chapter Fourteen
They arrived at the house a few minutes later. Elise took one look around the house, saw no Nathan, and started up the stairs on hurried feet. She practically busted through the door, only to find Solomon and Nathan playing a game of chess; they were sharing a bottle of brandy as they played. Swallowing hard, the others just behind her, Elise pulled up a chair beside the redhead and smiled at him in a way that hid the terror that had been on her face just moments before they’d entered the room.
“Who’s winning?” Elise said, laying her head on his shoulder in a sisterly way.
Unwilling to be around Solomon, Mathieu turned around and went past Avanon and Darcia, going downstairs. He looked around and spotted Adele in one of the sitting rooms, sans Josette, reading a book. Considering the rarity of her being alone, he wound through the house to where the blonde was curled up. If Elise had seemed something bad happening, he was sure it would happen; now, however, they were here just in case and there was just no use worrying about it until it happened. “Hey Adele, how are you?”
She looked up and smiled, gold hair shining. “Hey, Mathieu. I’m good, how are you?”
“Fine enough. Where is…uh, Josette?”
Adele laughed sweetly and swept her lightly curled hair over her shoulder. “She ran away with the gypsies. Kidding, of course. She went to go meditate; good thing, too, because she’s been all sorts of bitchy lately. Even to me!” As she spoke, she lifted a hand and waved over Mathieu’s shoulder at someone that he couldn’t see. “When did Elise get here? I didn’t see her come in earlier.”
“We came in together about five minutes ago. Good book, I’m assuming?” He asked, nodding to what she was doing. He really didn’t want to worry her with what Elise had said, so he attempted to find a different topic.
“It’s decent enough. You know, you and I have never really talked. It’s a shame.” She said, taking the cue to change topics. Her big blue eyes blinked at him.
Mathieu stretched out in a chair, sighing, “You always have that guard dog of yours with you. I’ve only heard her bark, and I’d rather not feel her bite.”
Adele straightened in her seat. “Josette can be a bit…overbearing. It’s all out of love, though. She’s like my sister.”
“So you’ve known each other a while?” He asked, head resting against the back of the chair.
“Oh yes. We originally were living with Zanika and Zerieve together. They’re rather fun.” Adele giggled, sounding something like a chirping bird.
“I want to meet them someday.”
“Oh, I’m sure you will. Zanika and Zerieve visit every couple months or so. Elise is back down again. That’s the third time. I wonder if everything is okay…” Adele bit her lip in a contemplative manner, looking passed Mathieu.
Mathieu turned to see Elise filling a glass of water. “Let’s go see. Come on.” He stood and headed for the kitchen, Adele in toe. It seemed that avoiding talking about Elise and what she had seem couldn’t be avoided for any longer. “Elise, what’s up?”
She sighed and ran a hand through her hair, “Nathan is just thirsty as a fish. He says it’s the brandy.” Her face belied her worried. “But he’s also got a headache and is a bit dizzy. Solomon suggested he lay on the couch until it passes.”
Adele leaned against the counter as she spoke, “Has he eaten lately? I get lightheaded when I don’t eat. That plus alcohol, you know…maybe you should put some food in him.”
“That’s a good idea. What’s in the fridge that we can take up?” Mathieu said, taking the cue. He pulled it open and rummaged around. “Let me see. Hm, there’s a bit of a chicken left in here, salad ingredients, and some eggs? I need to go to the market soon.” Groaning at the thought of shopping, he pulled out the chicken and started to tear the meat off the bone, putting it into a dish for Nathan.
Elise liberated the dish from him and took up the glass of water. “Thanks guys. You’re splendid.” Smiling, she left the kitchen and headed up the stairs.
The blonde frowned and watched her go. “Nathan was fine this morning; I saw him. I’m just going to go check that he’s okay.”
“Yeah…” Following her up, they went into the upstairs, crossing to where Nathan was laying on the couch, eating small morsels of meat. “Is that helping any?” Mathieu asked once they were close enough.
