The Book of Bones and the Stars

Becca

    After Ryland and Tyler left everyone started to clean up and make themselves scarce. Ikaros, still in the open with dried blood on him, stood three feet away staring at me. His face was tense and grim, as if his thoughts plagued him. I took a step forward and another, with each step his appearance became clearer.

    "I don't know what to do?" He spoke quietly. That's when I looked at his eyes and the fire brimming against the surface and warring with those icy eyes I've grown to adore. It all became clear, the way Tyler acted towards him and why he was caked in blood, his fate had been sealed. The Nemean Twins were meant to have a guardian protect and watch over them. The book spoke of fire and ice fighting for dominance in the eyes marking them as a guardian. He was protecting her and it made him nervous. Would this change for us and how we've grown to love one another and protect each other. Over the years he had become not only my friend but my brother. He was afraid that being a guardian would make him have to choose between us if it came to that. He pulled me close and held me tight as if the wind would simply blow me away from him.

    "I'm scared." I spoke as I'm pulled into a memory.

    It was late and the crew I was working with was desperate to get home to their loved ones before the storm hit. Our five man crew held on tight as another wave crashed over our boat sending anything not tied down overboard. The damn fishing boat was fighting to stay upright as more saltwater wave sent the boat to the right. Hanging on for dear life as the boat began to tip with each harsh wave crashing against it. The crew was shouting, but I couldn't make out what they were saying. Seven, seven damn seconds was all it took when a wave smacked into the boat so hard it splintered in two. Hitting the water hard my breath caught in my throat and flailing my arms. The storm was right over us now but it wouldn't matter, without a boat we were dead in the water. My lungs burned as I tried to keep myself above the waves, but it was no use. My limbs tired and heavy just began to weigh me down. No longer fighting the waves as they swallowed me whole.

    Something shot underneath the water like a bullet grabbing my tired and weak body before pulling me out. My eyes drooping before they slowly closed revealing nothing but the darkness of my own mind. It felt as if  I was soaring before I felt a jolt. Eyes still closed before violently throwing them open and releasing all the water in my lungs. I was on a beach and next to me stood a young male who's icy eyes looked concern. His physique dripped salt water onto the sand before bending down and looking at me. My cheeks grew hot when I realized I was in a tacky yellow raincoat and waterproof slacks. My hair was frizzy which had come undone from my braid and on top of that I was soaked and still throwing up salt water. His concern worsened when he realized I had sliced my arm when I went overboard. Crazy, I didn't even feel it.

"I'm Ikaros."He said as he extended his hand.

"Becca." I shook his hand and he pulled me to him. Weirdly enough the close proximity wasn't intimate, but more caring. "I lost everyone, I'm scared." I stated my eyes growing heavy with tears. He wrapped his arms around me and my body relaxed as if my subconscious knew I was safe with him.

"Maybe, but now you have me and I'm not going anywhere."

Ikaros became my family that day, he became my brother and I would be lying if I said I wasn't afraid to lose him. We stayed like that for a while just holding each other and relishing the moment before it would inevitably be ripped away.