Page 212 of A Soul to Guide

Many purple and pink leaves had sprouted on the ceiling, which needed to be clipped away. They weren’t supposed to be there, but building their homes within a living structure had its disadvantages.

Knick-knacks and ornaments gifted to her by the people of Lezekos City sat on shelves. She’d never had the heart to part with a single piece, each one precious to her.

It was home. It smelt familiar, looked familiar, it even felt familiar, and yet she was out of place within it. Something was missing, and it was his orange and cinnamon scent. It was too quiet, and her ears were listening for tiny vibrations that only she could hear.

Yes, it was warm, but Merikh’s warmth had been different. It had seeped into her pores and wrapped itself around her heart.

It hasn’t even been a day, and I already miss him.

She turned to the side and made her way to the bath, its edges level with the ground. On the wall was a runic circle, and when she placed her hand over it, it glowed purple before water filled from the bottom.

Steam ghosted over the surface, and she walked down the stairs to greet it once she removed her dress.

After a brief soak, she washed her body using a loofa to scour away all the dirt, sweat, and stress that had clung to her body over the last several hours. She washed her face with products tailored to her skin type, moisturising it.

Then she rubbed a lock of curls between her fingers, grimacing at the coarseness. Her hair needed some serious tough love. Now that she had the proper care products, she was able to give it the attention it deserved.

Raewyn was slow, allowing herself to get lost in thought as she finally had her first real bath in ages.

Months on Earth had only been a few weeks here, but somehow, it was like forever ago that she’d left.

Carefully combing her hair while it was lathered in a detangling shampoo, she started at the ends and worked it through. Then she rinsed it and conditioned it twice, the first time with a deep conditioner to nourish and strengthen her hair, and the second time with a leave-in conditioner to lock in moisture and keep her hair soft and silky. She gave it one last comb through before she just reclined in the metre deep water to her shoulders, allowing herself to be comforted by its warmth.

She closed her eyes so she could truly rest.

Reflecting on her time on Earth was painful, but she had much to think over.

Once she was done, she got out of the bath and wrapped herself in a plush towel. She pressed another rune that would relocate the water to be cleansed through natural soil before it went back into the safe water systems that ran beneath the ground.

Everything was borrowed, and nothing was truly wasted.

Raewyn lightly fingered oils through her wet hair and covered it in a thin satin bonnet that would help to protect her curls. She laid down on the ground, where the only bit of light was still shining, since the last sun was dropping past the horizon.

She’d been home for nearly a full sun cycle.

Just when she thought she was getting better at handling her emotions, her self-care routine helping, something had her eyes welling with tears worse than before.

“No,” she rasped, her sight flickering, fading in and out suddenly. “No, no, no!”

She covered her face, almost clawed at it with her nails, willing it to stop, to keep it. When she pulled her hands away, everything wasgone.

Somehow, Merikh had taken his sight back, and she felt even more alone than before. She feared the worst.

He’d never been able to take it back without touching her, without physically drawing it back.

No. Please.Rolling onto her side, she hugged her midsection as she wept.Please don’t tell me he died. Please don’t let that be the reason it’s gone.

She would never know. She would have to live with the painful, unanswered question for the rest of her life.

It’s not fair. I want him back.

Heat stopped warming her when the final sun finished falling away. She curled herself into a ball.

I’m so sorry I couldn’t save you.

The issue with regrowing one’s body within seconds was that coming to could be quite startling. Coupled with the fact that his environment was completely foreign, Merikh’s first glance around was disorientated.

He’d never been able to take his sight back without touching Raewyn before. Was it because he regrew his entire body, or because a day had passed? He’d never willingly given Raewyn his sight for more than a few minutes.

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