Nathan‘s face turned to him, eyes glazed over. “No. I think…I think I might…”
Solomon grabbed Nathan’s wrist and they were gone in a spot of darkness only moments before they heard wrecking coming from below. The noise was followed by Solomon’s voice. “I could use some help down here. Please.”
Elise was the first down, although only just beating Darcia, and with Adele pulling up the rear. “Is he okay?” Adele asked from the back of the small group, trying to peek in.
“I’m fine.” Nathan coughed and sat back, wiping his mouth with his hand, then tried to stand. He didn’t get more than a few inches up, before collapsing back to the floor. “…Solomon…”
“Yeah.” Solomon picked up Nathan from where he was with Darcia’s help and carried him to his room across the house. “Can someone get him a bucket? He’s shaking and sweaty, I don’t want to teleport him again.”
“He looks kind of sallow, too…” Adele added in a lower voice before scampering off to find a bucket.
With Nathan lain out on the bed, everyone gathered around him to check how he was. “Nate? Baby?” Elise leaned over him, stroking his face. Her face contracted in a pained expression as a coughing fit overtook him. “Oh, Nathan, what can I do?”
“Bucket. Check.” Adele dropped it by the head on the bed, then moved to sit at the foot. “He’s not looking so good. Or is it just me?”
Solomon’s face was tight with stress, his jaw clenched. Holding Nathan’s wrist, he said, “His pulse is elevated. And he’s having trouble breathing. This isn’t natural. Can you heal it, Adele?” Avanon put a soothing hand on Solomon’s shoulder.
Adele’s brow furrowed. “Um, I can try, but Elric is much better than I am…” She looked away, hands clasped together so tightly that her knuckles were white.
“I don’t think we have time to wait for him to get back. Try.” Solomon’s gaze was hard.
Darcia patted Adele’s shoulder. “They’re right. He’s looking bad, so even if you can just heal him enough for him to hold on until Elric gets here, it would be a big help.” He said, trying to encourage her believe in her own skills.
“Jeez, okay. Just give me some room.” She shoved him off the bed and onto the floor. “Now. Let’s see here…” Frowning, she rolled up her sleeves and got onto her knees next to Nathan on the big bed. “Well, I think if I just...” Her hands hovered hesitantly over Nathan.
The redhead’s glazed eyes roamed around, seemingly lost. “Where…who…it hurts….”
The blonde healer looked worriedly at Solomon and shook her head. “I could end up making this a lot worse, Sol. Are you absolutely sure?”
“I trust you, Addie. Come on. Please.” Avanon was practically restraining Solomon from grabbing Adele and shaking her.
Adele took a shaky breath and rubbed her hands together, warming them. Gently, she laid one hand on his forehead, the other on his sternum. She had to wait for a coughing fit to pass, then she closed her eyes and a white light glowed around her hands. It was so bright that Mathieu to look away.
If he hadn’t been looking at the glass wall across the room, he wouldn’t have seen Adele go through it. She lay in a heap amongst the broken glass, dazed and bleeding. “What the—?” Mathieu ran to her and brushed the glass off her skin, helping her to sit up. “Adele, what happened?”
“Nathan!” Elise shrieked.
Adele’s eyes slid closed and he cast a worried look over his shoulder to see Solomon and Elise hovering over Nathan, who was convulsing and choking for air. Avanon stood back so she was out of the way, and Darcia came over to help Adele. Mathieu abandoned Adele on the floor and into Darcia’s care, seeing that she wasn’t hurt that bad, and rejoined the others.
“He’s burning up, help him!” Elise practically screamed at Solomon.
“What would you like me to do? Attempting to heal him didn’t work and I’m not exactly a traditional doctor.” His voice was a growl as he made to hold Nathan down.
