Chapter 7
Themes
Rionan sat in his hotel suite, reflecting on his earlier conversation.
I’m not myself at the moment. I feel lost, like, I’m not sure quite what direction I’m heading in.
Why did he tell her this?
There was, of course, nothing he could be identified by in what he had told her. The likelihood of anyone from Xanthia tracking him to the human realm was next to none. Even less so by using the name Max West. But it felt so…personal. Yet, he barely hesitated before sharing this with her.
Since leaving the café – and speaking with Alianna for much longer than he had intended to – he had not discovered much else about Porthan.
He learnt that it was busier in the summer months (the current months) than it was in the winter.
Many of its shops only traded during the tourist season.
That, despite how busy it got at this time of year, Alianna missed the crisp autumn weather.
She enjoyed the sunshine, but she would like a little spat of rain to clear some of the humidity.
Rionan sighed and slumped in his armchair, wine glass in hand.
He had removed his shirt since he had arrived back, discarding it on to the end of his bed.
He had managed to procure a small collection of reasonably nice shirts from one of the nearby shops, in his usual colours of white, grey, navy blue, and an interesting silver shirt made from fine silk.
With a gentle smile and an effortless push of his power in her direction, the assistant in the shop packaged up his items without question, batting her eyelashes at him.
She had even pointed out that he should probably purchase some nice new trousers and a belt to go with these shirts.
She blushed while he thanked her for her useful observation, and had added these to his bag without question when he returned to the checkout fifteen minutes later.
A shower. A shower would help him think straight, come up with a plan.
He threw the remainder of his wine back into his mouth, placing his glass upon the countertop as he strode to the bathroom. Rionan undid his belt, letting his trousers and underwear fall to the floor. He switched on the shower, and within minutes, the room had filled with steam.
Stepping into the shower, Rionan blinked and shifted back into his Xanthian form.
He felt his canine teeth lengthen slightly, his ears elongate into their usual pointed ends, and he held his hands in front of him.
His skin was no longer the golden, olive shade that it had become, but now it’s usual silver-grey, Xanthian hue.
Almost in answer to the physical shift he had made, he felt his power throbbing inside of him, seeking a release that he wasn’t able to give it here. Not in the way it needed.
“I can’t,” he sighed, speaking inwardly to himself. “We can’t go back yet. We need to stay. We are here for a reason.”
Porthan. Porthan. Porthan.
“Fuck,” he huffed through gritted teeth, slamming his fist into a wall. “Yes, Porthan. What now? What else do I do here? I have no knowledge of this place, no prior memories of being here. I don’t recall anyone in Xanthia even speaking about a place called Porthan, let alone in the human realm.”
Porthan.
Home.
Porthan.
Home.
Home. Home. Home.
“Home,” he sighed, wishing that however he communicated with the force within him, it could be more articulate than it had so far managed. “Xanthia.”
He heard nothing else as he washed, lathering his body in the rich, spa-scented soaps provided by The Rinniel. He rinsed the suds from his thick, dark hair, which fell in front of his face as the last of the bubbles slid over his body.
Switching the shower off, he stepped out, grabbing a towel from a nearby rail and wrapping it around his waist. He collected his thoughts, going over what he had experienced since he arrived in Porthan.
He arrived on a beach and shifted in to his human form. West Beach, apparently. Apt.
He was found by Alianna and her dog. She took him to the hospital, or accompanied him there.
He left and roamed Porthan, looking for accommodation. The Rinniel seemed to be one of the finer establishments, and there was a room available.
He walked through Porthan at night and came across Alianna and her friend. He walked them as close to her home as, he now realised, she was willing to let an unknown male get. Sensible girl.
He had walked aimlessly around Porthan again today, stopping for a drink, and found himself at the café Alianna worked in.
Rionan’s brow furrowed in realisation, as the recurring theme from the last two days became apparent.
Alianna.
Perhaps if he was going to find answers, he would have to spend more time with her. At least he would no longer need to feel selfish for enjoying their conversations or appreciating the way she looked. He would need to be subtle, or this could very easily go wrong.
He redressed himself once dry and put some clothes back on, postponing his plans to rest.
Rionan was going to buy himself a mobile phone.