19. Evangeline

19

EVANGELINE

" N ot to be rude, but you would be fools to turn us away," I speak with authority that I don't truly feel. My heart is racing and my knees feel weak.

Still, I know I have to put on an air of confidence or the council will reject whatever I say.

My voice is steady when I speak again, not giving anyone a chance to interject.

"It's common knowledge that a rogue band of waira has camped nearby. It's only a matter of time before they lay siege to the village."

I point to Xeros, who is standing menacingly next to me, his eyes scanning the faces of the council members.

"They wouldn't stand a chance against him."

With my head held high, I take the time to make eye contact with each member of the council.

Harold's hand is playing with his long, bushy beard. He's calm and collected. Hilda's face is as hard as a rock and her eyes unyielding. She meets my gaze with no hesitation.

Polyn adjusts his spectacles, not looking directly at me. Jeremiah is standing tall, a sour expression on his face.

After a moment's silence, they share glances and something shifts in their eyes.

It's Hilda who speaks first. "We cannot deny that the waira are a worrisome matter… their scouts draw nearer with each dawn. With that said…"

Jeremiah's shrill voice pierces through my confidence. "Inviting a monster into our village… the mere thought is ludicrous!" He spits out the last word and points angrily at Xeros.

Xeros, in return, glares at Jeremiah, his lips curling in a terrifying sneer.

I bite back laughter when the councilman jumps back a few paces, his pale face going even whiter.

"Would you rather have the village plundered, the elderly and men brutally murdered, and the women and children stolen to live as slaves?" My voice shakes as I address the council, trying to make them see sense.

The crowd starts murmuring once more, this time worried about the looming threat.

I watch as the council members exchange hesitant glances, their deliberation influenced by the weight of their responsibilities.

I know that they know the village's survival depends on accepting my terms.

Xeros shifts uncomfortably next to me. I can see he's getting impatient with the diplomatic discussion. I'm sure he'd rather scare the council into submission.

"There lies truth in what you say, Evangeline." Harold's voice betrays the worry he feels for the village's future.

Jeremiah interrupts him, his face contorted with anger. "We simply cannot let a monster stay here! What if he—he decides to eat one of our children? Or take our women for his beastly desires? He could bring in more of… whatever he is!"

I feel my face grow red with anger of my own. Such vulgar accusations!

Xeros's body is tense, his wings shuddering lightly. I can sense that he's ready to rip open Jeremiah's throat. And I wouldn't blame him, but that won't do my situation any good.

"I can guarantee that nothing of that sort will happen. I'm willing to bet my life on Xeros's cooperation."

I glance at Xeros and he gives a reluctant nod, still bristling with anger and a clear lust for blood.

He's so hot when he gets all worked up. Wait, no. Now is not the time for that.

Harold holds up a hand, his eyes on Jeremiah. "Perhaps we should discuss this matter further in a more suitable place."

He turns to me. "Allow us some deliberation time. This is not a decision to be made lightly."

I nod, choosing to say nothing further.

The council members leave quickly, muttering amongst themselves.

As the crowd around us slowly backs off, I let out a sigh, relaxing after the tense situation I just faced.

Xeros grunts. "I think we'd be better off bashing their heads together. They can't argue if their teeth are in the ground." He smirks, enjoying the thought of getting blood on his hands.

I give him a wry smile. "As tempting as that may be, we need the council unharmed. Save your bloodlust for the waira."

He scoffs and kicks at a rock. It rolls away, landing at the feet of a little girl. She can't be older than four, her eyes big and brown.

She picks up the rock, staring at Xeros in awe. There's no fear in her eyes, only wonder and amazement, in stark contrast with the rest of the villagers's expressions.

Her dirty little face is brightened by her big, toothy smile.

I watch her as she walks up to Xeros, her fat little hands holding out the rock for him to take.

He gives me a quizzical look. "What does it want?"

I cover my mouth with my hand to hide my smile. " She wants to give you back the rock you kicked."

Xeros looks down at the tiny child, dwarfed even more by him. He reluctantly takes the rock from her and stiffens when she jumps once before running to her previous position.

