Ander - Part 2: Subchapter 15
15
Ander could feel the sun shining on his face, could see the darkness behind his eyelids take on that dull, red shade. It could only mean one thing.
Morning had come.
He didn't want to open his eyes. That would mean last night was over, and even with that horrible dream, last night was the best night of his life.
Kiana...
Ander opened his eyes.
She was nowhere to be seen, obviously. Ander knew this would be the case. After all, she couldn't just let her family walk in on them sharing the same bed come morning, but her absence still saddened him. Waking up with her nestled in his arms would have been the only good thing to come of this day.
Ander pushed his blanket aside and -
You're no brother of mine...
That fragment of dream stung him like a splinter in his mind. He massaged his temple, trying his best to ignore it, but it was still there, along with all the others.
You never were...
Those words were not simply the creations of his nightmare. They came from Banno himself, while he was still alive.
Your whole life is a lie...
What did he know? What was so important that even he would keep it a secret for who knows how long? And what did it have to do with -
A knock at the door. "Ander? Are you up yet?" It sounded like Rufio.
"Yes, Sai."
"Then um... yeah. The girls are up an'... Everyone's... You just take your time. We uh... yeah. Just take your time."
Ander listened to him shuffle off down the hallway, so much different from his usual step. He paused at the end and sighed. Even after all this time, Rufio still didn't realize how well Ander could hear what goes on in this house.
Ander closed his eyes and sighed himself. This was going to be very difficult.
*
They were all waiting for him in the living room; Rufio, Bethany, Layla. In less than a week, he has come to think of them as family. And standing off to the side, looking down at the floor, was Kiana.
Ander had never seen her so sad.
Rufio awkwardly cleared his throat. "Well, girls. I... I know this is hard, but Ander has made up his mind. It's time to say goodbye now."
Layla came to him first. She gave him a big hug that barely reached past his waist. "This is so unfair," she said, pressing her face right up against his fur. "I was going to teach you how to read!"
"It's okay," Ander said and placed his hand on top of her head, almost covering it completely.
"No! It's not okay!"
Ander got down on one knee and she threw herself into his arms, her sobs so powerful he could clearly feel each one as they tore through her small body. "Ssh, ssh, it's okay..."
"I'll miss you, Ander!"
"I'll miss you, too."
She gave him a kiss on the cheek and broke away, wiping the tears from her eyes.
Next, surprisingly, was Bethany. "Those stitches were supposed to come out today," she said as Ander got back to his feet. With her normally stony exterior, Ander was amazed at how sad she sounded. "Listen, Ander. I know I've been a bit... bitchy to you, but I'm that way to all new people in my life. Just ask Rufio. He had to try again and again for almost a year before I agreed to let him court me -"
"Ain't that the truth," Rufio snuck in.
"- but I guess what I'm trying to say is... You've grown on me over these short few days, and I'll always be grateful to you for saving our daughter, and I wish things didn't have to turn out this way."
"It means a lot to hear you say that, Kai," Ander said.
Now Rufio stepped forward. "Well, son, having you here has been quite the adventure, I can tell you that. I'll always be in your debt." He held out his hand and Ander shook it.
"Actually, Rufio, if you really want to settle that debt, there is something you could do for me."
"Name it."
"Call off the marriage between Kiana and Mateo."
Bethany and Kiana both gasped and Layla's eyes went wide. Rufio stood completely motionless, regarding Ander with those shrewd eyes of his, contemplating the situation. Finally, he nodded. "Done."
"Rufio!" Bethany exclaimed. "We can't cancel the wedding! The dowry's already been paid!"
"Then we'll give it back."
"But -"
"We'll give it back!" Rufio shouted. "If it wasn't for that blasted wedding Kiana wouldn't have snuck off! And if it wasn't for Ander, she'd be dead! Calling off that wedding is a small price to pay for a debt so huge, but if you can't see that, Beth, then we've got some problems."
It looked like Bethany was about to argue her point, but a single glance around the room was enough to convince her otherwise, and she lowered her head. "I understand."
"I'm sorry I shouted, dear," Rufio said, putting his arm around her. "Now, Ander, I believe there's still one member of this family who has yet to say her goodbyes."
Kiana shook her head. "I don't want to say goodbye."
"Kiana!" Rufio said. "You can't just - Ow!" A hard elbow to the ribs from his youngest daughter put a stop to any commentary he might have had, and Ander was grateful for that.
"Kiana..." he said. "I can't leave without saying goodbye."
"Exactly! If I go over there, and I hug you, and I kiss you, and I tell you how much I'll miss you, and if I say my goodbye, then you'll walk out that door and I'll never see you again! You'll go back to that awful place and they'll kill you and I don't want that to happen! Don't you understand!?"
"It's my life, Kiana. And it's my death, too. I've been digging my own grave for a while now, probably even before I met you. If any good can come out of this, I'm glad it's for -"
"You should have left me in that cage..." she said in barely more than a whisper, but Ander caught every horrible word. He stormed over and grabbed her by the shoulders so fast she didn't even have time to react.
"Don't you ever say that!" he said, shaking her lightly.
"And why not!?" she screamed and batted his arms away. "If you'd just left me alone you wouldn't have had to kill your brother! You wouldn't have had to suffer through all those awful dreams! And if you hadn't come here, then I wouldn't have to watch you leave me now!"
"Kiana, I'll never regret saving you. I would rather die by the hands of my own people than live on knowing I stood by while they murdered someone like you."
"And I would rather have died in that fire than keep on living in a world without you!"
The look on her face... it was one of pure anguish, sorrow, and worst of all, guilt. Ander couldn't bear to see her like this, so he took her in his arms.
She fought him at first, hammering his chest with her fists, yelling, "No, no!" but Ander simply held her tighter, feeling her warmth against his body for what would surely be the last time.
Finally, she broke down completely and started to cry. Ander knew there were no words in this world that could possibly help her, so he didn't even try. He just held her, and she held him; together in silence, just like by the river on that darkest night.
The silence was the only goodbye she could give.
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