-Luca-

  "Can someone tell me why I'm watching Edric attempt to swallow his own sword to impress some girls he met not even ten minutes ago?" I asked as I leaned forward on the tavern table, the wood creaking underneath.

  Marei didn't even glance up from the plate of food in front of her. "Because he thinks being funny is a personality."

  "That is his personality," I muttered.

  Across the room, Edric stood center stage—if you could even call the small table that—holding his sword and grinning like an idio- no, grinning like an Edric. A trio of village girls leaned on each other as they watched his antics, laughing behind their hands and drinking booze.

  “Ladies, one and all” He gave a dramatic bow, his auburn hair dropping in front of his eyes. “Prepare to witness a feat so daring, so wildly irresponsible, that you’ll be telling your grand-grand-grandchildren about it!”

  “Oh no…” I groaned, slamming my forehead down onto the table. “He’s doing the voice.”

  “I heard that, fowl scoundrel!” The idiot called, pointing his sword in our direction. “Support your local hunk, thank you very much!”

  “You’re not local!” I shouted back.

  “We can leave you here and change that though.” Marei added almost instantaneously.

  Ignoring us, Edric turned his attention back to his adoring fans. “Now, now, fair maidens, I must warn you. I, unfortunately, have been banned in three different inns for this act, simply because I was too talented.”

  One of the girls giggled, her eyes practically sparkling with affection. Another whispered something to the third, and they all laughed again. Which caused Edric to puff out his chest in pride.

  “I’m not a bad friend for wanting him to fail right?” I muttered.

  “No way.” Marei smirked. “I’m betting he cuts his lip.”

  “Really? Just the lip?” I blinked. “That’s optimistic. I’m betting on ‘gags halfway through and we have to help him.’”

  Marei took a sip from her mug, before giving me a wink. “I’ll give you ten gold if he accidentally sets something on fire,”

  “He… He’s not even using fire.”

  “He’s Edric. I’m sure something will go wrong.”

  Our focus returned to Edric just in time to see the sword enter his mouth, stopping maybe every couple seconds to wink at the girls like this was some dangerous wedding proposal.

  “Hey,” one of them called, tucking her red hair behind her ear, clearly enjoying herself. “Didn’t your parents ever teach you to not put sharp things in your mouth?”

  “Oh, there’s a lot of things I’ve been told not to do,” Edric replied, his voice laced in velvet. “You three, fortunately, are not on that list.”

  Marei let out a squeak and quickly covered her mouth, setting her drink down before she spilled it laughing.

  One of the girls leaned forward, resting her chin in her palm, a smirk plastered on her lips. “You’re always like this, huh?”

  “Only when I’m trying my hardest to win beautiful hearts,” Edric added with a wink.

  “And how do you think it’s going?”

  “Let’s just say I’m only giving eighty-percent worth of effort.”

  This comment got them to burst into laughter, and Edric beamed like he’d won a life-time supply of gold.

  “Do you, uh, think we should tell him that he has a booze stain on his shirt?” I asked, glancing over at Marei.

  “Why would we do that?”

  “I’m starting to think we’re bad friends.”

  “Noooo,” she said, smirking slightly. “We just want him to grow as a person.”

  He strutted back over to our table a few minutes later, sword safely tucked away in its sheath on his hip, and his ego seemed to be even larger than usual.

  “Did you see me work my magic?” he asked, taking the mug from in front of me and downing it like he was a starving child. “I think one of them actually asked for my name.”

  “They laughed at you,” I corrected.

  “Eh, potato/potato.”

  “You had booze on your shirt that entire time, you know.” Marei tossed a napkin at him.

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  “Oh, I meant for that to be there. Show’s I’m a genuine person.”

  “Show’s that you’re a slob maybe…”

  Edric balled up the napkin and threw it back at her. “They were so into me.”

  “Trust me,” I added. “They weren’t.”

  “Well,” he leaned back, resting his arms behind his head. “It’s the thought that counts.”

  Marei rolled her eyes so hard I swear they went back into her head. “You’re lucky some people think you’re endearing. That’s probably your only redeeming quality.”

  “Thank you!” Edric said, beaming. “It’s nice to be appreciated.”

  That got me. I pounded my fist against my chest, nearly choking on bread. “If—” I groaned, rubbing my throat. “If you two keep going, I’m gonna up and leave.”

  “You wouldn’t,” Edric said in mock horror, hand covering his mouth.

  “Please don’t tempt him,” Marei chimed in. “He’s broody enough to actually go through with it.”

  “I am not broody.”

  They both stared at me, faux concern on their faces.

  “I’m not!”

  Edric laughed, nearly falling over in his chair. “Dude, you literally sit on rocks, staring at nothing with your cloak billowing in the wind like some sort of dark savior.” As he said this, he acted out what I supposedly did, his chin resting on his fist as he stared at the tavern wall.

