Page 58 of A Soul to Steal

Weldir let out a small sigh. “The reason doesn’t concern you. She will understand, and that’s all that matters.”

He tossed his skull side to side with a huff, annoyed his question wasn’t answered.

“Fine. When will we go?”

“We?” His mist pulsed as he cocked his head. “This task is for you, and you alone.”

With a small rumble, his wing whooshed as he extended it and wrapped it around Gideon. He also brought his arm down around him, cupping his hip to draw him deep into his side.

“Then no.” The rejection easily fell from him, especially when just the idea of this human’s absence left him numb. “I will not leave Gideon here. I will not have him forget.”

“I can keep him conscious in your stead, if it is that much of an issue.”

“No,” Aleron refused again. “He comes, or I do not go at all.” Then, just in case Weldir intended to lie, he pointed his claw at him. “If it is possible for me to go as a Ghost, it means a human can as well. Our existences here are the same, and you already told me once that we are anchored to you.”

“Yes, but I must sacrifice much of my power to stop myself from calling you back here against my own will. That will be doubled with the human, and I have only just regained consciousness after expending much of it. I am not strong right now.”

“Then we will try later,” Aleron offered.

For the second time in Aleron’s existence within Tenebris, the world violently shook. A result of the silent rage of the powerful being before him, who lowered his head with a glare darkening his blurred expression. His upper lip curled back over his fangs.

He hadn’t been the source of ire last time, but Weldir had explained why the world trembled when he questioned him on it. It was difficult to miss when the world quaked and rumbled beneath his hands and feet.

Aleron simply lifted his head up and away dismissively.

Weldir would never harm him. He’d already shown he had a soft spot for Aleron and the other Mavka here. He could growl, hiss, and threaten, but it would be as empty as when Aleron had done those things to Ingram.

Everything grew quiet and unsettled. Then, Weldir let out a huff.

“Impudent child. You are lucky my patience has run its course.” He threw his hands up in defeat. “Fine, take the humanwith you. However, you risk the games of the Gilded Maiden. Don’t blame me for your own choices.”

“Is no one going to ask if I actually want to go?” Gideon stated while folding his arms across his chest. “Maybe I don’t want to meet some Elven gods.”

“You do not wish to come with me?” Aleron asked with his sight shifting to blue and turning to him. He let it deepen.

As soon as Gideon looked upon his skull, his lips thinned and he averted his gaze. “I never said that.” His eyes darted back to his skull until their gazes met before he looked away again. His arms tightened across his chest, causing his biceps to flex. “It’s not fair when you do that.”

Aleron wished he could have kept them blue, but they too easily shifted to yellow as humour struck him. He let out a chuckle. He didn’t know he could easily manipulate the male with such a saddened expression of his orbs.

His wings fluttered in delight at discovering that.

Gawking up at the dense canopy above that didn’t allow even a shred of light to touch the ground, Gideon couldn’t believe trees could be so colossal. Or that leaves could be blue and pink.

How old are these trees?He estimated they were at least three hundred metres tall, maybe taller. He could already tell the ones shading them weren’t the biggest.It’d take me a year to cut one down.He’d need an infinite number of axes.

His body would give out before a single tree could be cut.

Just one would likely be enough to not only wall off a town, but build the entirety of it.

A ‘twig’ would be taller than him. A few of the fallen leaves decaying against the ground were large enough to drape over a double bed. If one fell on top of him, he’d likely be crushed under it – if he were not intangible.

The trees mostly had bright-blue leaves, but their bark was such a deep, dark colour of red. All the trunks were covered in thick, melting sap that bled through the scale-like joints of bark.Sap can be used as sweeteners, teas, and sometimes even glue.

If strong enough, even the silk within leaves could be used to make clothing, bedding, carpets, and more.

Just one tree alone could vastly increase the livelihood of an entire town. No one would go cold, without clothing, or a home. Too bad it was within the Elven world.

Gideon couldn’t help marvelling at the one nearest him.I have the urge to climb it. I wonder if I would get above the clouds if I did.

---