Four Elements Book 2 - Fight and Feel

Part 38

"Balon, what are you doing here?"

His clear eyes glinted in the dark. Andie turned on the light and closed the door. She then looked at Balon, a hand on her hip.

"I needed to speak with you," Balon answered.

"If this is about trying to convince me to leave Bane, you're wasting your time," Andie said shortly, crossing the room to her desk where she set down her bag and coat.

"No, that's not what I came here to say," Balon answered.

Andie paused. Then she looked around at him. If he wasn't here to tell her to leave Bane, then that meant...

"Is something wrong? Is Bane okay?"

"He's fine," Balon answered.

Andie frowned and scanned his face. His expressions were always difficult to read.

"Then why are you here?" she asked, though keeping the hostility out of her voice.

Balon turned to look out the window.

"I apologize for my behavior today. It was unacceptable."

"Yes. It was," Andie agreed calmly. "But I started by throwing those flames at you. So I'm sorry about that."

"Apology accepted," Balon nodded.

"Same here," Andie answered.

She sat down on the bed.

"You apologize for a lot, lately..." she pointed out slowly.

"I'm aware of that. But this is why I came. I'm trying to... I don't know, explain... I know it doesn't excuse what I said or did, of course, but... maybe it'll make things easier for all of us."

Andie waited, unsure what to say.

"I believe Bane told you how his mother lost her life?"

Andie nodded.

"He said Zorak killed her," she said quietly.

"He did," Balon answered, still staring out the window at the night sky. "Bane was a child at the time, he couldn't possibly have survive alone, his powers hadn't awoken."

"You saved him, didn't you?" Andie asked.

"Yes." Balon replied. "When Zorak tried to attack him, I was able to somehow intervene. And that night was the only time since I was able to summon my former powers. I suppose there were some remnants in me, or something. Zorak was injured, and left, though he of course vowed he'd come back, which, as we know, he eventually did. Sadly, I was too late to save Bane's mother."

Andie looked away thoughtfully, then, she turned back to Balon and said:

"... But that doesn't explain why you're so hard on him all the time, or why you always seem to be saying we shouldn't be together."

Balon didn't answer at once, seeming to ponder his response.

"I know you love each other," he said. "And I understand that my attitude seemed hostile to that, but... It wasn't because of you. In fact, I think you're very good for one another. But I can assure you I was only trying to do what I thought best."

"How is tearing Bane and me apart what's best?" Andie asked, frowning.

Balon turned to look at her.

"It wasn't about separating you," he said. "It was about protecting Bane."

"By making him miserable?" Andie demanded, raising a skeptical eyebrow.