Eyes of Light

The air was getting warmer and barely ten minutes had passed, but we were already thick in the forest. I didn’t recognize any of the trees around and I had to make sure that I wasn’t about to trip over any logs or tree roots. Nick’s pace was quick and I tried to keep up, but I was slow; I knew it. He’d turn his head every so often, just to make sure I hadn't gotten lost or had fallen. He didn’t say anything though and it was killing me. I guess I had to break the silence.

“You’re hair is so… curly,” I muttered breathlessly, just as I hopped over a log. Nick turned his body, keeping his legs moving straight, and gave me a questioning look; his curls bounced as he walked. “I like it,” I smiled shyly. They shined slightly as the rays of sun peeked through the clusters of trees, and they blew gently in the warm breeze. He shook his head and offered a small, thankful smile, turning back around with a sigh.

He didn’t say anything yet again and I knew I was waiting for something… anything. Was he shy? Was he anti-social? It was like a tootsie pop and how many licks it took to get to the center of it: the world may never know--well… the world seemed to know nothing about Nick and I planned on getting something. I just didn’t know how. Maybe blunt was the key. Or maybe he liked beating around the bush. Who knew.

“You know… you have a lot of beauty marks on your cheek and neck,” I whispered, letting out a deep breath when he finally stopped, allowing me to catch up. He turned around to face me with a blank look, but cocked his head with slight interest.

“They’re freckles,” he corrected, clearing his throat. I squinted my eyes and locked them on his face, the spots on his cheeks being freckles… or beauty marks, but they were there and they gave him character. I felt my lips tug into a smile.

“Nope. They’re beauty marks,” I shook my head, feeling my waves twirl into loose curls. I ran my fingers through them and pushed my bangs back, his eyes narrowing in thought.

“How do you know?” he asked, interested; it was as if he thought I had some scientific answer. Yeah… right.

“Because,” I shrugged, looking down at my feet for a second before focusing in his soft, waiting eyes. “you’re beautiful. It only makes sense.”

He looked away quickly, his cheeks flushing with a deep shade of pink, and I smiled. He couldn’t hide his embarrassment even if he tried. I was just glad to see something out of him. He turned around slowly and squinted in the sun, biting his lip, his eyes trailing around all the trees and paths. I knew he wasn’t going to speak of what I just said, but that was okay. I knew I was still smiling to myself.

“We have a few more miles to go on foot, probably just two or so, and then it’s easier. I’ll be phasing then,” he informed me, turning to catch a glimpse of my face. I sighed heavily, whining at the same time, and I swore I saw him crack a smile… if only for a second.

“Don’t I have some kind of flying spell or something? I’m so tired of walking,” I breathed, taking a step closer to him. He rolled his eyes and didn’t bother to answer, offering his hand instead. I stared at it with sparkling eyes, my glow seeming to be as bright as the sun, blending in perfectly, but I could feel the warmth--it was hotter than the actual air. I slipped my smaller hand into his, sighing when he tightened the grip and stepped forward, dragging me along.

Our feet crunched over the ground, the wind blowing through our hair gently, and it seemed silent. It was peaceful, with the sunshine and the faint chirping of the birds carrying through the breeze. The trees rustled gently and a few twigs snapped under our feet--mostly mine I wasn’t as graceful as Nick. Stupid wolf. I knew he wasn’t stupid though. It was just… unfair.

We carried on, the path only twisting every few feet, the trees seeming to become farther apart, but it seemed darker the deeper we got. I sighed heavily and blinked repeatedly, swallowing with my dry throat. My feet were already killing me thanks to Eve’s new sneakers: another reason why I missed my own. I could tell I pulled a calf muscle from jumping over the log quickly. But I tried not to focus on that and instead kept my gaze on Nick’s close figure. I inhaled his scent as the wind pushed it back, smiling at the softness of it. Despite his rough attitude, he was soft in many ways; the way he often spoke, the way he looked, walked, smelled, smiled. There were many things about him that were inviting, if he’d only open up to them himself. I got the odd urge to hug him; maybe that’s what he needed, but I refrained from doing so.

