17. The Shadow Mage #3
“Because,” he muttered, “I’m the same thing that butchered Sona—the same monster that took away Heron’s brother.” Quietly, he said, “I’m a demon now.”
“Well,” Flora replied, clutching her nails to her arms as the evening breeze rattled the trees. “If a demon is what you are, then Heron’s about ready to drag you home by the horns. Your family already knows your secret, and the only thing they’re worried about is your safety.”
Noec blinked, and Flora watched him cautiously, her eyes prying for any lingering signs of resistance.
But, a slow smile grew on Noec’s lips, and with a huff, he sank down into the sand. Resting his chin on his fist, he said, “You’re not in a rush to get back, right?”
“No,” Flora replied, settling down at his side. “Not tonight.” She sighed, looking out at the shimmer of color on the evening wind, blowing in waves off the falls. “So…” she started. “Never really took you for a cat person.”
Noec chortled.
“Well?” she prodded eagerly. “Are you gonna tell me everything or what? Can you control the shifting?”
With a smirk, Noec held out his hand, and as his fingers unravelled, Flora watched in awe as his skin burned in narrow fissures. He closed his fist, and in a subtle twinkle of ash, the burning vanished. Flora blinked down, then met his grin. “Full control,” he replied.
Wide-eyed, Flora beamed back. She asked a dozen questions, like Sona would have, and Noec spoke like he had been itching to spill every little detail to her.
“... and now that the madness is gone,” he continued, “I’ve actually sort of enjoyed things like flying, scratching at trees… chasing laser pointers… ”
Flora snorted a laugh, quick to cover her mouth. Her heart felt lighter tonight than it had in a while. They waded in peaceful silence, and for a while, they just sat together feeling happy.
Noec closed his eyes and breathed in, the fading light scattering in golden threads as the wind tousled his hair. His eyes opened suddenly, and he breathed a quiet, surprised breath.
Flora opened one eye and grinned back, looking up with her head now rested in his lap.
For a moment, Noec seemed unsure. But Flora was too happy to stop smiling, too carefree to keep a nervous distance. Her person was here, and he was safe, and he was himself again. Wide-eyed, Noec held still as Flora shut her eyes and wriggled in closer.
But after a minute, she felt him brush her hair behind her ear. His hand rubbed lightly over her skin, warming the night’s chill on her forearm. The tension in his shoulders gradually unwound, and when Flora peeked back up, she even caught him smiling.
At the water’s edge, the silence of relief settled between them, broken only by the rush of the waterfall and the wind in the leaves.
And as the sky’s colors melted to a deep and distant blue, Flora stole a glance at Noec’s face.
She studied his features, sharp but inviting, and half a thought conceded that he wasn’t entirely miserable to look at.
His stubble had gone untamed for a few days, and with a little trimming, Flora wondered if she might even be charmed.
She wanted to stay there forever, to never let him slip from her sight again.
But night fell, and Flora rose, brushing sand from her clothes as Noec’s eyes lingered on her.
“I have to go. But... thank you. Thank you for taking a chance and coming to me,” she said.
“Now, it’s time for you to go home, too.
” She touched his arm gently. “Everything will be fine, I promise.”
Noec’s serene look told her he believed her, though a slight crease in his brow betrayed him. “I wish I could have spared you from all this,” he said quietly. “I wish I could have been there for you.”
“You’re here with me now,” Flora said, taking his hand as he rose. “And you’ll be here in the morning?” she asked.
“Every single morning,” he promised.
The last of the night lilies unfurled around the falls, igniting the water with the diffuse glow of aquamarine.
Noec’s gaze drifted from the colorful charm of Lunara’s Spring to the hand clasped in his.
Flora blinked and began to pull her fingers away, but Noec’s hold tightened—a faint, aching plea for a moment more.
It was an accident, she swore. But when Noec’s eyes lifted to hers, steady and searching, she couldn’t look away. His smile was soft but sure, a warmth almost too much to hold. And in that instant, something buried, something frozen—it cracked.
Helpless. She was helpless.
And maybe he was, too.
His hand slipped from hers, but the warmth lingered in her fingertips.
“Goodnight,” he said softly, his eyes drifting briefly to her lips. With the faintest grin, he corrected, “Or… good morning.”
Noec’s gaze held hers a heartbeat longer, and as his smile deepened, he turned away.
“See you soon,” he called over his shoulder, stepping along the stone path toward the Shrouded Village.
“Goodnight,” Flora whispered after him, the essence of his touch spreading through her like sunlight thawing frost. Bright and reassuring—his warmth lingered, like apricity on her skin.