The Invisible Planet

Part 32: Flowers

Shay stood behind the door, still grinning as Angel opened it to greet Aster. That quick rush of guilt and fear he'd felt from her told him all he needed to know about what she would say.

Having dealt with feeling the man's smugness all evening, he couldn't wait for her to disappoint him. It was selfish, he knew — but he couldn't help himself. The way the Aster's stride changed when he'd left Marita's that afternoon, with a satisfied grin and a fresh-fueled desire, made Shay livid.

Angel's nervousness had ultimately made up his mind to interrupt the evening. She was doing this to spite him. She didn't really want Aster.

But he wasn't expecting the sudden flood of happiness from the man when he saw her, or the hint of sadness and reluctance from her.

He had never been good at deciphering feelings of affection. After all, love was an emotion that leaned heavily on others — happiness, sadness, desire, anger, fear. It was far too easy for them to drown out the subtle fondness.

And far too difficult to tell how she really felt about him.

There were moments when he was sure she felt the way he did. The way she kissed him was unmistakable. It stole the breath clean out of his lungs.

But the way she'd been avoiding him — hiding when she knew he was around, ducking behind corners or into buildings — and the disgust, the anger toward him. The desire to run the other way.

There was no disgust when she looked at Aster.

He had no right to her, he knew — to feel so jealous of another man when he'd been the one to tell her they couldn't be together. He knew it would be a mistake to take it back, but the urge was at the front of his mind from the minute he'd said it out loud.

Marius would never accept her as a Guardian. There was nothing she could ever do that would atone for her mistake, for bringing humans to Serenia. Her life would be over in only a few dozen short years, and he would be left to live an eternity without her.

Even the idea of it made his heart ache, and he had only just begun getting to know her.

He was too attached too quickly. Maybe she was right to avoid him. Maybe—

His thoughts scattered as he felt a sudden burst of emotion from her. Gratefulness? Longing? It was too brief to make it out. Her skill at suppressing her thoughts and feelings was frustrating at best.

"Thank you," she said.

Aster had given her something. Flowers? Of course she would love flowers. After a century in isolation, he'd forgotten the ins and outs of winning over a woman. Did it always have to be flowers? What a wasteful way to show affection, by slowly killing a beautiful plant.

"Goodnight, beautiful."

Shay rolled his eyes. He hated that it was sincere. There was nothing he could find to reasonably hate about Aster, and that made him hate the man all the more.

"Goodnight," said Angel.

There it was again, that sadness. She was actually sad to see him go.

Shay threw up his hand, placing a bubble around her and Aster.

Was he too late? They had been spending a lot of time together. What if she was actually falling for that overly-considerate flower-killing human? The man hadn't even shown disappointment hearing that he wasn't going to get lucky; instead, it was genuine concern over Angel's wellbeing.

How was he supposed to compete with someone so level-headed, when watching her kiss someone else had all but devastated him?

Against his better judgment, Shay crossed to the backdoor and looped around the house before he released his hold. Angel would be furious at him for leaving — was furious. He could feel her rage lingering as he followed Aster down the path.

He would have to apologize to her later.

"Aster," he said.

The man's mood darkened instantly. It was nice to know that the hatred was mutual.

"Yes?" He turned around, and Shay felt that familiar flicker of fear as they locked eyes.

Good.

It would make things easier.

"Stay away from her."

The man chuckled slightly. "Or what?"

A dozen threats of injury ran through his mind, and a dozen more ways to kill him. But Angel would never forgive him, and the village needed his help in order to survive.

"What are you going to do?" the man prodded. "Kill me? Go ahead. Prove yourself to be the monster you look like."

Truthfully, Shay knew he had nothing. There was no dirt on the man. Of anyone in the village, he seemed to respect the planet the most — aside from carelessly plucking a few flowers. The only thing he really seemed to care about was Angel, and Shay knew he could never use hurting her as a threat. A threat only worked so long as it could feasibly be carried out.

And then it came to him.

"Or I'll send her home," he said. He would never do such a thing, of course. But Aster couldn't know that. He would simply whisk her away to another island, or even to the castle, and Aster would never know that she wasn't gone forever.

The man crossed his arms as a combination of fear and anger filled his mind. "I knew you bastards were lying. There is a way out."

Shay smiled. "Perhaps."

"You think if you cannot have her, no one can. But what about her? Did you ever ask what she wants?"

"More than you can give her, human," he replied bitterly.

"You? A selfish god who cannot die? You will throw her away the minute you do not find her young and beautiful."

As if he ever could. As if the notion of wrinkles or gray hairs would make her any less beautiful to him. The accusation made him want to punch the man in the mouth — but that kind of force would probably take his head clean off.

"You might have magic, or tricks," Aster continued, "but I can do something you never can. I can spend my life with her."

He was right. Horribly, horribly right, and it hurt.

"If you really care for her, you will care what she wants. If she wants you, okay. You win. But what will you do if she wants me?"

The thought stung more than the inevitability of outliving her. The only thing that could ever be worse than spending an eternity wishing the one he wanted most was still alive, was knowing that she was and she didn't want him.

The loudest part of him, the selfishness, was begging him to snap Aster's neck. It would be easy, like a human breaking a twig. He could feed the body to the LightWalkers, and no one would ever know what happened.

But deep down, he knew the man was right.

"This," he answered. He raised a bubble over the man, clenching his jaw as he turned away. He had accomplished nothing.

He returned to Angel's house, circling out of sight before he let Aster go. Her thought patterns had quieted. Was she still mad?

He opened the backdoor to find her fast asleep, tucked under her blankets. Her face was so peaceful. He leaned down and planted a gentle kiss on her forehead, and then turned to go.

Flowers... He made a face at the small bouquet. But if it would bring a smile to her face, then it would have to do.