The girl stands there excitedly, balancing herself on her toes, her smile wide and happy.

Once again, Xeros looks to me for advice.

"I think she wants you to play with her."

He pulls a face that could either portray annoyance or discomfort. Or both.

To my surprise, he lets the rock fall to the ground before gently kicking it. It rolls and stops against her bare feet.

She scoops it up and brings it to Xeros, who, despite his stern expression, seems to enjoy the girl's attention.

For a few minutes, I watch the two of them play this game of fetch before I notice a woman running towards us.

Oh no, that must be the girl's mother .

I grab Xeros's arm and start dragging him away, but it's too late. The woman shrieks when she sees what her child is doing.

"Sasha, no!" She picks up the child and starts briskly walking away with her. This results in a loud wail and many protests from Sasha.

Ignoring the screaming, the mother rushes away, taking her child to safety.

Xeros looks perplexed. "But it was having fun." He shakes his head. "You humans are way too complicated."

I laugh, taking his arm and pulling him toward the small market area. The crowd hasn't disbursed completely, with cautious and curious people eyeing us while keeping their distance.

Well, let them watch. They'll soon want to kiss our feet in gratitude when the waira are taken care of.

We walk to the marketplace, and I can't help but smile at the expression on Xeros's face. It's obvious he's never seen a village like this before.

I stop at a table with fried taura wrapped in dark green leaves. Idel is busy preparing various cuts of meat and frying them on an open fire.

She doesn't notice us, or at least, she pretends not to. I feel my heart ache a little bit. I miss how things were before all of this happened.

I turn to walk away but stop in my tracks when Idel wordlessly slides two pieces of the leaf-wrapped meat my way.

She doesn't look at us and continues to keep busy with the fire.

With a lump in my throat, I take the food, handing one to Xeros.

"Try this. It's even better than the meat we prepared on our way here."

He takes the meat, his big claws making it look like a small snack. When he starts to remove the leaves, I stop him.

"You need to eat it with the leaves. Gives the meat an amazing flavor." I bite into mine, closing my eyes as I savor the taste. Fuck, I missed this .

Xeros stuffs his mouth, a satisfied smile on his otherwise stoic face after he swallows. He nods. "It's good."

I know that's as close to a compliment as I'll get with him, and I nod in agreement, licking my fingers clean.

I whisper a quick ‘thank you' to Idel before we move on.

As we walk through the small market, I point out things to explain to him. Occasionally, he asks me about food or animals for sale, and I enjoy teaching him more about how we do things in my village.

Xeros stops at a stall displaying swords and knives. These weapons are crudely made and not really appropriate for battle. Even I can see that, and I'm not a warrior like Xeros.

Why would he even be interested in weapons like that when he's got those scary talons and claws?

He picks up a short sword with an engraved hilt. He flips the sword as if it's nothing more than a knife. The disdain on his face is sure to offend the craftsman, but the man in question doesn't even look in our direction.

He's probably hoping if he ignores us we'll go away. Poor guy.

"This is actually not bad. The design is primitive but it's got potential." He throws the sword back on the pile with the others.

Eventually, we reach a quieter area with a small fountain. I used to come here and wish for a more exciting life quite often.

A sudden scream pierces the air and I turn to see Sasha running towards us at full speed. She laughs and squeals, her hands in the air as if expecting to be picked up.

She stops in front of Xeros, her face filled with expectation.

My eyes go wide as he unceremoniously picks her up and puts her on his shoulder. The little girl gives a happy giggle, swinging her little feet back and forth.

Xeros gives me a ‘don't even ask' look and I quickly look away, pressing my lips together so I don't smile.

We walk around for a bit, following Sasha's directions on where to go. Bulging, unbelieving eyes and mouths open wide greet us on our walk.

Sasha's joy doesn't last long as her mother tracks her down, apologizing profusely for her child's behavior before running off with the crying girl.

I say nothing, but notice the rock in Xeros's hand, which he swiftly puts away.

As the sun sets, we reach my home, and I feel a strange emotion take seed in my heart. Unsure of whether I'm truly glad to be back, I open the door and step inside.