Her face crumpled even as she continued to shake her head in denial.
Raror finally tore his eyes from her.
“Look after Talina,” he said to me. He didn’t wait for my reply, turning back to her immediately.
“I love you, Talina of Earon. You save the world. You find your destiny.”
Despite the alien nature of Raror’s features, I found his face lovely in that moment. Talina sobbed once, and I could see from the corner of my eye that she was leaning against him.
“I don’t think I can do this without you,” she whispered in a broken voice. “You are my rock.”
“No, you have always been my rock. I am a far better Spurn because of you. Do not mourn this. I will wait for you in the fade.” He lifted one hand and wiped her tears.
This seemed to be the last of his energy. His arm fell back down and his eyes shuttered, as if about to close.
I turned away then, staring into the endless beauty of the ocean, searching for comfort. Brace placed a hand on my cheek before leaning down to rest his forehead on mine. I let the tears free. The salty river of pain flowed in an endless torrent. Brace wiped them away without saying a word; he let me have my pain, giving only his comforting touch.
I heard Raror’s stuttered breath, and then there was no more. Talina started to wail, loud shrieking mourning wails. The wind went crazy around us. Brace dragged me backwards, just in time to avoid a tidal wave. From where we’d fallen into the sand I struggled to reach Talina. I couldn’t hear that pain any longer and not attempt to comfort her. But the wind held me motionless. At least, from what I could see through the sand, Talina looked to be safe in the center of her storm. She’d gathered Raror’s body up in her arms, and was rocking back and forth. Her wails increased. I couldn’t say how many endless moments we waited, watching her as she begged, prayed and cursed to whichever god the Spurns worshipped.
“We have to get to her, Brace. How long can she do this?” I turned to face him.
He sat behind me, one of his large, warm hands rubbing gentle circles along my spine.
“She could mourn like this forever, Red. Raror was her everything. The grief for that knows no limits or boundaries,” he said with a quiet sadness, and I wondered who he’d lost.
I swallowed audibly. “That’s how I felt when Lucy was kidnapped, but even then I had no definite proof she was dead. I refused to even consider it.”
His face hardened. “I can’t forget the look on your face that day – that dead look.” He took my chin in his hand. “I vowed I would never see that again. But it was there again when you found out about me, when you asked me to leave you alone. It was there and I was the cause.” He growled. “If anyone else had caused you to feel pain like that I’d have ended them where they stood. But it was me, and there is nothing I can do but make it up to you forever.”
He pressed a gentle kiss to my cheek, his lips lingering. It was odd to have him kiss me so casually, and yet it felt as if we’d been joined together for years.
I decided to change the subject. We still had a lot to work through – including his little episode of hiding the truth from me – but right now that was too heavy.
My eyes filled with tears. I couldn’t help it. The scene with Raror’s face in those final moments continued to play through my mind.
“Baby, please don’t do that. Don’t let it linger in your mind. You have to release the pain, or it will dig in deep and take hold.”
I gulped in a couple of breaths, raising my eyes up trying to stem the flow of tears. Brace placed his hands on my cheeks, using his thumbs to gently wipe at my overflow of pain.
“I … just … it was so quick.” My words stumbled as I tried to express the pain.
“Life is one of those things that can be over in an instant, even for those of us long-lived. We must embrace every moment.”
I lowered my eyes to stare at him. The tears continued, letting free some of weight on my heavy heart.
“Want to know about my dreams?” Brace said his voice tinged with desperation. He didn’t like me crying. Luckily, his attempt at distraction worked. My pulse race, I’d been dying to know what his dreams were.
I nodded briskly, and with his hands still resting on either side of my face, he leaned in close and touched his lips to my forehead. I was about to protest when I realized I was no longer seeing the Spurn beach but a scene of pure unending love. I was in Brace’s mind.