“Don’t.” Said Mathieu, pulling Solomon’s hand back. “We don’t want to hurt him. Let the seizure pass.” It was the first time they had touched in days and a small look passed between them. It took a few minutes for the spasms to stop, but they eventually did, and Nathan relaxed onto the bed. “See? It’ll be okay, Solomon. Sit. Now.” Keeping a firm grip on the blond man, he directed him to a chair and forced him to sit. “Listen, I know you hate me now or whatever, but you can’t let this get to you. Nathan needs you to be strong for him now, so keep it together.” With that, he let him go and went to Adele. “Sweetie? Hey, can you hear me?”
“Shit, yeah. I feel like a carriage ran me over.” She was propped up against Darcia, blinking somewhat slower than normal.
Mathieu pulled a few shards of glass from her hair, “Be careful getting up. Don’t want any more cuts. Can you handle those yourself, or do I need to clean them out for you?” He nodded to the sword master, then tilted his head towards the bathroom, silently asking that he retrieve bandages.
Adele smiled at him and took the hand he offered, getting to her feet. “If you wanted to help me, I wouldn’t mind.” Then, her face fell, “I…I made it worse, didn’t I?”
“Don’t beat yourself up. You didn’t mean to. Besides, he looks like he’s doing better. Like they say, it has to get worse before it can get better.” Mathieu helped her to her own chair as Darcia brought out a first aid kit.
“Thanks, Mathieu…”
Smiling, he pat her head. “No worries.” He knelt down and began to clean up her cuts.
~*~
After five hours, it seemed apparent that Nathan wasn’t getting any better. In fact, Nathan was getting worse. His convulsions were getting closer together, he spent more time unconscious than not, and even then he was delirious or insanely thirty, and his fever had spiked again.
Solomon hadn’t moved since Mathieu had forced him to sit, Adele had left the house to find Josette, and Elise was pacing the length of the room; Avanon was searching for Elric in town, and Darcia was sitting next to Solomon, occasionally patting his back. It was clear to all of them that this was hardest on the General.
Mathieu excused himself and retreated to upstairs, crossing to the bookcase. Looking the shelving unit up and down, he rubbed his forehead in frustration. This is horrible… He just needed a second away from the group, a moment to think. Nathan was getting bad and he wanted to help, but there wasn’t anything he could do. If a healer hadn’t been able to help, he knew he’d be useless.
What’s wrong, Matt?
Yes, Mathieu, what’s the matter?
Mathieu closed his eyes, comforted by Tesla and Nikola. It’s Nathan. He’s very sick and I don’t know how to help him. I’m trying to keep everyone calm, but…
But you aren’t their leader. You’re a newcomer. Tesla finished.
Something like that.
Nikola purred into his mind. What’s making him sick?
No idea. He got worse after Adele tried to heal him.
Sighing, Mathieu flopped into a chair, draping an arm over his eyes. “What are we going to do if he really does die?” He asked himself out loud.
Nikola scampered up the stairs and across the room, hopping into his lap; she looked up at him with big eyes. Everything will be okay. If it comes down to it, I’ll take you away from here. Keep you safe.
I’ll come, too. Tesla came in about the size of a dog and curled up at his feet. Your sadness is filling the room, Mathieu. Try to cheer up.
“And how should I do that? If Nathan dies, all of this dies with him. He keeps the peace, provides a stable figure in everyone’s life. Should he die, there are too many dominate personalities here. Fighting will start and…and this family will fall apart.” Mathieu ran his nails down the back of the reddish Shadowrider. Nikola’s back arching into his hand. “You’re a good girl, but I don’t want to lose a second family…especially after Avian…”
Thank you, Mathieu.
You sure play favorites… Tesla grumbled.
“Oh, Tesla, don’t be sore. You never want to be pet and have me cuddle you, so don’t complain. Get up here and I’ll pet you, too. But really, you guys; we need to think of a plan, just in case.” Mathieu smiled as Tesla hopped up in his lap too, in kitty form.
