Mortal

Chapter 16

I wake up to the sound of Phareth and Tsareth moving around.

I sit up. Phareth is across the room, buttoning up his shirt. He looks at me and smiles.

"Morning, Shadow," says Phareth.

"Morning," I say.

Tsareth gets up. He grabs a shirt from the drawer, and puts it on.

"We're going to go ask Eldwinus if he can help us enchant your dagger. Go get it," he says, while buttoning the shirt.

I walk to my room. For a moment, I can't find the dagger. I realize it's on the floor, where I dropped it after Skylight talked sense into me after what happened at the ball.

I hear someone walk inside just as I pick it up off the floor.

"Why is the dagger on the floor, Shadow?" He asks. He sits on my bed. "Shouldn't you keep it on your dresser?"

"I dropped it," I answer.

"That's a lie," He says. He sits up straighter.

I decide to play dumb.

"What do you mean?" I ask.

His tone becomes more serious.

"Shadow, I am a god of truth. You can't lie to me," he says.

What am I supposed to tell him? That I tried to kill myself? He'll never let me touch another weapon again. He's going to call me selfish. He's going to criticize me. That's what always happens.

"I don't know," I say.

"That's a lie," he says again.

I don't talk. I decide to just stay quiet. I feel myself becoming more and more anxious, and I can feel Phareth becoming anxious, too.

He continues.

"If you are keeping the truth from me, surely that means you were doing something bad with the dagger. Just tell me. I won't be mad."

He uses a gentle, soft voice.

I still don't talk. How can I tell him that I tried to take my own life?

When I don't say anything, he becomes more anxious. He knows I tried to do something bad.

"Shadow....," He says, sternly.

"Phareth, I can't tell you."

He exhales, and puts his hand on my shoulder, gently.

"Shadow, you can always tell me anything. I will never judge you."

I suddenly feel myself get angry. Nobody whose ever told me that ever kept their promise. I've always been judged even when I was told I wouldn't be.

"Yeah? I tried to kill myself. Now do you judge me?" I ask, annoyed.

Phareth's jaw drops. I feel some awful feeling come off of Phareth. It's so bad that I clench my chest in pain.

"Phareth...?"

I suddenly feel regret for snapping at him. What have I done?

He covers his face with his hands. I can tell he is crying.
I feel tears running down my own face. I realize they aren't mine; I'm not crying. These tears are Phareth's. Did my empathic power grow, or did I develop a new power?

Finally, Phareth speaks.

"Shadow. Don't ever try to do that again. Don't you know how much I'd miss you?" asks Phareth. He sniffles. "Don't you know that you are loved?"