CHAPTER FORTY THREE: TO MAKE A GIRL A PROMISE

In the dark of the cell, it didn’t take more than a few seconds for Evany to run into Calin’s arms. Her small body shook against him.

A few minutes passed in silence before her sobbing settled down, it had all been fear. At least that was what Calin guessed. Finally he breathed in relief, “I’m so glad you’re okay.”

While he held her, she asked with a trembling in her voice, “Calin, what is going on? What were they talking about?”

His body stiffened, sure she had felt it. It was an impossible question, one he could only shake his head about. With a sigh he said, “I don’t know Evany, not even in the least! But...” He dragged his hand through his hair. “There is something severely out of place here...”

After a moment, he let go of her and he walked to the small window. Iron bars covered it. A soft light flitted through into the gloomy cell.

“Why did they say I’m human?” Evany asked hesitantly from behind, “But left you out of the picture? It... it doesn’t make sense. Ugh! Nothing makes sense these last few days.

His hands shook as she spoke. But he tried to hide his fear and gripped the bars with force to steady the trembling. It helped a little. Though, his ragged breath was harder to cover. Why did they leave me out...? What am I?! His cheek pressed against the cold iron as he looked out over the large courtyard, trying desperately to find an answer within himself as he looked at the big Morning tree giving the city its warm pinkish light. Confusion reigned in his heart. In an attempt to buy himself time to think, he took a deep breath and said, almost too soft for her,

“I wish I knew...”

It took effort to turn his head to look back at her as she stepped closer. “But I fear the answer, Evany.”

A distressed look took hold of her features for only an instant before she took hold of his arm.

“Calin,” She said. “Listen to me. I think they, whoever the heck they are, are trying to get to you. Confuse you, break you down. Tell me you won’t allow them?”

He nodded seriously, but in his heart he was truly afraid of the truths about his past that would come and rip his foundations from under him. He chose to hide his thoughts as he said, “I know and I won’t, but I’ll climb that mountain when it comes.” He paused for a few seconds.

“But for now we need to talk about what happens when they come to give me to those people.”

The second he said that, uncertainty swam across Evany’s eyes, it was there the fleetest of moments before she squared her jaw and glared at him.

With a swift movement she turned away from him and steeled her voice.

“No, we don’t.”

A frustrated groan escaped him and he gently took hold of her elbow. “Evany... we need to talk about it.”

When he twisted her back to him she had tears brimming at her eyes.

“Please Calin...” she sobbed. “Don’t say it.”

Without any other choice, he said, “I know it’s hard, but they only wanted me, so I’m going along with the deal for you, for your freedom.”

Evany’s features hardened immediately contrasting the tears that threatened to spill as she said, “Maybe I don’t want to be free if it means you are stuck alone with a man like that ...that thing Xyri.”

Just then, Calin couldn’t help but raise his own voice, “You don’t mean that! Stop talking nonsense.”

Huffing with frustration, the girl said, “You don’t know what I mean.”

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A thick silence settled between the two.

Not able to help himself, Calin started pacing around the room. Finally he let out his pent up breath.

“Evany... don’t you see? In this situation, I’m trying to help you get free. I owe you that,” He paused. His heart weighed heavy in his chest, his choices brought them here. Had he only let those men and their creatures have him back when he was being hunted... Evany and Jerry could have continued to live a normal life, without the fear they had now of never going home. He owed them. He dragged a hand over his face and said, “And so much more...”

“Calin!Ugh, if you had a last name I would have used it now! Don’t you dare say that.” She was staring daggers at him.

“But I do owe you...” Calin said softly as he leaned into the wall. “Nothing you say would change that.”

Evany looked like she wanted to say something harsh, but as she opened her mouth she closed it immediately. She took a few breaths, balling her fists and scrunching up her face, relaxing a little and went through it all again. Finally, after a minute she composed herself and said, “Look, Calin, I don’t know how long I have here with you before... before they come.” She hugged her arms around herself with her face downcast. “But I don’t want to spend it fighting with you...” The girl looked like she struggled with something before she said, “Calin I—”

He had already moved towards her, as she was speaking. He grabbed her, hugging her to him. “I know,” Calin said. “It’s my fault you are in this mess... no don’t say anything... But I am glad I could have seen what I’ve seen with you. I will do everything in my power to get out and come join you guys, is that alright with you?”

After a few seconds of shuddering breaths the girl nodded and placed her face against his chest.

He comforted her softly as he held her and said, “It is going to be okay. You’ll see.”

With it, Evany squeezed tighter and said, “I don’t believe you, but I do hope you are right.”

Me too, Calin thought as he squeezed back.

It was a dark situation, but he thought it would do Evany good to think about something else, so he drew her face gently away from his chest and looked deep in her tearful hazel eyes, glistening in the soft light.

He silently removed a stray lock of hair from her cheek and said, “It is an amazing city, this place, isn’t it? Did you see the size of the pillar it’s built on? It must be what, five or six hundred metres tall!” He smiled, remembering the wondrous sight, even though he had been tied to the caravan at that moment. “To think, people live their entire lives back on the seven continents and never know there are places like these hidden right under their noses.”

Evany looked as if she was going to quip at his statement, but then she nodded and pressed herself against him again. “I don’t like you changing the subject at all, but yes it is. I only wish we could have been here by our own free will.”

She took a deep breath and looked up with searching eyes. “Calin promise me you will come back to m... us?”

All he could do was just stand there for a moment, it was not an easy promise to make, taking that he was going to be used to find his father and then killed. Even though Evany didn’t know that, the last thing he wanted was to bring more fear to the girl’s heart by saying it.

So he opted for the promise, it was something to live for even if they were going to kill him.

“I promise,” he said a few seconds later. “And when I do get away, I’ll come find you first.” He meant every word of it as it left his mouth, but he left out the ‘if’. Somehow he knew he would not give up on getting away, to keep his promise to her even if it was the last thing he did.

But if he could get away was a different matter all together.

The girl stared him in the eyes and said, “Good, I’m holding you to it and I will be waiting.”

A noise of iron scraping against iron filled the cell as a key slid into place. It broke the air like glass shattering. Anxiety swept over the two and they stepped out of the hug, waiting for whatever was on the other side.

As the door opened, Ta-Reen entered with two guards, Evany finally broke down in tears.The gypsy came to stand behind her and said,

“Come along now girly, it’s time to say goodbye.”

As he grabbed her arm, she started struggling all the while shouting,

“No no no! Leave me alone, I want to stay! Get off of me!”

With fear for the girl, Calin stepped forward, took hold of her hand.

“Evany,” He whispered. “Calm down. It’s going to be okay. Calm down. They are going to let you go. Don’t worry about me.”

The girl plucked at her other arm that was in Ta-Reen’s tight grip as she wailed, “No please no, don’t hurt him!”

Upon reaching the door her hand was lost from his grip as they slowly dragged Evany out of the room. The one guard moved forward and made sure Calin didn’t attempt anything. He wished desperately that he was strong enough. It pained him more than anything to watch them force the girl outside. But there was nothing he could do, another thing to blame himself about. So he just stood there gritting his teeth as they took the girl away.

Through the whole thing, he glared at Ta-Reen forcing the fact of the bargain into the look.

As the girl was finally forced out of the door, she screamed through tears. “Remember!” and then she was taken away.

The guard who had kept Calin in check stepped outside and locked the door again.

All he could do was fall to his knees in helplessness.