Aria walked back toward the cave with her heart pounding. Black Heart slept well on her back, his few pounds securely wrapped in furs, while she clutched the bundle of fish tightly in her hands.
The scenes of what had gone on by the river swam vividly before her eyes: the dark bubble, the unnatural way it had brought forth the catch, and more perturbingly, the power she felt from her son. She needed to tell Darken, needed to make sense of it all.
As she drew near the cave, she halted, and her breath caught suddenly in her throat.
The figure stood near the entrance of the cave, tall and broad, his back to her. She had never seen a silhouette like his-even in profile, his face unknown to her, except that he was clothed in dark and wore a cloak over his shoulder.
Her gaze darted to Darken, and sure enough, he stood not too far away, his eyes already fastened on her. A slight smile pulled at the corners of his mouth as he strode to her, his gait leisurely.
"I see you're a good fisherman," Darken said softly, his eyes never leaving hers. There was something in the softness of his tone that quieted and disturbed her, a quiet confidence that made everything else fade into the background.
Aria nodded but kept her gaze fixed on the stranger behind Darken. Her heart hammered in her chest as her instincts screamed at her to keep her guarded.
She adjusted her position a bit, angling her body so Black Heart was as hidden as possible, yet the movement seemed minute as she could all but feel the eyes of the man upon her.
"Don't be afraid," Darken said suddenly, feeling her fear. "That's my brother, Tanto. He is also demons' slave and he just came to tell me about the seventh demon.
His words were reassuring, but it grosly tensed Aria further.
Another servant of the demons. Another reminder of the world she had stepped into, where the smallest mistake could get her killed.
She didn't trust new faces, and definitely not the ones connected to dark powers that seemed to follow the steps of her son everywhere he went.
Tanto didn't move, didn't speak; he stood in place, his back still turned toward her, but his presence was like a weight in the air, an oppressive feel that settled onto her skin.
She felt his eyes on her, though he never once turned his head. Aria clenched her jaw and made herself take one step closer toward Darken, the movements stiff and deliberate. She trusted him, more than she probably should, but this other man-this stranger-made her skin crawl.
Darken plucked the bunch of fish from her hands, his fingers skimming hers lightly as he did. "These will keep us in food for days," he said, his voice low and soothing. "Good work."
She nodded again, her eyes darting to the place Tanto was standing-or had been.
The spot where he had been only a second before was now empty. The man was gone, vanished soundlessly. A thud echoed within her heart as she swallowed hard, the uneasy feeling began its crawl up her spine.
"Where did he go?" she asked with no more volume than a whisper.
Darken turned a shoulder on her, impassive. "Back whence he came," he returned, as if that told her anything. He turned to her then and nodded toward a flat rock beside him.
"Now, speak of this fishing trip of yours." His voice was softer now, and a rare smile tugged the corners of his lips.
This was the first time Aria had ever seen him smile, and for a short moment or two, tension in her chest loosened considerably. She found herself nodding back, and a small smile formed at her own lips as she easily could recall what had happened by the river.
"I-" she began, the words spilling from her mouth in a rush, quicker than she'd intended.
"It was Black Heart. He did something... something strange." She trailed off and turned to her son, who was now awake, his dark eyes regarding Darken from where he lay on her back.
"He didn't cry," Aria went on, her voice shaking faintly. "He didn't make a noise.
But the river, it... it belched. A black bubble came up from the water, and then it popped, and there were fish. Dozens of them, just like that." She waved at the one Darken held, her eyes as wide as her face was pale, a look of disbelieving amazement on it.
Darken's eyes flickered from her to Black Heart, who sat staring at him with that unnerving intently. For a very long moment, Darken said nothing, his features thoughtful, almost contemplative.
He reached out, laying the fish down beside him, then folded his arms over his chest.
"I see," he whispered, his eyes never leaving the boy. "So, he has already begun to show his powers."
Aria bit her lip, at a loss for words. "What does it mean?" she asked low, barely a whisper.
Darken exhaled slowly before he looked back at her. "It is meaning that he is more powerful than what we first thought. He's connected to something far greater, something even I can't fathom." He looked backward at Black Heart, slight furrowing on his brow.
"But one thing is clear-he doesn't like seeing you struggle, Aria. I think... I think he wanted to help you. That's why he did what he did."
Aria blinked, her heart missing a beat. "H-he helped me?"
Darken nodded, the tension in his features easing off a little.
"Yes, he may still be young, but there's more awareness in him than we give credit for. He watches, he learns, and he does care about you-even if not in the ways you want.
Aria looked down at her son, her heart swelling with an emotion she couldn't quite place.
Black Heart stared up at her his dark eyes unblinking, his small face as unreadable as ever. But there was something in his gaze, something that finally made her believe Darken's words.
"He's protecting you, in his own way," Darken added, his voice low and steady.
"And you'll need that protection, Aria. His father had powerful enemies, dangerous ones, and they will come for him, for both of you, sooner or later."
Its weight settled heavy upon her shoulders as he spoke, a chill running down her spine.
She had known it was coming, known one day rearing a child like Black Heart would catch up with them.
But to hear Darken speak of this so plainly, so matter-of-factly, made it just too real. "I'll protect him," she whispered, her voice trembling with fear and determination.
"I'll do whatever it takes." Darken's gaze gentled, and he nodded slightly. "I know you will," he said softly. "But for now, let's focus on teaching him how to mask that power of his. We need to get him clothes that at least hide his flames.
He can't be seen by anyone-not until we are ready. Aria nodded, her mind whirling with the weight of their situation. They were alone in this; the only thing standing between them and the dangers ahead was her strength-and Black Heart's growing power.
As she sat next to Darken, the wind outside howling around their little cave, Aria felt the pressure of time running out. But no matter what came, she would protect her son. Even if it cost her everything.