It was the end of twilight; the time when it really gets dark, maybe an hour after sunset. Half the streetlights were broken on this stretch of road, and Michael was beginning to wish he'd brought at least a flashlight.
Michael stopped walking, staring at a misty light shining dimly in the distance. It looked weird. He'd never seen any kind of lighting like that; it almost seemed to be conveying emotion. The light was- despairing, injured. How could a light look like that? What was this?
He stepped off the sidewalk to walk toward the light. It was closer than he'd thought; the light was dim and weak. He followed it to the side of an abandoned building. A kid was curled up against the wall, coated lightly in frost. He was giving off light.
The pieces clicked into place for Michael. The light was an aura. As the person in the bond with the darker bracelet, he could read his soulmate's aura. So, this freezing child asleep on the street was Samandriel.
Michael knelt beside Samandriel. Samandriel was pale and thin; he looked about eleven, but he was malnourished and might actually be older. Michael brushed the snow off Samandriel and noticed he wasn't even wearing a jacket. What was he doing outside in January in a t-shirt? How could anyone let him stay out here like this?
Michael gently shook Samandriel's shoulder, trying to wake him. He groaned, and his head lolled to the side. There was dried blood on the side of his face. Michael touched Samandriel's face to try to ascertain the extent of the damage. As soon as his fingers came into contact with Samandriel's skin, a jolt of electricity raced through him.
Michael jerked his arm back, clutching his left wrist. It felt like it was on fire; he had to bite down hard on his lip to keep from screaming. He gasped for a minute and wiped a bit of blood from his mouth.
"Ouch," he complained offhandedly.
Michael checked his left wrist. The new bracelet, Samandriel's bracelet, was solidly in place. It still stung, but almost all the pain had gone. Its color contrasted vividly with the black bracelet on his right wrist. The right one was black. The left one was white.
He studied the new band more carefully. It couldn't really be pure white. That would be ridiculous. People with white bracelets were social outcasts, and his soulmate could not be one of them. But the bracelet was as light as the snow on the ground. It was definite. Michael's soulmate, Samandriel, had an ice white bracelet. This was embarrassing.
Oh, well. This was his reality now. At least it made sense of why Samandriel was unconscious on the street. A lot of people with the very lightest bracelets were thrown out on the street and lived as homeless people. Samandriel's family must've thrown him out for having a white bracelet.
Michael went to check Samandriel's left wrist. Having your soulmate's bracelet burnt into your wrist was painful, and the kid hadn't even woken up. The black bracelet was solidly in place on Samandriel's left wrist, and he winced when Michael touched it. That was normal.
He found he liked the way the black band looked on Samandriel's wrist. It forever marked him as Michael's, which was strangely satisfying. He knew it would sting Samandriel a bit if he touched his wrist, but he wanted to know what it felt like under his fingers. He traced the edge of the black bracelet, its temperature already cooling. Samandriel shivered and made a pitiful sound like a sob.
Michael set down Samandriel's arm and started taking off his own coat. He couldn't let his soulmate freeze while he carried him somewhere warm. He wrapped his coat around Samandriel and gently lifted him into his arms. The only place he could think of to go to was his hotel; he didn't exactly know the city. He was only here for a few more days, and he hoped Samandriel wouldn't have too many strong ties to the location.
As the stronger soulmate, he could always force Samandriel to abandon friends and family to live wherever Michael wanted, but he would rather avoid forcing Samandriel into anything. Samandriel probably wasn't too attached to the people who left him to die in the snow, but it was a possibility. However, Michael had no intention of allowing Samandriel to stay anywhere he was in danger.
Michael's shoe caught in a crack in the sidewalk, making him stumble. He adjusted his balance and was fine, but Samandriel half woke up. His eyelids fluttered, and he whimpered. He reached up and caught hold of the collar of Michael's sweater. The movement left his right wrist exposed, giving Michael a chance to study the white bracelet the must've marred Samandriel's skin his whole life.
It looked natural and innocent there, not at all like the sort or thing that carried a crushing social stigma. Aesthetically, it was beautiful. But he knew what it meant, and it wasn't beautiful. He was going to have to work hard to keep Samandriel safe because of that bracelet. At least, with his own black bracelet, he could protect his soulmate.
Michael shifted his grip on Samandriel, freeing one of his hands completely. It was shockingly easy to carry Samandriel in one arm. He was badly underweight. Michael carded his fingers through Samandriel's hair, and Samandriel leaned sleepily into his touch. Michael blinked; he hadn't expected that from Samandriel. Was it the soulmate bond, pulling Samandriel towards him and making him desperate for Michael?
Michael studied Samandriel's aura, trying to decipher the tangled emotions. They were confusing. He hoped Samandriel would be easier to read when he was awake. He tightened his arms around Samandriel and saw an increase of what he thought was a sense of safety in the aura. If he was right, that was good. He wanted Samandriel to feel safe with him.
Michael started walking again and watched unease and fear take center stage in Samandriel's aura. Samandriel's hand tightened on Michael's collar. Michael brushed his fingers reassuringly through Samandriel's hair, and tried to walk more smoothly. Samandriel settled down, but still clutched Michael's collar like a lifeline.
He reached the hotel and set Samandriel down gently on the bed. He tucked the kid under the blankets and left to take off his shoes. When he came back a minute later, Samandriel's aura was a maelstrom of fear and panic. He'd been fine a minute ago.
Michael sat down next to Samandriel and caressed his cheek. He watched Samandriel's aura calm and settle back to what it had been when he left to take his shoes off. He cupped Samandriel's face in his hands, and Samandriel's aura increased in- hope? Happiness? Comfort? Whatever it was, it was a lot better than fear and panic. Apparently, Michael couldn't leave for any length of time without having Samandriel panic. That was going to complicate things.
He had known that the bond would pull Samandriel to him and increase the kid's dependence on him, but he hadn't expected it to work this strongly or quickly. They hadn't even met properly, and Samandriel was more attached then Michael had imagined he would get for years. Maybe Samandriel's vulnerability was making him more desperate for any protection he could find.
Michael had to leave Samandriel for a few minutes. He needed to turn the heat up, heat water in the microwave, and fetch a washcloth for Samandriel's bloody face. Samandriel's aura was having a freak out by the time Michael finished all that, but he quickly calmed down as Michael sponged the worst of the blood off his face.
Michael had been thinking to rent an adjoining room since he had a guest, but Samandriel couldn't handle having Michael farther than a few feet away. He couldn't let Samandriel suffer all night and wake up on his own. The armchair wasn't all that comfortable, but Michael could make do for one night. He dragged it over to Samandriel's bedside.
He tried to wake Samandriel to have him drink the hot water, but Samandriel was too deeply asleep. He just moaned and rolled over. Michael poured the water into Samandriel's mouth once it had cooled slightly and he wasn't risking burning Samandriel's tongue. Samandriel swallowed instinctively.
Samandriel drank about a cup and a half of water before Michael gave up. He turned out the lights and tried to sleep. He found that Samandriel was happier when they held hands, so Michael's hand stayed over Samandriel's. He didn't let go all night.
