Page 209 of A Soul to Guide

Then, with a sigh, he pushed his way through and entered her home. He placed the food on the ground next to her, then skilfully evaded every streak of sunlight to not be burned as he went to her small kitchen to boil a pot. Everyone in the city ate together in large rooms where they shared the same meals, everyone fed for free by volunteers.

He was making her a flowery tea.

“I didn’t see you in the palace eatery,” he said as he opened a silver jar and scooped tea leaves into it. “It’s unlike you. You’re usually the first one there, fighting to get all the best portions.”

“You have some nerve, pushing your way into a councilmember’s home,” she said through clenched teeth, her nose crinkled in his direction while also slyly trying to pick up the plate to eat his offering.

She was hungry, and she did miss this delicious morning soup.

Cykran rubbed at one of his black horns. “You can’t possibly be mad at me for something you asked me to do.”

“What do you want, Cykran?” she asked, crossing her legs so she could freely eat.

She held the hot underside with one hand and scooped spoonfuls into her mouth with the other.

“I want to talk about what happened. You’ve... you’ve never acted that way towards me before.” His pointed ears twitched, like they wanted to lower. “I didn’t mean to leave that...monsterbehind, but what else could I have done?”

“He’s not a monster!” she almost screeched.

Okay, he kind of was, but he washermonster, and only she could playfully call him that. Hers was a term of endearment, while Cykran’s was obviously an insult.

“What do you mean, it’s not a monster?” He placed his hands on the counter and bared his shark-like fangs. “You didn’t see it attacking everyone! It was going to kill one of the Delysian soldiers before everyone managed to stop it.”

“Because you were trying to take me away,” she yelled back. “He was the only reason I was able to survive on Earth, and he was helping me get back home with the promise he could make a home here. He did so much for me, and because you didn’t listen to me, your inaction caused him to be left behind.”

“He had his hand in your chest! I thought my heart was going to explode,” he said as he slammed his palm against the bronze counter. “I don’t know what it was he took from you, but you’re lucky we stopped him before it was too late. I thought he’dkilledyou, just as we were rescuing you!”

Raewyn lowered her head in thought.I don’t know what he took either.She’d never seen anything like it.

It had been a blue flame.

She’d felt no different from it being removed, but it eventually floated back to her right before she was shoved through the portal. Whatever it was, he’d tried toeatit.

“He was just freaked out,” she quietly rebuffed. “Random people with weapons had come to his home. He would not have understood a word of what anyone was saying, and all he saw were people trying to ‘steal’ me. I made him a promise, and now I’ve broken that promise because you didn’t listen to me, a councilmember, yourfriend.”

Cykran rubbed his horn again in annoyance before pouring boiling water into a cup. He brought it over and crouched to put it on the ground in front of her. Then, he placed his hand on top of her head while squatting before her.

“My job is to assist you. That also means protecting you, but it is our friendship that will make me throw my life away for you. I didn’t even care if I survived, so long as I was able to help bring you back.”

“I never asked for your protection.” She’d never really needed it before.

“No, but you need it. Otherwise, you’ll turn yourself purple again.”

Raewyn rolled her eyes. “That was one time.”

He gave a lopsided grin when she picked up the teacup, happy she’d taken his offering. It fell, his red eyes crinkling in anguish.

“The fact I couldn’t stop you from disappearing meant I had failed you to begin with. I was there. I almost had you. Then the portal closed before I could jump through it.” He shook his head, the ends of his tied back long hair fluttering behind him. “I wouldn’t have been able to stand it a second time. We only had so much time to save you, Rae. My people were freaked out by what they saw.”

“Ourpeople,” Raewyn corrected, her eyes narrowing.

He rolled his own this time.

“They wear armour, but none of us have truly ever needed to fight against anything since we came here. You know just as much as we do that both the Delysian and Elysian soldiers are just for show, to give everyone in the city a false sense of comfort. Those eight Delysians and three Elysian soldiers were the only people brave enough to venture to another world, unprepared for what we were going to face. They expected Demons, unintelligent ones like we used to be, and we came to Lezekos to get away from them. Can’t you understand how much we all care for you just by our actions yesterday?”

“I do,” she answered confidently. “I don’t blame them for what they did, but you are my friend. When I asked you to let me speak with him, you refused to listen. You are the one I’m angry with, not them.”

“I’m sorry,” he said as he sat on the ground with her. “I thought you’d gone insane on Earth. You wanted to reason with an unthinking beast, one throwing our soldiers around. The rift was closing, and Thorill was barely managing to keep it open.”

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