Chapter Twenty-Four: A Pair of Red Eyes

Ava found herself getting taken to August’s home as soon as she opened her mouth. Abby was determined to keep Simon updated, why? She didn’t know but she didn’t mind following Abby whilst Mack stayed back and called Gene and Cole to come out of their hiding place so they could meet Kendrix.

Ava was grateful for her kindness and she hoped that once they held that baby, they would finally decide to settle down and finally adopt a child of their own like they have been talking about for the last three years.

She tried not to gasp at the sight of August’s home. It was different to the others and as she walked up the steps, she couldn’t help but widen her eyes in fascination and wonder. Once Abby opened the door, Ava was greeted by another shocking sight. Figus was chasing after two of the kittens while Lucas tried to help him with a strong yelp in surprise as a third almost made him fall over. Pipèe held onto the other three somehow as she shouted at the others to calm down but her words were falling on deaf ears. August was leaning against the kitchen counter with ale in one hand and his other hand was rubbing his temple as if this was a daily thing for him and Simon sat in a chair looking a little distant. He didn’t look very well when she first met him but now that she was seeing him in a different environment, she realised that he was deeply ill. His pale complexion and dull purple eyes were not the man she met three nights ago. And then there was Nymeria, sharpening her blade in a corner as she deeply sighed and cracked her neck as if all of the noise and chaos was disturbing her thoughts.

From what Ava has experienced so far, August and Nymeria were quiet, organised people but it turns out that behind closed doors, their lives were loud and chaotic.

“Looks like nothing has changed around here,” Abby muttered earning glares from all directions. “We bring news.”

Simon sat up and cleared his throat. “The lesson worked I assume?”

Ava nodded with a small smile. “Yes, Sawyer is two days away.”

“Good,” Simon said before he coughed. The sound was strained and caused her heart to skip as Nymeria ran over and offered him a glass of water which he happily took. “Not much longer now and I can finally rest.”

Nymeria frowned but didn’t question his words as she stood and resumed what she was doing. At that time, the kittens had stopped being troublemakers and allowed the boys to carry them into one of the rooms before Lucas closed the door and sighed heavily. “I’m glad that those kids aren’t mine.”

“Don’t jinx it.” August chuckled through his migraine. “They weren’t so bad to begin with and then they started talking and walking. Now they refuse to stop.”

“Then I’ll make sure my kid never learns how to walk and talk.”

Ava crossed her arms and raised an eyebrow. “Don’t I get a say in that?”

Lucas widened his eyes and grinned innocently. “Of course, my love.”

“Nice save.” Abby snorted before she turned back to Simon. “Now that we know how far Sawyer is, now will you tell us why you want us all to be together?”

Simon shook his head. “In good time, demon fire.”

“How many times have I told you not to call me that!?”

Ava stepped back and tried to contain her laughter as she turned her eyes towards Nymeria and found that she couldn’t look away. She wanted to talk to her, something was off and she could smell it in the air but she needed to gain Nymeria’s attention so that she could address it. Somehow, her thoughts must have travelled because she found Nymeria’s red eyes looking right into her brown ones.

For a split second, she could her breath hitching. Her red eyes looked straight into Ava’s soul as she slowly looked away and aimed to walk out of the front door. Ava hoped that Nymeria would follow and to her luck, she did as she walked down a couple of steps and waited.

Nymeria eyed her curiously before she spoke. “What?”

Ava jumped slightly as she bit her lip and smiled. “Just wanted to say hi.”

Her words felt stupid as soon as they fell out of her mouth but she didn’t know what else to say. Nymeria was so intimidating and scary. It didn’t help that she was Ava’s first experience meeting a trained assassin and then it suddenly dawned on her that she could use that to her advantage. “I uh…I killed someone a while ago. He was the first person I have ever killed and although it was an accident, I was wondering how to get passed the guilt.”

“And instead of asking Abigail, you’re asking me?” Nymeria questioned with a raised eyebrow. She knew that this wasn’t the reason why Ava wanted to talk but she didn’t want to talk about it either so her buffer was working. “You don’t get over killing someone. You face the reasons for why you did it, you accept that it had to be done and then you move on. Sounds simple enough - it’s not but you learn to adapt.”

“And if I don’t?”

Nymeria sighed and crossed her arms over her chest. It was a little strange to see a female in tight leather clothing. Abby also wore pants and loose shirts but they somehow suited her, unlike Nymeria who looked like she was dressed to kill at any given second. Her hair was braided up into a high ponytail and her lips held a snarl to them that she couldn’t get rid of. It was all an act, Ava could see right through it and sadly for Nymeria, she knew this as well. “Some things are hard to accept. Killing a person isn’t something that you can just do despite how many lives you’ve taken. It’s still life no matter what and although I have killed some bad people who deserved what they got, I sometimes think about them and feel that regret. I won’t tell you that it gets easier because it doesn’t and it shouldn’t. If you don’t feel anything at all then you’re not human.”

Ava looked away and held her hands behind her back as she looked out towards the village. “So what have you been telling yourself to keep it a secret?”

She felt Nymeria’s eyes bore into the side of her head and she wanted to cower away but she stayed strong. “I’m still processing.”

Ava pulled her lips into a thin line. “I know it’s none of my business and I’m sorry for sticking my nose in where it’s not wanted. I just…you’re not comfortable around the others and I just want you to have someone to talk to.”

Once she finally looked away from the village she was surprised to see a soft smile on Nymeria’s face. “I understand. I would have left this place a long time ago if It wasn’t for August. I did leave at one point but he followed me back and Mack talked me into coming back here. She’s great and all but she won’t understand.”

“A child is hard to process,” Ava admitted with a smile of her own. “I will never pretend to understand but I’ll happily be a listening ear.”

“It’s a boy,” Nymeria admitted. “I am thirteen weeks along now. I should tell August this, he’s wanted children for a long time now and when he finds out he’s going to be ecstatic.”

“Then what is stopping you?” Ava asks softly. “He seems like a good guy. I get that you could be holding off because of the kittens but I don’t think he’d take the news as a bad thing because of them.”

Nymeria shook her head and sighed again. “No, I know he won’t react badly. Actually, I know he’ll cry and start listing all of the baby names he’s been piling up for years. It’s me, it is all me and an unknown fear that I can’t shake.”

Ava pulled her lips into a thin line. “Can I tell you how I grew up?” Nymeria nodded and Ava decided to continue. “My parents were killed when I was just a baby. My brother Eugene was just a child and had to look after me. He was terrified and because he was just a kid himself, he didn’t know how to be a father but he did it anyway. He raised me and protected me the best he knew how. He messed up a lot and I admit I wasn’t the easiest kid to raise but we love each other so deeply that I would be lost without him just as much as he would be lost without me. Being a parent was thrown at him but he took it with open arms and I’m glad to call him my father and my brother. You’re fear feels just how he felt when he first took me under his care. The fear of the unknown is deep and painful but it’s rewarding. He didn’t do it alone, Cole came into our lives and he became another Father and brother to me and you won’t be alone either. You have so many people….felines that will help and you have us. You will never be alone, Nymeria.”

Nymeria stood in silence as she listened before she dropped her arms and linked her fingers to one another. “Thank you, Ava.”

“Thank you for letting me be nosy.” She laughed before she turned and looked inside. “He’s going to be happy.”

“I’ll tell him tonight,” Nymeria said softly before she turned her eyes towards Ava. “Call me Nim. Only strangers call me Nymeria.”