Page 126 of A Soul to Steal

Aleron hummed in thought, which Gideon figured was his way of agreeing. He turned and waited for the Duskwalker to come to his side, then they made their way to the town – together.

Let’s go find your kindred.

With the temperature dropping steadily, Aleron watched his bride run across a small, purposefully made clearing.

He thought the strong, southerly wind would push him off his feet, yet he managed to fight through it. His hair flipped and fluttered, and he pointlessly stopped attempting to shove the hood of his new grey jacket over his head.

In the distance to his left, light illuminated the sky in flashes across the horizon. Only occasionally would lightning strikes be seen, the cloud cover too heavy to let most of the forking beams be visible. The sky was dancing, rumbling with delay after those shocks, but steadily worsening by the minute.

The clouds had long ago rolled over him, but the thickness of them was only just beginning to truly shield the world in darkness.

Leaves, twigs, and even small branches fluttered on the strong wind, and the fronds of grass laid down under its power. Aleron’s fur and feathers rustled along with the trees and shrubs behind him.

Sturdy upon his feet, and holding the trunk of a tree as a way to rest, he waited for Gideon.

In the time he’d been alone, he’d reflected on Gideon over the last two days since they’d properly spoken. His bride was much the same. He still appeared lost, still reserved and spoke little, and the dark smudges under his eyes never softened. It hurt to see his chosen bride so worn down by his mind, but the only solace was that he no longer rejected Aleron’s presence.

For now, that would have to be enough.

If there was a possibility he could have the Gideon he’d come to know, the one that was warm, welcoming, and happy to lean forward to kiss the side of his snout... he could wait. He’d wait eons, if need be, for the Gideon that would fully accept him into his heart.

He was worth it, even if it didn’t seem so right now.

Their last moments within Tenebris... they had only been the start.

Gideon had only just started fully opening up to him. Aleron had also only just started comfortably expressing himself with the male. How much would their relationship have deepened, how much more inviting and tender could his bride be, if they finally got there again and then surpassed it?

Aleron held onto that hope, even if Gideon’s melancholic features burned a hole in his chest as he sprinted closer. His flowery meadow scent, like the purple blooms and patchouli, fluttered to him and warmed the breeze as it met Aleron’s senses.

Stopping right before him, Gideon shoved his hands under his armpits to warm them. The blade of an axe looped to his black trousers glinted in the clouded light.

“Sorry that took me so long. They closed the gates because of the coming storm,” Gideon stated, just as a large wet leaf splattered across his face.

His lids lowered into a dull look, especially since Aleron laughed at him for it. He couldn’t help it with the relief thatspread behind his sternum.He came back to me.Gideon had taken a few hours to return, and Aleron had started to worry he’d been abandoned again. Even though he had hope, the anxious paranoia that their truce wouldn’t last constantly nipped at his being.

“Figuring out this Phantom stuff is a lot harder than I thought it would be,” Gideon continued, as if he felt the need to reassure Aleron. “I should have asked you how to turn incorporeal. I would have been stuck in there until either the storm let up or tomorrow came if I didn’t figure it out.”

“I do not have any answers for you,” Aleron said, while shoving his wing forward to block Gideon from the chilly wind. “This is as new to me as it is for you.”

“Oh.” Gideon spared him a wary glance before it disappeared. “We should move on quickly and seek shelter. Those rain clouds look like they’re coming in fast, and I really don’t want to be caught in the middle of them.”

Aleron’s claws dug into the bark of the tree. “Did they not have any information on them?”

Gideon shook his head. “No. I did learn that this place is called Colt’s Outpost, though. They haven’t seen Emerie or any Duskwalkers in the area. I must admit, though, a few of their soldiers looked at me kind of funny when I asked.”

“You said that about the last place,” Aleron explained, referencing Slater Town they’d gone to right before sundown the day before. It hadn’t been far to the east from here.

“Yeah, but it was an even weirder look.” Gideon shook his head once more and came closer until he placed his side against Aleron’s torso. “It doesn’t matter. Let’s go. There might be an empty house or cave nearby we can use to hide from the storm.”

With a singular nod, Aleron dipped low so he could place his arms around Gideon’s back and behind his knees. He lifted his light weight and securely pressed him against his chest, thencrouched, and with a large push of his wings, Aleron leapt. Even before the inertia reached its end point, he’d flapped his wings again, pushing higher and higher into the air.

Compensating for his own weight had been a struggle at first, but adding Gideon’s did very little to bother him. Now that he’d gotten used to flying on Earth, it was as easy as breathing.

Once they were above the trees, he took in how dark the clouds were in the distance, despite those above them being quite light. The bright flashes continued, and the soft rumbles reverberated towards them much stronger now. The wind grew more powerful without the barrier of the forest, and he tightened his hold on Gideon when a strong gust shoved him back.

“Maybe we should walk,” the little human said up to him, bringing his knees to his chest to hide from the cold. Once more, his arms were folded and his hands were tucked under his armpits.

Aleron shook his head. “No, it should be fine. I am faster flying, and it is easier to see shelter. I will try to beat the storm.”

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