Selthía;
I stare at the fireplace in my bedroom as my mind wanders.
My familiars curl around me, and their soothing presence only helps my mind sink deeper and faster in thoughts.
A thin jade red serpent around my wrist, coils loosely as his tiny breaths warm my skin. He flicks its tongue, tasting my mood.
Sensing restlessness… Sensing distraction, and pokes his head up to look at me, and I smile.
"I'm fine…" I whisper to it as I gently stroke his head.
Lúmira tightens her cool around my waist in hopes of bringing me peace, but my mind had long since slipped away from this room.
Since the moment I stepped in here, my mind kept circling back to the boy.
Elián.
That child…
I had seen thousands of people… from warriors soaked in blood, nobles dripping in entitlement to simpletons riddled with hypocrisy. None of them felt like this boy.
None of them have ever carried such gentle openness, such… softness that isn't corrupted by pride or pretence.
