Chapter 31

Gloria hobbled back to the campsite as quickly as she could, checking her watch as she did. It was already nearly 11pm, Seneca must have been waiting for a while by now. 

Gloria and Seneca shared a connection deeper than most couples. Every full moon, some cosmic power connected the two of them and they shared a dream. It had been occurring since they were both small children, only later in life discovering that the other was a real person. 

Seneca always felt sick after these dreams, and if Gloria wasn't there to help him feel better he'd suffer the next day. 

That, and Gloria really wanted to see Seneca, no matter how guilty she may be feeling about how things were with Alex.

Laying in her sleeping bag, Gloria screwed her eyes shut and tried to fall asleep, but it was taking too long. 

He held me, she thought. He made me feel warmer with just his body heat. He calmed me when I was panicking, he thinks I'm attractive.

But Seneca already thinks that. He's seen me at my lowest, he loves me. He's held me when I can't sleep, when I freak out because of a loud sudden sound. He's the one, Alex is not going to last.

Gloria worked on relaxing her body and slowing her breathing, and eventually it came easily. The thoughts of Alex kept swimming around her brain, and she hoped that wouldn't make it too hard to sleep. 

It took hours. Every so often, Gloria would check her watch to see what time it was and time kept passing without her falling asleep. She heard the party come back to camp and settle themselves in, but she still couldn't fall asleep. Every time she'd start to settle and doze off, someone would cough and Gloria would be pulled out of her haze. After a while, she worried that she'd see the sun before she saw Seneca.

Thankfully, this wasn't the case.

Rolling over, Gloria found herself in the dreamscape once more, the air pleasantly humid and perfumed, the wind blowing gently, the sky a confusing, swirling mess. Sitting up, Gloria saw the exterior of the greenhouse, one of the few buildings that was constructed here, and Seneca sitting a few feet away from her bed, watching her. 

"That took you a while," he said, standing from his chair and walking over to her. "Did you forget that it was a full moon night?" 

"Among other things," she said as she swept her legs off the bed and stood. "I couldn't get to sleep. Nothing I did would work, and the amount of drama lately would make anyone blush."

"Really? I hope you tell me the details, I want to know everything. Tea?" he asked as they approached the greenhouse. "I found some this time while rummaging through the cupboards. It smells good, and it says it's dandelion tea?" 

"We're trusting found tea now?" Gloria teased as she picked up a mug. "Good thing I can fix an upset stomach,"

"Indeed. Speaking of-?" Seneca held out his arms for a spell, and Gloria effortlessly charmed him with good health, pulling him into an embrace and smiling. She felt his chest rise and fall as he breathed, and Gloria couldn't help but remember Alex. This isn't Alex, this is Seneca.

"Tell me everything. What's new with the fellowship? Why couldn't you sleep?"

Gloria took a seat at the counter and regaled Seneca of the camping trip, the surprise hook up and blooming relationship between Arhun and Maria, Ashton's fondness for Aquila, and how Midshore had showed up to train Maria but ended up mitigating the drama between Aquila and Maria and training Alex and Aquila up on the mountain. 

"On top of all of that, I can’t be around when Midshore is training Alex because it appears his magic is the opposite of mine. I’ve never thought of the spectrum of magic, but I suppose there could be opposites. Seems strange, and Midshore says in all her years she’s never seen it. It’s a marvel Alex and I even know each other, the odds are astronomical. But we can’t use our magic one or in tandem to each other or it will amplify and can be dangerous like a bad chemical reaction.”

Seneca nodded and took a sip of his drink. He didn't like the flavor and his face showed it. He set down his mug. "Man, poor Alex. He's the only single bloke among you guys then? That can be tough. Self confidence goes way down when you don't have anyone to hold you up,"

Gloria felt a flush in her cheeks and her stomach dropped a bit. "Yeah, but I don't think he lets it get to him. He had a really tough relationship a year or two ago and he says he's swearing off women for a while. In a romantic sense at least," 

Seneca gazed at Gloria and smiled, looking relieved. "I missed you so much," he said, holding her hand in his. "Life's been rough. My mother wanted me to join her for dinner and I had to tell her no, but that almost made me feel like I was making a mistake-"

"Your mother lives an hour away from you, why would she ask to see you for dinner out of the blue?"

"Oh- that's right, you don't know the news. A government official punched Ember while at a cocktail event and my mother stood with Ember in the fallout over the past few days. The Others have decided that it was a singular event and not a movement against them, but Mother was worried that if relations between the Others and the government fell apart, she'd want us to be protected. It's not unknown that you and I are a couple, so going to a public dinner between her and Ember and myself would put the two of us in the public eye, but also we would be protected by the public eye, you know?"

"I- what? That's very confusing," Gloria thought for a moment while Seneca considered jumping in to continue explaining the concept, "But I think I understand. In becoming public figures, we would be protected from bodily harm but could also attract harassment. I'm not a fan of either idea, honestly," she shrugged and tried to smile.

"I know, neither am I. You know I never wanted to be a public figure. I turned away a country to live a private life, but what if things get nasty? What if tensions rise against the Others? Would we want that protection of being related to the Prime Minister?"

Gloria's mouth twisted in thought. "But what about everyone else? All of the other Others? The people just trying to live their lives without the protection that we get to have? Should we live above them only because we can or should we fight for more rights for them? To tear down the stigmas against them?"

"You're preaching to the choir, sister. I think they should have better rights too and shouldn't have to hide who they are, but it's hard to build an entirely new system in the matter of a few years. The anxiety runs deep and some people won't listen to the new reason at all. They've lived their lives and refuse to be told otherwise that Others are good people, they're just born differently. We all thought they'd sold their soul to a demon to have odd powers, but obviously that isn't true. Not of all of them, anyway. I'm pretty sure some spellcasters have deities," he gave Gloria a wink and walked over to hold her hands in his. "We don't need to fear this right now. We'll be ok." 

Gloria slipped off her stool and pulled him closer, enjoying the way he fit familiarly against her, unlike Alex who, while warm and kind, had been really kinda wet and hadn't fully squeezed her the way that Seneca could, with an arm around her waist and her head on his shoulder, their hair mingling in the odd light of the greenhouse. Seneca was better than Alex, there was no doubt. If only Gloria could have Seneca here all the time and never have to face Alex again, all of her longings would vanish like nightmares from the bright light of morning.

They held each other that way for a while, swaying gently as if to dance to silent music that only they heard, not wanting to let the other go or for the reality to set in that they wouldn’t see each other for a month at least. 

“I love you,” Seneca said into Gloria’s ear softly.

Gloria smiled. “I love you too, forever and always.”

Oh wow, It's been a long time since I posted a chapter. My bad, dear readers. I've had a very confusing, mentally draining past few months and I haven't had the best focus or mental health. This chapter is pretty rusty, but I hope to shake off the rust and start writing this again. I say that literally every chapter though, but I always have high hopes!

I hope you've all been well over the last few months. You have my biggest, deepest wishes that you're all doing excellent things!