Hope
begins in the dark.
Eulalie had finally gotten the twins to sleep, watching their chests rise and fall with only the love a mother could feel filling her chest. They had quickly developed such different personalities, and they were both perfect in their own way. She thought they might perhaps sleep through the night without waking when her ears picked up the sounds of panic, of shouting and running, hooves clacking heavily against the stone courtyard. Her head snapped toward it, watching as Somnus raced away, shouting out Ulric’s name. The sunshine and ivory woman’s heart dropped.
She knew it would not be long before the commotion woke Anemone and Regis, and she followed Somnus to the courtyard to see what was happening. When her eyes found the glowing orange on the horizon she felt the same fear for her home and her family and friends as no doubt everyone did looking at it. Fire, it would eat at and destroy everything it touched. If it couldn’t be stopped, there would be nothing left.
Her earth brown eyes were wide but she steadied the shivering of her skin, the wild beating of her heart. She had so much more to be responsible for now than ever. Lives that mattered to her, that she would do anything to protect. Eulalie raced the few feet to Somnus’ side, seeing the determination in his verdant green eyes, and she reached out for him, pressing her nose to his. She would not say goodbye, because she knew that they were both strong and would get through this. “Be careful. I will keep them safe, no matter what.” There was a sharpness to her dark gaze, like the edge of a knife.
“I love you,” the words slipped past her lips like a breath, whispering into the air, getting lost among the clamor. Then she was gone, back to her children to watch over them. To keep Reggie steady and strong despite the fragility of his body and to hold Anemone back from racing off recklessly after her father like she knew the filly would. They would stay in the citadel as long as it was safe. Though Somnus and no doubt Ulric would go to fight the fire, there was still something she could do to protect those who wished to stay behind, to gather them together and ensure that nobody was lost.