  “Oh, shove it. I haven’t worn a cloak in months.”

  “Doesn’t mean it’s not true.” Marei said.

  I gave them both a long, unimpressed flat stare. “You two know today is my birthday right?”

  Edric pointed finger-guns at me, making pew pew sounds with his mouth. “Exactamundo, which means we get to roast you lovingly.”

  I tried to hide the smile that was meeting my lips, but Marei saw it. She always did.

  I still can’t believe it. One whole year later. One whole year since my life changed… since I erupted into black flames and went on the run. It felt so long ago, almost like an entirely different lifetime. One where I still hid behind a hood, one where I was scared to be myself. Now look at me. I’m sitting in a warm tavern, scarlet red eyes out for the entire world to see, a sword forged for the Hero Gabriel resting on my hip, and people laughing and dancing around me not afraid in the slightest.

  Marei stared at me, her fingers slowly drumming against the table. She always did that, even back when we first met. It was like she was trying to read my mind. She reached over and squeezed my hand before pointing to the bar behind us, where a cake—I think— was being brought out by a girl not much younger than us with flour staining her face and hair.

  “You didn’t…” I said, staring at the burned abomination.

  “Oh, we did.” Marei replied, puffing her chest out in pride.

  “Baked it ourselves,” Edric added. “By which I mean that Marei baked it and I supervised.”

  “I told him not to touch the oven.”

  “I obviously did anyways. Edric and rules are a divorced couple.”

  I shook my head, a slight laugh escaping me. “You two are horrible.”

  “You’re welcome,” Marei said.

  As the cake was placed down in front of me, Marei and Edric exchanged a fist bump.

  “Seventeen,” Marei said softly. “That’s worth something.”

  “Make a wish!” Edric said.

  I stared at the flickering candle. This was my first birthday without Sacer… What was I supposed to wish for? Peace? Long life? Instead, I closed my eyes and thought of everyone I’d met and cared for. Their laughter. The way they made me feel. The way they looked at me without fear. Then I blew out the candle.

  The tavern erupted into cheers and whistles. Marei clapped. Edric patted me a little too hard on the back and sent me face-first into the cake. It was loud. It was super stupid. It was perfect.

  The tavern quieted down eventually.

  Most of the crowd had stumbled out, their laughter like leaves in the wind. But, a few did stay, even if it was accidental. Their heads laid down on tables, half-asleep or too drunk to stand. I slipped out the back before Edric could drag me into another one of his games—I don’t think I could handle another round of ‘How many pieces of cake can Edric eat before he throws up?’

  The field behind the building was mostly empty, save for the few crates and hay bales. I walked toward the clearing slowly, my fingertips brushing against the hilt of the Mirage Sword at my hip. A smooth, metallic, hum filled the air as I drew it.

  I worked my way through a few basic moves that Edric taught me, easing my muscles into the movements. My limbs were heavy from the booze, cake, and laughing. The sword was steady in my hands, but frankly, I felt… off. I swung upwards, freezing mid-motion, and simply listened.

  Nothing. No fire begging to be released. No voice wrapping around me like suffocating smoke. No Damon whispering or mocking me. Just silence. I spent so long fighting for it, and now that it was here, it felt like I was standing in a room with no doors or windows by myself. I lowered the sword and let out a slow and shaky breath.

  “See? Brooding.” Marei’s voice said from behind me.

  I glanced over my shoulder. “You said you we’re going to sleep.”

  She shrugged as she inched closer. “Hard to sleep after that cake.”

  “…You’re the one who baked it.”

  “I know,” she said with a little grin.

  I chuckled and turned back toward the field. She was right beside me, arms crossed, scanning my face and body language like always.

  “You okay?” she asked.

  “Just… thinking.”

  We stood there for a minute, crickets chirping around us.

  “You know you don’t have to be fine with it, right?” she said after a while. “The quiet, I mean.”

  I stole a glance at her. She wasn’t looking at me anymore, just messing with the hem of her tunic. “I… It’s weird,” I admitted, more to myself than her. “He’s gone. I can tell. But it’s like my body knows the quiet isn’t real. Like it’s just the calm before the storm.”

  “Orrrr… maybe it’s just peace. Awkward, weird, unfamiliar peace.”

  She got a laugh out of me with that one. “You know me. I’m not really sure what to do with peace.”

  “You don’t have to do anything with it. Just let it be.” she said, her voice soft.

  I was quiet for a moment, then, “You’re way too good at that. Making sense.”

  She smiled and bumped her shoulder lightly against mine. “Yeah, yeah. You ready for bed?”

  “In a minute.”

  “Right,” she started to head towards the door, but paused. “And Farmhand? Happy Birthday.” She disappeared inside, leaving me alone with the crickets and my sword.

  For the next couple minutes, I just stood there. Letting the wind move through my clothes in an attempt to force myself to relax. And then I shoved the Mirage Sword back in its sheath and followed her inside.