The Chronicle Keeper (Formally - Destiny)

CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT | nolan

Aeneas was surrounded by floating lights.

They were lights....

Right?

Wait.

Were they fireflies?

Yes! Aeneas had fireflies in his home. Not believing it, I reached out my hand and watched as one landed on my finger. I was, once again, struck with shock.

Aislin's breath was warm against my forearm as I watched her lean over to study the firefly more closely. The firefly remained glowing on my finger, undisturbed by Aislin and her curiosity. So intrigued by the one on my finger, she was unaware of one that landed just so on her hair, followed by a few more, adorning her hair.

"They're sure fond of you, Aislin." Came Aeneas's voice, as he moved closer to the entrance, where Aislin and I stood.

"What?" She looked to me, before catching a soft glow in her hair, out of the corner of her eye.

"The fireflies. Some have found a resting place in your hair. Take a look." Aeneas said, as he stepped aside, revealing a full length mirror.

"Oh!" The soft spoken word was only a whisper, as Aislin carefully straightened, captivated by the reflection of her glowing hair.

"It suits you." Came the words, tumbling forth with little resistance.

Aeneas raised a brow in my direction, but there was no way I could deny what I had just said out loud. My only saving grace was Aislin's absorption with her reflection, much to my ego's sake, to notice my flaming cheeks of embarrassment.

"Why are they nesting in my hair?" Aislin's sweet voice was captivating.

"Because you are special, Aislin, and don't forget that. Now, come, we have much to discuss before you head out in the morning." Aeneas turned around and headed down another tunnel, or a hallway. Whatever it was called, being an underground home and all.

It took a moment for Aislin to break away from the mirror, intrigued by the glowing fireflies in her hair. I didn't blame her, as I was still staring at them myself. The fireflies made Aislin's presence seem like royalty. But royalty went the way of the dinosaurs and the English monarchy. There hadn't been any royalty to speak of since a decade ago, before the war.

Aislin followed me out of the main room, with its simple decor and little furnishings, into a room lit by candles and a few cushions resting on the stone floor. There was a blazing fire set in the center of the room. The warmth that radiated off the flames was more than welcoming.I hadn't even realized just how much colder it was underground, than above.

I chose, what I thought to be, a less cushiony, oversized pillow, to sit down on, only to be proven wrong. It was firm enough to keep from sinking to the cold, stone floor, but soft enough to keep my rear from becoming flat, or my back from becoming stiff.

The cushion I had purposefully left for Aislin seemed to still prove better than mine. Which is what my initial intention was to begin with. Watching her sit with such grace, made me wonder how she could be so clumsy at times and hold so much grace and balance at other times. I let the thought disappear as I saw Aeneas sit as well. He was somber, which made me wonder what this was truly about.

"Nolan, I think Aislin needs to hear your experience while being held captive. It may help her make some connections and interpret her experiences to better explain to us. It will also be a refresher for me, which I may need as well." Aeneas's voice was steady, but heavy. The graveness in his voice was not something that made me feel safe.