One Page: Keys of Eternity Part 1

Firstly, ladies and gentlemen, this project finally has a title. (WOOT! WOOT!) It is called Keys of Eternity. I have finished writing the first fifty pages longhand and am working on typing them in so that they will be available for all readers. I may even offer it free here on the blog as I work on the next part.

This section is from page 35-37. I started with the last paragraph on page 35 and followed it all the way through the end of the last sentence which is found on the top of page 37. I hope everyone is enjoying the story so far. Leave me comments, questions, concerns, kudos, or anything else you'd like in the comments section.

Jason ran a hand through his hair. "Where do I begin?"

Zara offered him nothing but a stare of studious attention that made him a tad uncomfortable. With the light still low her eyes glittered. He imagined they glowed the way a wolf's did when creeping close to a hunter's fire to remind him he is never quite alone, or safe, in the woods. The urge to comfort her in her obvious pain warred with the awareness that she, should she desire, could snap him in half on a whim.

Despite his discomfort, he wondered if the ghost girl was there with them. Would she weigh in on what he said.

"You're not talking."

"I don't know what to say." He paused and sighed. "Do you believe in magic?"

"Are you going to try some cheesy card trick or disappear into thin air?"

"No." For a heartbeat he considered another way, less flashy, but nothing else would break the shell of disbelief she built around herself. If he wanted her to believe in the supernatural, he would have to show it to her. With a slow breath, he relinquished his control a bit at a time. The room brightened as his wings appeared and his armor manifested.

She didn't gasp, hide, or even really blink. When the transformation was done and he stood in her living room in full regalia she moved from her chair. Without looking him in the eye, she ran one hand down his wing. The caress caused an involuntary flex. Then she yanked out a feather. Turning it before her eyes, she said,

"Falcon."

"Yes." He blinked. "How did you know that?"

"Artists study the things they want to depict."

Clinical. Emotionless. Her eyes had gone dry and remained stony as she regarded him.

Shifting under that gaze, he considered his next words. He had to get through to her.

"I realize I should have been there for Amara, but I wasn't and I don't want you to die too."

She paused where she had reseated herself with an apple slice almost to her lips. Zara's eyes darkened from their attractive maple to mahogany then progressed to ebony. A wave of anguish mixed with rage flooded the room.

Anybody else think maybe he said exactly the wrong thing?