Life to Live

Solaire sat down beside the woman, who didn’t react at all. Carefully, he placed his arms around her, not as a young man with his lover, but as a father with his crying child. She reacted ever so slightly, flinching a bit, but other than that she didn’t move.

“Shhh,” he murmured, “don’t cry, Adelaide, don’t cry. It’s gonna be all right. Aline won’t die. I won’t let her.”

He didn’t know how he knew her name was Adelaide. The name simply came to him, and he knew.

“I’ll do something, Adelaide,” he said, rubbing her shoulder encouragingly. “I won’t let her die. Rest easy, I’ll do something…”

Though she didn’t stop crying right away, it lessened and her hiccups stopped. Her breathing became a little more even, her gasping sobs gradually replaced by shuddering breaths and then, steady.

She was asleep.

Without stopping to wonder how he’d managed this feat, Solaire carefully removed the robe from her and set it down gently onto a chair nearby. He laid Adelaide down onto the bed and covered her with a blanket, and glanced at her sleeping, peaceful face once before proceeding to leave the room.

Outside, in the hallway, he wondered what to do next. He’d accomplished his task of calming the poor Adelaide down, but how would he keep his promise?

“I have to help her,” he murmured. “Have to…”

His thoughts were interrupted when he heard a soft crying on the other side of the house…again. This time it was much more familiar.

Arianne.

How was she still here? he wondered. Wouldn’t she have left with Janus by now? Though he was happy she was still nearby, he couldn’t help but wonder what kept her there, now that she thought he was gone.

Solaire strode back through the house to the room quickly, reaching the room where Janus, Arianne, and Aline were. Maybe he could help Arianne the way he’d helped Adelaide.

As he shoved the door out of his way, ready to comfort Arianne, he looked up to see both her and Janus glowing brilliantly. Janus was carrying his body under one arm.

They were most obviously about to leave.

“Arianne!” he shouted. He was very much not ready to lose her a second time, and he rushed forward to stop her leaving.

The two angels looked up, surprise written all over their faces. They’d heard him, but it was too late. The pair dissolved into a shower of light and then nothing, and he found himself lunging at empty air.