Chapter 14: Flames of the Past.
The evening inside Jess and Miko’s home had settled into a gentle quiet, the soft glow of lantern light casting long shadows over the kitchen as Talon stood by baby Talon’s cot. His gaze lingered on the sleeping child, the peaceful rise and fall of his chest providing a temporary refuge from the chaos that always seemed to circle their lives. For a moment, everything felt far away—the battles, the blood, the weight of the past.
Jess, ever perceptive, noticed the distant look in Talon’s eyes. She walked over, placing a gentle hand on his arm. "Come on, let him sleep," she whispered, guiding him away from the cot with a soft tug. Talon followed her to the kitchen, where Miko had already poured drinks. The clinking of glasses seemed to break the spell, bringing Talon back from wherever his thoughts had taken him.
Miko, ever the jokester, tried to lighten the mood as they sat around the table. "So... I hear Ava sank a jeep this time?" he asked with a grin, raising his glass toward Talon.
Talon managed a chuckle, though the sound lacked its usual vibrancy. "She saved me, twice," he admitted, his voice quieter than usual, as if the admission carried more weight than he cared to acknowledge. He swirled his drink before taking a long sip, his eyes fixed on a spot far off, lost in thought.
Jess frowned, sensing the heaviness in his words. "It’s what you two do—always watching each other’s backs," she reminded him gently, hoping to pull him from whatever was gnawing at him.
Talon let out a short laugh, but there was an edge to it. "Yeah, but this time... I had this thought. If Ava had stayed with Eli, if she hadn’t come with me..." His voice trailed off, the rest of the sentence left unsaid. He didn't need to finish it. They all knew what he meant. He would have been dead.
The weight of his confession hung in the air, and for a moment, the room was thick with the unspoken fear that had taken root in Talon. Jess, ever the nurturing figure, reached across the table and took his hand, squeezing it gently. "But she didn’t stay, Talon. You’re here because you both made it out. That’s what matters."
Before anyone could say more, a loud banging on the door jolted them from the conversation. The voice outside was frantic: "The tavern’s on fire!"
In an instant, Talon was on his feet, his body moving before his mind fully caught up. Jess and Miko followed close behind, the urgency of the moment banishing any thoughts of the quiet evening they had planned. As they rushed into the cool night air, the smell of smoke hit them hard, carried on the wind from the direction of the tavern.
The flames were already roaring by the time they arrived, the once bustling heart of Green Arbor now engulfed in a blaze that lit up the night sky. Villagers and volunteers were forming bucket lines, desperately trying to control the fire, their faces illuminated by the orange glow of the inferno.
Talon didn’t hesitate, jumping into the bucket line alongside Miko and Jess. But as he moved closer to the entrance of the burning tavern, something caught his eye—a symbol, scorched into the doorframe. For a moment, the world around him seemed to slow, the roar of the flames fading into the background as his heart began to race.
It was a symbol he knew too well.
Talon's breath hitched in his throat as he crouched to inspect it more closely, his hand brushing over the charred wood. The lines of the mark were crude but unmistakable. Memories he had fought hard to bury began to surface—memories of a time before the Sentinels, before Green Arbor, before Ava.
The symbol was a message. A reminder that no matter how far he had run, no matter how hard he had fought to build a new life, the past was never truly gone.
Jess, noticing the shift in Talon’s demeanor, made her way over, concern etched into her features. "Talon?" she asked softly, her voice laced with worry. "What is it?"
Talon quickly shook his head, brushing off the question as he stood up. "Nothing," he muttered, forcing a tight smile. "Just... the fire. We need to focus on getting it out."
But Jess wasn’t convinced. She had known Talon long enough to recognize when something was bothering him, and whatever it was, it had shaken him deeply. Still, she decided not to push. Not yet.
As they worked to fight the flames, Talon’s mind was racing. The symbol was a warning, a declaration that his past had finally caught up to him. But he couldn't tell anyone—not yet. There was too much at stake, too many people he cared about in Green Arbor. He couldn’t risk putting them in danger because of his own demons.
As the fire began to die down, the villagers cheered, their relief palpable as the worst of the blaze was brought under control. But Talon’s thoughts were elsewhere, his gaze lingering on the charred remains of the tavern and the ominous mark that had reignited a war within him.
Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator.
He knew one thing for sure: whoever had left that symbol wasn’t finished. And now, more than ever, he needed to be ready.
"Let’s head back," Miko suggested, clapping Talon on the back. "It’s been a long night."
Talon nodded, but his mind was far from rest. As they walked back to the house, Jess glanced at him, her eyes filled with questions she hadn’t yet asked. But Talon kept his expression neutral, offering only a quiet, "I’m fine."
But Jess knew better. And so did Talon.
The flames might have been extinguished, but the fire from Talon’s past had only just begun to burn.