Nikola rolled onto her back and wiggled. I dunno….
Petting his companions, he gave them a thoughtful look. “How does one create a Shadowrider. You’re created, right?”
Of course we are. From the purest power of one’s soul. We are made of darkness because that is what fills Solomon. Why? Tesla licked his hand.
“I was…thinking of making one. Is that okay?”
That’d be splendid! Nikola jumped to her feet in excitement. We could have someone else to play with us!
Tesla gave him a quizzical look. One created from your heart would be interested.
Mathieu nodded his head absently, saying, “I wonder how it’s done…”
Tesla purred in a condescending manner. I know how to make one. It’s very painful, however, because you’re extracting part of your very essence.
“I can live with that. Listen, you two,” he picked both of them up and looked them in the eyes, “I get it if you guys need to be with Solomon more. He’s your creator and so, well, yeah…”
The black cat swatted out at him with his paw, sans claws. It was one of Tesla’s trademark moves with him. We walked out on him because he didn’t keep us in his heart. If he loved, cared, and relied upon us, we’d never have been able to be parted from him. You came along and we found you as much as you found us. We need you. If you make one of us, that’s fine with me, but don’t forget us.
He hugged them both against his chest suddenly, “Thanks, Tesla. Now, lay it on me. How do I make one?” It wasn’t quite the grand plan he had been aiming to construct in case Nathan didn’t make it, but this was much more interesting in a selfish way.
First you need to be alone, somewhere that no one will bother you. I can help with that. But then, it’s gonna take some imagination on your part. Within you, you need to discover the deepest recess of your soul, find the piece of you that you’ve never known existed. Then, you need to find the will to let it go, to let it take its own shape. If you can do that, then it will be created. However, it will be your responsibility to protect it until it can survive on its own.
“…And you said painful…”
Nikola bobbed her head, speaking this time. But when you hold them and protect them, you form a bond with them. It’s worth it.
Mathieu lifted them both and stood, kissing each of their heads. “I want to do it now.”
Alright. Tesla hopped down from his arms and nodded. You can use the realm we travel through. We can stop anyone else from entering, so you get your isolation.
Come back soon, okay? We’ll be waiting. Nikola sat on the chair, watching him.
Why couldn’t I just want a regular cat? He said to both of them in a teasing way as he stepped into the puddle of darkness that Tesla had opened.
Because we’re pretty cool.
With that, the darkness closed behind Mathieu, wrapping around him. He couldn’t see anything through the pure darkness, but felt a weightlessness settle over him; it was more like Nikola’s darkness than Tesla’s, but he didn’t think too much on it. Mathieu turned his head this way and that before kicking out his feet. Nothing changed and he closed his eyes. It felt safe here. Warm. He floated there for a while, comforted by the slight tingle he felt when he moved.
There in the darkness, he looked at what he assumed was up, thinking. Here, he could feel everything he had kept locked away seeping out into the space around him. Avian’s death was the first thing that he felt tugging at the edges of the resolve, threatening to spill over. Mathieu took a deep breath and let it slowly, feeling the anger, the hurt, and the sharp sting of loss pour out of him; unlike before, however, it felt safe to feel these things here.
In his mind’s eye, he could see Avian in her favorite pair of jeans and off-the-shoulder shirt, smiling at him. She waved at him and he could feel her just beyond, happy and whole. He felt his eyes tearing up. Avian tucked her hair behind her ear. “Thank you…” Many things were conveyed in those two words, but the thing Mathieu needed most, was the forgiveness. In that one phrase, she told him that she had never blamed him, that it was okay to let go. He believed those words, even if they were just his mind telling him what he wanted to hear.
Thank you, Avian…I miss you so much. I love you. Be safe. And be happy. Her smile told him that she would be.
Rotating in the darkness, Mathieu next came face-to-face with something much deeper than Avian. As much as her loss had hurt him, there was something worse he had never faced within himself.
