Nicolas only came here to see his father and receive training, while Valentina did so to socialize and find potential males.
Since he’d been too young, he’d never participated in official ceremonies and his knowledge only came from his parents. Was this behavior normal?
The elder broke the hug and smiled, obviously noticing Nicolas’s confusion. He gestured with his hand and moments later, one of the The Lynx Who Claimed the Sun
81
priests provided a shiny mirror. Nicolas took it and stared at his reflection. He looked absolutely the same. His nose hadn’t changed in the slightest.
“But… Why?”
“You are our blessed one,” the elder replied. “Now come. We must celebrate.”
Put at ease by his leader’s words, Nicolas went with the older hummingbird. He didn’t know what “blessed one” meant, but he decided it didn’t matter. His people and his family would show him what he needed to do from now on.
Nicolas took deep breaths, trying to draw out every possible memory from the flashback. It was useless. He still couldn’t figure out why his family hated him.
He looked up at his father, always aware of his sire’s eyes on him.
“What do you intend to do with me?”
“For the moment, nothing,” the other man replied enigmatically.
“But your time will come, and on that day, you’ll at last wash the shame you brought upon our family.”
With those final words, Nicolas’s father took the lantern and left the cell. The heavy door closed behind him, and Nicolas was left in the darkness once again, struggling alone with his faceless demons.
82
Scarlet Hyacinth
Chapter Six
A few weeks later
Preston stole a look at his father, and tears emerged in his eyes.
He’d never seen his dad like this. Ever since Nicolas had disappeared, Preston’s father had fallen more and more into despair.
Oh, he still tried to pretend. Whenever Preston and Corbin were around, he smiled at them and hugged them with the same affection as before. But Preston could feel the difference in his father. It was as if the older lynx was slowly withering inside. Even now, as they sat at the table together, he was only pretending to eat.
Everyone else seemed concerned as well. Preston could see it in Skylar and also in all of the other people present. When they thought Preston and Corbin weren’t watching, they gave Garth worried looks.
Preston focused on his plate and did his best to hold his sorrow in check. The conversation that buzzed around him passed him by. He was thankful for their presence. Soren, his brother, Brody, and their friend, Liam, took turns in going out with Garth to try to find Nicolas.
Carson, Brody’s mate, helped Skylar with taking care of all the children in the house, and Preston had taken to spending a lot of time with the lamb-shifter. He was nice, and he told happy stories, stories that sometimes made him believe Nicolas would return and they’d be happy after all. He also liked Shiloh a lot. The swan shifter was funny, and when he and Carson sang, it soothed a part of Preston that had rarely known gentleness.
Rather, when they sang, Preston remembered Nicolas. Before Preston’s mother had showed up, Preston had actually allowed The Lynx Who Claimed the Sun
83
Nicolas to get close. He remembered times when they would go to visit Nicolas in his workplace, a large, beautiful bookstore. Nicolas would show both him and Corbin around and tell them stories about different places all over the world. He’d even given them books as presents. Preston still kept those books and, now that Nicolas was gone, spent his time reading through them.
All throughout dinner, Preston thought about those times and those stories. He wondered if he’d ever see the inside of Nicolas’s bookstore again. He wondered his dad would find his genuine smile or if their lives had forever been robbed of that warmth.
The meal ended on a somber note. Skylar’s parents gestured for the servants to clean the table
Since he’d been too young, he’d never participated in official ceremonies and his knowledge only came from his parents. Was this behavior normal?
The elder broke the hug and smiled, obviously noticing Nicolas’s confusion. He gestured with his hand and moments later, one of the The Lynx Who Claimed the Sun
81
priests provided a shiny mirror. Nicolas took it and stared at his reflection. He looked absolutely the same. His nose hadn’t changed in the slightest.
“But… Why?”
“You are our blessed one,” the elder replied. “Now come. We must celebrate.”
Put at ease by his leader’s words, Nicolas went with the older hummingbird. He didn’t know what “blessed one” meant, but he decided it didn’t matter. His people and his family would show him what he needed to do from now on.
Nicolas took deep breaths, trying to draw out every possible memory from the flashback. It was useless. He still couldn’t figure out why his family hated him.
He looked up at his father, always aware of his sire’s eyes on him.
“What do you intend to do with me?”
“For the moment, nothing,” the other man replied enigmatically.
“But your time will come, and on that day, you’ll at last wash the shame you brought upon our family.”
With those final words, Nicolas’s father took the lantern and left the cell. The heavy door closed behind him, and Nicolas was left in the darkness once again, struggling alone with his faceless demons.
82
Scarlet Hyacinth
Chapter Six
A few weeks later
Preston stole a look at his father, and tears emerged in his eyes.
He’d never seen his dad like this. Ever since Nicolas had disappeared, Preston’s father had fallen more and more into despair.
Oh, he still tried to pretend. Whenever Preston and Corbin were around, he smiled at them and hugged them with the same affection as before. But Preston could feel the difference in his father. It was as if the older lynx was slowly withering inside. Even now, as they sat at the table together, he was only pretending to eat.
Everyone else seemed concerned as well. Preston could see it in Skylar and also in all of the other people present. When they thought Preston and Corbin weren’t watching, they gave Garth worried looks.
Preston focused on his plate and did his best to hold his sorrow in check. The conversation that buzzed around him passed him by. He was thankful for their presence. Soren, his brother, Brody, and their friend, Liam, took turns in going out with Garth to try to find Nicolas.
Carson, Brody’s mate, helped Skylar with taking care of all the children in the house, and Preston had taken to spending a lot of time with the lamb-shifter. He was nice, and he told happy stories, stories that sometimes made him believe Nicolas would return and they’d be happy after all. He also liked Shiloh a lot. The swan shifter was funny, and when he and Carson sang, it soothed a part of Preston that had rarely known gentleness.
Rather, when they sang, Preston remembered Nicolas. Before Preston’s mother had showed up, Preston had actually allowed The Lynx Who Claimed the Sun
83
Nicolas to get close. He remembered times when they would go to visit Nicolas in his workplace, a large, beautiful bookstore. Nicolas would show both him and Corbin around and tell them stories about different places all over the world. He’d even given them books as presents. Preston still kept those books and, now that Nicolas was gone, spent his time reading through them.
All throughout dinner, Preston thought about those times and those stories. He wondered if he’d ever see the inside of Nicolas’s bookstore again. He wondered his dad would find his genuine smile or if their lives had forever been robbed of that warmth.
The meal ended on a somber note. Skylar’s parents gestured for the servants to clean the table
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