lost family, Chris? Hasn’t Drake? What about Thomas? He was found hanged, drawn and quartered. Did his widow take her son and run?”
Chris stood silently as Neriah’s fury escalated. Aaron turned to see the windows had begun to ice over.
“Or how about Joseph’s eight -year-old son,” Neriah continued, “who was forced to watch as his family was butchered? Did Skyler leave this realm?”
Aaron’s heart leapt in his chest. He remembered Skyler’s bitter words to Rose, only a few months ago.
You think you’re the only one to lose your parents? Count yourself lucky you didn’t watch them die. You didn’t hear their screams.
Skyler was a git, a bully and a general pain, thought Aaron, but no one, no one , should go through that. No one should watch their family die.
“You’re not the only one to lose someone, Chris,” Neriah said. “Every single one of us has suffered but no one else got up and left!”
A tremor ran through the ground, rattling the furniture. Aaron quickly stood up.
“What can I say?” Chris’s words were strained, coming from his tight jaw. “I’m not as brave as the rest of you. I can’t risk my family and I’ll do whatever I have to in order to protect them.”
“What about the others?” Neriah yelled. “The families in Hadrian's zones? The ones who are tortured every day? What about them Chris? Who protects them?”
The ice covering the windows cracked, taking the glass with it. The ground shook violently in response, the chandelier swung dangerously overhead.
“Stop it!” Aaron yelled, somehow managing to come between the two mages without tripping on the shaking ground. “Stop! Just stop!” He grabbed his dad’s arm and pulled him back. “Dad, stop !”
The shaking ceased. The chandelier swayed overhead, the tinkling of the glass droplets and the quick breaths of the Elementals who continued to glare at each other filled the room.
Aaron turned to Neriah. “I think you should go,” he said quietly. “Please, just...just go.”
“I’m not going anywhere until I get an answer.”
“I already told you–” Chris started.
“From Aaron ,” Neriah snapped. He turned to the fourteen year old. “I want an answer from you .”
Aaron paused. He could feel his dad’s arm tense under his hand. Aaron took in a breath. “I’m sorry,” he said to Neriah. “I can’t help you.”
Neriah kept his eyes on Aaron. “Is this your decision?” he asked. “Or are you only saying what you know your father wants?”
Aaron couldn’t help but glance at his dad in guilt, but he didn’t say anything.
Neriah straightened up, standing tall. “I’m staying in the city tonight,” he said. “I’ll leave first thing tomorrow morning. If in one night you can gather the courage to do what you want, then come and find me.”
***
Morning crept along. Chris hadn’t slept. He couldn’t, not with Neriah’s words spinning in his head. He picked up his mug and took a gulp of coffee. Kate was fixing breakfast. She hadn’t slept much either, joining her husband in the kitchen just before daybreak.
Aaron had been very quiet after Neriah left. Chris didn’t know what to say to him and so had left him alone. Until the early hours of the morning, he had heard voices coming from Aaron’s room – Aaron whispering with his friends about Neriah, no doubt. Chris had wanted to go upstairs and tell them off, scold them to get some sleep, but he didn’t have the energy, or the heart. He told himself that at least Aaron was talking to someone ; he was getting his feelings out, which could only be a good thing.
Kate put a plate of pancakes in front of him but Chris didn’t have the stomach to eat.
“Hey.” Kate ran a hand through his hair, caressing him gently. “Don’t think too much about it,” she said. “Neriah’s not forcing Aaron to fight. That’s all that matters.”
Chris nodded. “Yeah,” he said. He rubbed at his eyes again. “Yeah, I know.”
Kate slid
Chris stood silently as Neriah’s fury escalated. Aaron turned to see the windows had begun to ice over.
“Or how about Joseph’s eight -year-old son,” Neriah continued, “who was forced to watch as his family was butchered? Did Skyler leave this realm?”
Aaron’s heart leapt in his chest. He remembered Skyler’s bitter words to Rose, only a few months ago.
You think you’re the only one to lose your parents? Count yourself lucky you didn’t watch them die. You didn’t hear their screams.
Skyler was a git, a bully and a general pain, thought Aaron, but no one, no one , should go through that. No one should watch their family die.
“You’re not the only one to lose someone, Chris,” Neriah said. “Every single one of us has suffered but no one else got up and left!”
A tremor ran through the ground, rattling the furniture. Aaron quickly stood up.
“What can I say?” Chris’s words were strained, coming from his tight jaw. “I’m not as brave as the rest of you. I can’t risk my family and I’ll do whatever I have to in order to protect them.”
“What about the others?” Neriah yelled. “The families in Hadrian's zones? The ones who are tortured every day? What about them Chris? Who protects them?”
The ice covering the windows cracked, taking the glass with it. The ground shook violently in response, the chandelier swung dangerously overhead.
“Stop it!” Aaron yelled, somehow managing to come between the two mages without tripping on the shaking ground. “Stop! Just stop!” He grabbed his dad’s arm and pulled him back. “Dad, stop !”
The shaking ceased. The chandelier swayed overhead, the tinkling of the glass droplets and the quick breaths of the Elementals who continued to glare at each other filled the room.
Aaron turned to Neriah. “I think you should go,” he said quietly. “Please, just...just go.”
“I’m not going anywhere until I get an answer.”
“I already told you–” Chris started.
“From Aaron ,” Neriah snapped. He turned to the fourteen year old. “I want an answer from you .”
Aaron paused. He could feel his dad’s arm tense under his hand. Aaron took in a breath. “I’m sorry,” he said to Neriah. “I can’t help you.”
Neriah kept his eyes on Aaron. “Is this your decision?” he asked. “Or are you only saying what you know your father wants?”
Aaron couldn’t help but glance at his dad in guilt, but he didn’t say anything.
Neriah straightened up, standing tall. “I’m staying in the city tonight,” he said. “I’ll leave first thing tomorrow morning. If in one night you can gather the courage to do what you want, then come and find me.”
***
Morning crept along. Chris hadn’t slept. He couldn’t, not with Neriah’s words spinning in his head. He picked up his mug and took a gulp of coffee. Kate was fixing breakfast. She hadn’t slept much either, joining her husband in the kitchen just before daybreak.
Aaron had been very quiet after Neriah left. Chris didn’t know what to say to him and so had left him alone. Until the early hours of the morning, he had heard voices coming from Aaron’s room – Aaron whispering with his friends about Neriah, no doubt. Chris had wanted to go upstairs and tell them off, scold them to get some sleep, but he didn’t have the energy, or the heart. He told himself that at least Aaron was talking to someone ; he was getting his feelings out, which could only be a good thing.
Kate put a plate of pancakes in front of him but Chris didn’t have the stomach to eat.
“Hey.” Kate ran a hand through his hair, caressing him gently. “Don’t think too much about it,” she said. “Neriah’s not forcing Aaron to fight. That’s all that matters.”
Chris nodded. “Yeah,” he said. He rubbed at his eyes again. “Yeah, I know.”
Kate slid
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