Page 4 of Whispers of the Dragon
Reluctantly nodding his head in agreement, Tatsu finally gave his blessing for his son to leave the village.
Every day, everysingleday,Ryu had questioned, doubting his mate had even been born in this village, but his father had assured him they always were. But if that was true, then:why now?
“It has happened once before to a Tei,” Itako spoke clairvoyantly, reading his mind. “Ka Tei also had a soul mate who wasn’t a child of this village, yet she somehow wandered into it.”
“How?” he fervently asked, only more confused.
She gave another shrug, as if it was all so simple. “Ka Tei’s mate said she could see it.”
Both father and son looked at each other, knowing that wasn’t supposed to be possible … but still, hope shone in their eyes.
Tatsu let out a sigh of relief that maybe his son didn’t have to leave after all. “So, she could wander in any momen—”
“No.” The blind bat swatted him again. “His soul mate’s different.”
It looked like he was contemplating hurting an old witch this time, but then she continued.
“She’s broken, ’cause he waited too long to go find her,” Itako scolded him again. “Should have seen me sooner. All your fault.”
His father guiltily rubbed the back of his head where he had been struck. “Oh.”
Broken?Ryu suddenly grew concerned for a woman he had yet to meet.
“Yes, broken,” Itako repeated clearly so he would begin to understand the girl who awaited him as she placed her thin hands over his strong ones again. “In every life, you have sat on a throne, Ryu. Together, as your two souls become whole.”
Chills went up his arms, starting from where she touched. He didn’t know if it was from learning he was always a king or …
Does that mean … I’m broken?
This time, Itako didn’t answer his thought out loud, sparing him his dignity in front of his father by quietly nodding her head.
Everything Ryu thought he knew about himself changed in a single moment, knowing one thing to be true.
It was better to never be a king at all than to always be a broken one.
3
A Monster
When the sun started filling up her room, she finally gave up on sleep. Most nights, she barely slept a wink, so most days, she walked around torturously tired. It was clear already that today wasn’t going to go any differently than yesterday, or the day before that.
After getting dressed for the day, she walked out of her little bedroom to find her grandparents in the kitchen. Her grandfather sat at the tiny table while her grandmother shuffled around in her slippers, throwing things in the tea kettle on the stove.
“Good morning,” she greeted them what seemed to be louder every day when they didn’t hear her walk in. It was a blessing and a curse they had lost most of their hearing. A blessing they no longer heard her nightmares when she actually did get some sleep, and a curse they had gotten old.
“Morning, Eira,” her grandmother shouted, not looking away from her concoction. “Tea is almost ready.”
Eira went to the cabinet to pull out three porcelain teacups. Placing one in front of her grandfather first, she gave him a smile, hoping he’d hear her this time. “Morning, Grandpa.”
Her grandpa just smiled and gave a quick nod, showing that he still clearly didn’t hear her.
She tried not to laugh at his obliviousness. These days, he wasn’t a man of many words, anyway. Hell, her grandma spoke enough for them both.
One day, she hoped to be like her grandpa, just simply happy and grateful to wake up every day alive. Nothing troubled him, and everything was done for him by either his wife or Eira. It never bothered her. She loved helping her grandparents, and nothing fulfilled her grandmother more than caring for her husband.
Her grandfather had spent most of his life on a fishing boat, providing for his family, so his body had given out due to arthritis. Hence the tea her grandmother was still doting over.
“Be careful; it’s hot,” her grandmother made sure to always remind her husband when she was finally satisfied with the taste and began pouring the piping-hot green liquid into his cup. She then went to pour Eira some but quickly stopped when she caught her granddaughter’s image. “This tea won’t help you.”
