206
David
I pictured a stone dropping into the pool, creating delicate ripples that danced across the surface.
It was a soothing image, and I focused on it with intent.
"As you watch those ripples," Trent instructed, "allow your thoughts to wander. Don't force anything. Let your mind drift and be open to whatever images or impressions come to you."
I followed his guidance, letting my thoughts roam freely. For a moment, nothing happened. But then, like a whisper in the back of my mind, I began to see fleeting images. I saw Blue in the market, yelling at a butcher. He yelled back.
"You old windbag. Cut me a decent roast for a black wolf, damn you!"
"Old windbag?" I asked.
Amos snickered. "Are you thinking about Blue?"
"A roast," I said as the vision shifted, and an old woman came, pinching Blue's cheek affectionately before fussing at the butcher.
"Why do you always treat Chandraneel like this? Cut the roast, dear."
"Chandraneel?"I asked, opening my eyes. Amos' jaw dropped open. "That's her actual name."
"She started it this time!"
"No, I didn't. I asked for your best roast, and you--"
"Honey, just give her the roast. The Blood Moon boy probably needs it with the Crescent Festival coming up."
I shook my head, trying to withdraw from the image.
Amos winced. "If you start calling her that, she's going to think I blabbed, so you better preface it by telling her you've been dipping into your bloodline again."
I slumped in my chair. "It's a pretty name. Whose the butcher with the roast and a wife who calls me the Blood Moon boy?"
Amos grinned. "Her grandparents."
I laughed. My head was pounding. "I hate your lessons."
"I'm sure. Now, rest your head, and let's talk about something boring: security and clothes."
Amos laughed. "Don't let my wife hear you say that. We've got a second fitting for armor and the suits."
I chuckled, momentarily lightening the heavy atmosphere. "Right, the fitting. Perhaps I should get Lucy some armor as well?" I quipped, half-serious.
Trent's response was immediate and decisive. His eyes were bright with mischief.
"Absolutely. In these uncertain times, it's better to be prepared for anything."
"You look too happy for this to be about safety."
Amos, with a twinkle in his eye, fetched an old leather-bound album from a nearby shelf. As he opened it, dust motes danced in the air, revealing faded photographs of Crescent Moon Festivals from years gone by.
My eyes moved from one photograph to another, feeling deeply connected to my ancestors. Yet, one particular image held me captive—a colored photo of my parents at their first Crescent Moon Festival.
My chest felt tight. They looked so young, so much like the way they had in my vision: young, at peace, and in love. I studied the photograph, my heart warming at the sight of my parents, so vibrant and full of life.
"They look just like then."
"What do you mean?"
"I saw them in a vision, I think, from the necklace. It's the crystal necklace of the Moon Goddes. He had it..." I shuddered, telling them about the vision I got from it and the vision that came afterward.
"I don't know why she had it."
"Maybe that's a lesson for another time,"
I nodded, gratefully.
"The elves would love to make her armor," Trent grinned. "They made your mother's."
The thought drew me up short. "I'm coordinating with Stacy on her gown... but I'm going to temper my sense of common sense and ask for advice."
"Dating advice?" Trent asked.
"I want the Festival to be memorable for Lucy. She deserves it."
"Well, I would say a corsage, but you're not in high school..." He smiled, his eyes going misty. "What about leaning on courting gestures?"
My heart raced. "Like what?"
"You're taking dance lessons, right? Invite her formally. Nice parchment and all that. Flowers. Surprisingly..." Trent began, a soft smile playing on his lips, "Courting is not just about grand gestures. It's the little things, the thoughtful acts that show you care. Like leaving a surprise note, planning a spontaneous picnic, or simply taking a moment to listen."
Trent's smile faded slightly, and I noticed a shadow pass over his expressive eyes like a flicker of light.
His words were accompanied by a hint of melancholy, and I couldn't help but notice the sorrow in his voice.
"You sound like... you've courted someone before."
Trent's expression faltered, and his gaze momentarily turned distant. It was as if he was transported back to a time filled with both happiness and heartache. A sigh escaped his lips, heavy with the weight of memories. "I once had someone very dear to me. We were deeply in love, and I had planned to propose to her."
I couldn't help but be drawn into Trent's story, and my curiosity piqued. "What happened?"
Trent's gaze drifted to a distant point, and he let out a wistful sigh. "The day I had planned to propose, I asked her out for a simple walk in the woods. I had the ring in my pocket, ready to ask her to be mine."
I leaned forward, captivated by his tale. "And?"
Trent's voice grew quieter, carrying the weight of his memories. "She accepted my invitation, and we spent a beautiful day together. We laughed, shared stories, and for a while, it felt like nothing could go wrong."
He smiled at me. "You've already asked her so that part is blown, but the lead-up is still wide open."
I frowned at him. His voice had been so heavy, his eyes distant, and I knew that Trent had never been married. I had never heard of a lover of his before. I couldn't even remember if the man ever dated.
"What happened?"
Trent winced.
"As the sun began to set, I found the perfect spot—a tranquil clearing bathed in the warm light of the setting sun. I took a deep breath, but I couldn't. She stopped me. I'll never forget how she burst into tears and begged me not to say it, begged me not to ask, and I couldn't understand why. I asked and asked until finally, she told me her family had arranged a marriage for her, and she couldn't defy their wishes. I wanted to run, but she couldn't... It was complicated, and I was too young to understand how complicated it was. We got to spend one last night together before she was gone." He cleared his throat. "By the time I figured out how to take her away, she was..."
He blinked furiously. "Well, she died."
As Trent's revelation hung heavy in the air, it was like a shadow had been cast over our meeting. I didn't know what to say, but I could sense the sorrow that still lingered in Trent's heart. I heard it in his voice, in the flatness of his tone as he said it. It prickled my skin and seemed to weigh down everything.
"I'm so sorry, Trent. I... I wouldn't have asked.
He offered me a sad but appreciative smile. "Thank you, David, but it was a long time ago. I've moved on."
His words were steady, but there was a hint of bitterness beneath the surface.
"And when I can't, I keep myself busy with revenge."
I couldn't shake the feeling that he was keeping something from us, something more than he was willing to reveal. His focus on revenge felt like a convenient distraction. Revenge on the man who took her? Her family? I couldn't help but suspect that she had been a werewolf. They were the only race I knew that would have torn apart a happy couple for no reason. Had they been mates? I didn't know.
Then, the ripples seemed to move and still. I saw a woman's face, laughing in the sunlight. I saw Trent in a forest furiously casting spells, destroying everything in his path. The rolled in, pouring down over him, but it didn't stop. His breath fogged up in the air, and blood dribbled out of his nose as he finally collapsed with a shuddering sob of grief. An inhuman scream ripped out of him, twisting with the thunder, and his body gave out.
"Eve... please, don't leave me behind..."
I swallowed and blinked away the vision. My throat was tight with his grief. I could taste it as if it were my own. A rush of emotions stormed through me. My heart ached for him. I could almost feel how much it still burdened him.
Perhaps... they had been mates, and just like my father, he had chosen a reason to go on without her. Still, there was no mistaking the agony in him. No mistaking that he was living for his revenge, even if he didn't want to make it seem like he was. Trent's eyes glimmered.
"What'd you see?"
I shook my head. "I think we should talk about something else."
His lips twitched. "Now I hate my training sessions."
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