Loving Rain (Watty Awards 2011)

Chapter 19 - The First King

Loving Rain - Ch. 19

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I was asleep for quite a long time. The dream didn’t come to me again, and I was grateful. I slept the deepest that I had since Alan had turned on me. When I woke up, it was slowly, and I could still feel Cian’s warm arms holding me close to him. I took a deep breath and my eyes fluttered.

               “Good morning,” he whispered to me. “Or, I guess it’s more like, ‘good night.’” He laughed softly.

               I pushed against his chest and sat up. His eyes were burning brightly, and trying to read my expressions. A slight turn towards the fire showed Kai watching us intently. He nodded to me and waved. My hand instinctively raised and returned the greeting.

               When my head snapped back towards Cian my eyes once again found his, and I understood what he was thinking. He wanted to know exactly how I felt. I tilted my mouth up into a slight smile, and then widened my baby blues. I was feeling a lot better.

               His blue-green eyes registered what I was saying, and his smile widened. It was like we were having a full blown conversation all through our eyes and smiles. I couldn’t look away, and saw his look soften. Before I could even think about it, I was leaning into him again. It just felt right.

               A knock at the door disturbed my moment of peace. Kai stood up and opened the door, and Gunter walked in. “How’s she feeling?”

               “I’m fine,” I told him, sitting up again.

               “And yet, my brother’s presence is still required in your bed?”

               My cheeks burned as red as my hair, but Cian didn’t seem to have that problem. “She actually just woke up,” he told his younger sibling, “and she’s still a little warm.”

               Gunter looked like he knew something that he shouldn’t, but his gaze didn’t last long. He walked over to the bed with his head low and didn’t look up at me again until he was right next to me.  His expression turned hard and his words were solid. “Why are you here, Rain?”

               I didn’t let my eyes leave his. I noticed that they weren’t as inviting as his brother’s. Gunter’s were sharper and just gave off an intelligent feel, while Cian’s were warm and caring. I kept my voice flat when I responded truthfully, “I had nowhere else to go.”

               “What were you running from?”

               “My past.”

               “What was so horrible about your past?”

               “Some bad things happened. I didn’t want to deal with them anymore.”

               His resolve faltered then. He became less inquisitive and more guiding. “You can’t run away from the bad things in your life. You have to face them.”

               He was wrong. Sometimes, the only way to survive was to get out. I started feeling sick again just thinking about facing Alan. Some things just have to be left behind. “Gunter, people aren’t always strong enough to handle everything. The only escape is turning your back and starting over.”

               I felt Cian’s presence again. His body turned rigid beside me, and he finally spoke. “I think it’s time for you to leave,” he told Gunter. “And I don’t need your assistance any longer, Kai. You can return to your betrothed.” I expected at least one of them to argue, but they both just gave me one last long look before walking out and closing the door behind them. Cian had an air about him, a kind of aura that made you want to respect him, and I guess both boys felt it, too.