Nineteen years before the events of The Edge of Madness
Don’t show him you care. Don’t show him how hurt you are by this reckless choice. You can do it. Hold it together, girl. He will come around on it. He must.
Nayomi inhaled mightily and exhaled her frustration at the man standing in front of her with the front door open. Her white knuckles shook with rage, but she kept her face as stoic as possible. Only the slight narrowing of her eyes gave an obvious sign that she couldn’t believe the nonsense coming from his mouth.
The young man with shoulder length chestnut hair continued to foolishly explain his reasoning. “Look, I know this isn’t easy to hear. I love you with every fiber of my being, Nayomi. This isn’t easy for me either- “
Nope, that’s it. Now you’ve done it.
She couldn’t hold her emotions back any longer. “This isn’t easy for you?! That’s all you can come up with? You’re a real bastard, Kai Stormbringer. Times get tough and instead of staying and fighting, you take the coward’s way out and run. Where are you going to go? Are you going to change your name? Change your whole identity?”
He stood there, speechless. She could see the hurt in his beautiful blue and gold eyes. A gentle breeze intruded on the argument and blew the bottom of his dumb coat. She hated that coat, so damn much. It looked so ridiculous on him. And yet, she wanted nothing more than to keep it as a memento, if this was their final conversation.
“You know what happened the last time I stood and fought. I nearly died, along with Master Dracken and my own baby brother! I won’t let that happen to you. If they come for me, and I know they will eventually, I couldn’t bear knowing I put you in danger. Not now; not ever.”
“You really think they’ll come now? It’s been over six standard months. If they haven’t found you by now, why in the six hells makes you think they found you?”
He squirmed awkwardly. There was something he wasn’t telling her. She couldn’t quite put her finger on it, but somehow, he must know they were closing in. And quickly.
She could see the mountains over his shorter stature. The puffy clouds with a light brown sky looked painted above them as the bright blue sun began to set. It would have been a moment to enjoy the picturesque landscape; one she would have wanted to enjoy with her husband. Not today.
How did it come to this? Why did it have to come to this?
A subconscious decision to shoot her right hand out and grab his wrist as he began to turn away surprised them both. He looked at her hand, then into her eyes. Like his, they swirled like a galaxy inside the lavender-colored irises. A flood of emotions streamed down her beautiful, dark complexion.
“I’m pregnant. I wanted to wait to tell you. Please don’t leave. You’re my husband, my partner, my best friend. I don’t think I can raise this child without you.”
A tear rolled down his flushed cheek. He wiped it away quickly with a flash of his hand. Surprisingly, he held her hand in both of his. They still held their eternal warming comfort. “Goodbye, Nayomi. I hope that one day you’ll find it in your heart to forgive me and understand this is something I must do. After all, we do what we must, because we must. Right?”
That’s what they always said. And then they abandoned us. Just like you’re going to abandon me. Abandon the both of us.
Kai leaned forward and gently kissed her soft cheek. Nayomi didn’t respond. She didn’t know how. After one last look into his eyes, he turned and slowly left. As she watched him walk outside, she wondered if she would ever see him again. Or if this was the last goodbye.
Something wasn’t right. She didn’t need her uncanny ability to sense true feelings through the Aether to notice so many little yet obvious signs. The young Aetherial didn’t have his normal confident posture. His shoulders slumped and his head hung low as he walked away. His feet almost dragged on the ground, as if he had to fight against his own will to keep moving forward and not turn around.
He was stubborn. Too stubborn. She knew she couldn’t stop him if he made up his mind to leave, so she decided to do the next best thing: give him a reason to stay alive until he changes his mind.
Her voice cracked as she called out to him one last time. “Kai. If they do find you, give them hell. Never forget me. Don’t you dare forget us. If you do, I swear by the old gods I will haunt you until the day you join me among the stars. And if today is the day, then make it count.”
If it was the last time she saw him, she was sure it would be her toughest goodbye.