Out of the Darkness
"I'm sorry my sister,' DG sobbed in the darkness of the cave. "All the terrible things that have happened … they were all my fault. I should have never let go."
The four men stared at the back of the princess as she cried. Raw and Glitch both took a half step forward but Cain held his arm out to bar their way. He turned to glare at Tudor as the older man opened his mouth to give the girl guidance. With a jerk of his head, he ordered the others out of the cave.
When he was alone with DG, he moved slowly until he was behind where she knelt. He squatted down and laid a hand on her back. She only lowered her head and cried harder.
Taking her shoulders, he helped her rise to her feet and turned her to face him. Her hands covered her eyes as the tears continued. He pulled her closer. As she buried her face against his chest, her arms slid around his waist.
Gently Cain moved DG so they could sit on one of the fallen boulders that littered the floor of the cave. DG sobbed as he tried to comfort her. Suddenly she pushed away from him and jumped to her feet.
"How can you even look at me?" she asked. "I … I killed … your wife!"
Tears pricked his eyes as he stood in front of her.
"No, Kiddo. Zero did that."
"But he wouldn't have had the chance if I hadn't let the Witch out … If I hadn't let go." Her hands came up to cover her eyes again. "Why did I let go?"
Cain approached her and gently lowered her hands from her eyes. One hand cupped her face and tilted it towards his.
"DG, stop crying and look at me," he ordered gently.
Her sorrowful eyes opened to gaze into his.
"You were a child," he told her firmly. "You are not responsible for any of this."
"You think I'm a child now," she retorted.
A gentle smile touched his lips.
"No," he assured her, "you are a lot of things, but you definitely aren't a child."
His thumb wiped the tears that still fell on the side he continued to hold in his hand. His other forefinger came up to remove them from the other side. He smiled again.
"Not a child," he said again.
She sniffed and widened her eyes. He ignored the question he saw in her expressive blue orbs. Now was definitely not the time for that subject.
"You need to leave all this here in the cave," he told her. "Maybe you can visit it after we find the emerald if you still need to. But right now, you need to let go of something you can't change and do what you can, to change things that are happening right now."
She brushed the backs of her hands over her cheeks, dislodging his hand that still rested on the side of her head. She took a sobbing breath and nodded.
"You're right," she agreed.
Her voice was still a little unsteady. There was one more deep raspy breath before she nodded again.
He gave her a handkerchief to dry her face and blow her nose. She handed it back to him. Their eyes met and held, the hint of a promise reflected in each set of blue eyes.
"Okay, I'm ready," she told him.
Neither of them was sure if she meant the present or the possible future they had just glimpsed.
Together they went out into the sunshine and whatever awaited them.
The End