I looked around the separating trees. I knew we were getting close enough to wherever it was he wanted to stop to phase. Maybe we could eat something too. That breakfast bar wasn’t doing much for me and I doubted that he even ate anything. My lips parted in surprise when I felt a warmer feeling shoot through me, the grip on my hand tightening momentarily. My eyes shot down to my hand that was being held in Nick’s and I bit my lip, watching as his fingers moved, lacing our hands together. I could feel his calloused fingers against the back of my hand, his warm palm pressed against mine. It was… nice. It was unexpected. He didn’t look back at me, he just kept his emotionless, yet concentrated, face forward, his pace still regular--his speed regular, at least. I kept my pace quick, knowing I didn’t want him to disconnect our hands, and I was surprised that I was actually keeping up, my body now walking beside him. He gave me a quick glance, locking my eyes for a moment, not knowing I’d be that quick to look back. I didn’t want to make it seem like it was a big deal, so I gave him my best half smile and was relieved when he returned it.

&&&

It was about five minutes later when he finally slowed down, turning down a small slope. The grass was higher and thicker, a few logs spread out randomly. I could hear rustling from distant animals, the sounds being interrupted by my sighs when Nick’s hand pulled away from mine. He took a few steps forward and dropped the pack, cracking his knuckles swiftly. I hurried forward and immediately took the opportunity to sit on the log, running my fingers through my hair. My legs seemed to immediately rest and I trailed my eyes to Nick, watching as he rubbed his eyes.

“Are you hungry?” he asked suddenly, his eyes focusing on me knowingly. It was probably the fact that he could hear my stomach growling. I nodded slowly, scratching my head. He picked up the bag effortlessly and unzipped it, knitting his eyebrows together. It was just one of those things he did. “I brought you something; here,” he mumbled, pulling out snack sized bag of chips. “Eve gave them to me.”

“Thanks,” I smiled, my eyes following him. He zipped the backpack up after pulling a water out and slung it over his shoulder, slowly walking over to me. He sat down beside me awkwardly and held out the chips, allowing me to open them as he sipped at his water. I knew it was weird to watch him drink it, but it was as if it were so interesting; the way his full lips circled the rim and the way he craned his neck backwards to sip it, his eyes almost closing. He swallowed quickly, his Adams apple moving, and I blushed, immediately looking away. He must’ve thought I was a weirdo… he had to of felt my eyes on him.

I quickly pulled open the chips and wiped my hands on my pants, realizing I was still glowing. It was starting to get to the point where I couldn’t even notice it, but it was still so fascinating. I grabbed a chip gently and stuck it into my mouth, doing my best not to have the crunch echo through the air or annoy Nick. I sat silently, besides my crunching, and ate a few more, glancing over at Nick who still sat close by me, his eyes locked on the sky in thought. I nudged him gently and offered the bag, his eyes trailing between mine and the chips inside. He muttered a thanks and reached in the bag gently, pulling a couple out, politely crunching on them.

“What exactly is this trip for?” I asked suddenly, scratching my neck. He licked his lips and cleared his throat, blinking a few times before answering.

“It’s to worn my dad about the black magic and to tell him I found you. I need to get my pack together just in case we need them.”

“Just in case you can’t protect me?” I questioned softly, offering the bag towards him again. He accepted another one but shook his head to my question, his face serious.

“Don’t worry about me protecting you. Nothing’s gonna’ go wrong there, but I need them for back up. And by the time we get there, the council will already know of the situation, most likely by Eve or Sheba..”

“Sheba’s on the council?” I questioned, knitting my eyebrows together as I bit into another chip quickly, knowing we couldn’t sit around for much longer. He seemed to cringe at her name and nodded once, running his hand through his curls while the other squeezed the bottle. “Why are you two so hostile?”

I winced at the dry feeling in my throat and Nick seemed to catch it, holding the bottle towards me with raised eyebrows. I smiled thankfully, slightly shocked, and gently took a sip, waiting for his answer. If I didn’t know any better, I’d say this was a bonding moment: for me at least.

“She doesn’t like me, or you for that matter.”

I almost spit out the water that cooled the inside of my mouth but I thankfully swallowed it, turning to face him. “Why? What did I do? How do you know?” I asked quickly, getting him to shake his head with a sigh.

