Chapter 9 #3
It was an open-concept space, as they referred to it on this mortal plane.
The kitchen was made up of custom cabinetry and paneling that possessed a vibe, as Ariana had called it when she visited, of ancient temple designs.
Triangular magical symbols were carved into cabinet doors and alcoves.
The stove was currently clean, although it never stayed that way for very long due to our cooking experiments, the art of which neither of us had been familiar with, so it had been a messy and curious experience.
Across from the dark stone sink was a simple plush couch that faced a wooden coffee table.
I made my way toward the second door to the far right of the space—Ketheron’s bedroom.
The fact that he hadn’t come out to greet me meant he was likely deeply immersed in another study session.
I rapped on the door and a brief murmur of acknowledgement sounded—yes, he was certainly immersed.
I opened the door carefully.
Ensuring my movements were not brash or sudden was imperative with him.
His bedroom fused a child’s sense of wonder with a scholar’s structure.
A small wooden bed rested beneath an arch with plush pillows and his beloved stuffed bunny and bear nestled amongst them.
A round knitted cushion was currently beneath his chin as he lay on his bed reading from a volume titled, Landmarks and Wonders to Behold.
For the last few months, we’d been visiting landmarks across the supernatural world.
I’d taken him to Heelor Mountains and Wistering Waterfalls, both stunning and picturesque sites.
He was now deciding between Sanctum Sands Beach and Krestaz, the latter being a magnificent volcano, as being our next tourist adventure.
Potted plants were positioned all around the space, interspersed with candles that emanated a strawberry scent.
It was Ariana’s scent. Fortunately, when she’d visited here several times, she hadn’t made the connection and had just believed he had become a fan of strawberries.
Although, her dragon love, Vorzyr, had most definitely realized.
However, he’d merely had a word with me and nothing more had come of it.
It was a comfort to Ketheron to have the room smell like her, so I wouldn’t take that from him.
Besides, he didn’t mean anything disturbing by it. He was still learning much.
I smiled as I took in his sketches and notes all over his desk, along with several opened volumes, most about the geography and political setup of the supernatural world, and one being a fiction book from Ariana about the adventures of a warrior princess.
“You’re late tonight,” he spoke, looking up at me and moving back from his book into a sitting position, his glowing black eyes fixed on me.
He was wearing a dark gray hoodie and slim black joggers, which had become his comfort clothing.
His gray-tinted skin and the golden fissures that formed jagged patterns across every inch of him, visible on his face and his neck, hands and feet, contrasted against his clothing, a reminder that through the normality of such an outfit, he was actually anything but.
Well, neither was I.
We had that in common. And, honestly, it gave us both a sense of solace.
“Yes. As I was on my way home from my Haven Initiative update meeting with Ryker Morgan, I thought I was needed somewhere, that my assistance was required.”
He arched an eyebrow. “And it wasn’t?”
“No,” I murmured.
“What was it? Was somebody in distress? Do we need to prepare?” He closed his book and pushed off the bed, urgency radiating off him. Oh no.
“All is well.”
He started. “You’re sure?”
“Yes. It was… personal anyway. Nothing to concern yourself with. No overarching threat or anything of the sort.”
He stared at me for several moments.
That was normal. He still didn’t trust in anyone’s word at face-value. This staring was him searching deeper, trying to see into me, to be absolutely sure.
“You are sad.”
I jolted. “Excuse me?”
“You are sad, Cassius. What has happened? What upsets you?”
“I’m… I’m fine. Do not concern yourself with it.”
“Is it about her?”
I tensed. “Her?”
“This woman?”
He pulled something from his pants pocket and held it out to me.
I started when I saw it was a photo of Velra—one I’d obtained from her Crossborn file at the Guardian Movement.
My photo of her.
I snatched it from him. “You went into my nightstand?”
“I needed scissors. You keep them in there.” He winced.
“After that first couple of times when I didn’t use them well to make those paper chains for that holiday Ariana told me about.
When I was searching for them now that I’m better at using them, I saw this.
This photo of her. I remembered her from the Severance that day.
She saved you when you couldn’t get out of the Celestial Plane. ”
“Yes, that’s her,” I said, running my thumb over her hair on the picture. “Velra Nox.”
“She is special to you.”
I sighed and eased down my tee a little to reveal the Soul Brand that he’d seen before. He knew well what it meant. He might be young in some areas, but he was imbued with heavy Celestial knowledge. “She is how this came about.”
His eyes widened. “She is the one you tethered?”
“Yes.”
“She is very special then.”
“No.”
“No? I don’t understand. You are Soul Branded.”
“That is exactly why she can’t be special to me, why I can’t treat her as such, and why I cannot allow her to view me that way either.”
He stared again. “You think the Brand could violate her free will if you entertain it?”
“I do.”
“That’s not the case. She is still free to act as she wishes. The Brand does not impact what somebody feels. If you are feeling for her, it’s real. Organic. It’s not a result of this tethering.”
“I can’t be certain. There isn’t enough known about it.”
“Not to you. The True Celestials compartmentalized information. Only those at the top of the hierarchy of the Celestial Plane were privy to such things, especially things that were frowned upon like tethering somebody of the mortal realm to a True Celestial. And, as in the case with this particular Brand, given how prominent it is, violating the natural order and actually pulling her from death itself.” He smiled.
“You are aware that I have access to the knowledge of many True Celestials via my makeup. A couple were at the top of the hierarchy, as such I am aware of much about these Soul Brands. So, I am certain that neither her choices nor yours are influenced by this Brand.”
It was my turn to stare as I fought to absorb his revelations.
“We have been living together for months. You know of my extensive knowledge base in matters such as these… why did you not bring this to my attention sooner? Why let this misinformation you held stand and keep you from this woman you clearly care for?”
That was a complicated question.
So very complicated.
“It’s not just a free will violation that keeps me at a distance to her. She has suffered through a great deal. I don’t want my adjustment to life as a Fallen to be a burden upon her when she should be thriving and happy, focused on building a life for herself.”
“If she is worth caring for, why would she even see your issue as a burden?”
“I…” I shoved a hand through my hair. “Did you… you ate with Ariana and her loves, yes?”
He’d been over at their place, Solumira, spending time with them and having dinner after working at Haven Initiative with the children.
“Not second dinner.”
I chuckled. We had second dinner more often than not. He had a voracious appetite.
“Then let’s see to making second dinner now, shall we?”
His whole face lit up. “Can we have marshmallows for dessert again?”
“Well, they have become our favorite, haven’t they?”
“Yes!” he cried excitedly, then headed off to the kitchen, where we would then work together as usual to prepare our meal.
This was our life now.
And it wasn’t actually that bad.
Especially not for one like me—a Fallen.
But regret over how things were with my little shadow did seep in more often than I liked.
Alas, it could be no other way.
No other way that was actually fair to her.