My first Penryn Fanfic! Let me know what you think! Raffryn romance will pick up later in the story!
We had been flying for about twenty minutes when Paige, still riding Beliel like a bizarre, upside-down litter began to descend. Guided by Paige and her swarm we had flown out of the bay hugging the coast as we travelled north along the Pacific. Up ahead I could see the Point Bonita Lighthouse and as our dissent became more rapid it became clear that this was our destination. I felt a sharp pang in my chest at the thought of this changed Paige bringing us here, to a spot that had been so special to the little girl I knew and loved.
The area surrounding San Francisco is full of hills and mountains so growing up it was normal for every school trip, every summer camp, every Girl Scout outing- heck every outdoor gathering of kids period- to feature some degree of hiking. Kids would come back sunburnt and happy after a day of scrambling over rocks or playing explorers in the forest and Paige, would pretend she enjoyed her day staying back in an empty classroom with a teachers aid. Last year by chance my history class made us take a trip to the lighthouse, and when I realized it was wheelchair accessible we began to bring Paige.
She had loved it. The little lighthouse sat in a rock at the end of a jagged cape stretching out into the sea, and could only be accessed by a long skinny bridge connecting it to the mainland. The waves and the mist made it seem kind of desolate to me, but Paige was just happy she got to be rugged and adventurous like all the other kids. Even mom had liked it- the 360 degree view of the surrounding area must have made her feel secure. Or maybe she just liked that it presented the opportunity for her to put her crazy on display for every boat entering or leaving the San Francisco Bay, with mom you could never be certain.
The scorpions carrying Paige and Beliel set her down with him right in front of the light house, and Raffe touched down just a few feet away. He held on to me for a few seconds while he surveyed the area with a stern look on his face. Finally deciding there was no immediate danger he placed me down gently, keeping one hand on small of my back to help me balance afterwards. It was an innocent gesture, but it made me feel decidedly ungrounded.
Paige picked up Beliel like he was a doll and walked over to the lighthouse, yea led open the door and walked inside.
Raffe started to follow and then Looked back at me as I stood temporarily frozen in place. I don't know why, but some part of me was saying that it didn't want to follow this new strange wraith of my sister into a place that had been so special to us, especially when she was carrying a near dead daemon she'd butchered alive only a few hours ago.
"Penryn" Raffe murmured stepping back closer to me. "You don't have to go if you don't want to, but if you don't follow her she will notice."
I looked up at him sharply, not ready for the un-Raffe-like sympathy in his gaze. He knew how hard this was for me, but he was doing me the service of being honest about the situation instead of coddling me and telling me everything would be alright. I appreciated that, even if a small part of me just wanted to curl up in his arms like a small child until all the burdens on my mind went away.
"Your right. Thanks," I said walking briskly towards the door. I could almost feel his lips twitch behind me as he followed in my wake.
"I'm sorry, I didn't hear you clearly, what did you say? Something about me being right? It's good to know you've seen the light... Now if only you'd admit how devastatingly attractive you find me then we'll know we're making real prog..."
His last words died on his tongue as he followed me into the tiny dining room of the lighthouse. Paige had placed Beleil on the old sturdy looking table, and was busy binding his now shriveled limbs to the legs on the table with fishing line so that he was stretched out like an X across the table.
Seeing us enter she glanced up sheepishly, her eyes fixed on my face as if she was wary of my reaction. I forced myself to put on a mild expression and smile at her a little. I hoped it was enough, I'd never been much of an actress. Her lips stretched upwards in a grimace looking expression, but her eyes crinkled like they always had when she smiled, so I took it as a good sign.
"Ask him everything. When he wakes," she said quietly, looking past me to Raffe, then back to me again for reassurance "does it help Ryn-Ryn?"
I try not to let my eyes widen as I realize her intent. "Yes Paige, that will help Raffe and me a lot. Thank you for thinking of it," I say pulling her into a hug. She squeezes me back, harder than she ever could have before but not so hard that it hurts and then looks up and says, "you ask, I'll be with the light," and turns to go up the narrow staircase leading to the beacon overhead.
When Raffe and I are alone I say quietly, "I don't know what to ask him. And I don't think I have the stomach to try to get answers out of him if he doesn't want to tell me something."
"Don't worry I have some ideas," Raffe says darkly, then seeing my face quickly adds "some ideas for questions to ask, I won't torture him here if it makes you uncomfortable Penryn."
I guess that's Raffe's idea of a gentlemanly gesture. I roll my eyes and steal myself, refusing to be the weakest member of our bizarre party.
"No it's fine, when he wakes up do what you want," I say, sinking into a chair.
It's been a hellish day and I'm exhausted but I brace myself mentally as I look around the familiar room trying to keep myself from thinking about how my sister used to play pioneer in this room that she'd now turned into a makeshift torture chamber. I shook my head trying to banish the useless wistful thoughts. I should have learned by now that nothing is sacred in the World After.