Catalyst(9)

Krystal returned the playful smile. “I'll try not to. I’m sure our paths will cross again, hero.” Our eyes met. In that moment, it was like we were the only two people in the world. I would give anything to see her again, although I knew that would never happen.

The princess got on Ardimus’s horse. He nodded at me and mounted behind her. The other guards mounted up, and they trotted their lathered horses through the forest, heading north for Alexandria. Krystal glanced at me one last time. I waved. I waited until they disappeared before I opened the pouch. It was full of coins, more money than I had ever seen in my life. I was thankful for her money and prayed for her safety and that the gods would guide her home.

Suddenly, I realized how worried my mother must be. I’d been gone all night. She'd understand, though. Maybe not about what I’d done with the fire, but about me helping the princess.

The second I arrived home, my mother ran up to me and squeezed the life out of me. Her eyes were red from weeping. She should have already been at the farm where we worked, but she still had on her good dress, now wrinkled and crumpled. Her black hair was all askew, sticking out of the headdress. And I was the cause of her distress.

She held me away from her. “Where were you? I was worried sick.”

“Mother…I’m…please…hold on while I try and…” I sat down on the nearest stool and leaned over, sweat pouring off me, breath labored from running so hard.

“Let me go and get you some water.” She shook her head and left me, quickly returning with a wooden cup.

“Thank you, Mother.” I took the water and downed it. I wiped my mouth on my sleeve.

I relayed the whole story to her, not leaving out anything, with the exception of the strange dream I’d had. Her eyes never wavered, and her face was set in stone. I'd never seen her with that stout, serious look. She was always cheerful and smiling. The creases around her mouth and eyes showed that. She was the most caring person in all of Sedah, and quite possibly the world. At least my world.

I thought she’d at least be surprised to hear that fire came out of my eyes. I mean, who wouldn’t be? I had a hard time believing it myself. But she wasn’t surprised. My mother wasn’t even afraid, and that kind of scared me a little bit. She stood there, hearing everything I had to say, asking no questions. Her head bobbed as she constantly nodded, as if confirming something to herself. When I was finished, she sat down next to me. Her shoulders straightened as if I had lifted a huge weight off of them.

My mother took a deep breath. “Son, I have something I must tell you.”

She told me the story of the angel that had appeared at my birth. I had heard it plenty of times, but what she told me afterwards stunned me.

“The angel wanted you to leave Sedah when you showed a sign,” she said, with great reluctance.

“Why didn't you tell me this before?”

“Because years passed and you never showed such a sign. I watched when you were a baby and a child. It never came.”

“Did the angel tell you why I was supposed to leave?”

She shook her head. “He just said that it was of the utmost importance that you did.”

My mother didn't have the answers I sought. That left only one choice if I wanted to find them. But I didn't want to leave. This was the only life I knew. Sure, it was hard. We didn't have any money and the townspeople didn't care for me. But I had my mother, and we loved each other very much. I couldn't leave her all alone. And I wasn't going to. She needed me, and I needed her.

I shook my head. “I'm not leaving you, Mother. We'll just have to keep this between the two of us. If the town gets word of it they'll run me out—if I'm lucky. If they think I'm a danger, they'll kill me for being a demon.”

Her voice was quiet as she said, “No. You should go.”

“But—”

My mother put a finger to my lips. She knelt down in front of me and grasped my hands, her calm face contrasting with the tears streaming down her cheeks. “You have to go. You must learn more about yourself and find the answers you need. The angel wouldn't tell me any of that. You must also learn how to use your gift so you can help people.”

“But I don't want to,” I said, sounding like a small child.

“Then what are you going to do?”

I bit my lip. “I don't know. All I know is, I don't want to leave you. You need me.”

“I'm an adult, Hellsfire. I'll get along fine, just like I did before you were born and after your father died.”

She had a point. With one less mouth to feed, things would be a lot easier. “Can't things go back to the way they were?”