Together

The last pieces of rubble settled. Essek hesitated, then murmured a word, casting a soft purple light into his palm. Caleb blinked, still staring at the floor. He clenched a fist and fire swirled to life at his fingertips. The scattered papers on the floor, the mouldering tomes and the faded diagrams all burned, ash mingling with dust at their feet. The flames ran their course, until Essek’s light was all that remained.“Good.” Essek nodded as Caleb looked up. He met Caleb’s eyes as the tension in his chest faded to relief. “Good.”Caleb watched him, emotions darting across his face too quickly for Essek to parse. They fell silent, the quiet of the ruins broken only by the halting drip of water.Caleb continued to stare, and Essek bit at his lip as a different kind of tension made him fight not to move.