Page 98 of Barbi and the Villain

“Where do you think these people are from?” I ask Nykander as we pass around families doing their tasks together.

He shakes his head.

“I am not sure. But most people here have abilities.”

I frown.

“What do you mean?”

“I can feel the energy simmering around. It is strong and heavy, but it does not come from one individual in particular, which leads me to believe it is the energy of the collective.”

“Oh. I wonder why they would choose to live so cut off from the world.”

His smile turns sad.

“Because it might be the only way they can be at peace,” he says. I glance at him curiously as I wait for him to continue. “I have traveled to many worlds since I left Tartareia seven thousand years ago. And while some realms celebrate those who exhibit strong spiritual energy and extraordinary abilities, most do not. The number of human mortals far outweighs the number of supernatural ones, and that establishes a norm within a population. To deviate from that norm means to be ostracized. Sometimes hunted…killed. The world is not a safe place when you are different.”

“But why is the number of supernaturals so low? Wouldn’t it be the reverse? I would assume that humans can die far more easily than supernaturals, no? That would decrease their numbers while those of supernaturals would keep on climbing.”

“In theory, yes.” He nods pensively. “But there are those factors I mentioned. Supernaturals are hunted, sometimes even seen as prizes. But that is not the only reason for their scarcity. It is also the fact that the stronger the spiritual energy of a species, the lower the birth rate. For example, my kind is considered mature at three thousand years old. It is very rare for a female to bear a second child before the first one has reached at least one thousand years old.”

I stare at him in wonder.

“Wow. That is so interesting. I guess it’s similar to apes in my world,” I mention thoughtfully. “Gorillas are endangered because of their low birth rates. They only bear one child at a time and it is very rare to have a second one before the first is weaned. And because humans keep encroaching on their territories, they are now susceptible to some of our diseases too.”

“Yes.” He nods. “That is, indeed, a good analogy. I have noticed this in the realms I have visited, too. Some diseases that were previously only encountered in humans have now spread to supernaturals, too. But due to a different biology, the effects are far more dire,” he adds. “It makes me wonder how the plague in Akkaya manifests in humans and supernaturals alike.”

“I can’t say about supernaturals, but I saw how it manifested in humans. It was grotesque.” A shiver goes down my back as I remember the first time I came face-to-face with death. I recount my experience and what I witnessed in the village the soldiers burned down.

He listens thoughtfully to my explanation, and before I know it, we have reached the river.

“This is…beautiful,” I whisper as I take in the landscape.

The water of the river is a see-through crystalline blue. A few feet away, there is a waterfall coming from the mountain that feeds into the river, the water splashing onto the river bank.

I drop the load of clothes to the ground as I dash toward the water, taking off my slippers as I run. Plopping myself on the lush grass, I dip my fingers into the cold water and release a loud squeak of excitement.

“Come try it, Nykander! It’s so cool and refreshing!”

He regards me with an amused expression as he shakes his head. Instead, he drops his load to the ground before he teleports to the laundry room to bring the remaining clothes. PomPom and BonBon run around and play, and it seems I won’t have to worry about them for the time being—except watching to make sure they don’t eat some weird plant.

It takes Nykander a couple of trips to get everything. What’s even worse is that these people don’t even have liquid soap. They only have a lye-based solid soap that people in my world used long ago—and some might still use in the countryside. But that means we will have to scrub the clothes by hand with the soap.

My expression falls as I look at the mountain of clothes. It will take us the entire day! Maybe more!

As Nykander comes toward me, I look up at him, batting my lashes.

“Can’t you use your powers and you know, do some magic?”

He chuckles.

“We convened I would not use my powers.”

“That was before I saw how many clothes there were! We’re never going to finish this!”

“Then we might as well start.”

He surprises me when he unbuttons his shirt and throws it aside. His naked torso greets my eyes, our bonding mark there in the open for anyone to see. Somehow, knowing that I have a claim on him—a visible one—makes my insides all restless. I cannot wrench my eyes away from his hard chest and even harder abs.

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