Saving Neba

𝐗𝐋: Complications

The stars were crystals of different kinds, from the pinkest reds to the darkest greens, and many other betweens. The atmosphere was now more chilly and although I felt cold, Tevessa's arm around my shoulder was unbelievably warming. We were lying by the riverbank, side by side, my left leg over his right. The water would occasionally drift forward and when it did, it brushed our legs and warmed our toes.

"I've been thinking about you," Tevessa broke the comfortable silence between us. It made me turn to look at him. His sideburns and stubble showed just how different he was from Kingsley Isnaul. King was lean, Tevessa looked stronger, more dangerous. King was the stereotype of a sweetheart, Tevessa took the figure of a bouncer. King was my boyfriend, Tevessa was my. . .

"Thinking about me?" I raised an eyebrow and lay on my side so I could stare at him. He did the same so that we were now facing each other, his hair tilted to his position. He slowly held his hand over mine. The contrast was striking: my pale brown and his rough tanned skin.

"My father didn't trust you. He couldn't, still trying to get over the Chinese's betrayal. And I was supposed to side him. The moment you found out that we were Asterions, I was supposed to kill you because if you told Crypta, he would put the pieces together. Even now, now that you know who we are..." Tevessa turned me so that I was back flat on the floor and he hovered above me, his hands above my shoulders, "It's so easy for me to kill you and take away the risk of our hideout being exposed. Yet, Emery, yet I can't."

It was difficult to not notice how his chest was heaving in and out and I could not take my eyes off the muscles that surrounded the top part of his body. Tevessa was now in a pair of black trousers--he'd gotten them from where he'd originally been--and his red shirt was beside him. I had kept to my pyjama set despite its damp smell and cold feel. Anything to stay away from being naked.

"Why's that?"

"Are you asking me that?" He got off me and faced the sky instead. "Look up. Can you see your crystal?"

I tore my eyes off him and stared at the crystals. There were numerous and I doubted I would be able to spot one. "That's like telling me to keep my eyes on one star, Tevessa."

"Is it impossible?"

"On earth it is."

"Your crystal will call you somehow. Just look up at the sky."

Sighing, I gazed at the night sky. The oddly warm water brushed against my skin helping me feel better. Tevessa stretched his right arm to me and I rested on it and leaned into him. Though the crystals were different, those close to each other had a hue in common. There were four major colours: red, blue, green, and yellow, isolated from each other. From the red, one shone brighter at me. It was a brownish red and seemed to have been polished extra well. It had six sides instead of five, and each side shone, one after the other.

"Do you see it?" Tevessa asked softly as his hand moved up and down my upper arm.

"If you mean the hexagonal star beaming at me," I cooed. "Then, yes."

"I see a tetrahedral star staring at me," he said. "A dark red, calling me to it. Have I told you my crystal before?"

"I don't remember."

"It's garnet. A stone of love and health."

"You and love don't go hand-in-hand."

He gripped my upper arm and pulled me to him. Instinctively, I held onto his hands. My hair fell and its tips brushed Tevessa's chest. "Ah, Emery Valimenati!" He blew my hair so that some flew up but still came back down on his hairy chest. "We both know that's not true. Have you forgotten our little challenge?" He was smirking now, his deep red eyes glinting in amusement.