Between the Cross and the Flame

Chapter 16: Mavet

Mavet did a double take. "Wait, Julia? As in- "

"Yes, Mavet, as in my Julia," Del said.

For a moment, everyone froze, unsure of how to react. Mavet looked on as Del took a few tentative, faltering steps toward her old girlfriend. Julia's mouth had dropped open, and she was struggling to form coherent words. She ran her fingers through her long, brown beach waves, her similarly pigmented eyes sparkling in disbelief. Mavet noticed the sprinkling of freckles across Julia's nose, realizing they were nearly identical to the ones on Del's sun-kissed skin. Julia and Del always ran together. This was really Julia. Del's Julia.

Mavet watched the recognition and relief eclipse each other in Julia's expression. She covered her mouth with her hand. Julia didn't care that the entire mess hall was watching her; Mavet could see it all fall away as she looked at her former girlfriend.

"Del? I can't believe- "

WHACK!

Mavet yelped in surprise, along with half of the mess hall. Del's expression had suddenly turned furious. Julia stumbled backward in shock, holding her face where Del had hit her.

"You knew all along! You knew that you had that heart condition, but you didn't tell me!" Del roared. "How dare you? I put everything I had into us, and you went and threw it all away because you couldn't swallow your pride?"

Julia fell backward into a table, Del still pursuing her. "Del- I never meant to- "

"You never meant to what? Tell me the truth? Die on me?" Del shook her head in disgust. "I can't believe you. Not only have you forced me to move on, but you cost me one of the only lifelines I had in my life. That was the most selfish thing anyone has ever done to me."

Julia suddenly looked very small as Del walked right up to her, only inches away from one another. "I was going to tell you at some point, I swear, I just- "

"No. Just stop. I don't care anymore." Del angrily wiped a tear from her face. "We made a promise to be honest with one another. You lost your chance when you broke that promise."

Without giving Julia a moment to protest, or even beg for forgiveness, Del stormed out of the hall, heading straight for the mouth of the cave. Not a soul moved for several moments. Julia finally left, walking in the opposite direction Del did, cheeks redder than a tomato. As the hall resumed its normal activities, Adeline shook her head sadly.

"And that is why we struggle to redeem ourselves."

"Someone should go after her," Chaya suggested.

He, Irvin, and Haniel all looked at Mavet, who blinked in surprise. "What? You want- oh. OH. Right, I'll catch up to you guys in a moment. Please save me some food!"

Mavet set off through the main passage of the cavern. He jogged for what felt like an eternity until the light of the moon peeped through the rocks. He slowed his pace when he neared Del, who was sitting silently on a pile of rocks, ankles crossed. Mavet quietly climbed up and sat beside her, entirely unsure of what to say. How did comforting someone work? And how was he supposed to keep his cool when comforting Del, one of most fiery, gorgeous humans he'd ever met? How could he- ?

"If you're here to tell me I should go talk to Julia, you might as well leave now," Del suddenly said.

Mavet blinked at the blunt tone in her voice. "Actually...I was going to advise against that?"

"No you weren't."

"No I wasn't," Mavet agreed quickly.

He scrambled for something, anything to say, but his brain appeared to be purposely sabotaging him at the moment. He wanted to punch himself in the face. Seriously, Mavet, you can speak every language that ever existed, and now you can't come up with a single word?