Again in his mind, a person was waiting for him. Himself, as a young boy. His hair was short, not yet to his shoulders, and he sat on the ground, crying. Mathieu recognized this moment. He had finally become old enough to understand that he was an orphan, that he had no family. There were no words to describe the gut wrenching sickness he’d felt when he realized his parents hadn’t wanted him, hadn’t loved him enough to keep him. Mathieu knew that he had been found on the side of the road just outside of Zurn and he couldn’t understand at that age how someone could willingly give up their child like that. He’d been so devastated by the blow to his fragile self-esteem that he hadn’t eaten for days.
Even now, he could feel his throat tighten as he thought about the fact that his parents had abandoned him. Had he been unplanned? So horribly detrimental to their lives that they had decided leaving him in the middle of nowhere was better than putting the effort into raising him? Mathieu brought a hand to his face, covering his eyes as he felt the sting of tears in them. But he couldn’t hold them back. Silently, he began to sob, curling up in a ball in the darkness. He’d never known his parents and that was a hole punched in his chest he couldn’t heal. There was no chance he’d even find them now, and even if he did, what would he say? How did one face the family that hadn’t wanted him when he was a tiny, helpless child? Anger at his mother for not loving him like a mother should welled inside of him and he wiped his eyes. It wasn’t his fault. If she was heartless enough to not love her flesh and blood, he wasn’t going to lose a part of himself over it. She was a horrible, horrible woman. No mother of his. He turned away from his own crying self, lying to his own mind and saying he could move past that hurt.
And then there was his father. Did he look like that man? Mathieu shared his blood, but what more in common did they have? Wasn’t a father supposed to teach his son to be a man? Show him how to protect the things he loved? The basis of his insecurities stemmed for a non-existent father, and he knew it. A father was supposed to be the person he learned from, he could turn to when things got tough. But he didn’t have that, never would. There was no one for him to rely on, no one for him to turn to for advice.
Sometime during his painful musings about his father, he started to see it. He wasn’t exactly sure what he was seeing, but very slowly, something took form before his eyes. But, then he realized it was a person, something like a teenager. He was blurry at first and Mathieu could only see that he had ruffled brown hair that stopped just before it was in his eyes.
The longer he looked at the other, the clearer he became. The next thing to come into focus was his sloped nose that ended in a button-like point, his mouth quirked up at the corner in a soft smile. His eyes were undistinguishable, but Mathieu could see that he had a few very light freckled over the bridge of his nose. The teen’s skin was as smooth as porcelain, a healthy glow to it.
It was as the other’s eyes, big and dark gray, came into focus that a full smile took his face. Then, they mystery he reached out into the space between them.
Mathieu opened his mouth to speak, but nothing came out. Frowning he lifted a hand out to meet the other’s, but he still could see nothing but the boy. He tried to move closer to him, but the tingling from before became a sharp stabbing that held him back. Just as slowly as the male had appeared, so did the object that appeared in his outstretched hand. It was small, no bigger than a tennis ball. The thing was sleek white with one icy blue eye and one celadon green. The nose was a light pink that wiggled as the thing sniffed the air and its tail twitched.
The boy moved closer to him, the thing still held between them. Mathieu wasn’t completely positive, but he was pretty sure that the small thing was a Shadowrider. Needing to know, he kicked out with his feet and pulled at the darkness with his arms, determined to reach the pair. The stabbing pain turned into a raking feeling that could be equated to skin being ripped straight off his body. Tears of pain started to blur his vision, but still he pushed on. It couldn’t be much further to reach them. Just as he felt the darkness give an inch, the boy frowned and tilted his hand, dropping the adorable thing.
A silent scream ripped from Mathieu’s throat as he ignored his mind when it told him he couldn’t fight the darkness, and dived for it. He sailed through the nothing and managed to catch it, curling protectively around it and rolling, slamming into the boy who toppled and fell on top him.
