viscus fluid.

A sudden bout of dizziness had me leaning forward, slightly hunched against Steele's hand. I sucked in the chilled air of the evening. The enormity of what just happened just hit me.

Steele had escaped – a practically impossible feat – and all because I asked him to.

A fragment of acid that I had been ignoring rested at the back of my throat and threatened to do something more. I was more than grateful when the thunderous voice of Steele recaptured my attention.

"Where is Cr...Cree? Wood?" he asked. I blinked a few times and looked around, barely recognizing where we had emerged from The Turret.

"That way!" I called to him, pointing toward the northwest. Steele's eyes followed where my hand pointed and he simply gave a nod.

"Yes. Raina, hold on," instructed Steele.

"WAIT!" I shouted just as the Orion took a few steps forward. He halted almost instantly. "Are you okay? Are you alright? Er... Viyoo-en rhonor?" Steele seemed worn out from the escape, and rightfully so. The circumstances, however, decided fate for me as the bells began hammering in their towers. There were shouts and screams nearby. Steele looked at me.

"No time. I am alright. Now, hang on." A shiver coursed through me as Steele's hand once again drew close to his chest and, with an unbelievable speed, began to step through and around the fields near The Turret.

My heart hammered in my chest, leaping with every step. When we arrived at a gap in the road, Steele merely hopped over. For him, it was barely an inconvenience to skip a step to traverse the small river. For me, every part of me screamed with an unbelievable energy, reminding me of when I slipped from the ledge and fell freely through the air.

I knew he was being careful; however, I could still recall how scared I had been of him not too long ago and could practically hear the thoughts of terror and awe from the neighbors and citizens of the city. It pained me to think someone could fear Steele after all we had done together.

What once terrified me now exhilarated me. As terrified as I felt before, everything now seemed possible. We were going to get Terrilyn and, with everything I had, I promised myself that Steele would stay free.

~~~~~^*^*^*^~~~~~

The bells of the city had left us and the only thing remaining were the sounds of the evening and Steele's footsteps. He had just stopped another stretch of running to better catch his breath. He was exhausted, and it broke my heart and frustrated me to no end that his stubborn determination kept him upright.

That protective part of me worried what would happen if Steele were to encounter this other Orion and be too tired. I simply had to trust him. He asked me to, and it was the least I could do in return.

The concern reignited with each step that seemed to falter or hesitate.

Trust me.

There were moments I wanted to have the same unwavering faith in Steele that he seemed to have in me. It was in my nature to worry; being a mother taught me that much.

Steele's pace suddenly slowed to a stop. Naturally, I looked up at him, but his eyes were not on me; they were on the sky and the twinkling lights far above the heavens.