Page 186 of To Free a Soul
“He is rather dusty.”
They both cackled within the shelter of Aleron’s wings.
Weldir wished he could feel the power of his sigh.Both are so insolent.He cared little about what they did together, but now they were just being playfully irksome. After watching his mate perish and his offspring behead himself, he wasn’t in a particularly grand mood.
“As much as I would prefer to leave you be, there is something I must discuss with Aleron. It is of great importance.”
Once they unfurled themselves, Gideon covering his privates with a hand until he requested clothing once more, Weldir explained the possibility of revival for his offspring. There were some minor issues, mainly a miscommunication instigated by Weldir, but they were quickly resolved.
Thankfully. For he currently lacked any patience.
Then again, he didn’t realise Aleron’s infatuation with the human went beyond filling the loneliness of Tenebris. That it was, in fact, much deeper. Thus, when he fitted Aleron’s skull to his soul once more – with a little manipulation, as it wasn’ttrulyhis but pieces Weldir had spliced together – he regarded the human differently.
A male bride. I never considered it an option, but I’m pleased my offspring are open to such avenues.The gender of their partners didn’t matter, so long as their hearts were good to his Mavka and treated them well.I want my offspring to be happy.
Even if it meant Weldir was alone.
He hadn’t foreseen Gideon losing all his memories of Tenebris, as that hadn’t happened with Emerie.
She was only here for a day, though.Which was not much time to retain.
It brought on unforeseen complications and issues that Weldir had to battle while Lindiwe was preoccupied with a chaotic and erratic Nathair. He would have preferred her totake care of the relationship matters, as she could’ve done so in person.
Especially as Gideon – traumatised, lost, and very confused – wasn’t handling his new life well. He’d completely forgotten his love of Aleron and was trapped with him, inadvertently torturing him as he repeatedly rejected the bat-skulled Mavka’s advances.
The only thing he could assist with was manipulating the male’s spirit by shoving his own memories of their final hours of Tenebris into him toremindhim of his own words, and his promise. He’d also used yet another fucking soul in a way he’d never needed to – and hadn’t been sure would work.
At this rate, I’ll use Almethrandra’s crown fragment entirely just to bring my offspring to life and settle their problems.
The only consolation was there were none of his offspring left for him to attend to, and he only needed to use a grain of it at a time. He’d barely removed a tenth of it.
After a few weeks, the world frosted with winter, and he watched Lindiwe finally leave Nathair’s side. The serpent Mavka had forced the solitude by slipping inside of a pond and discovering a cave at the other end of it.
She could have followed, but there was little point, as it was obvious he wanted to adjust on his own now that he’d eased the worst of the fragments. As time had gone on, and he’d almost eaten her again, Nathair had grown more desperate to leave her side to protect her from himself. Lindiwe wasn’t ignorant of that fact.
Nathair had apologised for hurting her repeatedly and thanked her for staying by his side when he needed her most, many times. Weldir had translated on his behalf, often eliciting a smile from Lindiwe.
But she continued to express her desire to stay, informing him that she didn’t mind her wounds. She wanted to be near him, tobe with him, after he’d been absent from her life for over three hundred years.
She relented when she could see it was distressing him more and more.
Her care and adoration of their offspring always made Weldir’s mist shimmer with tenderness. Her beauty had not changed, and his appreciation for her had deepened over the centuries – to the point of utter obsession.
He still visited his cave of memories regularly, even if it made him sour and... lonely.
She has pulled away from me these last few decades,he thought, as he witnessed Lindiwe come to Aleron’s side in her owl form.
He was flying from Merikh’s ward towards the group of Mavka in the east: Orpheus, Magnar, and Faunus’ empty home.
They will find Ingram.Hopefullyaftertheir relationship had finished repairing itself.The human is softening towards Aleron again.It’s why he’d never told them where to go, as they needed the journey in order to repair Gideon’s mind and heart.
At least they were finally on the correct path.It shouldn’t be too much longer. Which means I can finally act...
He brought the crown fragment to him with a sense of uncertainty. He still didn’t know what to do with the rest of it.
The longer he stared at the glowing concentration of mana, and perceived its unceasing power-filled throbs, the less... confident he felt about her answer. Weldir intended to present her with a choice, one that would greatly impact him.
I am... unsure if she will choose me.
