“I think I'll
have to cut my hair,” Elthanael said, breaking the comfortable
silence of our embrace. A lazy tangle of limbs, we rested under a
tree, staring at an unfamiliar sky.
“And why would
you do that?” I asked, reaching for the waist-length braid in
question. Golden and gorgeous, it was nearly the same girth as my
wrist. I loved my cousin's hair.
“I've been
thinking of becoming an actor in the cinema, and the locks would have
to go.” He lifted his head from my shoulder so our eyes met, and I
sighed softly.
We were in exile,
hiding in a distant dimension while my aunt helped Father through a
bout of insanity. We were close enough to the universal core to still
be immortal, but were in a realm of limited magic and powers. A
simple cosmetic change would have been easier in a deeper realm,
wouldn't have taken but a though to shorten his golden locks.
It certainly
wouldn't seem like so drastic a change.
“Are you sure?”
I asked, twining the end through my fingers. The pleasant afternoon
suddenly seemed chilly, entirely too uncomfortable for my dragon
side. That's what I was telling myself, anyway.
El shrugged,
lowering his eyes. They weren't honey-colored in this dimension, but
a rich brown, like tea in sunshine. “It seems like fun. And it will
certainly pass the time.” He looked back up, long lashes dark in
the shade. “It's not like it won't grow back eventually.”
I bit my lip,
fighting back a sharp wave sadness. How casually he said the word,
yet how frightening it was to me. Eventually. An unknown amount of
time would pass before we could go home. Eventually,
Father would be well. Eventually,
we wouldn't have to worry he'd try to destroy me. Eventually,
I wouldn't be stuck in a borderline hellhole with my best friend.
The elf touched my face. “It's going to be all right.”
I shook my head, fighting back the rise of tears. “What if it
isn't? What if he stays this way for eternity?”
My cousin sat up and pulled me into a tight embrace. “You can't
think like that. Lady Kyra said he would return to his senses in
time. We must be patient.”
His arms were so warm and safe, and all I wanted was to hide in them.
“You'll stay with me?” I whispered, letting the fear have a
little control. “You'll always be here?”
Elthanael kissed the top of my head. “Of course I will. I will
never leave you.” He rocked me gently, saying nothing of my moment
of weakness.
“I guess you can cut your hair,” I said after a long silence. “We
may as well get comfortable here.”