And then the three of them were being pulled, practically sucked up out of the darkness as if through a straw. Up, up, up they flew, going faster and faster until the darkness broke and they were in a crumpled ball on the upstairs floor of Nathan’s house.
Blinking away the stars he was seeing, Mathieu looked around, eyes resting on Solomon, who was holding Tesla by the scruff. Sorry, Mathieu…he made me. The black Shadowrider whimpered.
Solomon’s face was tight with stress again, eyes locked on the naked boy who looked like a fish out of water. The boy curled around himself, hiding his nudity, mouth gaping wordlessly. Mathieu looked down, too.
“Mathieu, you can explain…this later. Right now, we have something bigger to deal with than your stupidity.” Solomon said shortly.
Holding the baby Shadowrider to his chest protectively, he sat up. “What’s wrong?”
“Nathan is fading. Quickly.”
That was all that needed to be said to have him on his feet, running down the stairs. He hooked a left into the redhead’s room, only to see him frothing at the mouth, body arched like a bow, and his eyes rolled into the back of his head. Slowly, Nathan dropped back to the bed.
Mathieu kept his new companion tucked against him and rushed to the bed, touching the pulse in his neck. His heart rate was through the roof, and he was burning up. “Nathan? Can you hear me?”
His eyes flew open and he grabbed Mathieu’s arm in a death grip. “L-Lione?”
“What? No. It’s Mathieu. Hey, stay with me.”
“S-so….sorry…Li….” Nathan’s hand fell away and he felt the pulse under his fingers stop.
Mathieu’s eyes widen, “Nathan, no!”
Elise knocked him aside, literally, starting chest compressions immediately as tears streamed down her face. “No, come on, sweetie, come on! Wake up. Please, Nate…please…” She collapsed onto his chest, sobbing. Solomon stood beside her, rubbing her back. “D-damn it, Nate, you can’t die on me! We have so much left to do. We’re gonna free Korinth from its borders, from Unith’s oppressions…we were going to f-find your son…” She clung to his still body, hers racked with sobs.
A shiver of sadness slid down his spine and he turned away, unable to watch. Elise’s cries echoed through him, tearing at him from inside. The warmth against his chest stretched its little nose up, eyes blinking comforting at him. “Thanks.” He leaned down and kissed its nose, cradling it lovingly. Looking back over his shoulder at a grieving Elise and a stressed Solomon, He felt Darcia’s hand on his shoulder.
There was a little gasp and he looked at the door to Adele standing there, a hand over her mouth with Josette standing just behind her.
“We’re back!” Avanon yelled, dragging Elric behind her. Their hands were clasped but not in a romantic way.
“Damn it, now tell me what’s wrong?” Elric said, trying to read the expressions of the others from afar. He wound through the house behind Avanon, stepping carefully over the broken shards of glass, and came to stop by Mathieu. The other healer was tall with sandy blond hair, thin glasses and dark blue eyes. “Tell me what happened.”
Adele made a guilty sound from where she stood in the corner of the room, Josette beside her. “I-I tried to heal him, but it went wrong…”
Elric sighed and approached the still Nathan. “Let me look.”
As he was examining the redhead, Avanon hovered beside his shoulder, hands moving nervously. “I’m sorry I couldn’t find you faster. Can you fix him?”
“Well,” Elric stood and wiped his hands on his pants, “I think that if I’d been here, maybe, but even so…Adele, I’m assuming you to tried to heal it, thinking this was naturally occurring.”
“Y-yeah…”
Elric pushed his glasses up and rubbed between his eyes. Without his glasses he looked much younger, no longer just shy of thirty, but closer to twenty-four. “This was deliberate, most likely the effects of a slow acting poison. If you’d tried to slow down his metabolism, his body might have been able to combat it.”
“So it’s her fault he’s dead!” Elise said, her face stained with tears.
