The distance between us.
1169 Words
Anara.
His presence still clung around.
And then… silence.
I stared at the space where he had stood — the firelight flickering in his absence. My chest rose and fell in uneven breaths, my fingers gripping the sheets beneath her.
“Don’t make me feel like I’m losing you…”
His words echoed louder than the shouting.
I blinked, hard. But the sting in my eyes wouldn’t go away.
He was furious… but he came for me.
My jaw clenched . My throat ached. My heart felt like it was fighting against something i didn’t understand — something dangerous, something that felt too much like needing him.
A soft knock.
The door creaked open.
Evelyn stepped in, moving slowly. Her arm was bandaged, her face pale, but she managed a weary smile.
“You’re awake.”
I didn’t speak.
Evelyn walked to the side of the bed, her eyes softening when she saw the tension in my face.
“He carried you back himself,” she said gently.
“Wouldn’t let anyone else touch you. Not even me.”
My throat tightened.
“He yelled,” i whispered, voice barely there.
Evelyn gave a faint, dry chuckle. “That’s his way of saying he was scared.”
A pause.
“Were you?”
“I wasn’t afraid to die,” I said, looking at the fire.
“I was afraid he wouldn’t come.”
Silence stretched between us.
Then Evelyn reached out, brushing hair from my Face. Tucking the strand behind my ear.
“He came.”
I closed my eyes.
And this time, when the tear slipped free, i let it fall. I could feel him, his rage. Why was he so angry?
**********
Days passed, but the silence between us stretched longer than the shadows in Lucien’s halls.
Not a word.
Not a glance.
I hadn’t seen him since that night — since the firelight flickered across his face and he said things I wasn't ready to feel. Since he disappeared like a ghost swallowed by his own darkness.
And part of me hated how much that bothered me.
Evelyn was healing, but slowly. Her strength returned in pieces — and so did mine . I stayed at her side, letting the quiet settle like dust. Pretending I didn't notice the ache in my chest whenever I passed a hallway expecting to see him but ended up getting disappointed.
Then suddenly, the door creaked open.
I didn’t even need to turn.
I already knew it was him.
Lucien stepped inside, tall and silent, his presence pulling the air tighter around me.
He didn’t look at Evelyn.
He looked straight at me.
“She can’t stay here.”
I rose from the bedside, my expression blank. “What?”
“She’s human,” he said. “Unprotected. They know who you are now — what you did.”
“She’s a liability.”
“She’s my aunt.”
“She’s your weakness,” he said, voice too calm. “They’ll use her again. Next time, you might not get there in time.”
“So your solution is to send her away?”I snapped.
“My solution is to send her somewhere safe — far from this realm.”
“No.”
His jaw clenched. “Excuse me?”
“You don’t get to make that call,” I said.
“You don’t get to decide who I keep and who I don’t.”
The air around him shifted. Shadows stirred, restless.
“You almost died for her.”
“And I would again.”
Lucien stepped closer, the heat in his eyes rising with every word.
“This realm doesn’t run on sentiment, Anara. You want her to stay? You’re gambling with both of your lives.”
“Then make it safer,” I snapped again. “You’re supposed to be a king. Act like it.”
That stopped him.
For a heartbeat, we just stared at each other — like lightning about to strike.
Then his voice dropped low.
“You don’t understand what’s coming. They want you because of me. They’ll burn this place down to get to you. And if she’s still here—”
“Then stop them.”
I could tell my words landed like a blade to the chest. I couldn't leave Evelyn again.
Lucien stared at me, chest rising with restrained fury. But beneath it, something else flickered. Something far more dangerous than anger.
“She stays,” I said, softer now.
“Because I do.”
And again…
He had no answer for that. And like that he just left. Again.
“make me understand,” Evelyn said, voice a bit hoarse, I sigh and sat with her.
“you're awake”
“It's gonna sound crazy but I'm gonna cut it as short as possible”she nods slightly.
“apparently I'm the key to an ancient curse, on my birthday, I broke the seal that locked lucien for years and we became bonded when he drank from me”
“he bi—”
“yes. It's fate apparently. They wanted to hurt me at school so he came and took me away”
“I'm so sorry. I wasn't there to protect you”
“It's not your fault Evelyn, you've been the very best”
“So what do you think of him?”
I blinked. “What?”
“Don’t ‘what’ me. That man nearly tore the walls down when you collapsed. Carried you like the world would end if he dropped you. And now he’s ready to burn kingdoms to protect me — just because you asked.”
I folded my arms, looking away. “He’s… impossible.”
“Mm-hmm. And?”
“Overbearing. Arrogant. Cold.”
Evelyn raised an eyebrow.
I groaned. “And sometimes… not as cold as he pretends to be.”
Evelyn didn’t say anything.
She just looked at me — like she knew Something .
“He makes me feel things I don’t understand,” I muttered. “Things I didn’t ask for.”
“That’s how you know it’s real.”
I looked at Evelyn, quiet for a bit.
“I don’t trust him,” I said finally. “But I don’t want to lose him either.”
I didn't understand why I felt like that. He wasn't nice to me, he took me away from home…. And still.
Evelyn nodded, eyes soft.
“Then make sure he knows that — before someone else decides it for you.”
Evelyn was quite a little long then finally spoke.
“just.. Don't lie to yourself about what you feel”
“that's where it always starts”
I don't trust him. Did I really not trust him?
Why did I wait eagerly for him to save me the minute I was in distress?
Don't stress it anara, he'd never stress about you the way you're doing right now.
Wow that hurt thinking it out loud.
- Writer
