Ben lay on the cot of the prison cell, staring at the ceiling. He could easily break out of the cell. It wouldn’t take long to bend and break the bars. He could find his father and acquire his boon.
Jed wouldn’t trust him again. He didn’t trust him right now.
“Why,” said a familiar voice. Ben opened his eyes. Jed was standing on the other side of the cell. His arms crossed. His face was a mix of anger and hurt.
Jed uncrossed his arms and placed his left hand on the bar. “Why didn’t you come and tell us?”
“I was trying to break my curse and to that, I had to free my father. You would have stopped me.”
“You’re damn right,” he seethed. “I would have stopped you to keep us and you from getting hurt. You know what your father is like. Why would you risk it?”
“I would have been fine. The boon is that of divine oath. No god can break their promise.”
Jed didn’t answer. Ben stepped forward closer to the bars. To Jed.
“I was trying to gain control over an inevitable situation. Your friend, the headmaster’s daughter, helped kidnap me with that woman,” he spat.
“She threatened to kill everyone here including you. They both wanted to raise my family for their own purposes. I was doing the same.”
A silence hung over the room.
“You could have come to me.” His lip quivered. ”You could have trusted me.”
“I do trust you.” He placed his hand near Jed’s. “I love you.”
Jed looked at their close proximity of their hands Ben’s fingers reached out and caressed his skin. He looked back at Ben. His blue eyes pleaded for forgiveness and understanding.
He shook his head and backed from the bars, yanking his hand away.
“If you loved me, you wouldn’t have hurt my friends.”
“Jed, please,” Ben pleaded, his voice breaking from emotion. “I know I screwed up but I can make it right. I love you. I would do anything to protect you. I’ll prove it to you.”
Jed could feel the tears rising. He blinked them away and left the room.
“I’ll prove it to you,” Ben yelled. His words echoed for a few seconds. He hoped Jed was still around to hear. His own eyes were swelling. He lost all he loved and felt pain worse than all mortals through the millennia. But this hurt more. His heart ached and he gripped the iron bars for support. He closed his eyes, trying to quell his own tears but they escaped. Streaming down his cheeks. Falling and hitting the floor like rain from the sky.
“I’ll prove it to you,” he whispered. “If it’s the last thing I do.”
