A Tale of One Deviant (Book 2) (Technically Hiatus, but kind of not)

Chapter 210: It's Your Birthday!

"Wow, who died? Why so gloomy? It's your birthday! Unless you hate being with us that badly-"

     "Thérèse...!"

     "What?"

     Mother tried to make signals to tell her to cut it out, but she didn't seem to be getting it. I just lay over Grandfather's shoulder as they sat in the stands, curled up and blocking out the world.

     Grandfather sighed and just cupped a hand over my ear, the other one pressed into his chest. For some reason, he still insisted upon holding me even after I'd torn his shoulder to shreds while I cried, not realizing that that was what he'd put in my mouth to keep me from biting my lips off. How he wasn't the slightest bit traumatized after that, I didn't know.

     "Someone actually died...!"

     "What? Really? Oh-sorry, Firea..."

     But I didn't hear her. I was too busy nursing my headache and feeling guilty about Grandfather. I didn't dare look up at him.

     Didn't dare go back to Magaris.

     Didn't dare move. Or breathe. Or think.

     My head.

     "So you don't want to see us fight? This was your experiment, after all. One might think you would want to see the results-"

     "Thérèse!"

     But she wouldn't let up, standing there.

     "We'll be fighting after the next iteration. You'd better be watching then."

     "Oh, Thérèse...!" But the maid was gone, so Mother could complain all she wanted without being heard. "Did being in the duke's house have to change her that much!"

     "I don't think it had anything to do with being there, Ana."

     "Then?"

     "Because some people have been waiting for her for a very long time, and they're impatient for her to give them attention."

     A few fingers reached over to pull a lock of hair out of my face, over the crook in Grandfather's arm, so Father could look over from above and see my closed eyes as I rested and waited for the headache to go away.

     His finger pushed my nose in.

     Grandfather smacked his hand away.

     "Earl."

     I ignored them all, just turning into the warmth again. Putting my face into his robes and ignoring the sounds of battle going below, and the battle, and the cheers. All of the people that showed up for the tournament going down since early that morning, as more people than ever before had apparently signed up after hearing it was going to be held again. All of their friends and family that could make it, wanting to see the magic that made it all happen, and as a side note, their family members participating in the fights.

     "-Master, I brought some emotional support."

     I smelled her as soon as she appeared. No, I didn't mean to abandon my grandfather that fast, especially after all he'd done for me, but I just-

     Every time she was there, I couldn't help but-

     "Yes, yes, I'm here, you may tell me all about it now," Magaris sighed when I shoved up under her chin and put us as close together as we could get. "..."

     But I wasn't saying anything. We weren't in my room, my safe place. But it was just enough that she was there while holding me, dealing with how I constantly rearranged under her chin, in her throat, to see the way I fit just right.