Chapter 52
AN: Thanks to Lauren and Jules for their help on this
chapter!
Brian’s point of view
“You’re saying… he’s been alive…” Nick slowly
questioned, “…all this time?”
The small alien nodded, anxious and saddened.
“Then,” I began with scepticism, “why didn’t
he come back sooner?”
“He helped us – he gave us his strength to
build a new society,” Flyer explained.
“Wait a second!” AJ snapped. “You mean Kevin
chose strangers over us? He wouldn’t abandon us like that!”
He spun on his heel and headed for the door,
“I say he’s lying.”
“We were not strangers! And you would have him
abandon us to be captured and executed?”
AJ stopped. He lowered his head, turning back
while rubbing his eyes.
“I’m… I’m sorry, man. I didn’t mean it that
way… it’s just… I just took it worse than I thought.”
“As am I,” Flyer bowed his muzzle calmly. “I
shouldn’t have snapped at you.”
Howie was trying to comfort Kristin with a
hug, but her eyes were constantly moist. Howie managed a shaky question.
“Did… did he ever mention us?”
“All the time. It tore him apart to delay his
journey, but he did what he had to.”
He flew over to me and perched on my shoulder,
before continuing.
“I’m sorry you had to hear about all of this.
We just came to see if he was OK; we certainly found out. All I can do now is
wait for Solin to return from her investigation of this strange presence. I
hope she won’t be much longer.”
Strange presence? That sparked shuddering
memories of strange voices and figures hiding in the dark.
“Flyer, could I… um… have a word with you
alone?”
He frowned at me, puzzled, “Well, yes…”
I carried him from the sitting room into the
kitchen, hoping not to be heard.
“Flyer, did he ever mention… talking with me?”
“Talking?”
“Well, in my mind. It was some kind of mental
thing for sure. I thought it was stress for a long time, but now…”
“Then he…”
“He what?”
Flyer sighed, “He mentioned to me once that he
had spoken to you in his mind before. He rarely tried it – he didn’t know what
effect it would have. But he thought there was some kind of link between you,
since you were the last one he saw before…”
Flyer trailed off sadly, but I was anxious to
hear more.
“So it was really him?”
“I believe so.”
I found a seat and fell into it heavily,
stunned. All this time, I had proof of these new revelations. How could I have
been so narrow-minded? For years I knew!
“The last time, I swear I saw him!”
“Saw him? He got so close? How long ago was
this?”
“Just over a month.”
He gasped, wide-eyed. I myself was stunned by
his reaction.
“Important, I assume?”
“Very,” he exclaimed. “Anubis trapped Za…
Kevin … a year ago! You couldn’t have seen him then!”
“I swear – I saw someone, and it sounded a lot
like him.”
“Are you sure it was him?”
“He knew me, no doubt.”
Flyer looked away, “No, it couldn’t have been.
But… if this strange presence is an Ancient… they may have tried to deceive
you.”
“So, no chance?”
He solemnly shook his head, hopping onto the
table. “Solin may have news – we shouldn’t make any hasty assumptions until she
returns.”
Solin’s point of view
Shock, anger, despair, surprise… all crossed
his face after I had spoken. My answer was the last thing he expected, and I
knew he wasn’t prepared for such a confession.
“You…” he began quietly, but trailed off
dumbstruck.
He looked away, his eyes darting back and
forth as his own thoughts rushed through his mind, trying to comprehend the
situation.
“How long…?” he muttered, stunned.
I paused a moment, relieved at his acceptance
of the fact. I recalled the events of the near past to aid me.
“Since you left, a year ago.”
He once again fell into silence, yet he pulled
away from me completely and turned his back. Holding his head in his hands, as
if my words had put a physical weight on his mind, he walked away from me. I
chided myself for confessing such a thing so suddenly. How much more difficult
had I just made his decision to either stay or return? I followed him across
the room, placing a paw on his shoulder.
“I didn’t mean to … to spring that on you-”
He sharply shrugged my paw off, twisting away
from my grasp as if I was some threat.
“Please, don’t!” he begged anxiously.
