The Son and the Sparrow

Chapter Six(v4)

Chapter Six

Daniel sat beside Leon in the car, stealing bitter glances at him every few moments. He couldn’t bring himself to look out the window and recognize their surroundings as they neared Philip’s house. How could he have betrayed his love’s location to this treacherous monster?

               Strangely, Leon seemed more changed than anyone in the last five years. Daniel stared at Leon’s hands. They looked no different than he remembered. He glanced at Leon’s face once again. The color of his eyes was the same, but nothing else. Lines and wrinkles wrapped around those eyes, his mouth curled into a nearly constant frown, and a deep scar was set into his cheek. Leon used to possess a certain confident aura, a feeling that was contagious. Now, it seemed to have evaporated from his pores. The attitude that replaced it was a simple, bitter determination with nothing else beyond that. Daniel could sense even at this distance that Leon was dead inside. Daniel shivered. His life sat in those merciless claws. He had no doubt that Leon would kill him if the need arose, old friend be damned. Daniel wouldn’t have dreamed of Leon killing him before, but now was a completely different story.

               Daniel sensed the car stop, and his heart unwillingly lurched. He heard Leon’s door click open and smack closed again. Daniel hoped Leon would leave him in the car. But, to his dismay, Daniel’s door snapped open.

               “Get out.” Leon commanded coldly, a complete contrast from when they were in his apartment. He was that person who only cared about finding the murderer and nothing else once again.

               Daniel glared up at him, hate wriggling in his gut like a snake.

               Leon’s eyes conveyed a clear message: Get over it.

               Daniel angrily flung off his seatbelt and left the car. Leon really didn’t give a rat’s ass about him, even when he pretended to.

               “Call him.” Leon ordered. He was staring up at the house, large and majestic, more of a mansion really. “Tell him to come to the balcony.”

               So Leon was aware Daniel still had his phone with him. Daniel pulled out his cell phone, flipped it open, and after hitting a few buttons pressed it up to his ear.

               “Hello?” Philip answered after a few rings.

               “Hey Blue. Are you home?”

               “Yes.”

               Damn it. “Can you come to the balcony for a minute?”

               “Daniel, is there something wrong?”

               Daniel almost laughed. Even in his most convincing tone, Philip didn’t buy it. “You’ll see.” He replied. “Just come to the balcony.” He hung up the phone with a sigh.

               “Is he here?” Leon asked rather sharply.

               Daniel responded with silence, staring up at the balcony, waiting for Philip to appear.

               “Is he here?” Leon repeated.

               “Shut up.” Daniel said in almost a sigh. He was sick of hearing Leon bark orders.

               Leon, surprisingly, did settle, lounging against the side of the car, following Daniel’s eyes to the balcony.

               A door opened, and out stepped Philip, a short boy with thick glasses who looked no older than sixteen, the nine extra years missing from his face. He exuded meekness, his skinny arms unable to lift anything heavier than a laptop. But those features were some of the many reasons why Daniel found him so adorable. Daniel loved this boy, treasured him more than anyone else in the world.