Page 24 of Rhaz's Redemption
“But that’s the beauty of luminescence, fate picks for you.” Fatima argued.
“Luminescence is only one piece of the puzzle. It’s still up to the two people to build a solid relationship,” Anusha replied.
“Dameron had a fated mate too,” I couldn’t help but add.
“See it’s not always perfect,” Anusha emphasized her point.
“I don’t want to talk about it anymore,” Fatima turned her back to us and focused on her knitting.
Anusha opened her mouth to say more but I gently laid a hand on her shoulder and shook my head. No one was as stubborn as Fatima. Once her mind was made up, there was no changing it. Anything Anusha had to say would only piss her off more.
Anusha sighed and started knitting again as well. She was probably the most talented of all of us humans. The pattern she was knitting into her sweater was simple, but elegant.
Drondia approached us with a smile on her face and bent down to inspect our work.
“You all have impressed me so much with how far you’ve come with your knitting skills,” the elder woman beamed at us. She was as sweet as honey. Drondia reminded me of my grandma Gloria who had an encouraging word for every situation.
Her gaze shifted to Anusha’s work and the elder woman stopped short.
“Oh my,” her eyes turned glossy with unshed tears.
“What is it?” Anusha asked. “Did I do something wrong?”
“Oh no, it’s just that I haven’t seen anyone make that pattern for quite some time. May I?”
Drondia reached out for the half finished garment and Anusha lifted it to her. She gently ran her fingers along the woven fibers and a tear-filled smile spread across her face.
“My friend used to knit this pattern into her sweaters too. The last time I saw it was when she was making baby clothes for her unborn child.”
“Did she die in the stiffness?” I asked.
“No,” Drondia shook her head and reluctantly handed the cloth back to Anusha. “She left after she had her baby. You see, she was a few years older than me and so very excited to give birth to her first child. The birth was surprisingly easy, but once the child was here,” Drondia shook her head.
“What happened? Was the baby sick?” Anusha asked.
“No, he was… different. He had four arms instead of two. Looking back now, I believe he was the first shifter to be born in this generation. Kahina saw the child and encouraged my friend and her mate to flee before Dameron could see him.” Drondia shook her head again. “That vile male would have had him killed.”
She looked up at the three of us and a tear streamed down her face as she told us the conclusion of what happened to her friend. “She left that night with her son and mate and I never saw her or heard from her again.”
“She never came back?”
“No,” she looked down at her trembling hands. “I’ve asked Axon to look for them a few times over the years. He can hear things from great distances, but even he has never found a trace of my friend’s existence.”
“Then they’re truly gone,” Anusha whispered in a somber tone.
“I’m afraid so,” Drondia nodded. The elder woman turned away from us and began to walk back through the cavern. Karo, her mate, spotted her wiping tears from her face and jumped to his feet.
“Are you unwell?” He asked as he wrapped an arm around her.
“I’d like to rest in our cave for a little while,” Drondia replied.
“Of course,” he nodded. They whispered in hushed tones as he led her back to their private cave.
Anusha looked down at her half-knitted sweater and frowned. “I hate Dameron. So much suffering could have been avoided if he weren’t their leader.”
“I just don’t understand,” I confessed. “He only has power as long as his people give it to him. Why hasn’t anyone stood up to him?”
“They believe their goddess appointed him as their leader. To go against Dameron is to admit their sovereign was either wrong or doesn’t exist at all,” Fatima replied.
