Her eyes were dark as sin and her lips were a graceful rose coloured curve. Her skin was darker now, tanned by the sun, and was a marked contrast against her pale dress. Her hair still fell in curls down her back.
“What is it, Ineru?” he said without thinking and then remembered what he’d done.
He looked at her properly, this time seeing the monster he had made her into.
“Your eyes are purple,” she said when she knelt in front of him where he was still sitting by the door.
Instinct told him that the sun had set. He could feel the cooler night air creeping in under the door. Its scent called to him, luring him out into the darkness and reminding him of his hunger.
“Purple?” He frowned and looked around for something shiny to see his reflection in.
He could feel the sharp points of his teeth against his lip and wondered if the change in colour of his eyes was something to do with the monster he’d become.
Ineru held a worn metal plate out to him and her eyes reflected the sadness in her voice. “There is no point. I could not see myself.”
He took the plate and rubbed it clean with a square of cloth, trying to make it shine. It didn’t. The dull metal was hardly a good object for seeing himself in. He held it 14
Eternity: The Beginning – F E Heaton
up anyway and turned it in all directions, trying to catch a glimpse of his eyes and his sharp canines, but found that his sister was right.
There was nothing reflected back at him but a dull brown wall.
This wasn’t possible.
Getting to his feet, he grabbed Ineru’s hand and led her out into the night. He walked down the alley between the rows of huts until he reached the river. The bright moon shone down on the world, illuminating it with a cold light and turning everything blue. He let go of his sister’s hand, knelt on the bank and leaned over the water.
Nothing but the moon greeted him.
He watched Ineru do the same, her hand reaching out to touch the water when she couldn’t see her reflection. He hovered his hand above the rippling water and frowned when he couldn’t see it reflected back at him. The bones of his face shifted, allowing his teeth to recede, and he grimaced at the scraping feeling of it.
“Are we so cursed that we do not even exist?” Ineru said.
He shook his head. “We exist, but we are shadows of life, walking death. We are shunned by the sun and cursed by the land. It will have nothing to do with us, so it banishes us from existence by refusing to reflect what the light makes of us.”
“Or maybe it is the light that refuses to see us.”
15
Eternity: The Beginning – F E Heaton
Glancing across at her, he saw her eyes full of fear, her soft skin washed out with it. He placed his hand over hers, showing her that they were still tangible. They were still made of flesh. They weren’t ghosts.
“Do not be scared, dear sister.”
“I am not,” she said and managed a smile, “and nor should you be, beloved brother.”
“We have much to learn about ourselves. We must find the man who did this to me. He will know the answers to our questions.”
Standing up, he held his hand out to her and watched as she slipped her delicate fingers into his. He assisted her to her feet and kept hold of her hand when she went to move.
“Ineru,” he said and hesitated a moment before
continuing. “This is not the life I wanted for you.”
“But it is the life I wanted for myself. I would rather live like this with you, than live as a mortal alone.”
“But you would not have been alone.” He squeezed her hand and smiled. “I would have remained with you until the end, as I promised.”
“I am not so sure. The world you walk in would have been so much different to my own. It would have drawn you away from me in time. It is better this way.”
Her soft look of understanding and acceptance of what she’d become made him sigh. She had taken it better than he had.
16
Eternity: The
“What is it, Ineru?” he said without thinking and then remembered what he’d done.
He looked at her properly, this time seeing the monster he had made her into.
“Your eyes are purple,” she said when she knelt in front of him where he was still sitting by the door.
Instinct told him that the sun had set. He could feel the cooler night air creeping in under the door. Its scent called to him, luring him out into the darkness and reminding him of his hunger.
“Purple?” He frowned and looked around for something shiny to see his reflection in.
He could feel the sharp points of his teeth against his lip and wondered if the change in colour of his eyes was something to do with the monster he’d become.
Ineru held a worn metal plate out to him and her eyes reflected the sadness in her voice. “There is no point. I could not see myself.”
He took the plate and rubbed it clean with a square of cloth, trying to make it shine. It didn’t. The dull metal was hardly a good object for seeing himself in. He held it 14
Eternity: The Beginning – F E Heaton
up anyway and turned it in all directions, trying to catch a glimpse of his eyes and his sharp canines, but found that his sister was right.
There was nothing reflected back at him but a dull brown wall.
This wasn’t possible.
Getting to his feet, he grabbed Ineru’s hand and led her out into the night. He walked down the alley between the rows of huts until he reached the river. The bright moon shone down on the world, illuminating it with a cold light and turning everything blue. He let go of his sister’s hand, knelt on the bank and leaned over the water.
Nothing but the moon greeted him.
He watched Ineru do the same, her hand reaching out to touch the water when she couldn’t see her reflection. He hovered his hand above the rippling water and frowned when he couldn’t see it reflected back at him. The bones of his face shifted, allowing his teeth to recede, and he grimaced at the scraping feeling of it.
“Are we so cursed that we do not even exist?” Ineru said.
He shook his head. “We exist, but we are shadows of life, walking death. We are shunned by the sun and cursed by the land. It will have nothing to do with us, so it banishes us from existence by refusing to reflect what the light makes of us.”
“Or maybe it is the light that refuses to see us.”
15
Eternity: The Beginning – F E Heaton
Glancing across at her, he saw her eyes full of fear, her soft skin washed out with it. He placed his hand over hers, showing her that they were still tangible. They were still made of flesh. They weren’t ghosts.
“Do not be scared, dear sister.”
“I am not,” she said and managed a smile, “and nor should you be, beloved brother.”
“We have much to learn about ourselves. We must find the man who did this to me. He will know the answers to our questions.”
Standing up, he held his hand out to her and watched as she slipped her delicate fingers into his. He assisted her to her feet and kept hold of her hand when she went to move.
“Ineru,” he said and hesitated a moment before
continuing. “This is not the life I wanted for you.”
“But it is the life I wanted for myself. I would rather live like this with you, than live as a mortal alone.”
“But you would not have been alone.” He squeezed her hand and smiled. “I would have remained with you until the end, as I promised.”
“I am not so sure. The world you walk in would have been so much different to my own. It would have drawn you away from me in time. It is better this way.”
Her soft look of understanding and acceptance of what she’d become made him sigh. She had taken it better than he had.
16
Eternity: The
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