SWRC: Too Soon... (Book 3)

Chapter 8 Good-bye For Now.

There was nothing in the world to describe what Neeran was feeling in that moment.

Carrying Ezra through the streets of
Lothal to the one place she knew he'd be safe, Neeran was battling herself to be able to leave him there in the protection of the people she trusted most on Lothal.

Ephraim and Mira Bridger.

"Neeran?" asked a very surprised Mira at the sight of the sullen friend of hers with Ezra's unconscious form clinging to Neeran's neck under her long red coat. "What are you doing here? It's almost curfew."
"I needed to see you," said Neeran, lowering her hood and entering the house. Mira close the door behind her and looked questioningly at her, as if wanting an explanation for her sudden visit.

Neeran sighed and began to lay Ezra to rest on the couch in the Bridger's living room. Neeran removed her brown vest and placed it over Ezra's small frame.

"Ezra has to live here now," said Neeran meekly. "I can't protect him anymore."

Tears were threatening to spill over her eyelids, but she forced herself to stay strong and not let them fall.

Neeran placed her long red clock back on as Mira came beside her and Ephraim entered the room after hearing what Neeran had said.

"What's happened?" asked Mira, trying to comfort Neeran.
"Three years ago, Ezra was taken by a faction of the Black Sun that has been after me for a long time," began Neeran. "The leader of that faction is Juan Briaxe. He changed Ezra's human blood for the blood of our kind and Ezra's body has been fighting it as an infection for the last three years."

Ephraim and Mira were surprised to here that from Neeran, but Neeran wasn't quite finished yet.

"Had it gone on for much longer, Ezra would have almost certainly died," continued Neeran. "Zach and I decided that it was too dangerous to keep Ezra in our family for now. So we thought, and hoped, you might look after him?"

"Of course we'll look after him Neeran," said Mira.

"I'm so sorry Ezra," said Neeran, a single tear running down her face.
Neeran leaned down and kissed Ezra lightly on the forehead. This would be the last time she could see him for a long time, perhaps forever.

"Neeran," said Mira, placing a hand on her shoulder. "When he awakens, will he remember you?"
"No," replied Neeran, hanging her head. "He won't remember anything that has happened before now."

"Then there would be a way for you to see him again," said Ephraim, kneeling beside her. Neeran looked at him and asked the silent question of how.

"If he doesn't remember you, we could say you're an old friend of ours who we haven't seen in a while. He'd get along with your gang anyway," said Ephraim.
"He already did," said Neeran, smiling a teary smile. "But I can't see him for a while at least. If he sees me, he could remember, and he can't remember yet."

Neeran sighed.
"I don't know if he ever can."

The late night curfew imposed by the Empire began to sound across the city and Neeran knew she needed to go and complete the next stage of her plan.

"I should go," said Neeran.
"It's dangerous now," said Mira. "Curfew's already been sounded."
"It'll be dangerous if I stay here as well," said Neeran. "Ezra sees me and everything could come undone. It's better if I leave."

Ephraim and Mira knew that they weren't going to convince Neeran otherwise and conceded to her decision to leave.

"I'll see you another time, Ephraim, Mira."

And with that, Neeran walked out and disappeared into the darkness under the light of the twin moons in Lothal's star-lit night sky.

However, unknown to Neeran, that was the last words she would say to the couple for a long time.