“Kevin, I-”
“No.” he persisted. “Solin, don’t.”
I felt my heart sink as I watched him hold his
hands up defensively and back off towards the door. Had I just taken a futile
risk?
“It’s not mutual, is it?” I muttered, crushed.
“I… I
don’t know, Solin… I just need time … to think.”
Kevin kept his hands raised, his eyes afraid
and bewildered as he dissipated into spirit form.
“Please… don’t follow…”
Kevin’s point of view
I fled to the roof of the apartment block,
dumbstruck and shocked. Her words resounded in my mind hauntingly.
“…I love you…”
Had she really said that? Or was this all some
strange drama of my mind, still trapped in the dark confines of Oblivion?
She loves me…… loves me?
And what did I feel? Ignorant of my own
feelings, I couldn’t decide. I cared for Solin too, just as I cared for
Kristin. However, was there a difference? Did one precede the other? Were my
feelings for my racial companion stronger than those for my wife?
I knew I loved Kristin – I always had. I had
married her for Pete’s sake. But Solin… throughout our arguments and
disagreements, had I grown to love her too in the dreary years without my wife?
Regardless of the truth, this was a no win
situation. I could only imagine how crushing it would be to Kristin if I
betrayed my vows to her with Solin. Yet, I had seen how crestfallen and
despairing Solin had looked. One of them would have to suffer; which one was up
to me.
I couldn’t make that decision.
I was in serious trouble…
I looked up at the sky. The stars were fading
as the pale yellow glow of day began to creep over the horizon. I thought of
the one who I felt was the only one who could really understand and help me.
“You said you’d help me. You said you’d be
there,” I stated flatly at the sky. “But where are you now?”
Looking back down at my feet, I sighed, losing
faith and hope. A faint dizziness hit my mind.
Need to rest…
I paused. That wasn’t right. I had rested only
a few hours ago. Something else was wrong. The last time I had felt this
sickliness was…
Oh no…
I spun on my heel to glance all around me.
Yet, I had noticed too late. The fast-moving, relentless attacker ploughed
right into my chest, sending me bowling across the rooftop. The sheer force of
the impact stunned me greatly. I stood. I tried to pinpoint my unknown enemy. I
barely had a chance to regain my balance when a second assailant thudded mercilessly
into my back, sending me sprawling forwards. As I feebly scrabbled to push
myself up, a vice-like pair of claws grabbed my shoulders. I felt agony so
unfamiliar, as this ambusher sapped my strength. As I cried out in pain
physically, my mind screamed for salvation:
“SOLIN!!”
Solin’s point of view
Kevin lay vulnerably inert on the bed. Hearing
his cry in my mind, I immediately followed it. However, I found him lying
helplessly on the rooftop, with a trail of two Aversions leading towards the
heavens. They were moving too fast to recognise, let alone follow or track. I
laboriously dragged him back to his room, and stayed to keep an eye on him. I
fretted – confused as he was, would he have the will to fight his drained
state?
“W-uugh…”
I looked at him. His eyes had opened a chink.
Elated, I clasped his hand in my paw. He seemed not to recognise anything in
his bleary eyes.
“Kevin,” I whispered softly.
“Where…”
“Don’t worry; you’re safe. But you need to
rest.”
He nodded weakly, steeling himself. His eyes
shut once more, but his heavy breathing signalled he was tired, but awake.
“Rest, Kevin.”
“Can’t…choose…”
I raised a brow: “Choose? What?”
“Help… need help…”
“I’ll help you, Kevin.”
With what seemed like impossible effort, his
shaky hand lifted and gently brushed against my jaw lovingly.
“K...Kris… not neither…… but not both… help…
Kris?… sorry… took so long…”
Delirious – he thought I was Kristin. Rest was
the only thing he needed now, besides comfort. He needed Kristin more than
ever. The security of the one he loved. Though deceiving, I clasped his hand
once more in my own paw,
“I’m here Kev. Just sleep…”
His head lolled to the side limply as he fell
into a deep slumber. Crushed and exhausted, I soon followed with a single,
lingering thought:
“Help us both… someone…”
***