Chapter 24 #2
If I could keep any moment of my life in a little jar, that afternoon would be one of them.
Even a blind person could see how euphoric I felt that Zion was finally letting me get close enough to see the cracks in his shield, just as he saw mine.
It was enchanting to hear his laughter, to watch that wide, genuine smile and know I was part of it.
When we finally stopped laughing, Kiara came through the half-destroyed portal, jumping and whipping her tail in all directions, trying to scare off a dozen butterflies that were chasing her.
“What's going on here?” Zion asked, frowning at the chimera who had just tried to snap at a blue butterfly that had the audacity to land on her snout.
“The butterflies love the chimera,” I replied, laughing as she jumped and rolled, trying to catch them with her paws. “But Kiara absolutely hates them, and they seem to know it, because they chase her everywhere.”
Zion snorted and got out of the way when she whipped her tail in his direction. We watched the butterfly saga until they all fled. When Kiara finally stopped, tongue hanging out—a sign she was thirsty—I got up and dusted off my clothes, and he did the same.
The chimera snorted, rubbing her snout against Zion's leg.
“Go drink from the river,” he said.
The chimera scratched at the ground as if arguing.
“There's no one around, just go. It's close by.”
She shook her head in protest, and Zion turned to me.
“Kiara wants us to go with her to a spring nearby.”
“You can hear what she thinks?” I'd never understood how their psychic bond worked.
“Yes, it's like a mental conversation.”
That was pretty strange, but it explained a few things. Then I remembered an important detail.
“So that's how you know when I'm home or not!” I shouted indignantly. They both looked at me, alarmed. I turned to Kiara. “You're a traitor.”
A sinister gleam appeared in her sky-colored eyes. Zion laughed and seemed to be conversing with her.
“What is she saying?” I asked curiously. He laughed even more.
“You don't want to know.”
I shifted my weight anxiously.
“I want to know!”
He looked at Kiara, then at me.
“She said, 'the female finally understood the obvious.' Now that you understand, she says she wants two bowls of kibble per meal and that you're a cruel owner for letting her starve.”
I looked at the chimera incredulously and pointed at her little protruding belly.
“I can't believe you have the nerve to say that when you're overweight.” The chimera snorted and trotted innocently around Zion. “What did she say?”
He was reluctant to tell me but eventually gave in.
“She says it's not her fault your ideal body type is flat as a board.”
My mouth fell open. I was horrified.
“Half a bowl—that's what you deserve.”
Δ
Zion transported us to a spring near the Dornéu arena. There was a small forest there, and in the center of it, a natural pool awaited us. Its water was so crystal clear you could see the white sand at the bottom perfectly.
As my eyes scanned every corner of the untouched wilderness, I realized it was a miracle that preservation areas like this still existed in the outer wall region, since Interion was running short on space for farming and raising livestock.
I asked Zion why this region wasn't used for agriculture, and he told me the Dornéu was the only preserved area precisely because the ruins were a historical heritage site.
The three of us drank and splashed around a little to cool off. When night fell, we headed back with Zion holding me firmly in his arms. The truce had ended, but apparently we'd managed to find a balance in our relationship, and even though it was fragile, it was already something promising.
I thought about everything I'd discovered in the last three days and smiled to myself.
Zion was a descendant who had worked with my parents.
This indicated there was much more to learn, because my parents weren't bad people—they wouldn't have handed over camps to be exterminated.
They died precisely because they defended the people kept in them.
I realized the story was unfolding before my eyes.
I just had to connect the dots. And I would.
Δ
“Mommy, who is this man you're talking to?” I asked, entering the living room of the treehouse.
My mother hid the earpiece she carried with her everywhere. A man's voice came through from the other end, and she quickly turned off the device, cutting off the sound.
“I already told you, my love.” She sighed, relieved to see it was just me. “He works with Mommy.”
“Can I talk to him too?”
My mother had red hair and was a woman of strong build, fierce and shrewd, as any Drutes should be.
When she spoke, everyone stopped to listen, as if her voice held them in a spell only she knew how to weave.
Her eyes were the color of molten gold, and even the strongest men trembled under her gaze.
I loved her more than anything, but I feared her just as much.
“I can't tell you his name, my little scarlet.” She picked me up and tossed me in the air while I laughed. “It's dangerous for a little doll like you.”
When she stopped tossing me up and held me in her arms, I squeezed her cheeks with both hands.
“But you're also a little doll, Mommy. So why can you and I can't?” I insisted, pouting.
“Because you're still a fragile little doll and could break. You need to become strong like Mommy. Then, when that happens, I'll tell you. For now, it's not safe. There are bogeymen who can get into your thoughts and hurt you.” She walked two fingers across my chest and poked my ribs.
I laughed from the tickling, squirming in her arms. Then Mommy moved her fingers up and placed them on my forehead, giving a light push. Even with all her charms, I didn't forget my curiosity.
“Is he a good man, Mom?”
Lagertha sat down on a wooden bench in the room and settled me on her lap. Then she began braiding my hair into two tight plaits close to my scalp, just as she did with her own.
“He is a good man, little scarlet,” she replied, her voice thoughtful and worried.
“What does he do, Mom?” I was so curious about him. When I heard his voice, it was as if I recognized it—it made my little heart beat faster. As if to confirm it, my heart began racing again, and I rubbed my chest, uncomfortable.
My mother looked at me with tenderness and hugged me tight. Then she leaned close to my ear and whispered:
“He is someone who looks after our people.”