After Burn
ALEK
Drawing his finger along her arm, Alek lay in the bed with Lanias. Their limbs intertwined; he was hoping they didn’t move for a long time. “Are you now able to explain why I found you crying?”
She didn’t answer right away, her back to him. Lanias had grown silent after they’d finished making love. He could almost hear the cogs in her mind turning. After a few more seconds of silence, she finally spoke, “I was mourning.”
“Who, your uncle?”
She shook her head, rolling over she faced him. Her eyes still had traces of redness from her crying earlier and were slightlypuffy. The tip of her nose was also pink, he noticed only because she’d reached up to rub it.
“My mother.” She answered, moving so her hands rested under her head as she stared at him.
“I told you I was trying to find my history,” she shook her head, “It looks like I found it.”
“And that was a reason to cry?” he asked, rubbing a thumb under her right eye.
“No, I guess I should have been happy, but it suddenly hit me. That everything I’d ever envied as a child, the love of a mother and the desire to be welcomed home. Those were going to forever be things I’d never receive. Sad, right?” She sighed. “I just got overwhelmed and before I knew it. I was once again displaying my weakness.”
He moved his hand to her chin, lifting her head so she met his gaze. “Tears don’t mean you’re weak. You never have been weak to me.”
“But I have been tired.” Lanias admitted, “I’ve become so tired of feeling this wealth of resentment toward myself, my father. Heck the world.” She sighed, moving closer to him. He shifted so he held her in the shelter of his arms. “Sometimes I just want to leave everything behind. I long to hide away somewhere no one can find me.”
“Pfft, well that seems to only work so well.” Alek joked.
She lightly hit him on the shoulder. “Shut up, if it wasn’t for you the plan would have worked.”
“I don’t remember throwing you off a building. In fact, I was minding my own business. hunting a Surrem when I came upon you. One could say you fell into my lap as if you were asking for me to discover you.” Alek teased.
“Are you done?” Lanias, said closing her eyes. “Did you get everything you needed off your chest?”
“Hmm, I’m not sure. I might be able to think of something else.”’
She snorted. “Well save it for after I wake up. I’m sure Roni, is going to want to introduce the children here to me.”
Alek thought this over. “I’ll need to return to the Manor to assure my own children know I’m still alive.”
Lanias looked up at him in confusion. “Why would they think you’re dead? Don’t you guys have the creepy mind link thing?”
Alek decided not to correct her; it was amusing when Lanias demonstrated her age.
Which from his snooping he learned she’d just turned thirty-one. She’d accomplished much for one so young, “I do, but I felt this was something they didn’t need to become aware of. So, I’ve closed the link between us from the time I had my minor disagreement with the Patrons of Cains.”
Lanias laughed, “Minor disagreement my ass, I would call it a violent rampage.”
“Whatever you wish to call it, I will return and ease their ruffled feathers and then come and get you.”
She nodded, “Fine, that works.”
After that, she fell quietly to sleep Alec following her. He had grown used to having her in his arms when he slumbered.
He looked forward to the many years to come with her there.
Is this…love?
LANIAS
“Ihaven’t seen you since I left you at the altar.”
