Dawn Walker Novel Chapter 41: Firelight Promises VI

Chapter 41: 41: Firelight Promises VI

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Crackle...

Sekht remained awake through it all.

At so point, Lily stirred again, lifting her head. Her eyes were open now, clear, not sleepy. She looked at Sekht for a long mont.

Then she spoke softly. "Do you rember the promise you made to ?"

Sekht blinked. "I made you many promises," he said.

Lily narrowed her eyes.

"One promise," she insisted. "The one you tried to escape by pretending you forgot."

Sekht frowned, trying to recall.

Lily’s voice beca slightly theatrical, mimicking her younger self. "You promised that when I beco strong, you will take

outside the city and show

the wild lands."

Sekht’s eyes widened slightly. He rembered. He rembered her insisting she wanted to see "real beasts." He rembered him saying yes just to make her stop dragging his sleeve. He rembered her clapping her hands like she had won a kingdom.

Sekht exhaled slowly.

"I rember," he admitted.

Lily’s eyes glead with satisfaction.

"So," she said softly, "you owe ."

Sekht stared at her.

"You chose purgatory," he said dryly. "You have seen wild lands now."

Lily’s mouth opened, offended.

"This is not what I ant," she protested.

Sekht’s mouth twitched.

"What did you an," he asked.

Lily’s voice softened.

"I ant... I wanted to see them with you," she said.

Sekht froze. The words were simple, but they carried weight. They carried the years between them. They carried the childhood promise that had beco sothing else.

Sekht swallowed.

He did not know how to respond.

So he did the only thing he could that felt honest.

He nodded once.

"I will," he said quietly.

Lily stared at him, eyes widening slightly, as if she did not expect him to agree so easily.

"You will," she repeated softly.

Sekht nodded again.

"Yes," he said. "When we leave purgatory."

Lily’s smile was slow, bright, and genuine.

"Good," she whispered.

Then, without warning, she leaned in and kissed his cheek.

The kiss was brief.

Soft.

A simple touch of lips against skin, warm from the firelight.

Sekht froze completely.

His body did not know what to do.

His mind went blank.

His heart stuttered once, then resud too fast.

Ba - dum Ba - dum Ba - dum...

Lily pulled back slightly, watching his face.

Her eyes were playful, but not cruel. "Now you cannot run from ," she whispered.

Sekht stared at her, stunned.

"You... did that," he said slowly, as if confirming reality.

Lily nodded. "Yes," she said, completely unashad.

Sekht’s mouth opened, then closed. He searched for words and found none.

Lily’s smile softened. "You are thinking too much," she whispered. "You always do."

Sekht swallowed again.

"I am not thinking," he lied weakly.

Lily’s brows lifted.

"You are," she said.

Sekht exhaled sharply through his nose, irritated at himself more than anything.

Then he did sothing he did not plan.

He reached up and touched Lily’s wrist gently, not gripping, just holding. His fingers were steady.

He looked at her. "You should not do that," he said quietly.

Lily’s eyes narrowed slightly.

"Why," she asked again.

Sekht’s voice was lower now, rough.

"Because you will make

care," he admitted.

Lily’s expression softened completely, warmth flooding her eyes.

"Good," she whispered.

Sekht stared at her. His chest tightened again, but this ti it was not pain. It was sothing else. Sothing that felt like a door opening, slowly, against his will.

He stared at her lips for a heartbeat.

Then he leaned forward and kissed her.

Not on the cheek. On the mouth.

The kiss was brief, cautious, like testing the edge of sothing dangerous. His lips touched hers, warm and real, and he felt her inhale softly in surprise.

Then she kissed him back.

Soft.

Gentle.

Not demanding.

Just... present.

Sekht pulled back slightly, eyes open, staring at her face as if he could not believe he did that.

Lily’s lips were faintly parted. Her cheeks were warm. Her eyes were bright like the fire.

She smiled slowly.

"There," she whispered. "Now we are even."

Sekht’s mouth twitched, almost a smile, almost a laugh.

"This is not even," he muttered.

Lily laughed softly.

Ha...

Sekht’s eyes softened further.

Then Bat Bat woke up.

It lifted its head, eyes blinking, voice loud as a child who had missed the entire story and now wanted to be involved.

"What you do," Bat Bat demanded.

Sekht froze.

Lily froze.

One of the guards made a strangled sound like he was choking on air.

Cough—!

Sekht stared at Bat Bat with pure murderous intent.

Bat Bat blinked innocently. "What," it asked.

Sekht hissed, "Go back to sleep."

Bat Bat stared. "No," it said stubbornly.

Lily burst into laughter, unable to hold it.

Ha - Ha - Ha...

Sekht pressed his fingers to his temple.

"This bat will ruin my life," he muttered.

Bat Bat puffed up.

"I help," it said proudly.

Sekht stared at it.

"You help by peeing on leaders," he said.

Bat Bat nodded enthusiastically.

"Yes!"

Sekht closed his eyes.

Lily laughed harder, shoulders shaking. Even the guards looked less tense now, a few of them smiling despite themselves.

The night did not feel so heavy anymore.

Sekht exhaled slowly, then looked at Lily again. Her laughter faded into a warm smile. Her eyes held him steady.

"Thank you," she whispered.

Sekht frowned.

"For what," he asked.

Lily’s voice was quiet.

"For being here," she said.

Sekht stared at her for a long mont.

Then he answered honestly. "I did not plan to be," he admitted.

Lily smiled. "I know," she said. "That is why it matters."

Sekht exhaled slowly. He glanced up at the sky. The moon hung high. The stars looked wrong, but they still shone.

He looked back at Lily.

"Sleep," he said, softer this ti, not an order but a request.

Lily nodded, still smiling.

"Okay," she whispered.

She stood and walked back toward her bedroll, but before she lay down, she turned back once more.

Her eyes t Sekht’s. Her voice was quiet, almost shy.

"Do not disappear again," she whispered.