71

Chapter 72

"Where's Coal?" I blurt out suddenly, cutting through Glass's lengthy explanation of the small cut on his left hand.
"Wh-" He begins, an eyebrow raised, but I continue without taking a breath.
"Coal. You know, black hair, blue eyes," I leap nimbly to my feet, and throw my arm up a little above my head, "Yay tall, covered in blood," Amazingly gorgeous, etc...
"Oh." Glass's face falls instantly, sharp shoulders falling under his dusty black shirt. His electric green eyes focus on a point on the ground, and he bites his lip.
"Well?" I say sharply, in a dangerous tone. I don't have anything against Glass, but it's his attitude that worries me. This is how people act when they have bad news. "Where is he!?"
"It's a long story. Please, seat yourself, you're still weak..." He mutters in that sophisticated voice, eyes still fixated on the ground. I remain terse and upright, though it pains me, and already I can feel my legs beginning to give out from under me.
"I'll explain everything..." He says, finally looking up with sincere eyes, but, at my hesitation, adds with a sigh, "And we have chicken soup."
Well, that settles it. I immediately fold myself into a sitting position, gratefully accepting the steaming bowl that is handed to me by a woman I haven't noticed until now, though I now realize she's been sitting close by the whole time, tending to a nearby fire. She must be Glass's wife. She's very pretty, I decide, with much softer features than her husband, cheeks rosy from the biting cold, and very, very long, beautiful golden hair than is wrapped many times over her ears and under her chin, a style, I remember, worn by my mother sometimes in the winter.
"Ash, this is my wife, Hour." I almost laugh aloud- Hour, Glass. But instead I manage to smile politely, a smile which she returns, but it's strained, and there's something in her blue eyes that tells me she's scared... Of something...
"Now, you may not want to hear this, but it seems that Stone-"
"His name is Coal." I say stiffly. Glass blinks his elf-like eyes, and pushes his glass upon the bridge of his nose, leaning forward slightly in his sitting posture.
"It seems you have something to tell me as well." He says. I wait for him to continue, to tell me if my sweetheart is alive, but he continues to stare expectantly at me. After a tense minute, I relinquish, my shoulders sagging, and I give him the short version of the tragic tale of heartbreak and a lot of other things.
I conveniently leave out things like the part with me pulling off Coal's scarf while we were kissing, his confession of love for me, and visa versa... Instead, I make it so Coal has confessed that he is of Royal lineage, but he's a good guy. Usually.
Glass's curious face grows dark, his thin lips drawn into a grim slash across his face, as he disapprovingly receives the part of Coal's deception- He takes the lack of a rebel army waiting atop the mountain very hard, like a physical blow.
When I finally finish, I realize I'm starving, and I look down at the now cold bowl of soup in my lap, hurriedly bringing the wooden spoon to my mouth, remembering I haven't eaten since, like, never.
As the soup rushes over my tongue in a burst of flavor that almost sickens me, after days of nothing, Glass sighs solemnly, glancing to his wife, who is stirring a pot over the fire nearby- But her eyes are locked on me.
"Well, that's..." His voice breaks, and he swallows, recovering from the plethora of bad news I've just given him. "That's certainly... News..."
I blink expectantly at him, tired of being patient. "Coal...?"
"What?" Glass jumps slightly, as if I've startled him, before shaking his head. "Oh, yes, of course..." He begins to unfold his gangling figure, getting to his feet, looking distracted.
"Is he...?" I can't bring myself to say the word. Not now, not after all we've been through, not Coal...
"Hmm?" Glass is brought out of his brooding again, and he blinks in confusion.
"Is Coal alive?!" I snap impatiently. I need to know. I can see the fifteen year old in my head, three long, bloody gashes ripped through his chest, blood seeping onto the ground around him...
Glass looks at me curiously, as if wondering why I should care. Then my heart stops. He slowly shakes his head.