Chapter 22

The rain fell heavily on the small gathering. Tears mixed with rain on the faces of many as they watched the funeral pyre being built. A light mist played over the ground on the fields outside the capital city, adding to the dampness of the day.

Kio looked on front atop a hill not far away. He sat alone in his all black attire. He wore dark gloves and a cloth was wrapped around his head, hiding his face from everything. Only his sad brown eyes stared out from above the black.

He could see them all. Andi’s friends from the training session, the people she worked for, even some of the regulars to the bar showed up for her funeral. He could see Loki near the front of the crowd, blond hair plastered to his head in the rain. Loki watched the men built the pyre with pale distant eyes. He had seen Andi kill herself. He and Conrad had followed Kio all the way to the field but they were too late.

Kio was too late. He tried to stop Talia, to save Andi. He could remember the look of recognition when he threw Andi the dagger. His anger at seeing her in chains. That anger which had been fed at the sight of her own sister leading the ceremony that would have brought an end to the world.

Of course, he knew why Andi had done it. It had been the only way to finally kill the wolf once and for all. Fenrir had lived within her after all, he would have died when she did but still...she did it in front of him. He was only a few strides away, so close to killing Talia so she wouldn’t sacrifice herself for them all. So close yet too far away.

Talia died. Kio made sure she was well gone for the pain she had caused him. Kneeling next to Andi’s still warm body he could remember the feeling of dying himself. It had been weeks ago and still he could not sleep. Nightmares plagued him, taunted him with her face, her voice.

He had turned into a machine. The Service suggested he take a few weeks off but he refused, instead going on mission after mission, assassination after assassination. He finished them all without emotion, going through the motions. Yet he couldn’t recall one of them. They didn’t matter, just like everything else didn’t matter. Not since she died.

He looked upon the people below him as they slit to allow those carrying the body through. Her body was carefully laid on the pyre as everyone took a step back. With a word from Loki is went up in flames. The fire sizzling in the rain as it burned the wet wood. The people who could started singing a passage song, to help her spirit find its way.

Kio joined in but sung a different song, one that only they had known the lyrics to, “So what if you can see, the darkest side of me? You can’t change what I’ve done Or save me from what- what I’ve become..” He choked out the words, tears cutting silent paths down his face, getting soaked up by the cloth, “So don’t bother trying, ‘Causing in my mind everything is dying. Don’t tell me it’s al-alright, I’ll just tell you- I’ll just tell you to end my life.” He whispered as the smoke drifted up through the rain. He stopped singing, humming along as he fought back the sobs. He broke the hum with strings of lyrics, “Blood stains the moonlight red, Easing the pain... So what if you can see this darkest side of me?” His voice failed him once more.

The people waited until the fire was just smoldering ashes before treading back behind the walls of the city. When they had all left Kio finally went down to the burning site. He knelt among the ashes in the rain. The smell of clean rain and healing flames permeated the air.

“Why did you have to do it, Andi? You left me to walk this world alone. I never wanted to be alone again.” He told the smoky wind, “How could you be so selfish as to end your life?” He accused though he knew it was unfair of him. “I’m sorry I was too late. I never meant for it to end this way. I just wish- I just want you to come back. Why did you have to leave me again? I can feel you still there, the bond hasn’t stopped throbbing since you’ve left. It’s a constant reminder of what I’ve lost, for good this time.”

He sat there until night had fallen, the fire long since stopped even attempting to smolder. It wasn’t like anyone was waiting for him back home, no one would ever be waiting for him to come back.

Sometime past midnight he got up, the rain still falling though his eyes had spent al their tears. Scaling the city wall he crept back to the old house he was sleeping in. It had been her old room and still smelled like her. Tomorrow he would sign up for another mission. Hopefully leaving before the trainees had their initiation, he didn’t think he could watch them.

-- -- -- -- --

He walked into the empty room. It wasn’t a temple to any god but it was as close as it got for the Shadows. It was where they were either accepted or died trying to be. He came back before every new mission, even in his grief Kio couldn’t turn his back on the place.

He sat in one of the windows, staring out into the streets in thought. The room was under an old building that was left outside the secondary wall separating the castle from the city. Nothing was in the building above and only the Shadows knew of the room below.

I see you grieve still, my son. The soothing voice of the room consoled.

Kio nodded, blinking dry eyes. Why? Why would they take her away after I just got her back? The gods must hate me for something.

Nature never betrayed the heart that loved her. Remember that.

What’s that supposed to mean? He glared around the room.

He could hear the laughter in the voice, Sleep now, my son. You need it.

But.. Kio tried to stave off the effects of the voice but it was stronger than he ever could hope to be. For the first time in weeks he fell into a restful sleep.

Some time later he felt a soft hand on his arm, shaking him gently. “Kio, come on. Wake up.” He closed his eyes harder, trying to block out the taunting voice. “Kio.”

“Just leave me alone, Andi. You died, you’re not here. Just let me rest in peace.”

The hand shook him harder, “Damn it, Kio! Open your eyes. I’m right in front of you!” He brushed the hand away and for a moment he thought he had finally gotten rid of the nightmare. “Fine, off you go then.”

Suddenly he was falling. He opened his eyes to darkness with a yell, landing hard on the floor of the Shadow room. “Andi!”

“What?” He opened his eyes and saw her crouching in front of him. He blinked once, twice. Her face still shone in the faint light of some torches. He vaguely wondered why night had fallen again but the thought was quickly dismissed, replaced but the one he had wish so hard to be alive again. She sighed, waving a hand in front of his face. “Andi calling Kio. You there?”

He grabbed her hand, it was wonderfully solid and warm. Keeping one hand locked around her’s he reached up and touched her face, her shoulder. She smiled knowingly and knelt as he checked her. “You’re real? But I watched you die. You-you can’t be here.”

She cupped his face, using one hand to unwind the back cloth from his face. The other traced patterns on his cheek. “I’m here. I’m not dead. Thanks from the gods, I regain my life for killing the one thing they were afraid of.” He still looked at her in wonder, “Kio. I’m home. I’m not leaving anymore.” She hugged him suddenly, burying her face in his shoulder as his arms surrounded her.

“I thought you were gone. I thought you had left me again.”

“I’m sorry, Kio. I’m so sorry. I never wanted to leave you again but you were going to die, everyone was if I didn’t.”

“Just don’t leave me again.” He whispered into her neck, “Promise me you’ll never leave me again.”

“I promise as long as you don’t leave me either, okay?” She pulled back to look him in the eyes.

He couldn’t believe she was back. His Andi, the only one he wanted was back. He leaned in, bringing her face forward to kiss her tenderly on the lips. She pressed harder to him, her hands still on his face. “I promise.” He whispered against her lips.

“Good.” She answered, her own lips tickling his, not daring to pull away yet.

The voice of the room laughed softly, emerald eyes with gold flaring around the pupils danced in the darkness, watching the two. Welcome to the Shadows, Andi.

Have a great rest of summer!
Wolf's Night