Silver Lining - The Host fanfiction

Chapter 35 The Inconsistent

There is never one absolutely right thing to do.
All you can do is honor what you believe,
accept the consequences of your actions,
and make the best out of what happens.

- Superior Saturday

 

Burns

 

It seems Sky is just as clumsy as Emma, tripping over her own feet. I would smile if I wasn’t so worried. No matter what she says, she was in pain before.
She’s been quiet the entire drive home. I know she feels bad because she thinks she has ruined my day, but I really don’t mind.
Besides, I have an excuse now to decline Thru’s dinner invitation.
“I’m sorry we didn’t get the chance to picnic,” Sky says softly.
“Who says we can’t go picnic?” I say, “we’ll do it here.”
“What? In the living room?” A laugh escapes her.
“Why not?” I say and start moving some plants to the centre of the room. “Go on,” I say, “get the blanket.”
Sky shakes her head amused, but digs in the backpack. She takes out the blanket and spreads it out on the floor.
“See?” I smile, “no problem.” I sit down and wait for her to join me.
She laughs again.
“It’s good to see you smile. Are you feeling better now?” 
Her laughter dies out and she looks at me. “I’m fine,” she says softly, but she sounds tired. The way she looks at me now is more like Emma than Sky and it silences me for a moment. I think I know what’s wrong. “Do you miss your friends?” I ask, “do you want to go home?” 
I can hear her gasp. “No. Well… yes, but that’s not…” She bites her lip.
“If you want to visit them, just say the word and we’ll go.”
She looks up at me hesitantly. “You wouldn’t mind? I mean… it’s quite a drive and you have your Calling.” 
“It’s fine. Besides, your friend is a Healer, right? Perhaps he can take a look at you. I know you said you’re fine, but I’m still worried.”
She nods at me and smiles. The light in the room is very dim, so I can clearly see the silver behind her eyes. 
I remember when I first met Emma. The contacts she had in couldn’t compare to the real silver, but strangely enough I wish I could see those eyes again. There was something pretty about them. 
It makes me feel guilty to even think it. Sky is a Soul after all, my own kind. 
I look away and start on a sandwich.
Sky is quick to join me and for a moment we eat in silence.

“Tell me about your friends,” I say after a while, “you’ve mentioned Rain and Storm. The Healers, right?”
Sky swallows her food and nods. “Storm is the Healer. Rain is his assistant and his mate. They both came from Rock World. They were together there as well. It’s really amazing, don’t you think? They really are Soul mates.” She casts me a dreamy smile and I can’t help but smile back.
“I have a friend that came from Rock World too,” I tell her, “maybe they know each other.” 
“Really? What’s his name?” 
“Core of Stone,”  I say.
She tilts her head. “I’m not sure. I don’t think I’ve heard that name before, but I’ll ask. It would be real nice if they knew each other.” She laughs. “Imagine that, them finding each other again just because I went looking for you.” 
I chuckle. She’s amusing when she gets excited. She’s acting like a child on Christmas Day. “How about your other friends?” I ask, “or is it just the two?” 
Her laugh dies out and I regret asking. “Well, there’s Patt too. He’s the Seeker that found Emma. We’ve become really close.” She looks down and bites her lip. “Are you okay?” 
“Hm?” I say confused. When her hand closes over mine, I look down too. I’m clenching my fist. I blink in surprise and relax my hand. “I’m fine,” I say, still confused. What just happened? I shake my head.
Sky sighs sadly and continues her story. “I thought I liked him and then Yellow Leaves said…”  
“Yellow Leaves?”
“Another friend, from Toledo. She said something about me wanting a partner… I thought it might be Patt, but he already found his mate.” 
“I’m sorry,” I say clumsy. I’m not really sure how to react. Nor do I understand this mix of emotions I’m suddenly experiencing.
“No,” Sky says, “it was actually a good thing. I was disappointed at first, but it made me go look for you and I’m…” She looks down, but doesn’t succeed in hiding her blush. “I’m really glad I found you.” 
I swallow, surprised at this sudden confession. But then I remember the words are Sky’s and not Emma’s. I’m still having a hard time adjusting to that. 
I smile at her tentatively and place a hand on hers. “I’m glad you found me too.” 
And I mean it.
Her cheeks heat up even more and she glances up at me. “Really?” 
“Yeah. Really,” I say softly.
And she smiles.

***

I stand in the guest room. Emma’s room. Now Sky’s room.
She’s in the shower at the moment and I’m not sure what to do with myself.
I like Sky. She’s funny and exciting and has a beautiful laugh.
Emma’s laugh.
I sigh. I know now why she couldn’t come back. And I have doubts. All this time I believed Emma to be a manipulating liar, but what if she did want to come back?
But there’s something else that’s been bothering me. Sky has no memories of me.
When a Soul takes over a host body, they gain all of that host’s memoires. All of them.
Sky should know the truth, that I was the one that met Emma and not my host. It doesn’t make sense.
and when she saw Emma’s drawing, it was like she’d never seen it before.
I’m not sure if that’s a good or a bad thing.
I open my hand and look at the prism I’m holding.
Carefully I place it onto the nightstand.
It is hers anyway.

Down the hall I hear the phone ring and I make my way over. “Hello?”
“Burns! We found one!” Ocean’s voice cries into the receiver. I have to take my ear away from it for a second.
In the background I can hear Core laugh. “Maybe you need to speak up, honey, I don’t think he heard you.”
“But I’m so excited!’
There’s some noise on the other end and some protest and then Core’s on the phone. “Hey Burns.”
“Core,” I say, “what’s going on? “
“We found a house,” he says.
“You did? “
“It’s only ten miles away from you. We’re moving in this weekend.”
“Wow,” I say, not sure how else to react. They told me about their plans, but they didn’t expect it to be this soon. “Do… do you need help with the move”
“We’d love to have you over. We’ll make a party out of it.”
I smile. “Is it alright if I bring someone?”
It’s silent for a moment and then I hear Core laugh. “What’s that Burns? Did you meet a girl?”
I hear Ocean shriek in the background and a second later she’s on the phone again in Core’s stead. “Did I hear correctly Burns? You found a mate? And so soon after you visited us! Did you ask Silver Song? Did she say yes?”
Silver Song.
It takes a moment for me to remember where that name came from. Right, I told her about Emma, using that name. “No,” I answer Ocean’s question, “not her.”
“Ah,” Oceans says sympathetically. She sighs. “Of course you can bring her. I’d love to meet her. I’ll text you the address, okay?”
“Sure,” I smile, “we’ll be there. It’s great to have you near.”
“Take care Burns. We’ll see you in three days. Bye!”

“Friends of yours?”
I turn around. Sky is toweling her hair as she walks down the hall towards me. The movement is so Emma that I’m unable to answer for a moment.
She smiles. “Burns?”
“Hm? Oh. Yes actually. The friends I was talking about earlier, Core and Ocean.”
“That friend from Rock World?”
I nod. “They’re moving here. They’ve been meaning to for a while, but they’ve found a house. They’re moving in this weekend. They invited us over.”
“I’m so happy for you,” Sky beams, “and I’d love to meet them.”
“Good.” I smile at her enthusiasm. “They want to meet you too. Just don’t get spooked when they start talking about mates.”
Sky blinks for a moment and then she laughs. “Don’t worry. Yellow Leaves and Rain both are pressuring me to find a partner too.”
I laugh too. “They’re gonna love you.”