Page 140 of Ruthless Scoundrel
“I need to learn your soul-half’s language,” Mother says to me with a kind smile.
“I’ll always translate for you,” I say, then give her a tight embrace.
“Some things are not for your ears, my son.”
We share a laugh, but I know how true that is. I want Reina to have that relationship with my mother. I want them to be that close.
I pull back and move on to my father. He embraces me, but his grip is not as powerful as I remember. Time and good care will bring that strength back. He leans back and puts his hands on my shoulders as he stares at me sternly.
“A soul-half bond is very precious. Take good care of her,” he says.
I nod fervently. “I will.”
I glance to my right to see my mother and Reina smiling at one another, wordlessly communicating with their eyes alone.
Someone punches me in the arm and my attention snaps to my father’s left where Maarie scowls playfully. “I’m ready to go now, but Father says I need to stay behind and help our people heal. Tell him I can fight,” she says.
“Did your magus ability emerge?” I ask.
“Yes!” she says, her eyes bright like that might be enough to convince me.
“What is it?”
Her brow pinches and her lips purse. “That’s not important.”
“It is. Can you heal?”
She nods, her smile returned.
“So then it’s best that you stay here. There are many injured who need your help.”
Her expression softens and she nods, resolute.
“But what’s your magus ability?” I ask, playfully shoving her shoulder.
She sighs, then leans forward and plucks a strand of grass. She holds it up, and a shimmering pink barrier appears around it and begins to spin. Within, the grass shrinks down until it’s a little seed. The spherical barrier twists the other direction, and the grass grows up again, then quickly shrivels and turns brown.
“Maarie, that’s amazing!” I tell her.
She rolls her eyes and the sphere of magic disappears, revealing the blade of grass as it was when she plucked it. “I’m not altering the object, only observing its past and future.”
“Maarie,” I say, grabbing her hand. “That. Is. Amazing.”
A little smirk pulls the corner of her lips. “It’s not octopus shapeshifting, but I guess it’s something.”
“I’ve got a lot more in my roster now, too. A big dog, a turtle, a dread shark—”
“Dread shark!” she yells, her mouth dropping open. “How did you manage that one?”
I look over at Reina. “She killed it.”
Maarie pushes past me and grabs Reina’s shoulders, shaking her. “How did you do it, you crazy woman?”
Reina looks at me in a giggling plea for help.
“She wants to know how you killed the sha’kara,” I say.
“Oh.” Reina smiles, then takes a few steps back and points her hand toward the sea. She looks back at Maarie. “Like this.”
