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“It was a warning,” I answered quietly, lifting my head to look at him. “He could have done much worse.”
His green eyes widened. “Worse than strangling you?!”
“If he wanted me dead, I wouldn’t be here.”
He opened his mouth and closed it a few times, as if he wanted to say something but either kept forgetting or never found the right words. “How can you be so calm?! You!” He pointed a finger at me, his eyes horrified. “Why do you want to be with him?!”
I blinked at him with a frown. “I don’t believe I am calm. I feel… hollow?”
Ayen’s stare softened. “Why did you choose him?”
“Because being with him feels like I’m home,” the words poured from my lips like water. “Like I’m not alone. Like I’m not somewhere I shouldn’t be.”
Being with him was an adventure. Never a dull moment or knowing what to expect.
Ayen’s shoulders slumped, a sad smile playing on his lips. “So he’s worth turning your back on your brother?”
I knew he wasn’t being judgemental or rude; he was simply torn and confused. I understood that because I felt the same.
Was he—werethey—worth arguing with my brother? Not talking to him and refusing to be present during his bonding ritual? After tonight, there would be another addition to our small family. But I wasn’t there.
My only remaining family, my brother, was building his future, yet I was not supporting him. How could I support him with his future when he denied me of mine?
He all but raised me when our parents had Elder duties to follow. When our sister died, he was beside me, helping me stand on my feet without her butwith him.How could I leave that? How could I abandon him when he gave me so much?
But how could I stand with him when he didn’t think of me as his equal? I was the little sister, the baby that needed constant guarding. I wasn’t the person that could make her own decisions and choose her own future. He always stood by my side, but he didn’t always hear my voice.
My chest tightened. My eyes watered and my vision blurred, and Ayen was looking at me with wide eyes as I hiccuped and tried to wipe my rolling tears with the back of my hands.
“I h-hate this!” I wailed, still rubbing my eyes but my tears never stopped. “I don’t w-want to leave!”
“Hey, hey.” His hands took my wrists, attempting to pull them away. “I’m sorry, I wasn’t trying to be mean. Please don’t cry.”
I shook my head, struggling to catch my breath. My lungs worked in a rush, and my chest felt tighter and tighter with each breath. “I-I don’t know w-what to do. I don’t want this!”
Sensing my distress, my companions started squeaking and fluttering their wings loudly as they flapped around my room.
“Listen to me,” Ayen said gently yet sternly as he finally managed to pull my palms away, holding my wrists securely with each hand. My gaze travelled up to his, my body shaking and my breathing coming in and out in sharp, harsh pants. “Follow what I’m doing, understand?”
He inhaled deeply through his nose, then exhaled slowly through his mouth. I tried to do the same, but that only made me gasp quicker and cry harder, my throat stinging because of how sharp and fast my inhales were. I closed my blurry eyes, my lashes sealing my lids shut as I shook my head again.
“Sweetheart, look at me,” he urged again, this time with his hands on my cheeks, keeping my face up before I could lower my head down. “If you continue, your brother will sense your distress. Open your eyes for me.”
I fought hard to do as he said, and when I finally opened my eyes, Ayen was blurry as he leaned down in front of me. When he made sure I was looking at him, he nodded and pressed his forehead against mine.
“Focus on my eyes. What colour are they?”
They weren’t clear through my teary vision, but I thought they were blue. Blue? That didn’t sound right. Plant children didn’t have blue eyes. I blinked my eyes rapidly.
“G-Green?” I answered hesitantly in-between puffs and sniffs.
“Clever girl,” he praised with a smile, and somehow I found my tears lessening. “Where are your companions?”
I looked for them, but I didn’t have to look too far because they were on his shoulders.
“Sh-shoulders.” I hiccuped.
“Who’s on my left shoulder?”
