Blood Memories [Last of Elves book 1] (NaNoWriMo 2014)

Twenty-Nine: Panthera

Panthera

Even though they seemed to have come to some sort of understanding, he still spent a lot of his time on the balcony from his room. He hated it inside the temple, shut away from the sun and the stars. He was watching the sun setting when he heard her footsteps in the passage. He turned his head just as the door opened, and she came in. She lifted an eyebrow when she saw him looking at her.

“You don’t seem surprised.”

He turned back to the outside world, the warm breeze ruffling his hair. “I heard you coming.”

She advanced to stand beside him. “You miss it?”

He didn’t move. “The elves don’t have faith in the mother goddess,” he said softly. “We trust the earth. His long life, his vast wisdom. He hasn’t given up on me, and I won’t give up on him.”

She didn’t speak for a long time, but he was content with the silence. The call of the earth had been getting louder, and he closed his eyes to try and hear it better.

“You’re hiding something.”

He wasn’t surprised. “I hide many things, priestess. Just as you do.” He looked at her, meeting her dark gaze. “You expect me to reveal my secrets?”

Annoyance flashed in her eyes. “Nothing can threaten this, Panthera,” she hissed. “You know what is at stake!”

“Yes.” He nodded calmly. “I do. The townspeople’s lives. The lives of all the people. My life. Your life. Your link with the goddess.” Her shocked expression amused him. “Don’t underestimate me, priestess. I have lived within this town for years. I know what you are.”

He couldn’t help chuckling as she continued to stare at him. Finally, she spoke.

“I do appear to have underestimated you,” she said quietly. He tilted his head to her. “But you still hide something. If it will endanger what we’re doing …”

He shook his head. “No,” he said firmly. “It’s not going to. And I am not going to tell you. It’s not for your ears.”

She sighed, and put a hand over his. “It is because I’m not an elf, Panthera?”

He glanced at her again, turning his hand to grip her fingers gently. “At the core, no,” he murmured.

“Then why? Because you can’t trust me?”

“Don’t put words in my mouth, Naameh,” he warned, the sound of her name hanging between them. He pulled away, turning his back on her.

“You said it.”

He heard her whisper, but didn’t move, didn’t speak.

“Panthera, is there anything troubling you?”

He couldn’t look at her. Not when he was hiding what he was from her. “No.” He had to lie. He couldn’t risk it. Couldn’t risk having the information leak out.

“Are you sure?”

“Yes,” he said shortly, wanting her to leave. He wasn’t sure how long he could hold off her questions before he snapped. She sighed and changed the subject.

“Will you come again tonight?”

He looked over his shoulder at her, considering her words for a moment. She waited silently, having learned that she could never rush him to make up his mind. At last, he nodded.

“Yes.” He had his own reasons for joining her – namely, the blue-eyed girl.

The priestess breathed a sigh of relief, and ventured closer to him. “Panthera …”

He lifted an eyebrow, daring her to continue. She jerked her chin up.

“Don’t give me that!”

He grinned, and settled to lean on the railing, waiting patiently. “Alright then. Spit it out.”

She narrowed her eyes at him. “What made you build the walls around your heart, Panthera?” she asked quietly, her dark brown eyes steady on him. He considered her for a long moment.

“Many things,” he finally answered, and would say no more. She nodded, accepting his silence, and swept out of the room. He followed her through the temple, absently fiddling with the leather thong around his neck, lost in his memories.

He stuck to the shadows as the warriors handed out the food, only coming forward if they needed help. As he’d expected, the girl was there, still in that threadbare cloak and ragged clothes, her eyes still far too big for her face. There was something about her that he recognised, and he knew that he was going to find out that night.

As soon as he could, he got out of the temple. He wasn’t stupid enough to leave in the middle of the day. Instead, he borrowed the dark cloak and shirt that was the temple warrior’s uniform, made sure that one of the warriors knew he was out, and left as dusk settled over the city. He left as they were finishing handing out the food, following the girl with the dark blue eyes. She had stuck in his mind since the first time he’d seen her those few weeks ago, refusing to leave him alone. The priestess had noticed his distraction, and let him go. Perhaps she sensed the restlessness that he felt in himself. Even if she didn’t, he was under the stars again, and he was going to make full use of the time while he could.

Casting a quick glance around him, he pulled the cloak closer and hurried down a side street. Because of his years living here, seemingly never staying in the one place for more than a couple of months, he knew the streets like the back of his hand. Just as he knew where the girl would have gone. There was only one place that was safe – relatively – for newcomers to the town.