Behind Those Eyes | Aonung (Enemies to Lovers)

31. two broken shells

"I will murder you in your sleep, Loak. Give it back!" Tuk shouted, chasing her brother around their Marui.

"What is this thing? Did you make it for your boyfriend?" Loak teased, holding up a friendship bracelet Tuk had made.

Tuk scowled and lunged for the bracelet. Loak giggled and ran away, holding it out of Tuk's reach.

"Give it back! It's not for a boyfriend!" she shouted.

Loak stopped and turned to Tuk, a mischievous glint in his eye. "Oh, I think it would look gorgeous on your boyfriend," he teased.

"I'm too young to have a boyfriend, dummy!" Tuk snarled and lunged at him. But Loak was too quick, and he ran away, laughing.

"You'll never catch me!" he shouted over his shoulder.

"Kati!" she hollered.

Katiya released a frustrated sigh and stuck her foot out, causing Loak to trip. She picked up the bracelet and returned it to Tuk after it spiraled out of his hand.

"I'm going outside. Don't bother me until the end of the day," she murmured, walking out of their Marui.

Peering down at Loak, Tuk stuck her tongue out at him. Loak snorted and rolled his eyes.

Katiya strolled down the shore feeling the warm sunlight and the cool sea breeze caressing her skin.

Multiple villagers attend to their spirit brothers and sisters in the water, conversing and preparing them for the long journey ahead.

Maybe she'll look for a seashell and add it to her songchord today. Everyone else in her family had already found theirs except for her.

The war situation with the Sky People had been all that was on her mind. Her parents had been meeting with the Olo'eyktan and Tsahik of Awa'atlu to discuss their next steps.

Ronal was extremely upset at Katiya and her family after the injuries to her spirit sister and her baby calf.

Katiya sighed and looked around, seeing the other children playing in the sand and chasing the waves.

Squinting her eyes, she tried to spot a shell among the shoreline debris. She searched and searched, but nothing looked decent.

Her attention was caught by the sound of a familiar low laugh, and she turned to see Aonung chasing waves alongside the children.

She couldn't help but wonder what he was doing instead of tending to his tulkun like the other villagers. She watched as he playfully splashed the children, his face lit up with joy.

Since the first day she was here, this was only the second time she had seen him with such an expression.

Among them was the little girl with two missing front teeth from last night.

"The children of Awa'atlu loves him," Tsireya said, startling Katiya.

Katiya turned to her, her eyebrows furrowed as Tsireya smiled at her.

"He's only this happy when he's with them. Aonung can be intimidating to others, but you will never see him like that with the children."

Katiya cleared her throat. "And you're telling me this why?"

Tsireya's smile faltered and her expression softened. She sighed, switching her wooden bowl of raw fish to her other hand.

"My brother has a kind heart, Kati. You may disagree with me over what he did that day, but you must know it is because he was afraid." A sad smile graced her lips as she glanced back at Aonung. "Nok was Aonung's spirit brother. On days like these when the tulkuns return, he's often with the children to distract himself from remembering Nok."