Flux

fell from Ennek’s hand and Miner grabbed it and threw it to the far end of the little beach.
    “Don’t you dare!” he yelled. He sat up, straddling Ennek’s chest. “Don’t you dare! I just got you back—again—and you’re all I bloody have and without you….” His voice broke. “Kill yourself and you’ll destroy us both,” he nearly whispered.
    He could feel Ennek’s tense muscles relax beneath him. “I won’t,” Ennek said. “I’m sorry. I won’t…I won’t hurt myself.” Then his jaw tightened. “But I’m vowing now, I will never use magic again.”
    Miner dismounted then gave him a hand up so they were sitting facing one another. “Don’t be stupid, En.”
    Ennek gaped at him a bit.
    Miner stroked Ennek’s cheek. “You have a great gift. Think of all the good you could do with it! The way Akilina healed my wrist, for instance. What if you did that sort of thing for people? I had a cousin who was thrown from a horse. He was a young man, newly married, and hoping for children. But his back was broken, and he never walked again. He couldn’t even control his own bladder and bowels. He couldn’t work, he certainly would never be a father…. His wife left him and he spent his life sitting in a bed in his parents’ house, wearing a diaper like a baby. He…it ruined him. You could mend someone like that, I’ll wager.”
    “I don’t know how.”
    “So you bloody learn how! If I can learn to read, you can surely figure out something so simple. En, the Wizard who put me in Stasis, she was known as a great healer. She kept the Chief from dying, didn’t she? But she would only use her power on those she chose to, mostly the rich. She never would have lowered herself to help my cousin. You could. You could save so many lives so easily.”
    Ennek looked thoughtful, as if he were truly weighing Miner’s words. “But what if I lose control again? It’s come very close to happening. Three times now!”
    “And each time because of me.”
    “Because I love you! Because I cannot abide seeing you harmed.”
    Miner smiled at him. “And I do appreciate you rescuing me over and over, I really do. It’s become quite a habit for you. But I need you to make me a promise. I know you love me, and I love you too. But my life is not worth an entire city of innocent people. Give me your word that you won’t make that mistake again.”
    After a long pause, Ennek said. “I don’t know that I could keep that promise.”
    “Then I’ll make you. I’ll be your conscience. Like the bird in that book with all the stories.”
    “The Maiden and the Bird?”
    “That’s the one. The bird always warned her when she was about to go astray.”
    “But then she ignored it and ended up falling on ruin.”
    “I promise I won’t allow you to be ruined,” Miner said, resting his hand on Ennek’s shoulder. Then he grinned slightly. “Although I did seduce you, didn’t I? Took your virginity.”
    “That didn’t ruin me, Mine. It saved me.” He laced his hands behind Miner’s head and drew him closer until their foreheads rested together. “You have my word,” he whispered.
    “Good. Because if you gave up magic entirely, I don’t know how we’d get off this beach.”
    “It’s too bad we can’t fly,” Ennek said, glancing up at the seagull still circling overhead. “I’ll wager Akilina’s eager for our return.”
    “Your return. She wouldn’t care if she never set eyes on me again.”
    “Well, that’s her own shortsightedness, not realizing I’m worthless without you.”
    “How will we manage when we get there? She won’t let you go, you know. Not now that she has seen your power. You’d be too much a threat to her. She’ll want to find a way to keep using you.”
    “I know.” Ennek shrugged. “We’ll have to find some way to…to neutralize her.”
    Ennek reached into the bag again, this time pulling out the pot. He stood and walked to the water, then dipped the pot, filling it. His brows creased slightly in concentration and when he handed the pot to Miner, the water was sweet and good. It was tempting to gulp it all down, but Miner didn’t wish to make himself ill. He took a few careful sips then passed the pot to Ennek, who also drank slowly.
    When they’d had their fill, Ennek tucked the pot away and began to gather their things. He retrieved the knife and, with a slightly sheepish look, tucked it back into the bag. Miner folded the blanket and put it and the sweater