Page 12 of Stitches
Slowly Levi lowered his hands and turned to take in the boy who had snuck up on him. Levi hadn’t heard the tiny feet creeping closer from the very direction he’d been about to look.
The boy had a human face, but most of him was covered in a fine layer of light brown fur. Conversely, the edges of his body, such as his cheekbones, elbows, and knees, were lined with shimmering green scales. He had small ram horns protruding from the sides of his head, as well as faint claws on his hands and bare feet—like a lizard combined with a bull.
Grillo and Yentriss’s son, Kenner.
“Are you?” Kenner came closer, with a tilt of his head. “You’re stitched like a doll.”
“I-I, um….” Normally Levi would have put up his hood. He was wearing his cloak, but it seemed silly to hide himself when the boy was already staring. “N-not exactly. Master Braxton made me.”
“The other ones he made were dolls, even without stitches. They didn’t talk.”
“I suppose they didn’t.” Levi relaxed from the wall. “I’m different. Is… that okay? Are my stitches strange to you?”
Kenner giggled like that was a silly question. “Who isn’t different here? I’m Kenner.” He thrust out his hand. The top of it had scales too.
“It’s nice to meet you, Kenner.” Levi accepted the gesture, grasping Kenner at the wrist and giving a gentle squeeze before letting go. “I’m Levi.”
“Like Leviathan, right? Brax’s surname? You’re a junior?”
The assessment caused Levi to giggle too. “Maybe so. What are you doing here? Did you pass the king on the road?”
“Uh-huh. I ran ahead of my parents. There’s always new stuff by the tower, but you’re the newest, so I wanted to come see. Can you do anything neat?”
“Neat? I don’t know. Like what?”
“You know, alchemy, like Brax. Or magic! I haven’t come into any magic of my own yet, but since Father doesn’t have any, I might not either.”
Levi smiled. There were so few children in the Shadow Lands. Children who had been turned at the start of the curse had long since become adults, and back then, people hadn’t realized they could no longer have children until years passed with no new babes. They thought it a blessing initially, hoping for decades that there was a way to break the curse. Once the allure of that faded, effort was put intomagical workarounds for couples to have children again, regardless of species or gender. It was still rare that a couple chose to.
Kenner was about ten years old, and there hadn’t been another babe after him until Shevah’s a few months ago. Although this was Levi’s first encounter with a child, he thought Kenner much easier to be around than adults.
“Magic like this?” Levi flared his fingers toward the garden, and among the plants—some phosphorescent perennials, some vegetables they grew to eat—lights in the shape of tiny dancing fairies began to weave the way a bee might carry pollen.
Bees in the Shadow Lands were very much like fairies, Levi supposed, since they glowed like pricks of light. He was certain bees elsewhere didn’t do that. Kenner seemed entranced regardless, giggling once more and bounding toward the garden to give chase.
Levi was careful to direct the fairies away from where playful feet might trample the plant life, and soon the fairies were dancing around Kenner in synchronizing patterns and causing him to twirl in delight.
“I’ve always said that the best magic is pure of intention.”
Levi did yelp this time—because thatwasAshmedai.
“M-M-Master—” Levi faltered upon spinning and discovering the king leaning casually against the tower wall not two paces from him.
“Ash,” he interrupted. “And before you try, not Master Ash, or sire, or Ashmedai. Just Ash.”
Like before, Levi’s knee-jerk reaction was to pull up his hood, but he refrained. “Kenner said he passed you!” he blurted.
“He did. I turned around.”
Levi could hear voices now. Kenner had said he’d run ahead of his parents, so of course they were on their way here. With Levi’s attention distracted, the fairy illusions snuffed out, and Kenner groaned in disappointment.
Then Yentriss’s voice came more clearly. “Kenner! What are you upto?”
The boy perked up, sprinting the way he had come from. “Hey, Ash! Bye, Levi!” he called as he went, leaving the two alone.
Levi had no idea what to say.
“Festival business, I’d imagine.” Ashmedai saved him the trouble. He was so enchanting, stately and exquisite, even with his arms crossed and one foot propped back on the wall. “They’re here for Brax, and likely me too. Before they steal me away… may I apologize for startling you in the hall?”
