A few months ago
"Are you sure we weren't followed?" Lyss asked, looking behind her.
Kallen shot her a look, half exasperated, half amused. "You worry too much."
He grabbed her hand, ignoring how weird it felt to be so forward. How nice it felt.
There were flecks of black on his bicep from where her eyeliner had rubbed off last night. However she'd gotten something like that on the Forgotten Shore…
He stepped into the glassy black sea, hoping that no abominations would pop out and attack him. Not that there would be any, of course. He'd sent Puddle ahead to scout.
"I'm here," Kallen said. "You've got nothing to worry about."
He dismissed his armor above the waist, wading deeper, feeling his flaw be overtaken by the sensation of liquid on his skin.
Lyss stared a little too long at the scars on his body. It was the first time she'd seen him without a shirt or armor on. Her hand drifted to her mouth.
"Kallen…"
He shook his head. "It's nothing too bad. I woke up here in a nest of Iron Spiders is all… I'm sure you can infer the rest."
"But…" her brow knit. "There's healers here. Isn't that uncomfortable?"
Lyss reached out and brushed the back of her hand along his stomach, which was marred by a long, jagged burn mark.
"Why?" she whispered.
Kallen shrugged. "They'll go away when I awaken. But… I suppose they help ground me. It's like—it's like something to remind me what I've been through. That the worst is already behind me."
A little bit of the warmth dimmed in her eyes. A flicker of sadness clouded her face, and Kallen cursed himself, realizing he'd ruined the mood.
So he shaped a wave behind himself and sent it splashing over her. She gasped, offended at first, then laughed.
"You—!" she bent down and splashed him back.
Kallen pressed on the water with his aspect, then shot forward, catching her around the waist, threatening to drag her under.
"No!" She shrieked, laughing and pressing her hand against his chest. "My shirt is dry—Kallen!"
He smiled, then held up his hand. "I'll give you five seconds."
In a hurry, she reached for the hem of her shirt to pull it off.
Kallen didn't wait. He dove backwards, pulling the girl under as she let out a surprised yelp. A few beats later, they resurfaced, Lyss sputtering and throwing wild, harmless punches at him.
"You asshole!" She shouted, failing to stop herself from grinning. "You didn't even give me time to summon my armor!"
Lyss stomped out of the water, shivering and flapping her arms to get the water off.
Kallen simply rose to his feet and lifted his hand. This time, he grabbed onto the water in her shirt, and pulled, drawing it from the fabric and forming it into a ball. He tossed that ball behind him. It splashed with a dull plopping sound.
"You're dramatic," he said.
"And you're a jerk."
Lyss finally summoned her armor, then put on a fierce look that wasn't even halfway convincing. "I only agreed to come here because you said you were going to teach me how to defend myself underwater, you know."
"Oh I'm sure that's the only reason."
She scowled, but he walked up to her and transferred her a charm type Memory.
Lyss was blank for a moment. When the Memory formed around her neck, she smiled warmly. It manifested as a pearl bead necklace with seashells hanging down. Her eyes glossed over as she read its runes.
It was a simple Memory he'd picked up who knows when. Nothing rare. Just a charm that let the wearer breathe underwater. He'd given the first one to Seren.
Lyss looked down, smiling, her cheeks dashed with the kind of bashful pink that made her seem younger than he was.
"It's beautiful," she said, "but also… a little embarrassing. I feel like a middle schooler."
Kallen smiled faintly. It was a little juvenile—seashells and all—but somehow, it suited her.
There was just something about the girl. A quality he couldn't name or pin down. It wasn't just her beauty, nor her brilliance. Just something. Something that made him want to linger a little longer in her presence. Something that made him wonder who she'd become years from now. He didn't normally care about people's futures, and especially not their pasts, but for some reason, he wanted to know her story. Where she'd grown up. What her favorite subject in school had been. Her favorite color.
Gods, he didn't give a shit about anyone's favorite color, but he found himself imagining she liked blue. Or maybe purple. Something soft and gentle, but quietly strong.
"We should go to a beach," he said suddenly. "In the waking world."
She blinked at him, head tilting. "Kallen," she laughed, confused. "That's not… I don't think that's a good idea."
"Why not?"
"Because it's dangerous."
"I have powerful friends. Maybe we could get an escort?"
Lyss rolled her eyes, but her mouth betrayed her front of annoyance. "Great, now I feel even younger than a middle schooler."
"Is that a no?"
"Shut up, you idiot," she said, smiling ear to ear. "Of course it isn't." Her fingers found the necklace. She brushed the shells gently. "I think that sounds wonderful.
Lyss closed her eyes, lashes fluttering so perfectly.
"Let's go. When we get out of here."
~~~
Present Day
The world slammed back into motion.
Kallen was at her side in moments.
Screams tore through the smoke-choked air. Stone cracked and groaned nearby, and somewhere, the corpse of a fearsome Titan steamed and hissed.
But Kallen heard none of it.
"Lyss," he choked out.
Her body was twisted at an angle just beyond natural. Half of her face—gods half of her face was raw and blackened. The other half, the part he knew, was slick with tears and blood and soot.
"She's afraid of death," Ariel told him.
Her remaining eye found him, unfocused, glazed with agony.
"Kallen…" she whispered, voice ragged and wet. Blood bubbled at her lips. "I don't want to die."
"I know. You're gonna be okay. You hear me?"
Her face twisted and a pained cry spilled out. "Kallen I'm scared—I don't—" her shallow breathing quickened. "I don't want to die—"
"I know, you're safe, just hold on." his breath hitched. "I'm here. I know."
She grabbed onto him with her good arm. Her grip was so tight that it began to hurt after a moment.
"She's afraid of death."
"Shut up!" Kallen roared, tears blurring the edges of his vision.
Lyss didn't seem to even notice he'd suddenly shouted. Her eye began to grow distant, but a spike of panic ran through her and she clutched harder.
"Kallen, please." She tried to sit up, but pain shot through her body and she cried out a half broken scream. More tears came. Her breath grew faster, shorter.
"No—no, no stay with me. Shit, please stay…" he shifted her into his lap, cradling the back of her head with trembling fingers. She was missing a portion of her hair, burned away at the scalp. He held her as if she were whole.
"I need a healer!" Kallen roared into the chaos; his voice cracked and desperate. "Damnit I need a healer!"
No help came.
"I am your Bright Lord! Someone bring me a fucking healer!"
Nothing.
He shook her lightly, terror curling through him. "Hey, help is coming. You'll be fine, you hear me? You'll be fine."
He looked around. Help wasn't coming.
She sobbed—a broken shuddering that sent fresh blood pouring from the side of her mouth.
"I—" a hard cough, something deep in Lyss's chest rattled. She tried again, voice fainter. "I'm sorry. I should… have been…"
"No," he said fiercely, cupping her cheek. His thumb traced along and brushed away dust. "You were perfect. You did everything right. This isn't your fault."
She blinked slowly. "Please don't leave me."
"I'm here. Always"
Lyss pressed a hand to his chest and he heard the spell announce that he'd gained multiple Memories. The pearl necklace—half destroyed around her neck—faded into sparks. It found itself in his soul sea.
Then her hand fell limp.
Kallen froze. Every breath, every heartbeat caught inside him. For a moment, he just stared at her, as if he could will her back.
But she was gone.
He closed his eyes, clutching her tighter to him as the fires raged and the grey sky wept.
A/n: End of part 3/4
I've just started writing book 2!