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“My mummy says we are born with orange eyes, a mix of the red and black, and when we get older, they turn completely black.” He shrugs, making me nod in understanding.
It’s a bit like a few feline animals.
Back in the sleeping chamber, I answer a few more questions from the little one at my side, who seems to do most of the talking. The others appear shy or scared, which makes me sad.
Letting the kid lead me over to a pile of furs, I sit cross-legged as he crawls over with a book in his hand. “Will you read to us?” he asks, his big orange eyes peering up at me. Tiny little fangs hang over his lip, and adorable little black horns sprout from his head. Swallowing, I feel a pang deep in my chest as I watch him. “Please, human Talia?”
“Please?” comes the echo of other kids as they look at me.
I glance up at Noya, who just grins and nods, and then I see a few other adults drifting in, some still wary but drawn by the children as I turn back. “Sure. What’s your name?” I ask as I take the book and peer down at the fairy tale he’s chosen. It’s something my mother read to me when I was little.
“Groff.” He grins as he settles closer, the other kids relaxing on the blankets also.
“A very strong name.” I grin. “You can just call me Talia if you want,” I whisper like it’s a secret, and he giggles.
“Humans are funny. Mummy said they were scary.”
“Some are,” I tell him softly. “Some are very bad. Your mummy is smart,” I say brokenly before gripping the book and looking down. “Okay, let’s read.”
As I start to read the story, doing the dramatic voices like my mother used to—deepening it for the bad guys and making it tinkling and high for the fairy—I notice more and more monsters drifting in until the whole room is packed. Every eye is on me as I read. I blush like crazy but forge ahead as the kids laugh and call encouragements. I even act out a few bits, making them scream and giggle.
The sound goes straight to my heart, cracking it further.
After all, I’ll never hear that sound of my own.
My voice cracks as I carry on reading, but my despair soon disappears as I lose myself in the story, almost giddy with excitement as they all draw closer, forgetting their mistrust of me. It’s almost like we are bonding, and I would read a hundred books if that were the case.
There’s a small noise, and I lift my head to see Cato in the doorway, his mouth open in shock as he looks around the room. I smile softly just for him before ducking my head and reading as Groff nudges me with his tail.
“‘And they lived happily ever after. The end,’” I finish a while later. I shut the book softly and put it down, looking around to see a few kids fell asleep, but not Groff. He’s watching me curiously, and before I can react, he clambers into my lap. His little hands grab my shirt as he peers up at me, his tail lying across my leg. I hear someone growl, but I don’t move as I look down at this little boy, who’s trusting me and bridging a gap he didn’t even know was there. It just proves if we aren’t brought up with hatred, it isn’t there, no matter our differences.
“My mummy said humans were scary, but you aren’t. You are kind. You won’t hurt my family like the other bad humans, will you?” he asks innocently, with that naïve knowing only kids seem to have.
“Never,” I promise vehemently. “I would never hurt them or you. I would die before I did.” In that moment, I realise that’s the truth.
Groff nods solemnly before smiling brightly at me. “I thought as much. Do you have kids?” he asks around a yawn.
My heart slams, and my stomach rolls. “No.” My voice cracks.
“Okay.” He sighs and snuggles closer. I freeze before wrapping my arms around him, and within a minute, he’s snoring softly. Closing my eyes for a moment, I just let myself believe this is real, that he’s mine, before it’s dashed away. Turning to Noya, I whisper, “Where do I lay him down?”
“Just there.” She nods at a fur.
I hold him tightly as I stand, and as softly as possible, I carry him over to the fur Noya indicated. Crouching, I lay him down as tenderly as possible and arrange his little tail before tucking him in and stroking away the tuft of brown hair sweeping into his face. “Goodnight, little one.”
I move to Noya, who’s watching him softly. “Thank you for allowing me to do that,” I tell her.
She glances at Groff and smiles. “Always. You don’t have kids?”
Licking my lips, I hesitate, and she looks at me as something akin to understanding passes across her face. “I can’t have them, or it would be very unlikely. That’s what they have told me anyway. I had two miscarriages before. I, erm, lost the baby,” I admit when she looks confused. She is the first person I’ve told since I found out from the doctor. “I’ve always loved kids and wanted a big family, since I had no one else, but I guess some things aren’t meant to be. I babysat all neighbourhood children growing up for money, but I can’t have my own. Thank you for letting me hold him for a minute to know how it felt.”
She takes my hand and squeezes it. “A tribe is a family. We share everything, even our children. You can look after them anytime,” she jokes, making me grin softly. “I am sorry, Talia.” Then, unexpectedly, she pulls me into her arms. Those who had been listening around us wrap their arms around me, holding me tightly, and for the first time in years, I cry as the monsters hold me, letting me mourn what could have been if my body didn’t betray me.
They hold me until I stop, and when they step back, Noya wipes my face for me, holding my cheeks and searching my gaze before nodding as if coming to some conclusion. “Refresol,” she whispers before stepping back, and the others repeat it. Before I can ask what it means, Cato appears.
“Okay, I’m stealing her back,” he teases, taking my hand and waving goodbye to them as he starts to lead me to the lab. Exhaustion sets in halfway, and he swings me into his arms without asking. The day’s events are catching up with me, but I wrap my arms around him and look up into his eyes. I want to ask what happened with his friend, but something else takes precedence.
“What doesrefresolmean?” I ask softly.
