Page 200 of A Soul to Steal

“I knew this,” Orpheus quietly uttered.

He lowered his skull when Kevin gave a squawk and started biting at his thumb. Not hard enough to draw blood, but in a pacifying, nibbling way.

Oddly enough, Gideon found this conversation enlightening. He could tell Orpheus had far more humanity than Aleron, so it was interesting to speak with a Duskwalker who could clearly articulate their words and formulate intricate thoughts.

Aleron sometimes came across brutish with the way he communicated. It meant Gideon had begun learning how to read his body language, rather than truly taking what he said to heart.

He’d grown in tune to Aleron’s feelings, to the point where he knew that in the past day, with how Gideon had been acting, it hadn’t been taken well. He had his reasons for it, but he didn’t know how to approach Aleron.

In some way, he was hoping speaking to Orpheus would eventually help him figure it out.

So, despite that it probably wasn’t his place, Gideon pushed their conversation. He hoped it revealed more of the inner workings of a creature, who, just a month ago, had been unapproachable in his thoughts.

“If you knew a child doesn’t equate to a person’s love, then why did it bother you?” Then, just to make sure he didn’t appear too prying, he added, “If I may ask.”

Orpheus hummed, seeming to think on how he may answer, or if he even would.

“I was hurt deeply by someone in the past, and that suffering had lasted for a hundred and eighty years. I wanted that person’s soul, but they didn’t wish to be by my side and chose to torment me in their hatred instead. Then, when Reia gave me her soul, and her love, all the things I had wanted, I desired something that I had never wanted from anyone but her. I wanted more because it meant that Reia had claimed all of me,includingmy past. The moment she gave me this youngling, and I held them, heard them, saw them, something changed within me. I am no longer...scared.”

Gideon averted his gaze, once more rubbing at the side of his neck. Not in embarrassment, but because of the seriousness of what he’d just heard.What a large amount of weight to place on something like having a child.

“Do you wish to hold them?” Orpheus offered, the excitement in his voice thick. “They do not bite unless provoked. They will only nibble.”

Gideon brought his gaze back to him with eyes wide, then turned down to Orpheus’ outreaching hand.

“Are you sure? I don’t want to hurt them.” He could only imagine how Orpheus and Reia would react if he did!

Gideon wouldn’t lie and say he didn’t want to when he was rather curious. But Orpheus had just stated how much theymeant to him. He hadn’t expected for Orpheus to so willingly offer for him to touch them.

Actually... he kind of reminds me of a proud dad wanting everyone to come see his child.His eyes crinkled with humour at the thought, finding it rather sweet.

“They are indestructible, see?” Then, to demonstrate, he shoved his claw through their back until it came out through the other side! Sitting on their rump, the baby Duskwalker let out a squawk at Gideon, seemingly unaware they’d just been stabbed through the gut. “You cannot harm them.”

Fuck, he wanted him to stop doing that as quickly as possible. Gideon took the child with both hands and held them in the air. Unsure of what to do with them, he attempted to cradle them like one would a normal human infant.

They struggled at first, wriggling to get free, until he tickled their stomach. Instantly, they stopped moving. They went lax in his arms, and he would have thought they’d died if their chest wasn’t moving.

“How old are they?” Gideon asked, trying to hide how awkward he was.

Had it been a human child, he would have been rather content with them on his arm. He liked children and had wanted to adopt a few himself.

The creature had a weird, jagged maw that looked rather sharp. He didn’t wish to irritate them in case they bit him.Will they fall into a bloodlust, like Aleron told me of?

“Eight days,” Orpheus stated casually.

He nodded. “Uh huh, eight days.” His head shot up, and he snapped his gaze to Orpheus. “Eight days?”

But they were so active! He’d expected a few weeks at least.

“You are the first to hold them apart from myself or Reia. Magnar and Delora left before they knew Reia was carryingmy youngling, and Mayumi and Faunus left with Ingram and Emerie.”

“They left with Emerie?”

Watching intently as Gideon held his child, he stated, “Their entire family has left to show Emerie and Ingram where Mayumi’s home is in the north. Emerie wished to find somewhere safe and warm until winter is over.”

Distracted, Gideon almost had his hand bitten when he stopped petting the child. Luckily he yanked his hand away in time.

“Be careful. If they bite you, it will trigger the bloodthirstiness in them.” Well, that answered that question. “I will be able to heal you, though.”

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