“Once Rena’s siblings were born, she was our rock and she has always helped us with the house and the farm. She spent lots of time with both of us and she loves us dearly.” Elina said.
“Tista was ill as a child so we always paid special attention to her. She had our utmost care and she’s the one who slept in our bed the most since we needed to check on her condition often.
“Tista knows how much you love and care for her because you showed it to her for years before and after Lith was born.
“He, instead, was our miracle baby yet the one you neglected the most at the same time. We had so many things to do and so little money. Rena spent the most time with him as an infant and I stayed at home with him as a child.
“He was too weak to help you with the farm so he used his magic to help me with the daily chores first and then with the cooking. He and I spent a lot of time together while I taught him my recipes and how to take care of Tista.
“You, instead, were always outside with the boys…” The thought of her dead child and her mad one formed a lump in her throat that she had to swallow. “Taking care of the fields and animals.
“We both assumed that once Lith would become older, you would take the lion’s share of his time, but you know how things went.”
“I know.” Raaz sighed. “Between the four and six years of age, when he was supposed to play with the neighbors, Lith hunted with Selia. After he became six, when I was supposed to teach him how to take care of the animals, he became Nana’s apprentice.
“Then at twelve, when he would have been strong enough to take care of the fields and the crops with me, he left for the academy. For all that time, even when Lith still lived at home with us, I rarely got to spend any time with him aside from the meals.”
“As I said, I was lucky.” Elina’s tone was apologetic, as if it was someone her fault. “Lith is my miracle baby. Every time I held him, I remembered the fear of losing him so I spent with him every bit of time I could make.
“Yet I could do it solely because taking care of the house was my role. Otherwise now I would be in your shoes.”
“Do you think it’s too late to make up for all the time I’ve lost?” Raaz asked while looking her in the eyes.
“I… don’t know.” Elina lowered her gaze, not wanting to give her husband false hope.
***
Lith’s bedroom, at the same time.
The master bedroom of the Verhen Mansion was similar to that of Raaz and Elina, just bigger and with different furniture. Kamila had Lith move the bed near the bathroom door so that she could go back and forth from it in a few steps.
She also had arranged on her bedstand a variety of dimensional amulets. One was filled with hot and cold beverages, another with salty snacks, and a third one containing sweets in a fresh-from-the-oven/fridge state.
The carpet of their room depicted his ascension to Supreme Magus and was a gift from the Royals. The wardrobes were filled with clothes as well, yet they belonged solely to Kamila.
A dressing table covered with makeup products and jewelry boxes also resided in her half of the room. Every time he thought about how much it had cost him to give her the necessary for Kamila’s current and future Court’s life, Lith’s wallet bled.
Those clothes and jewels were the only things in the mansion for which he had to pay himself but it still hurt. That was until she saw Kamila smile and such thoughts faded away.
That night, however, they were both in a sour mood.
Kamila hadn’t liked learning about either the kidnapping attempts or how people in the Awakened community believed her position was wasted on her.
Lith, instead, was still shocked by his bond with Solus being broken and almost losing War. The news about the impending threat looming at Kamila’s head had added even more rocket fuel to the flames.
“I shouldn’t be surprised, after all.” Kamila grumbled.
“I can’t catch one single break.” Lith sighed.
“I mean, people still talk shit about Zinya and her husband is ‘just’ an Archmage.” Such was the venom in her voice that one could almost hear the air quotes.
“I really believed that with three Guardians protecting you I had nothing to worry about.” Lith replied.
“You know how they call us behind our backs? The ‘Spider Sisters’. That’s because we caught a juicy fly in our web and then climbed up to the roof of the social ladder!”
“I can’t believe that with everything that’s happening, I also have to- I’m sorry, what are you talking about?” Lith said after realizing they weren’t in the same conversation.
“No, what are *you* talking about?” A brief quarrel and a long discussion about their respective grievances later, they finally moved on to a common ground.
Something they were equally worried about.
“What do you make of Mogar’s warning?” Lith asked while cuddling with her.
“Play your meeting with her from the start again, please.” Kamila replied.
None of her grudges against the Awakened community would matter if everyone was dead and Mogar turned into a charred wasteland.
“It makes as much sense as the first time I experienced it. None.” Lith groaned.
“I don’t know.” Kamila pondered. “It kind of does.”
“Meaning?”
“Well, consider this. Your Divine Beast and Abomination sides fused on their own and it hurt. Did it ever hurt before?” She asked.
“No. Wait, now that I think about it, yes. It was similar to what I experienced under the When All Are One array’s effects, but much worse.” Lith almost sat up in realization but Kamila’s head was on his chest so he stopped before hurting her.
“Maybe because back then your life forces were simply overloaded like a non-Awakened violet core whereas today, they were twisted in a wrong shape.”
“How can you tell? You are no healer and there was no time for anyone to take a look at my life force.” He asked.
“Because it hurt, remember?” She replied. “It’s not supposed to hurt. It didn’t hurt even when your cracks got worse and you bled life force. You only found out about it later.”
“True.” Lith nodded.
“My guess is that to save Solus you took a step in the wrong direction and forced the Void and the Dragon to merge. Hence the pain.” She gently pressed her fingers on his chest, pushing him down. “Whatever the blue flames were, they are bad for you.
“They used your aura as fuel, burning at it and you at the same time.”
“And?”
“And if I’m right, the thing you saw in Mogar’s answer to Void Magic’s full potential was what would become of you after going all the way down in the wrong direction.” Kamila pensively drummed her fingers. “After the Void consumes both you and the Dragon.”