Josette stepped in front of Adele protectively. “Back off, Elise. She did her best.”
“Clearly, that wasn’t enough!” The pink haired girl yelled.
Fire flickered at the raven’s fingertips, her eyes glowing. “You didn’t do anything to help! If anyone is to blame, it’s you! Why didn’t your stupid vision see this coming, huh?”
Mina, who had mostly been AWOL since returning to the Tri-District Manor, stepped between the angry woman. “Enough, Josette. Unless you’d like to find out when I really can do.” Her eyes were narrowed for a mere moment before he went to Elise, hugging her supportively.
Mathieu cleared his throat. “Okay everyone…let’s calm down. Fighting isn’t going to help anyone. If Nathan really is gone,” he looked to Elric, who nodded sadly, “then we can only move forward.” Suddenly, it seemed that he had the room’s undivided attention. “Okay…Solomon and Avanon will go inform Lenore that we need a coffin made, Adele and Elric will preserve the body as best they can, and Josette, go with Darcia to prepare a burial site. Mina, get Elise to bed before she snaps.” He swallowed hard and waited. Slowly, the others hesitantly moved into action, executing his orders. Waiting until the others had cleared out, he turned to Elric. “After this, when we have a moment, I need you to explain to me slow acting poison.”
At an acknowledgement from the male healer, he went to his and Solomon’s room. Digging in the dresser, he tried to find the smallest pair of clothing that he could. He had a naked teenager upstairs to deal with. Once he had an outfit, he headed back upstairs; he was careful not to jar the baby Shadowrider.
He’s over here. Nikola called out in his mind from under the desk.
“Thanks. Nik, can you watch…uh…it for a moment?” He held out his little charge.
Tesla looked over at him, It’s a her. She’s very pretty. Made out of your desire to find happiness.
Hope. Nikola intoned. You should call her Niveus. It means hope, or
faith.
“That’s a good name. Niveus.” Kissing the top of her head, he laid her on the desk next to Tesla before going around and leaning down. “Hey, guy…do you speak?”
“…Yes.” The male blinked up at him in a disoriented way.
Mathieu nodded at him, smiling. This was encouraging. “Do you have a name?”
“…Jo. My name is Jo.” He smiled his shy smile from before, his voice a gentle tenor.
“I brought you some clothing. Is that okay? They might be a bit big.”
Jo nodded and crawled out from under the desk like an unstable foal, standing. He was only a few inches shorter than Mathieu. As he put on the clothing, however, he looked much smaller, practically swimming in the garments. “Thanks.”
Flopping into a chair, Mathieu looked at the other. “Okay, now, maybe you can tell me where you came from?” Jo looked around owlishly, seemingly taking everything in.
Jo eventually looked at Mathieu, but it seemed to take a long time for his mouth to start working. “I…came from inside you. I don’t know why I’m out here instead of in there, thought. But I can’t go back, now. I’m stuck.” Jo sat on the floor, legs folded under him. And then his eyes glazed over, his upper lip pulling back slightly. “I don’t require your pity. I can handle myself.”
Mathieu raised an eyebrow at the sudden change in demeanor. “Okay?”
Jo blinked a few times, his face sweet yet again. Then, he giggled. “Oh, just ignore me. I heard yelling earlier. What’s going on?”
Mathieu raised one eyebrow, but let the moment pass. He didn’t know who, or what, Jo was, but if he was in the house, he deserved to know what he was walking down into. “Nathan, the man whose house this is, died. I guess he was poisoned. I don’t really understand how it works.”
“Well why aren’t you down there?” Jo tilted his head curiously.
Sighing, Mathieu reached out and picked up Niveus. “Everyone else had something to be doing, and I didn’t.” He looked Jo over; the boy seemed very…plain. “I thought you would be thankful for some clothing.”
“Well, thank you. Not to be overly rude, but could I get something to eat? Pretty please?” Jo smiled rather blankly at him despite how sweet his words were.