daughter, whose name I couldn't recall, smiled at me from the corner where she played by the fire.
"You're friend seems lost, Highness. Like the puppy I found last summer. At first he was scared to let anyone near him, but I kept talking to him and leaving him food." She pointed to the dog that was sleeping a few feet from her. "Now he's the best dog in the world. He never leaves my side."
"Everything in the world needs kindness, child."
She nodded, then went back to playing.
I watched her for a moment as old memories surged. Acheron had never been given toys even before Estes had taken him away. Back then, I would share mine with him, but they were all he'd ever had.
The girl was right. My brother was sadly lost. I just hoped that in time he would become as comfortable here as the dog obviously was. That he would learn to feel welcome in a world that so obviously hated him.
November 19, 9532 BC
I'd slept late today without meaning to. It was almost the noon hour before I awoke. And what awakened me was the most startling thing of all.
It was the sound of a child's laughter.
I got up and pulled my red woolen cloak around me before I walked to the window so that I could look outside.
There in the garden was Acheron with the cook's young daughter. They sat on a cloth with bread, meat, olives and figs while they talked and played a dice game. I couldn't hear what was being said, but the little girl would squeal with laughter every so often.
When the girl decided to stand, she reached out and touched Acheron's shoulder. He didn't cringe at all. To my amazement, he actually picked her up and set her on her feet so that she could run inside.
For the first time since I'd found him, he was relaxed. He atewithout fear and his features weren't pinched. He glanced about openly and would actually look the girl in the face.
The girl returned with her doll which she handed to Acheron. He took it and pretended to feed it an olive. The girl squealed in delight.
Enchanted by their play, I headed outside to join them. As soon as Acheron saw me, the light went out of his eyes. I watched as he literally pulled back into himself and became instantly afraid.
"You should go, Maia," he whispered to the girl.
"But I like playing with you, Acheron. You don't get angry at me for being silly or asking questions."
"She can stay," I added quickly. "I didn't mean to disturb the two of you."
Acheron kept his gaze locked on the ground.
I sighed before I glanced to the girl. "Maia, would you fetch me a cup of wine from the kitchen?"
"Yes, Highness. I'll be right back."
As soon as she was gone, I turned to Acheron who was withdrawn and fearful again. "Have you been around many children?"
He shook his head. "It's forbidden."
"But you seem so at ease with Maia. Why?"
He wrapped his cloak tighter around himself before he spoke. "She wants nothing from me other than a playmate. To her, I'm no different than any other adult. She doesn't mind my eyes and she isn't aware that I'm unnatural."
"You're not unnatural, Acheron."
He looked up at me with those eerie eyes. "You feel the pull of me. You haven't acted on it yet, but you feel it just like everyone else. Your heart quickens when you watch me move. Your throat goes dry as your eyes dilate. I know the physical signs. I've seen them too many times not to."
It was true and I hated the fact that he could see inside me so easily. "I would never touch you like that."
A tic started in his jaw before he looked away. "Gerikos and others have said that, too. And when they can no longer resist it, they hate me and punish me as if I have control over it. As if I make them want me." This time when he met my gaze, I saw the anger that burned deep inside him. "Sooner or later everyone who's around me fucks me, Idika. Everyone."
His anger ignited my own. "And I will
never
touch you like that, Acheron."
The doubt in those eyes burned through me.
"What of Meara?" I asked,
"You're friend seems lost, Highness. Like the puppy I found last summer. At first he was scared to let anyone near him, but I kept talking to him and leaving him food." She pointed to the dog that was sleeping a few feet from her. "Now he's the best dog in the world. He never leaves my side."
"Everything in the world needs kindness, child."
She nodded, then went back to playing.
I watched her for a moment as old memories surged. Acheron had never been given toys even before Estes had taken him away. Back then, I would share mine with him, but they were all he'd ever had.
The girl was right. My brother was sadly lost. I just hoped that in time he would become as comfortable here as the dog obviously was. That he would learn to feel welcome in a world that so obviously hated him.
November 19, 9532 BC
I'd slept late today without meaning to. It was almost the noon hour before I awoke. And what awakened me was the most startling thing of all.
It was the sound of a child's laughter.
I got up and pulled my red woolen cloak around me before I walked to the window so that I could look outside.
There in the garden was Acheron with the cook's young daughter. They sat on a cloth with bread, meat, olives and figs while they talked and played a dice game. I couldn't hear what was being said, but the little girl would squeal with laughter every so often.
When the girl decided to stand, she reached out and touched Acheron's shoulder. He didn't cringe at all. To my amazement, he actually picked her up and set her on her feet so that she could run inside.
For the first time since I'd found him, he was relaxed. He atewithout fear and his features weren't pinched. He glanced about openly and would actually look the girl in the face.
The girl returned with her doll which she handed to Acheron. He took it and pretended to feed it an olive. The girl squealed in delight.
Enchanted by their play, I headed outside to join them. As soon as Acheron saw me, the light went out of his eyes. I watched as he literally pulled back into himself and became instantly afraid.
"You should go, Maia," he whispered to the girl.
"But I like playing with you, Acheron. You don't get angry at me for being silly or asking questions."
"She can stay," I added quickly. "I didn't mean to disturb the two of you."
Acheron kept his gaze locked on the ground.
I sighed before I glanced to the girl. "Maia, would you fetch me a cup of wine from the kitchen?"
"Yes, Highness. I'll be right back."
As soon as she was gone, I turned to Acheron who was withdrawn and fearful again. "Have you been around many children?"
He shook his head. "It's forbidden."
"But you seem so at ease with Maia. Why?"
He wrapped his cloak tighter around himself before he spoke. "She wants nothing from me other than a playmate. To her, I'm no different than any other adult. She doesn't mind my eyes and she isn't aware that I'm unnatural."
"You're not unnatural, Acheron."
He looked up at me with those eerie eyes. "You feel the pull of me. You haven't acted on it yet, but you feel it just like everyone else. Your heart quickens when you watch me move. Your throat goes dry as your eyes dilate. I know the physical signs. I've seen them too many times not to."
It was true and I hated the fact that he could see inside me so easily. "I would never touch you like that."
A tic started in his jaw before he looked away. "Gerikos and others have said that, too. And when they can no longer resist it, they hate me and punish me as if I have control over it. As if I make them want me." This time when he met my gaze, I saw the anger that burned deep inside him. "Sooner or later everyone who's around me fucks me, Idika. Everyone."
His anger ignited my own. "And I will
never
touch you like that, Acheron."
The doubt in those eyes burned through me.
"What of Meara?" I asked,
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