Still. Nerezza found herself hovering in the Order’s headquarters somewhere she avoided and wasn’t quite welcomed. Just to make sure.

  Nerezza was satisfied when she’d been there most of the day and didn’t see any sign of Belladonna. She was just about ready to decide the tragedy was diverted when she felt a thump against her side. Nerezza caught the boy before he fell.

  He looked up at her with large swirling purple eyes.

  During her effort she’d only caught a glimpse of the Guardian’s family once. She’d been too terrified that the thing that gave her hope in humanity would be a lie and would crumble if she looked too closely. The description from the book though lived engrained in her mind.

  Reem. The youngest. She’d recognize him even if she didn’t have the physical description because of every form of curse and ill wish and dark magic that danced across the little boys energy. It was painful. She’d know that from experience if she hadn’t by description.

  “Are you alright?” She asked gently pulling at the shadows under his skin. He blinked then grinned bunching apple cheeks.

  Her mind forced the description of his death and she pulled at more of the shadows. She couldn’t remove them all it would leave him hollow. But she could pick at them for now. She wanted to lift him up and hold him assure that nothing in the world could hurt him like he’d felt before like the story would have had him. Like she had.

  Foolish. She softly scolded herself.

  She steeled herself looking around for someone to flag down to take the boy back to his father. The sight of the Guardian Showl staggered her he was a good deal away but her eyes found him easily a group of order chiefs with him exiting a large arched door. Just like Belladonna’s point of view. Paranoia caused her to look around for Belladonna not finding her relieved her.

  The entire room seemed to notice the Guardian Showl but she noticed that his gaze managed to locate his son like a homing beam. He separated from the chiefs heading right for them.

  “Reem?” Guardian Showl called. The boy’s eyes grew in a way that told her that he’d been caught doing something he shouldn’t have. Some of the Chiefs split off with him other’s dispersed. The father scooped up his son and looked intensely into the boy’s eyes. “How in the world did you manage to get here?” He asked the scold following the concern in a perfect arch. Reem looked away his shoulder’s artfully turning up like he couldn’t tell you how he appeared there.

  This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.

  “The instructor only wanted to work with Zephon and Garion.” He complained. “So I’m here.” He murmured ask if saying it in a whisper might ease his father’s the frown on his father’s face.

  Guardian Showl let out a frustrated sigh and held his son close then looked and blinked at her.

  One of the Chief’s also noticed and recognized her sucking in a breath.

  She’d been caught too.

  “Madam Nerezza.” He breathed in awe offering his hand. Nerezza accepted it. The Order found her as frustrating as she found them. They either wanted them out of their business or fully under their management. He consistent refusal while cleaning up after them only seemed to make them more curious about her and her mysteries. But really she couldn’t affectively clean up their mistakes under their control. “What do we owe the pleasure of your visit?” He asked with a intense hero worship.

  “Oh I just thought I’d check out the place.” She offered glancing around. It was well equipped which made their incompetence more unacceptable. Especially when hero worship transformed into consideration. “But you know I actually really have to go.” She started backing away.

  The Guardian Showl was the one who reached out stopping her. It was really her surprise that kept her rooted to the spot. He looked at her like her mere existence baffled him. And she had to admit it confused her.

  “You had shadow magic awakened.” He breathed. Nerezza settled in the obvious answer. She nodded smiling at him relaxing into a topic she was comfortable with.

  “When it became clear to me that magic was probably my best bet to find my happiness, I thought the chance of madness was worth it.” She offered to him. The Chief’s eyes flashed back to hero worship.

  “Is it true you went through the awakening at only your fifth year of life?” The Chief asked her. She watch the slow bloom of shock then horror cross the Guardian Showl’s face. Nerezza shrugged. It really hadn’t been that bad for her but she knew they wouldn’t believe that.

  “I remember my past life and I went through an awakening in that life I understood it well and I had a good indication on how it would work out and possible side effects.” She explained. She left out that in her past life awakenings weren’t the same and instead of one awakening she’d went through many painful awakenings that were far worse then one in this life. She didn’t want to focus on her pain an fear.

  Guardian Showl looked her over.

  “Are you considering joining the order?’ He asked her. Multiple individuals perked at the question. Nerezza flashed a grin at him and winked.

  “You see I don’t put much trust in organizations, groups, basically people in general. I’ve got very high walls and a short list of trust.” She informed not letting her smile faulter or give away that though she truly didn’t know him his name was a faded cautious script on that list along with his boys.

  Guardian Showl would always hold a special place on her chart. In some ways she would accept anything from him without doubt in other’s he was terrifying to her because he had the power to break what hope she had. She didn’t need him to be perfect. Just better then what Nerezza was raised to see their magic as to be a man who loved three boys who were not his blood with no intensions of using them for his own selfish purposes. If this man showed signs of being a manipulator.

  With fear she wondered why she was there?

  “I really have to go.” She stated more insistently this time ducking away.