Page 129 of To Free a Soul
“Yes.” He was unsure if it was cowardice in the face of all this or just anger that had prevented him from telling her.
Curls fell around her cheeks, haloing her beautiful face while simultaneously hiding it when she looked down. “I’ve been waiting for you to come back.”
Weldir’s mist pushed out from him in surprise. “Why?”
Had she changed her mind?Should I have reached out sooner?Did his absence again upset her and wake her up to this foolish, infuriating distance between them?
“I know you like to watch them grow into adulthood,” she murmured, before petting a tiny raven skull and a fruit-bat skull.
So nothing had changed, and he’d gotten excited for no reason.
“You waited for my return to grow them?”
Her smile became saddened. “Yes. I’ve already picked what kind of horns I want to give them and know where to find them.”
As much as he was annoyed, his mist shimmered with mild joy. She thought about him, what he desired, and even waited for his return for such a reason. He appreciated that.
“Thank you. Unfortunately, we have other matters to speak about. Merikh has requested your presence.”
Her brows drew together until her frown crinkled her forehead. “What? Why?”
“I don’t know why.”
July 2nd, 1973
Standing in front of Merikh, whose arms were folded defensively, Lindiwe regarded him as he towered over her. His orbs were more crimson than normal, and as usual, he had a menacing aura about him despite the bright, wintry day.
Considering he’d asked her to be here, she found that rude.
“You asked to see me?” Lindiwe greeted.
“Yes. Hold out your–”
Before he could finish, a tiny bat skull poked up through the base of her feathered hood and squawked at him. It was then yanked down as her raven-skulled baby fought to poke their head out of the loose gap as well.
“Sorry, pardon me for a moment.” She reached within her cloak, sightlessly grabbed one baby, and moved it to the other side. Both their heads then stuck out at the base of her hood, and they sniffed in Merikh’s direction. “I’ve never met another being while holding them, so they’re probably interested in your voice and scent.”
“You have more,” Merikh said all surly and snappy. “Isn’t there fucking enough of us?”
“You have no idea,” she answered with an eye roll.
And Lindiwe didn’t plan to inform him just how many. It’d just piss him off.
“Whatever. Hold your hand out,” he snapped.
When he raised his big fist, she hesitated before lifting her palm through his ward. He lowered his fist, then partially opened it, and something tickled her skin. His foreclaw grazed across her flesh when he dropped whatever he was holding and pulled away.
She brought it close so she could inspect it. A bundle of dill was tied tightly with a white ribbon, and it had two bells and a tiny bone dangling from it.
“What is it?”
“A protection charm. If tied at each corner of a house, it stops anyone from entering unless they’ve been invited.”
“Okaaay.” Lindiwe curled her fingers around it and brought her gaze up to meet his orbs. “But why are you giving it to me?”
“There was a city that was destroyed, and it had a temple connected to it. A Demon brought much of its written knowledge back to her den, and she read a few texts to me while teaching me how to read. This was a spell we discovered in one of them.”
A city with a temple?Her fists tightened around the charm.He probably means Rivenspire.It was only a little northwest from here.
