Ienzo had been screaming for most of a day when Eleaus came to me. How he still had a voice to scream with after so many hours, I could only imagine.
“I’m going to go stay with him.” It was a statement and not a question when Eleaus spoke, but the formalities had faded weeks ago.
“So go,” I spoke plainly. I was close, so close, I could tell I was. I could feel the answer rattling inside me.
“I need you to lock the door behind me.”
“Can’t you get someone else to see to that?” I wanted him to go and leave me, leave me with the shadows, because they had the answers.
“There’s no one else left, Ansem.” I was used to bitterness in Dilan’s voice, or Even’s, but from Eleaus it spoke much more. I could almost taste the recrimination beneath it, but as usual, he said no more than was necessary.
Of course he didn’t realize they were still here among the shadows, that I spoke to them still, so I forgave him the tone and the accusations he never made.
“Then it hardly matters if the door is locked,” I said finally. He turned to go.
At the last moment, I looked up at his retreating form. “He will be lost soon, if he is not already.” It was the obvious, but I felt it appropriate to say something.
“I’m going with him.”
Not long after, Ienzo’s screams ended.
