Page 149 of A Soul to Embrace

“That’s because you don’t know me well enough,” he rebutted. “Most would say I’m ugly on the inside, and I’ve never had an issue with that.”

“Well... you’ve never been ugly towards me.” When his expression darkened, and he opened his mouth as if to refute her, Zylah slapped her hand over it. “You have never truly been mean to me directly. That’s all I care about. You have been kind, and I have seen that.”

His lips shut and flattened, but his expression didn’t soften.

She didn’t mind. Not when he let her brush down the curve of his nose with the side of her fingertip. Considering not even a month ago he appeared to hate being touched or having her near in any form, she was happy he’d let down his guard with her. He even let her cup his pointed ear so she could massage up the arch of it.

A shiver racked her spine when he trailed his fingertips along it like he wanted to pet her in return. Fondness ached behind her sternum at how he didn’t seem to mind caressing her fur, especially since he lacked any.

“You seem to like being on top of me.”

“Sorry.” Zylah leaned up to take away her weight. “Am I heavy?”

He wrapped his hand around the back of her skull and shoved it back down. “It wasn’t a complaint.”

Bright yellow lifted into her sight as she nuzzled into him. She shifted slightly, so more of her was on top of him, like she wanted to from the very beginning.

She wondered if he’d only commented on their position to distract her. If so, she wouldn’t let him get away with that.

“Will you tell me more about you, then?” she asked, hope filling her voice as she settled her hand on his chest.

“There is nothing pleasant for me to tell you.” His gaze hardened, and he looked down at her hand placement. “If you are seeking a happy conversation, this isn’t how to start one.”

“It doesn’t have to be happy, or important. Anything will do.” When his brows furrowed at her, she squeezed closer. “What about when you first came to Earth?”

“Ah, yes. Let’s start at the very worst, shall we?” he stated with a sigh while rolling his eyes. “I told you, Zylah, nothing is pleasant. Any memories I have that may have once been fond are shrouded by later events that made them unpleasant. People I’ve known who have died, left, or I fought with. Anyone remaining... those moments are merely empty events that hold no value, and I would consider them as pointless as talking about the weather. Anything else is merely time spent being social, as that is normal for any intelligent being.”

Disheartened to the point a pang blossomed behind her sternum, Zylah slipped her head to the side with a deep huff. Her orbs shifted to blue as sadness made a chill seep into her chest.

“Are you seriously pouting?” he asked incredulously, his jaw falling. Zylah let out another huff and turned her snout away more. “Ugh,fine.But I did warn you.”

Pleased she’d gotten her way, her tail swayed as she brought her gaze back to him.

“I had only just turned seventeen when I came to this realm,” he started, lifting his eyes to the ceiling as if he found it easier to talk to it. “After I spent so many years locked away, I admit my mind wasn’t well. I brought all those who were trapped with me to Earth, and we all struggled to adjust. It was cold – I think either winter or early spring – and I had to rely on my fellow Demons to help me through it. I didn’t know how to start a fire, how to hunt, how to fight. I only knew my instincts, and even then... I’d been locked away for so long that my instincts often failed me. I was young, ignorant, and my body was weak from disuse.”

Jabez absentmindedly traced his fingertips up and down her back, like he couldn’t help touching her. Perhaps he was just trying to distract himself.

Zylah tried not to arch into it, despite adoring the attention.

“The events of the first year are a little... messy. I don’t remember much of it. I have a scar across the back of my head from where some humans managed to club me with something, but I have no memory as to how I even got into a situation to be struck. It’s only been recently that those memories have begun to resurface, and I’m realising I may have accidentally entangled what happened afterwards with my treatment from the Elysians.”

“Do you know why they are resurfacing?” Zylah asked, curious if there was a reason that ignited it.

His lips tightened as his brows furrowed in deep thought. “I visited Merikh recently, and there was a familiar scent clinging to him. It reminded me of my childhood, and I think it’s triggered them.”

“Merikh is the bear-skulled Mavka, correct?”

“Yes. That’s correct.” One side of his mouth lifted as a chuckle fell from him. “Fuck, he’s gotten so big. I bet he would be an absolute beast to spar with now. With that much weight on him, it’d be impossible to take him down, and I’m sure he knows how to wield it. I think it suits him well. Unfortunately, his quills stop him from looking like a cuddly teddy bear, but I do wish I’d needled him with that, as I’m sure he would’ve taken it as an insult.”

He said he didn’t have anything pleasant, but Zylah found his humour and obvious fondness for this Merikh warm and tender. Was this the...friendhe’d spoken of?

That warmth swiftly died, and his gaze turned distant, as if he could see past the ceiling.

“I learned quickly that humans are horrible little cretins when given the chance. They’re a superstitious bunch. They think a rabbit’s foot is lucky and will wear it on their person. I also believe they thought us to be pure Elves, and they wanted us to grant them wishes and gift them luck. Of course, being Demons who couldn’t understand their language, we did nothing more than hiss and snap our fangs at them. They caged us in silver, which they believed weakened us from the myths I’ve read. It doesn’t. But being strung up off the ground, incapable of using my earth magic, and being starved for days left me weak. They took us out one by one to harvest body parts and be cruel. No one managed to escape their own cages in time to stop the humans from siphoning my blood or cutting off my left ear as a charm. But the Demons did manage to save me. However, my blood scent is rather potent to them, as it has an Elvish tang to it that makes them rabid. So my allies then tried to eat me, even after promising they never would, but I don’t particularly blame them for that. They couldn’t help it.”

Zylah swallowed thickly. She wished her orbs didn’t reflect a sorrowful hue for him, especially when he looked down at her and his eyes bowed, but he patted the back of her skull.

“See? I told you; it’s unpleasant. There’s no need to feel sympathy for me, Zylah. I’ve come to accept all this, and I feel nothing regarding it.”

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