8

It was surreal, it couldn’t be happening. April leaned against the old wood door, watching the scene in front of her. Feb was still passed out on a cot in the church kitchen, and Marco was kneeling on the floor beside her, holding her hand. Jani had gone back out to attend to business, taking Jun with her. A stillness fell over the room, and she could hear Marco sniffling.
“My apologies- but you do not understand. All this time, I have thought my wife was dead.” He stroked the hair tenderly away from Feb’s face. “When I last saw her, we were both prisoners on the bounty ship Ordek. The ship was attacked and everyone was killed. I had no hope…” his voice choked with emotion and he bent his head down as he spoke. “My only relief was that she was no longer suffering at their hands.”
April bit her lip and remained silent. She wanted to leave so she didn’t have to see this- and yet she couldn’t bear to leave. She felt for the doorknob behind her, garnishing a small sense of relief as she grasped it.
“You are the pirates that raided the ship, aren’t you?” he turned his head to look at April. There was no accusation in his voice, and April nodded her head.
“I don’t know why you spared her life, but I can never thank you enough.” His look was truly grateful, and somehow that made the pain in her chest worse.
“Were you on that ship when we boarded?” she couldn’t help but ask. She thought they’d killed everyone.
He looked back at Feb, and she could see his shoulders tense. Reflexively, she tensed her hand on the doorknob. He sighed heavily and wiped his eyes with his free hand.
“I was in the cell next to her. They beat me till I lost consciousness. When I woke up, I was in our battalion infirmary. My men had put a tracking device on the ship which detected that the vessel had suffered damage and was drifting. They rescued me- but she was gone. Gone…”
He turned his head towards Feb. “Until you brought her back to me today.” his voice was soft, and he stroked Feb’s arm lightly, as if she would break.
April leaned back into the door for support, feeling waves of anger and sadness ripple through her. She remembered how when Feb first came on board the ship, she had cried every night for weeks. Had it been for Marco? April felt a surge of guilt overtake her. She’d been too afraid to go into that room and check. Feb must have felt so alone… she swallowed hard and closed her eyes. She wouldn't cry here, she couldn't cry here.
“Please excuse me for a moment.” she choked out, quietly sliding the door open.

The heat outside was stifling, but it helped to dry the tears. April stood with her face tilted up to the white-hot sun, letting the heat pierce her skin as the anguish pierced her body.
She’d lost her. There wasn’t a rescue to be performed, no heroic act that would change this situation.
April had never felt so lost in her life. Even when her aunt had died, she still had something- a dream, a vision. She held her breath. It seemed empty and shallow. There were no dreams now.
The sound of footsteps made her open her eyes. Jani came up quietly to her and stood next to her. A dry light wind blew past, taking the breath that April had been holding.
“I’m lost.” she choked out.
Jani put her hand on her shoulder and stood with her.
“There’s nothing left.” April closed her eyes, blocking out the sun and the world.
“But there is. A promise.” Jani’s voice broke through the block. “One you need to keep.”
April opened her eyes and Jani dropped her hand from her shoulder.
“You swore you would never leave her. Keep that promise, April.”