Page 43 of Stitches
His bare torso caught Ashmedai off guard, even though he’d already seen it. Like Levi’s face and hands, his upper body was covered in stitches, connecting different parts or covering where organs had been replaced internally. Only now Ashmedai knew that each part was from a different person who had once been alive and had the misfortune of crossing into their territory.
The parts were all blue, changed by the alchemy that had given Levi life, but although they matched enough in size and shape to create a trim, well-muscled figure, some were darker or lighter blue as a nod to the different shades of original skin Levi had been made from.
His head had been from one person though, with only patches of skin here and there replaced on his face. Who had he been, Ashmedaiwondered?
Levi turned in his pacing and spotted Ashmedai, looking both overjoyed and full of grief at once. They moved in tandem toward each other. Levi looked so distraught, with damp eyes and hurried steps, that it seemed the most natural thing in the world for Ashmedai to accept him into his arms and hold him.
“It’s all my fault,” Levi sobbed into Ashmedai’s shoulder. “I-I was distracted. If only I’d had one more crystal. It was all my fault!”
“Slow down,” Ashmedai soothed him, gently petting the soft waves of Levi’s hair. “You were not the cause. I am sure you did everything you could. You acted swiftly to bring Grillo here, just as you should have.”
Ashmedai had been at the castle, but word traveled to him quickly about how Levi and Grillo had burst forth from the wood and down the market steps to reach Luccite with nary an explanation—save Grillo’s bloody stump.
“I-I saw… what looked like something buried by an animal and went to investigate,” Levi said with a sniffle, nuzzling his face into the crook of Ashmedai’s neck. “Since I was safe, Grillo arced too widely to join me, not knowing the barrier was close. If I’d had one more crystal….”
“Stop that. You couldn’t have known.”
“But I failed the first thing that had ever been asked of me outside of Braxton giving me errands, and it cost Grillo his arm.”
Ashmedai didn’t know how else to comfort Levi, so he simply shushed and stroked him, hugging him tighter. The way Levi hugged so fiercely back warmed Ashmedai, but he wished he could do more to prove to Levi it had been an accident.
Then a stray thought stuck on what Levi had said. What would an animal have buried in the wood?
The door burst open even more wildly than when Ashmedai entered, admitting a determined Yentriss and a frightened Kenner. For amoment as the door swung closed, Ashmedai saw the crowd gathered outside that he’d also had to push through.
Yentriss held Kenner’s arm as they rushed inside, but she barely gave Ashmedai or Levi a glance, merely pushed the boy toward them, muttering a brief, “Ash.”
Ashmedai nodded and motioned the boy to them as Yentriss slipped behind the curtain.
Ashmedai meant to release Levi and kneel before Kenner to offer the boy comfort, but Kenner saw their embrace and sought his own by joining them, flinging his arms about their legs and pressing his face to Ashmedai’s side.
“All will be well,” Ashmedai soothed him, and then lifted his eyes to Levi to impart the same sentiment. “It was an accident, but one Luccite can fix, because Levi got Grillo here quickly.”
Levi smiled despite his damp eyes.
“They said… the demon… ate Father’s arm.” Kenner sniffled.
“The demon did no such thing,” Ashmedai said.
“Tore it off?”
“Magic took your father’s arm, Kenner, not a monster hiding in the dark.”
The boy wriggled away, and Ashmedai reluctantly withdrew his hold on Levi as well, who looked comforted at least as he wiped the remaining tears from his eyes.
“The demon’s still out there, isn’t it?” Kenner asked.
A bench rested against the wall, and Ashmedai led Kenner there. They sat, and Levi joined them, with Kenner between him and Ashmedai. “Some think it is.”
“Wasn’t it scary when you chased it into the wood?”
It was always difficult answering questions about that night, so Ashmedai did his best not to. “What’s scary is any of my people getting hurt, but look how calm I am. Need you fear if your king does not?”
The tears that might have formed in Kenner’s eyes never fell. He seemed satisfied with that answer and leaned against Ashmedai, while also reaching to grasp Levi’s hand. Levi accepted it firmly.
This was what Ashmedai wanted from his people, for them to always feel safe with him and with each other, especially the young. He just wished that wasn’t put to the test by tragedy.
A few minutes passed with little said before Yentriss exited from behind the curtain. Levi tensed and immediately released Kenner. When Yentriss approached, Levi stood, looking like he thought he needed to run to escape her wrath, yet showing no signs that he would.
