Fleeting on Dragonfly Wings

Out of Touch

Roses are dark and complex. The way their petals twist seems like they're hiding a secret. They cover some shame they press down underneath. There's something captivating about roses, their beauty even further hidden by the thorns along their sides, protecting themselves from everyone.

In a way, Salvador was like a rose to me. He was hiding somewhere I couldn't quite reach him, protecting himself against everything not even realizing that what was killing him was sitting in his brush, choking his roots.

I crushed the rose head in my hand. Stupid poetic roses. 

I knew Zephyr said I'd find it in the gardens. I hated the sunlight but I had to admit, the gardens were beautiful, carefully kept up by a ground of earth-powered fae. I felt shame in crushing one of their roses, ones they probably tendered too gently. I swept it under the bush.

I looked up in the sky. There was nary a cloud covering the blue surface. The two moons were peaking into the midafternoon, surely to stay in the sky throughout the night. I noticed something odd. There were those brilliant blue wings, falling. Salvador. He was going to crash, to die. Why wasn't he flying? I waited a moment more before realizing he couldn't. I flew fast, faster than I ever had. Salvador's body impacted my own. There was a slight snap in my chest. I winced but it wasn't anything I hadn't felt before. 

"I've got you," I whispered. 

Salvador clung to me, weeping. He'd lost his mind too. I landed back in the gardens, setting him gently on the ground. Panic was heaving his chest. He couldn't get a grip on reality, a grip on the fact he'd almost died.

"What's your name?" I asked.

His eyes met mine, fear still holding them.

"What's your full name?" I insisted.

"S-Salvador Samuel Clarke," he answered, breath staying in his chest.

"Where are you from, what's your clan? Who are your parents?" I pressed.

"I'm from Adelaide, on, on Medowlark, the planet 'ree away from 'ere. I'm part of 'he Downwonder Evonne Fae. I was born to Lexia Clarke an' Markus Clarke," he was focusing again.

"Repeat it," I demanded.

"I'm Salvador Samuel Clarke," he started over again, his eyes trained on the grass below him. "I'm from Adelaide on Medowlark, the Downwonder Evonne Fae. My paren's are Lexia an' Markus Clarke."

"One last time," I nodded.

"Seriously?" Salvador finally broke through, still sounding like he had been running.

"Fine, we're adding your age to the mix. Go." I waved my hand.

He sighed, his breath still shaky. "I'm Salvador Samuel Clarke, nineteen," he glared. "I'm from Adelaide on Medowlark, from the Downwonder Evonne Fae. My paren's are Lexia Grace Clarke an' Markus Samuel Clarke. Good?"

"Better," I smirked. 

He looked around, his breath picking back up. "I almos' died."

"I know but Sal-"

"I almos' died," his face sunk into his hands. 

"Salvador," I pulled his hands away, forcing his eyes onto mine. "What matters is, I caught you before you fell and you are still alive."

"I wish I wasn'" his eyes filled with tears. "I'm such a fool."

"Salvador," I sighed. 

His head bent down, tears streaming into his lap. He was gone again. At least he was out of the shell-shock of it all. We'd all almost died at one point, was this his first?

"How would Lexia and Markus like receiving a letter that you, their son, had perished, huh?" I shot at him. "You think they'd be happy with that?"

"'Ey'd be devastated," he shook his head. "I'm 'eir only child." 

"Exactly," I let go of his hands, opting instead to grab his shoulders. "You should be happy that you're alive. If I hadn't been here, you'd be gone."

"'Ere'd Kane go?" his eyes trained on his lap.

I peered up into the air. There was no sign of him anywhere. 

"Nowhere you need to worry about," I turned back to Salvador. "What were you even doing up in the air?"

"'E..." Salvador hesitated. "'E invited me to 'ave sex in 'he air."

"Are you stupid?" I felt rage control me. "Don't you know that all the blood flows away from your wings? That's basic knowledge. You would have deserved to die, not knowing that."

"I didn'," Salvador felt the rage now too. It was like a vicious parasite. "I never learne' 'at, all 'ight? I'm jus'..." his tears fell harder. "I'm lucky ya were 'ere."

"Hell yeah, you were," I wrapped my arms around him. I was done. I hated seeing him cry. 

"Caius," he whispered. "I'm a fool for sayin' no. Can you forgive me? Ya were right, so right."

"I can forgive you," I bit my lip, knowing I could never hold it against him. 

I wanted to kiss him, to have him kiss me, to let his carnal desires in this moment of absolute devastation take over and unravel me. I held back though, not wanting him to fill my mouth with the taste of Kane. That vile ice creature could go to hell, burn and melt among those who also disgraced their own kind.

"What are you going to do now?" I asked, not daring to let him go.

"I'm done wi' Kane, if 'at's what ya are askin'," he sighed, his breath shaky with tears. "'E tried to kill me."

"Could you even tell him that yourself?" I wondered.

"No," Sal sighed again. "'E'll get 'he message 'ough. I'm sure of it."

"I'll tell him," I nodded. "I'll let him know if he ever tries to do this again, he'll answer to me."

"Ya don' 'ave to."

"I will."

"I don' 'ink I can be alone," Sal squeezed me gently in his arms.

"Then stay with me," I offered. "My door is still open to you."

Salvador ended up following me around the rest of the evening. My chest hurt, something clicking dangerously. Sal followed me to dinner, to the library afterward. I went to Zephyr, who ended up making me drink something to fix my chest. Sal stayed outside, as to not disturb me. 

I liked having him around. I expected he was the clingy type. Someone who could give me the attention I craved, the love and unraveling I desired. 

But it's what happened...what followed...that really tainted my soul.