Chapter 12 Past Thorns
Klishei’s breath was warm on his chest.
He pulled the blanket up until her chin. Staring at her made him smile a little. When was the last time he felt such a connection?
Klishei’s sleeping figure gave him a different kind of peace. For the first time in a long while, he had someone to protect. Years of hunting the remnants of his kind made him yearn for that feeling. At least now, he was not just merely a purger. Declaring himself as her protector restored some parts of him he never thought he would ever feel again.
As they lay on the bed with the spotlight from the moon illuminating them, Yeseus closed his eyes, attempting to attract sleep.
A faint flap of wings just outside the window activated his senses. He got out of the bed swiftly, careful not to make too much movement that might wake Klishei. Thankfully, she did not. Her breathing remained steady.
When he approached the window, there was only the darkness of the night. He switched his eyes to his wolf vision, a privilege that only the talented werewolves could do without fully shifting to wolf mode.
He spotted the stalker, a gigantic golden butterfly with glowing emerald spots, landing on a particular plot in the graveyard that revealed who she was.
It was a clear message for him to follow her.
Yeseus put on his clothes. His glanced back at Klishei before holding the window railings. Barefooted, he jumped from his window and lightly landed on the grass below. He walked straight towards the graveyard.
“Suneia,” he called out.
The wind tousled the elf’s wavy long hair at her back. She did not turn. Instead, she calmly spoke, the surroundings echoing her voice. “Although I am not a clean person myself as I have my own version of atrocious acts, I do not break promises. And I trust that you will also uphold your end of the bargain without fail.”
Suneia was standing in front of a white elaborate tombstone, the only one freshly painted and decorated with different kinds of flowers.
The name chiseled on it was as clear as when they put the body on the ground.
“I will keep my word that I will protect you no matter what,” Yeseus assured her. “Just like I promised Sairine.”
At the mention of her sister, Suneia finally faced him, her eyes glowing a dangerously golden color. “Oh, really? Then why are you so adamant in keeping that human in our sanctuary? It took decades for this sanctuary to be firmly established. She's going to ruin our last home!”
“Klishei is a special case. I already explained this before I brought her here. She is a chosen vessel by the Phoenix, an Entity just like the rest of us,” Yeseus defended.
Suneia became more angrier. "That does not change the fact that she is still a human through and through. The effects are not that rapid but she still carries with her the destructing power of the human flesh."
"Did we not talk about this? She would just be staying here until the Golden Twin Moon which is just five days away."
“That agreement was cancelled the moment you let her wander around. I agreed with your plan in keeping her here temporarily but I did not remember consenting her to freely walk where she pleases. Her very presence will destroy the sanctuary. Have you forgotten why my sister helped you build this place? A human was never meant to step inside!”
She was already screaming at him. “Look around, Yeseus. Ever since she came here, the plants have wilted twice as fast as normal. Give her a few more days and then the waters will be polluted next. Even Angus is worried that her presence is affecting the orbs who have grown anxious during her stay here. ”
Yeseus did not argue. He was aware and he noticed it also.
“I’ll find a way before we leave for the Golden Twin Moon. I will also sincerely talk with Klishei about this.”
“Will you?” Suneia hissed. “I already saw how warmly you are treating her. And do not deny it because I can smell you in her. Do not forget, even an immortal like you is not exempted from the effects of the decay. I’m guessing you did not tell her everything about your curse?”
He did not deny it. He just stood there silent, absorbing every word she threw at him for they were all the truth.
“Just as I thought. She will cause you excruciating pain, something far worse than death. Yeseus, wake up! You are being deceived again. Will you really exchange your life for a mere human? It’s not too late to give her up to Daevar.”
His ears pricked, hearing her suggestion. Yeseus sighed, calming himself. Suneia was his family, even before he met Klishei. She was like a sister to him. He knew she was just worried about him as someone who knew all about his curse.
“I guess you will never know the pleasure of connecting with a human heart. But since you and your sister were betrayed by a human, I don’t blame you for feeling hostile towards them. But there’s one thing I will keep on reminding everyone around here—I will always trade my life for the humans, the ones you call the lowest race, because they are the reason why the world is beautiful.”
Suneia’s eyes stopped glowing. She walked past Yeseus. “If you are willing to throw your life away for garbage, fine by me. But please do remember that everyone does not feel the same as you.”
Yeseus was left there, staring at the tombstone of Sairine Lozza.