Red Queen (Short Stories)

Lightning Sky

* Cal's Perspective *

I stood on the pebble beach and watched her.  She sat on a large, grey rock, her feet skimming the icy water.  From where I was standing, I could see her dark brown hair twisting in the light wind.  We would go to war the next day, and she told me she needed time to think.

I started walking over to her, the icy wind biting my face and the rocks beneath my feet crunching.   Damn it, I thought to myself.  Kilorn had told me to bring a coat, but I thought I'd be fine.  As I neared her, she turned her head and watched me walk up.  I sat down silently down beside her and looked out into the ocean.  A storm was brewing, from Mare's mind or nature, I would never know.  The grey ocean churned as the seagulls bellowed from above.  

"Are you ready?"  I asked, turning to met her stare.  Those eyes. . . they seemed to entrap me everytime she glanced at me.  

She whispered, "Yes, I am ready as I'll ever be," with a small smile on her face.  It looked foreign on her canvas of scars and sharp bones.  We turned back and faced the twisting ocean with fear.  

"Good,"  I said with a short laugh, becoming happy for some strange reason.  How could this beautiful, brave girl beside me ever want to love me?  

I reached my arm over and wrapped it around her narrow shoulders.  She turned her head to face me and I used my other hand to tuck some hair behind her ears.  I leaned forward and touched her forehead with mine.  We stayed like that, huddled together, for a few minutes until my mouth brushed hers with mine.  She responded by kissing me softly back.  I wrapped my arm around her waist, and pulled her closer.  I could hear her gasp on my lips.  She tasted like a storm, right before the lightning struck.  As I kissed her again, I bit her lip.  I could tell she was surprised.  

All of the sudden, a hot, white flash of lightning appeared in the sky above the water.  Mare smiled on my lips then pulled away.  We both stood up, and walked hand in hand back the the camp.