surface after the rainfall.
Noah places a finger under my chin and tilts my head back until I look up at the sky. Above us, an array of colors is painted across the clear blue atmosphere. I’ve seen rainbows in drawings held within the books of the Archives Room, but they don’t compare to reality. My breath steals from my lungs and I am left speechless, gazing up at the beauty overhead.
“I’m sure it doesn’t compare to the things you see flying through universes, but it’s pretty cool,” Noah says.
I turn to him, my eyes sparkling. “It’s lovely.”
My legs are tired from the walk, so I slide down into the wet grass and sit with my legs overhanging the edge of the cliff. Noah follows suit, taking off his glasses and rubbing the lenses against a dry spot on his shirt.
“I needed this,” I say after a time. “It’s a nice break after what’s been going on at The House.”
“Why? Is something wrong?” he asks, sliding the glasses back onto his face.
“Two Watchers died. Their universes were destroyed. It shouldn’t be happening, not so close together, but the other members won’t listen to me when I warn them that something’s not right.”
I tell him the whole story then, from start to finish, and he listens in bated breath, only asking questions when I mention a term he’s unfamiliar with. As I speak, the world falls away around me. It is only us and the rainbow and the wet grass under my hands. The words pour out of me, and after I’m done a great weight has been lifted off my shoulders.
“I don’t like the idea of you being away from here—in a place between time and space—where I can’t help. I wish I could go back with you,” Noah says.
“Are you sure your desire to come with me has nothing to do with swimming through galaxies and seeing stars?” I ask playfully.
He grins. “I guess that’s part of it. But really—I’m drawn to you for some reason. I don’t know how to describe the feeling.” The smile slides away as he struggles to come up with a proper description. “It’s like you’re a part of me. From the moment I saw you, I knew we had some kind of connection. I’ve never gotten so attached to someone so fast.”
I close my eyes, trying to feel what he feels. Truth be told, I’ve been so caught up in the string of events plaguing The House that I haven’t had a chance to consider the root of my emotions for Noah. But as soon as he says it, I feel the same thing too—like we’re bonded, like letting go of him would physically hurt.
“Maybe this is just what it feels like to care,” I say.
“No,” he says, frowning. “It’s more than that.”
I shuffle away from the cliff face and stand, helping Noah to his feet as I speak. “Whatever you feel, I’m glad for it. I’d be lying if I said I didn’t want you to care about me, too.”
“Of course I care about you. I—”
Noah drops off in the middle of his sentence as he stands and looks over my shoulder. The color drains from his skin. I spin around to see what’s frightened him and nearly scream.
The Harbingers glide toward us, blocking the path down from the cliff. As they draw nearer the darkness inside of their hoods begins to glow with a dim red light. As soon as the illumination appears my body is grasped with an overwhelming fatigue, as if the life is being drained from my veins.
I wail and stumble into Noah’s side. His face is a sickly shade of green, and I know he’s feeling the same thing I am. The Harbingers glide closer, surrounding us, as my legs become
Noah places a finger under my chin and tilts my head back until I look up at the sky. Above us, an array of colors is painted across the clear blue atmosphere. I’ve seen rainbows in drawings held within the books of the Archives Room, but they don’t compare to reality. My breath steals from my lungs and I am left speechless, gazing up at the beauty overhead.
“I’m sure it doesn’t compare to the things you see flying through universes, but it’s pretty cool,” Noah says.
I turn to him, my eyes sparkling. “It’s lovely.”
My legs are tired from the walk, so I slide down into the wet grass and sit with my legs overhanging the edge of the cliff. Noah follows suit, taking off his glasses and rubbing the lenses against a dry spot on his shirt.
“I needed this,” I say after a time. “It’s a nice break after what’s been going on at The House.”
“Why? Is something wrong?” he asks, sliding the glasses back onto his face.
“Two Watchers died. Their universes were destroyed. It shouldn’t be happening, not so close together, but the other members won’t listen to me when I warn them that something’s not right.”
I tell him the whole story then, from start to finish, and he listens in bated breath, only asking questions when I mention a term he’s unfamiliar with. As I speak, the world falls away around me. It is only us and the rainbow and the wet grass under my hands. The words pour out of me, and after I’m done a great weight has been lifted off my shoulders.
“I don’t like the idea of you being away from here—in a place between time and space—where I can’t help. I wish I could go back with you,” Noah says.
“Are you sure your desire to come with me has nothing to do with swimming through galaxies and seeing stars?” I ask playfully.
He grins. “I guess that’s part of it. But really—I’m drawn to you for some reason. I don’t know how to describe the feeling.” The smile slides away as he struggles to come up with a proper description. “It’s like you’re a part of me. From the moment I saw you, I knew we had some kind of connection. I’ve never gotten so attached to someone so fast.”
I close my eyes, trying to feel what he feels. Truth be told, I’ve been so caught up in the string of events plaguing The House that I haven’t had a chance to consider the root of my emotions for Noah. But as soon as he says it, I feel the same thing too—like we’re bonded, like letting go of him would physically hurt.
“Maybe this is just what it feels like to care,” I say.
“No,” he says, frowning. “It’s more than that.”
I shuffle away from the cliff face and stand, helping Noah to his feet as I speak. “Whatever you feel, I’m glad for it. I’d be lying if I said I didn’t want you to care about me, too.”
“Of course I care about you. I—”
Noah drops off in the middle of his sentence as he stands and looks over my shoulder. The color drains from his skin. I spin around to see what’s frightened him and nearly scream.
The Harbingers glide toward us, blocking the path down from the cliff. As they draw nearer the darkness inside of their hoods begins to glow with a dim red light. As soon as the illumination appears my body is grasped with an overwhelming fatigue, as if the life is being drained from my veins.
I wail and stumble into Noah’s side. His face is a sickly shade of green, and I know he’s feeling the same thing I am. The Harbingers glide closer, surrounding us, as my legs become
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