“I just… do, Lonnie. I can feel it. She’s not good and I really want you to stay away from her,” he stressed, his voice soft, almost inaudible.

“But-”

“If you want me to be like this towards you-” he started softly, scooting a little closer. My breath caught as his thigh touched mine, his face closer than I expected, and I could feel his slightly reluctant hand grab mine--instantly warming me. “then you’ll do what I say.”

I nodded weakly, embarrassed by my sudden feebleness, and stared into his chocolate eyes. They were lighter, almost friendly, but they still held that blank and serious undertone. He pulled away and stood, allowing me to take another quick sip before he shoved it and the empty chip bag into his pack, turning back onto the path. I stood and rubbed my neck, looking around the bright sky. Stepping forward, I came to his side and waited for his instruction. I still had no clue where we were going exactly.

“Get back,” he instructed, handing me the bag. I nodded and let out a sigh, taking a couple steps back. I watched him shut his eyes and in an instant, he began to shake. Before I could even blink, that beautiful wolf erupted, it’s paws hitting the dirt, and he let out a small groan, craning his neck. It was odd how I referred to the wolf as is when it was really Nick… it was just too amazing.

He turned his head and cocked it, his large gold eyes bright, the chocolate ring thick as he stared at me. I smiled softly and restrained from petting him, knowing that it was kind of weird since it still was Nick. That low voice erupted in my head again, and I listened carefully.

“Do you want to get on my back?” Nick asked, his voice slightly formal. I sighed with relief and smiled, pulling the backpack over my shoulders, my feet taking me forward. Nick stood tall on all fours and turned his head to face forward. I lifted my leg over his back and sat down carefully; it was almost like riding a horse, even though I had never ridden one. It wasn’t uncomfortable, but it was kind of odd. I wrapped my fingers into his soft, long hair, running them through the black at the top down to the brown that covered his back. I could feel him shake underneath me and I leaned forward, almost afraid that he’d topple over, but he just let out a whimper.

“Stop,”he hissed quickly, but his voice seemed kind of faint in my mind and I felt my face burn, stopping my actions--only momentarily.

He began to move forward, allowing me to wrap my arms around his neck the best I could. I just had to think of it like a piggy back in human form, I was just riding on his back in wolf form. This was so cool. I smiled to myself and felt the butterflies erupt in the pit of my stomach as he broke out into a graceful run, the warm breeze hitting my face, pushing my hair back. I could feel his heart thudding through his chest from my hand rested on his front and different types of warm shot through me in a relaxing manner. I kept my eyes open and focused on all the trees that passed so quickly, my arms tightening around him as he ran even faster. His claws dug into the dirt, leaving behind prints that would eventually blow over in the wind, and I could hear him pant slightly--just barely.

The sun peeked through the trees in flashes, shade erupting soon after each one. I wrapped my fingers around his smooth hair again and shrugged my shoulders, getting the backpack to stay up better. He moved his head away from me, like he was ticklish, but kept running. I let out a sigh, my breathing short as I became dizzy from keeping my eyes open to all the passing trees. I shut them lightly and rested my head on his, taking in the scent that still belonged to Nick. It was like cuddling up to your favorite stuffed animal or a dog that was your best friend. I knew it wouldn’t last long and I knew it was creepy, getting strange feelings from riding on a dog--well, wolf--that just so happened to be Nick, but then I was back at that one sentence again: he was my soul mate after all.

&&&

The ride was shorter than I expected and when he finally slowed down, I knew it was still before noon. The land around looked drier with less trees, but a lot more dirt. I expected to see little houses or caves or something of the sort, but I was surprised. The houses looked like they were stone, the white color drained from weather, the bricks on the sides dark, but still bright in the sun. They were largely built and looked like they belonged in an actual neighborhood, the ones with the large gates and the cul-de-sacs. It was sort of unreal, like everything else.

Nick drew to a slow pace, his head moving slowly under my hands and I lifted myself up. I spotted a few shining but old cars and a few young kids, along with… little wolves, were running around. It looked so natural to them but it was still surprising to me.

“Do just the families with wolves live here?” I whispered, lowering my lips to his perked up ear. His head seemed to twitch as he began to saunter, little heads turning to face the wolf in awe. It was as if they knew he was important by just a glance.

