Where Fires Dare to Burn

Chapter 21 - Stuck in the Same World

Oaklynn lingered in the doorway, her eyes shining with unspent tears and the beginnings of an icy blue shimmering beneath her skin. He stepped out past her into the dark with Kasper and Mercy flanking him, feeling like someone had gutted him. The Karkadda out in the grounds carried on as before, some of them clashing violently, others practising their woodland craft. Patches of torn up grass regrew under their touch. Greenery shone even in the dark, the strange glow rising and falling like gentle waves.

Luke stopped. He couldn't gather a thought into his head.

Unfair.

It was the only word that battered against his skull, screaming to get out. When he'd seen her that first day things had seemed so simple. Now, just when they'd finally made the decision to let their feelings run the course, the rug had been ripped out from under them. What had they done to deserve any of this?

"C'mon, Luke," Mercy said quietly. "Time to go."

He shook his head, turning back and looking at Oaklynn. She leaned against the doorway, arms folded tight against her body, her whole body tight and compressed, as though at any minute she might implode in on herself from the weight of it all. She gulped down the lump in her throat and gave a fatalistic shrug.

"I'm sorry." Her voice was a hollow shell of itself, devoid of the spark he associated with her. An expression of bitterness stamped itself on her face, twisting her beautiful features.

"I don't want you to be sorry," he answered. "None of this is your fault."

"I knew the rules and I knew the risks. It is my fault."

"Oaklynn, come on-,"

"No, Luke!" Her shrill voice cut sharply out into the night, echoing away into the woodland. "We can't do this. It was stupid. We tried being 'together' for less than a week and you almost died."

"But I didn't."

"It's too dangerous and I should have known. I can't... if something happened to you because of this I couldn't take it." She took a shaky breath, trying to steady her voice. "You can't ask me to risk that. You need to stay away from me before someone else tries to hurt you."

"Don't you think that ship's sailed?" he replied, spreading his hands helplessly. "Those assholes already know who I am. They knew enough to grab me and use me to draw you out. Why is that going to change now? What difference does this make?"

"Someone will be keeping an eye on you now," Kasper interjected, edging closer to him. "They'll keep the poachers away from you. And if you steer clear of us they'll have no reason to drag you back into this."

God, he wanted to punch this kid. Luke felt his fists clenching tight by his sides with anger as he shot a sidelong glare at the other Karkadda. The notion of being spied on for the rest of his college life didn't exactly fill him with enthusiasm either.

Restraining his violent urges, he looked back to Oaklynn. "So that's it then? That's what you want?"

"Of course it's not what I want, but what I want isn't enough. This is bigger than us."

"We didn't do anything wrong."

She couldn't hold the tears in any longer. Two of them spilled out, running down her cheeks and the sight made him ache all over. Her skin shimmered with tendrils of blue and she cleared her throat, straightening up and smiling sadly.

"Maybe not to you and me," she said, her voice wavering violently. Rubbing a sleeve across her eyes she sniffed and shook her head. "I'm sorry, Luke. It was a dream, and it's over now. I think we both better get used to that."