Ehren woke with a start. For a moment, he didn’t know where he was and couldn’t figure out why he wasn’t in his room. He scrubbed his hands over his face. Upon removing his hands the first thing he saw were Akira’s hoary, azure eyes.

“You’re awake!” he gasped in obvious surprise. “Why didn’t you wake me?”

“I tried but you were out cold,” she chuckled. “Must have needed the sleep more than you realized, my prince.”

Ehren shrugged and stood.

“How do you feel, mon petite pirate?” he asked around a yawn.

“Like complete and utter shit,” she huffed. “But I supposed that’s to be expected after an exorcism like that. Gods, if my mother knew what the Mother Superior had actually done when she whipped me, she would have most certainly gone for blood.”

“You said gods, why?”

“You didn’t know?” she countered.

“Know what?”

“My family is not Christian,” she replied. “Hasn’t been for as long as I can remember. My mother was very much Christian but my father is pagan. After I nearly died because of people in her religion, my mother stopped forcing us to accompany her to church. Eventually, I became a parriah and she was really no longer welcomed at her church. My father always encouraged us to be one with nature. He also said we should learn from our past, mistakes and triumphs alike.” She paused as a fit of coughing wracked her.

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Ehren moved to help her but she shook her head.

“We are fragile creatures,” she rasped when she could finally catch her breath. “As a rule we should not go against the will of the gods because of our fragility but on rare occasions it is necessary. I do not fear death for the will to live will always outweigh the ability to die.”

“That’s an interesting phrase.”

“What is?”

“The will to live part.”

Akira gave a huff that he could only take as laughter.

“Grandpa Mavi talks in his sleep and that is the only thing he repeats.”

Ehren stared at her quizzically.

“It’s hard not to hear him sometimes,” she sighed. “He often screams in his sleep, much like I did.”

She was suddenly racked by another fit of coughing. Ehren stood, ready to find his uncle, but her hand shot out like lightening. She held onto him as if he were her lifeline. When the coughing stopped, her hand fell from his wrist and dangled limply by her side. He brushed a tendril of hair from her face and found it burning with fever.

“Uncle!” he called suddenly overcome with worry.

“Promise me,” she weazed. “Promise me you won’t leave me no matter what he says. Please, promise me.”

Ehren was unable to reply before his uncle stumbled into the room.