-------
Just a few hours before the fire at the tavern, Ava and Eli walked away from the lively tavern, the hum of celebration fading behind them as they entered the quieter streets of Green Arbor. The night air was cool, the stars twinkling overhead like distant, watchful eyes. They walked in comfortable silence, their hands intertwined, the warmth of Eli’s grip a stark contrast to the chill in the air.
When they reached Eli's cabin, he opened the door and led her inside. The moment they stepped through, it felt as if the world outside no longer existed—just the two of them, cocooned in the cozy, intimate warmth of the room. The glow of the fireplace bathed everything in a soft, golden light, casting flickering shadows on the walls, amplifying the quietness that hung between them.
Eli, without a word, guided Ava to the couch near the hearth. His hand remained steady but gentle, as though he feared she might slip away again. They sat down, the cushions sinking beneath them as if welcoming them into a space where time could slow down, where the weight of what they had both endured could fall away.
For a long moment, Eli just looked at her, his eyes searching her face as if to reassure himself that she was really there. He reached out, framing her face with his hands, his fingers trembling slightly. Ava leaned into his touch, feeling the warmth of his palms, the unspoken love and longing that had grown between them.
"Ava," Eli whispered, his voice thick with emotion, "I thought I'd lost you forever."
His words hit her like a wave, stirring up her own buried fears. She placed her hands over his, gently squeezing them. "I'm right here, Eli," she murmured softly, her voice both a reassurance and a promise. She leaned forward, resting her forehead against his, her breath mingling with his as they shared that simple, grounding touch. It felt like coming home.
For a moment, they sat there, forehead to forehead, eyes closed, their breaths syncing. They didn’t need words; the silence was filled with everything they hadn’t been able to say. The weeks of uncertainty, the fear of what might have been, the relief that they were together now—it all flowed through that quiet connection.
Eli's thumbs brushed away a tear that had slipped down her cheek, a tear she hadn’t even realized was there. "Stay with me tonight," he whispered, his voice fragile, as if the weight of the question might shatter the moment.
Ava opened her eyes, meeting his gaze with a quiet intensity. "Nothing could pull me away," she answered softly, her tone filled with certainty and love.
They moved closer on the couch, their bodies naturally gravitating toward one another. Their first kiss was tentative, almost shy, but it quickly deepened, fueled by the unspoken emotions that had built up over the months. The kiss wasn’t just about passion—it was about reconnection, about finding solace in each other after facing so much darkness.
Eli's hands moved slowly over her, exploring the familiar lines of her body, pausing at the scars that marked her skin. He traced one along her collarbone, his touch featherlight. "Any new stories?" he asked quietly, his voice a mix of curiosity and concern.
Ava’s lips quirked into a soft smile. "Not this time," she replied, her tone gentle. She lifted his hand to her lips, pressing a kiss against his knuckles, sealing the promise that she was here, whole, and with him.
Their touches became slower, more deliberate, savoring each moment as if they needed to memorize the feel of each other all over again. Every touch was filled with the love they had for one another, a silent celebration of the fact that they had survived, that they were still here, together.
As they lay together, wrapped in each other’s arms, the fire in the hearth began to burn low, its warmth a soothing background to the peace they found in one another. Eli’s hand rested gently on her side, his thumb moving in soft circles on her skin. His voice was a soft confession in the stillness. "I was so scared, Ava. I kept thinking... what if I never saw you again?"
Ava shifted slightly, her fingers brushing through his hair. She understood his fear—she had felt it too, in those quiet moments between battles, when the thought of losing him had crept into her mind like an unwelcome shadow. "I was scared too," she admitted quietly. "But I promised I’d come back. And I always keep my promises."
For a while, they lay there in the quiet comfort of each other’s presence, the crackling of the fire the only sound filling the room. But then something outside caught Ava’s attention—a strange glow that flickered through the window. It wasn’t the soft, comforting light of their fire but something harsher, more urgent.
"Eli, do you see that?" Ava asked, her body already tensing with the readiness of a Sentinel.
Eli followed her gaze, his brow furrowing as the red glow outside grew brighter. They quickly dressed, worry gnawing at them as the distant shouts reached their ears. The crackle of flames in the distance was unmistakable.
They rushed outside, their hearts pounding as they headed toward the source of the fire. When they arrived at the town center, the sight of the tavern, engulfed in flames, greeted them. Smoke billowed into the night sky, and the townspeople had already formed a frantic bucket line, trying to save what they could.
Ava and Eli immediately joined the efforts, their hearts racing as they worked to control the blaze. Talon, Miko, and Jess were already there, working with fierce determination. The fire roared, its heat intense, but the cold realization in Ava’s gut was worse. This wasn’t an accident. She could feel it deep in her bones—someone had set this fire deliberately. And whoever it was, they weren’t done yet.
As she passed another bucket along the line, Ava’s mind raced. The danger wasn’t over. The battle wasn’t just in the forest—it had followed them home.