Luminous

37 - Everything In Between

"Meya! Meya, wait!"

Maro scrambled out of his chair, but Meya was much closer to the exit. He'd taken barely two steps when she disappeared with a crash of the door. Knowing Meya and her vindictive temper, he knew it was futile to pursue. Especially when it was about Marin.

"By Fyr, Marin. Now she hates you for life."

Maro collapsed onto his chair, raking a hand through his hair. Before any of his siblings could offer a consolation or a remark, a calm, cool voice pierced the silence,

"It's you, isn't it, Deke Armorheim?"

Everyone spun around to Silvan Joplund, then to the accused farmer boy.

Deke had gone ghastly pale to his trembling lips. He looked as if he wanted nothing more than to reappear in Crosset a week earlier. But the truth was evident in his eyes.

"It's you, Deke?" Maro croaked. Deke glanced at him on impulse, then avoided his gaze, bulging eyes darting about. "You've lain with Marin?"

"All this time! Why haven't you fessed up?" Marcus snarled then bolted to his feet, "You left her to deal with all that alone while you're enjoying the Fest here!?"

Marcus slammed his fist on the table so hard his utensils bounced and clanked about in the plate. Deke cowered even lower in his seat. Myron stared, pale and speechless. Morel, on the other hand, looked solemn.

"Is it true, Deke?"

Asked Draken. His voice was steady, yet undercut with spine-chilling, simmering fury. When Deke didn't oblige, he exploded,

"IS IT TRUE, DEKE!?"

"Yes, Dad."

Deke confessed in a passing attempt at mouse talk, his back curled like a babe in its mother's womb, which was probably what he would've dearly loved to turn into right now.

"Of all the things!" Draken bolted up and paced, arms flailing, "What in the three lands were you thinking? Or you weren't?"

Draken whipped around and glowered at his son. Jolting, Deke squeezed himself into the corner of his chair furthest from his father, wincing as Draken jabbed a trembling finger at his face.

"You know what your poor mother went through. What you yourself went through. You're damning Marin and your child to the same fate, and you're running away and cowering like a coward! My son! A coward!"

Draken cried at the ceiling, as if protesting Freda for plaguing him with such a spawn. That unfiltered disgust in his voice finally spurred Deke to explain himself,

"I'm younger than Marin. I've no idea how to provide for a child." Shivering, he looked pleadingly at Draken, his eyes rimmed with red, "And Meya hates Marin! What am I to do, Dad?"

"Only the right thing, Deke!" Draken rolled his eyes at the Heights, "Are you a man enough for that?"

Echoes faded away into silence as father and son locked eyes, freezing rage against paralyzing fear. At last, Draken broke off and turned away,

"You know what you should do." 

Deke studied his father's stony profile. Though still shivering, his eyes hardened with resolve for the first time since entering the room—or perhaps, since this ordeal began.

"Here, lad. I'll be right beside you." Jason ambled over with a gentle smile. A warm, firm hand on Deke's shivering back, he and Jezia led the troubled young father on his way to redemption. The door closed behind them with a soft snap.