Page 23 of A Soul to Embrace

Just as he went to place the branch back on the ground, no doubt to show her something new or further explain something in better detail, she picked it up. It appeared so tiny and delicate between her thick fingers and sharp, curved black claws.

“Red,”she stated, before she cupped the side of her head in deep thought.

He paused and waited for her to attempt to state what she wanted, which she couldn’t always do. She appreciated that he never rushed her.

“How red?”

“Whyred?” he asked, raising a singular white brow.

Her orbs flickered a reddish pink, and she chittered quietly.

“Embarrassment,” he stated, pointing to the corner of his eye. “This colour means embarrassment or shame. Well, that’s what I’m assuming, at least – if all you Mavka have the same orb colour shifts.”

Embarrassment? Shame?That’s what this tight emotion constricting her chest was called? She hated this feeling. It always made her want to squirm.

The colour deepened until he placed a warm hand on her shoulder. Her gaze had dropped to the ground, but she lifted it upon his touch. He didn’t do so often, but she liked how big and warm his palm was.

“Don’t worry, you’ll get it.”

His eyes bore into her orbs. There was a cold sharpness to them, as though they reflected a hard pain he couldn’t seem to shed, but she noted it was softer than when they first met. Although she didn’t know the word yet, to her his eyes screamed patience. She didn’t think he’d be helping her otherwise.

Then, as if to demonstrate this, he gingerly took the stick from her. “Why is this red?”

“Green,”she stated, looking up at the rest of the tree that was predominantly red with a mixture of yellow, orange, and a touch of green.

“Yes, usually it’s green,” he stated. Then he cupped his jaw as he plonked himself on his arse and crossed his legs. “Fuck. How the hell am I supposed to explain something as complex as seasons? It’s not like I can just change them to show you each one.”

Zylah sat down as well. When Jabez rambled like this, he always attempted to explain something – even if it wasn’t certain she would ever understand. But she liked his deep, honeyed voice, and the way it lulled her mind and had her insides fluttering – she could listen to him endlessly.

Jabez obtained a new stick, one barren of leaves, and drew into a patch of dew-wetted dirt. He carved four lines before quickly getting up. He inspected theClaret Ashtree and then climbed it to obtain a branch that still had green leaves.

He laid it next to the first line and placed the yellow-leafed one next to the second line, then removed the leaves from another branch and placed it next to the third. Lastly, he obtained some flowers and put them on the last line.

He started with the barren stick and showed it to her. “White,” he said, before making his hands trickle through the air. He’d shown her this motion when referencing rain. He hugged himself and purposefully shivered. “White. Cold.”

Zylah understood, and she perked up, lifting her skull higher.“White rain?”

He chuckled. “You got that fast. Snow. White rain is called snow.” In response, Zylah nodded as if she understood – which she did, surprisingly. He placed the stick on the ground. “Winter. Snow happens in winter.”

He moved onto the next branch.

“Flowers bloom.” He picked up the flower and fisted his other hand to show a bulb. He opened it. “Bloom.” To make sure she comprehended, he placed the flower in his fist and pushed it out as if it was growing. Then he referenced all around them. “Flowers bloom everywhere.” He picked up the barren stick and then the green-leafed one. “Leaves bloom, green. Spring.”

She quickly learned that summer was when the trees all turned green again. She also learned what fire was called, andthat it was hot, as he used colours and the term “ouch” when touching it. She’d had a lot of experience with that.

Then finally, he showed her the last branch with the yellow leaves. “Autumn. Leaves fall.” He plucked them one by one while showing her what fall meant.

Although this had been a rather slow and lengthy conversation, it showed her the world rotated on a cycle. She’d seen these things and had witnessed the changes. She somehow felt closer to the land around her, and even more at peace within her place among it.

“Seasons?”she asked, peeking at him before pointing at each one.“Summer, autumn, winter, spring?”

His sharp, fanged teeth flashed at her when the corners of his lips curled. “Excellent. Good, Zylah. Yes.”

A small part of her melted under the compliments and his smile, and her chest stung in a wondrous way. For a male who had such dangerous features, and often looked at the world coldly, he’d been rather kind to Zylah.

Slyly and hoping to be unnoticed, she leaned a little closer to steal a sniff of his cheek, before shuddering as she pulled back. She didn’t know the name of his scents, but with the way they filled up her home, she knew she enjoyed them. They were masculine, but light and earthy, like the surrounding forest.

He smelt different, like he’d come from a faraway world to bless them with his scent and presence.

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