“Yeah,”his voice sounded softly. I could hear him sigh out loud, the sound coming out as more of a grunt. “Just very few though. They’re circulated around the states, different places, different populations. Most just travel unless they have families.”

I nodded to myself, seeming to understand. When he got far enough in, he kneeled down until he was resting on his stomach, allowing me to get off without falling as all the eyes landed on us. I could hear hushed and almost frantic whispers and I looked down, seeing how bright my glow was. I remembered Eve saying that other creatures that were bound to have a soul mate at some point could see it so they knew who was for who. The fact that I was gold and Nick’s eyes were too probably freaked them out.

I glanced around and spotted a few colored eyes--wolf and human--among the regular people, and I offered them timid smiles. Some returned the favor, surprisingly, while others glanced around nervously. The younger ones seemed more welcoming. I stepped away a little and pulled the pack off my back, holding it to my chest as he did the routine; he began to disappear, gradually coming into view until he was standing. He ran his hands through his hair swiftly, and I held back a laugh realizing I had pulled his curls up when I tugged on him. He quickly turned around and grabbed the pack, keeping his face forward and away from the ones who were staring.

Out of the corner of my eye, I could see a boy around 9 years old watching with wide, brown eyes, his mouth open slightly. I turned fully to watch him, Nick’s hand wrapping around my arm distracting me again. He questioned me with his eyes, slowly turning his head to see the same boy, and he looked a little shocked.

“Nick!” I heard a voice call, the little boy suddenly jumping forward. Nick dropped his hand from my arm and bent down just as the boy ran forward, throwing his arms around his neck. “Nick,” he whispered this time, hugging him close. I spotted a small smile forming on Nick’s face and he hugged back just as tightly.

“Hey Frankie,” he whispered, finally pulling away after a moment, staring down at him with amusement. “You’ve grown.”

The boy known as Frankie nodded eagerly and spun around, opening his mouth to yell. “Joe! Kevin!” he called numerous times, running forward, tugging on Nick’s arm. He decided to follow the boy, his own hand wrapping around my arm. He looked back and gave me an unreadable look before Frankie had us turning a corner, the people fading out of sight.

We turned around a stone building, one with a long path coming into view. It lead from the side of the clean looking house to the back, farther into the trees. I glanced around momentarily, my eyes landing on two tall boys. They both had short hair, one with curls and one with spikes. They glanced up from their conversation, they’re eyes settling on the three of us; surprised.

Frankie slowed down and let go of Nick, but Nick didn’t let go of my arm. I didn’t really mind. I bit my lip and looked at them timidly, Nick's lips pursed in thought, and the two boys took a few quick steps forward.

“Nick’s back!” Frankie smiled excitedly, turning around to face him. The two older boys still wore a look of shock over their slightly tanned faces, their smooth features mirroring each other.

“Nick,” the one with spikes spoke, his voice holding excitement and amusement, along with shock. “Kev, it’s really Nick.”

Nick rolled his eyes but I could tell he was happy to see them, the way he fidgeted told me so. “Joe, Kevin, it’s only been two years-” and before he could finish his sentence, he was pulled forward and into a tight hug between the two who had to be his brothers, the young one even jumping in. I found myself smiling.

“Two years,” the one with curls who Nick addressed as Kevin, spoke with a low whistle. “Look how grown up you’ve gotten; taller, more muscle, neater fro,” he joked, smiling as the one who had to be Joe ruffled Nick’s hair. He smacked his hand away and stepped back, sighing softly. Their eyes suddenly settled on me and I offered a gentle smile. They quickly returned it with wider ones.

“She’s the great witch, isn’t she?” Joe asked, stepping forward. “You finally found her… and just in time.”

“We heard the black magic was coming back,” Kevin whispered, what looked like fear on his face. “Dad’s getting weaker… he runs when we get close enough to visit.” He didn’t mask the sadness in his voice and Nick didn’t mask the concern on his face, and he quickly looked down.

“This is Lonnie,” Nick spoke softly, scratching his head. “She’s Rosalind’s daughter and her powers are already high…” he trailed off almost nervously, refusing to look at me. Then I remembered: they were human… they couldn’t see my glow. “She’s, uh… my soul mate.”

Was I ready for this?