Page 71 of A Soul to Steal

Her heart, although likely small, was welcoming. He’d thought this about Raewyn when he first met her, and he’d grown fond of her during the short day he’d been in her presence.

His sight darted up to Raewyn’s blue soul flame hovering between Merikh’s tall bull horns. It was curled into a ball, and its coily hair gently floated around the back of its head.

After much thought, most of which was broken and difficult to wade through after Merikh spoke of his feelings, Aleron finally gained the courage to share.

“We did not mind that you were mean,” he stated honestly, staring down at the youngling, who frowned up at him. “You let us rest, and you saved us once. We remembered these things, so when we thought or spoke of you, it was always conflicting. Mean with your words, nice with your actions. You were safe, even when ripping our arms off to smack us with them.”

Merikh grunted, then lifted a finger at him. “That was one time,” he snapped out with a grumble. “And you both fucking deserved it after what you did to my tail and back spikes.”

“Don’t swear in front of Lehnenia!” Raewyn shouted.

“She can’t understand me!” he roared back.

“I don’t care. Children are intuitive and pick up on things like that.”

He let out a defeated huff, especially when the child gave a hissing, playful growl up at him. Yet, her face shined with a grin. He unsheathed his foreclaw, as though to threaten the youngling with it, and tapped her on the nose.

“Don’t go taking her side. My pretty starshine is more formidable than she appears. I don’t need two of you ganging up on me.”

Aleron chuckled before he cut in. “What I am trying to say is: if you hold any regret, please do not do so. Our feelings towards you, although conflicted, were always warm – as they have been with all other Mavka. We did not mean to burden you, so thank you for being a safe place we could return to.”

Pleased when Merikh’s orbs turned a reddish pink in embarrassment, Aleron chuckled again when he tossed his bear skull around.

“Not like I had a choice. I couldn’t shoo you away even when I tried.”

Aleron tilted his head knowingly. “But you did have a choice. We knew you could make us leave, but you often chose not to when you were within your ward. You also did not force us away from your side when we followed you.”

“You’re really annoying, you know that?” Merikh waved his hand through Aleron’s intangible face. “Go take your cutesy, lovey words somewhere else. I don’t need nor want them.”

He said this, yet Aleron thought the opposite.

Aleron could see he and his kindred had been a source of pain for Merikh. Even if he didn’t like Aleron, or want anything to do with him, nothing would change the fact that Aleron cared for him in his own way. Not like his kindred, but perhaps similarly.

Since he could articulate that now, he wanted to. He wanted to for Merikh’s sake, as well as his own.

Before either one could say anything, the youngling picked up the parchment and threw it. It fluttered through the air, then her writing utensil clacked against the ground. Aleron flinched when she began to scream, and he cringed so hard and fast that he involuntarily backed up in aversion to her.

Just moments before, he’d been enjoying their company. Now, he ran to Gideon’s side as she laid back over Merikh’s knee and the table, and kicked at his round stomach. She even managed to cop him under the jaw, forcing his head up, and an uncontrollable growl slipped from him.

The child kicked harder and bared her fangs.

Raewyn quickly rose to her feet, but Merikh threw his hand out to her. “Don’t,” he added sharply, making her pause. “Just stay there. I don’t want her hurting you again.”

“What is wrong with it?” Aleron asked, his sight white in uncertainty.

Merikh, while wrestling the child who continued to shout, cry, and stamp at his torso, eventually stood. She bashed on his shoulders and pushed at him when he tried to hold her.

“I’ll take her to her room,” he told them. “You explain while I calm her down.”

Aleron placed his hand on Gideon’s shoulder, creating contact for two reasons: one, to make sure he didn’t slip out of consciousness, and two, so Gideon could just ease him. He watched Merikh storm off with her while uttering Elvish words.

“She doesn’t like being ignored,” Raewyn said while giving an apologetic wince. “She doesn’t realise that you don’t understand our language. Since you weren’t responding to her, and because Merikh was distracted by you, she lashed out. She seeks attention since she wasn’t treated well by the other orphaned children, no matter if it’s positive or not. The guardians tried to make up for it, but they must attend to the others as well, and she didn’t like it when they did.”

“That sounds complicated,” Aleron grumbled, before turning to Gideon. “I do not like younglings if they do this. I liked when she was calm and fun. I do not want to be kicked.”

Gideon chuckled, only to cover his mouth when Aleron’s sight morphed to red at him for doing so.

“I don’t know what to tell you, Aleron,” he stated, with mirth and humour in his tone. “That’s what kids are like. You can’t control them, and they have their own will.”

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