The Lion Soul by Amy Sumida

Chapter Twenty-Six

“May I speak with you two privately?” Rionthal asked Kaelen and me several minutes later.

“Of course, Father.” Kaelen stood.

“What's this about?” Draphea asked as I got up too.

“I just need to speak with them. We won't be long.” Rionthal kissed his wife's cheek before he led Kaelen and me inside his home.

Kaelen's father took us down a hallway and into a room lined with bookshelves, with a heavy desk near one wall. He veered away from the desk and headed to a sitting area of leather couches and tiny side tables. Kaelen and I sat on the couch across from his father.

“Now, tell me why I smell something other than lion on you, Rieyu,” Rionthal demanded in a stern tone.

Kaelen and I shared a glance before he started to speak.

“No,” Rionthal cut him off. “I want to hear it from Rieyu. You speak too much for him.”

“Because he is a man of few words,” Kaelen shot back.

“It's fine.” I waved off Kaelen's concern and answered his father honestly, “When the Goddess transformed me, the God Ry'zaran also touched me. He thinks that I will bring peace between the Farungal and Fae by bridging the races.”

“Ry'zaran?” Rionthal frowned.

“He's the Father of the Farungals,” Kaelen said grimly.

“What?” Rionthal's voice lowered dangerously. “Are you saying that Rieyu is part Farungal?”

“Only his body, Father,” Kaelen said. “And he was not born a Farungal; he was transformed.”

“I know he wasn't born a Farungal, but they're evil, Son,” Rionthal hissed as he stood. “How could you bring him here? How could you let him hold Soril?!”

“That is enough!” Kaelen growled as he jumped to his feet. “How dare you say that about my valorian?!”

My heart sank as I watched father and son face off over me. This was what I'd feared. Actually no, this was worse.

“The Queen herself agrees that Rieyu will be a benefit to us,” Kaelen said. “He is honorable and brave, and he proved himself a true faerie by simply crossing through the mists.”

“That may be true, but I can't risk it.” Rionthal looked from his son to me. “I'm sorry, Rieyu. You seem like a very nice man, and I was thrilled to welcome you into our family, but I can't have you here. I hope you understand.”

“Father!” Kaelen shouted in horror.

I got to my feet, bowed to Rionthal, and tried to walk out.

Kaelen grabbed my arm. “Hold on, Rie. This isn't over.”

“Kae, I don't want to come between you and your family,” I said gently as I removed his hand. “Go make your goodbyes, and I will wait outside.”

“We're not leaving like this.” Kaelen grabbed my arm again.

“Stop,” I said firmly and shook my head. “This is not the way. You cannot change someone's mind by shouting at them.”

Kaelen's expression fell and his hand dropped away. As I walked out of the room, I heard him say, “I have always been proud to be your son, Father. But today, you have humiliated me in front of a man who is very important to me. I am ashamed to be related to you.”

Kae stepped up beside me and took my hand.

“Son!” Rionthal called after him as we entered the hallway.

“It's all right,” I said. “Go say goodbye to your family.”

“No, my father can explain to them why we won't be joining them for dinner,” Kaelen said stiffly.

“Kaelen, please don't put me in this position.”

“What position?”

“That of the monster,” I whispered.

Kae stopped and grabbed my upper arms to turn me toward him. “Your body changed, Rieyu, not your soul. And your soul is the most beautiful thing I've ever looked upon in all my life. There isn't an ounce of monstrosity in it.”

“Thank you.” I laid a hand over one of his. “But I'm not saying that I'm a monster. I'm saying that you will make me look monstrous if you walk out with me now. You haven't seen your family in months, do not leave like this. Please, go and say goodbye properly.”

“Then wait here for me,” he growled. “I don't want you standing on the doorstep like a stranger. Whether he wants to admit it or not, you are a part of this family. You may be half Farungal but the other half is me, Rieyu. You are mine!” He took my face in his hands and kissed me tenderly, then pulled back to press his forehead to mine. “Wait here.”

I nodded.

Even as Kaelen started to leave, his mother and brother came rushing down the hallway.

“What the fuck is going on in here?” Kirran demanded.

“We heard shouting,” Draphea added.

“You tell them, Father,” Kaelen growled at Rionthal, who had come up behind them. “Go on, I need to hear your bigotry one more time so I can accept that it actually came out of your mouth.”

“Bigotry?” Draphea asked in horror.

“It's not bigotry,” Rionthal said wearily. “And I'm deeply sorry, Son. I don't want to do this, but I have to think of the rest of the family. That's what it means to be the patriarch.”

“Really?” Draphea growled. “And what does it mean to be the matriarch?”

“My love, Rieyu is part Farungal,” Rionthal said softly.

Draphea gasped and looked at Kaelen in horror. “What?”

“That's fucking ridiculous,” Kirran scoffed. “Look at him; he's no more a Farungal than I am.”

“It's true,” I said. “The Farungal God transformed me along with the Goddess. He says that he's on our side, and I am his way of helping to end the war. I am both races in one man. But I am what they were before the Goddess punished the Farungal, not what they are now, and so I don't have their monstrous features.”

“Holy shit,” Kirran whispered.

“No, it can't be,” Draphea said.

“Thank you for your hospitality.” I bowed to Draphea. “It was a pleasure to meet all of you.” I turned and walked away.

“He is not a Farungal,” Kaelen snarled at them. “His body has been changed against his will, but he's still the man who saved my life, and you have repaid him with disrespect and dishonor—the two gravest insults to his people. Shame on all of you! You haven't just disappointed me, you've also disappointed the Goddess.”

“Fuck, Brother, I didn't say I agreed with Father!” Then Kirran called after me, “Rieyu, come back!”

I stopped walking but didn't turn around.

“Think of Soril!” Rionthal snapped. “What if the evil in the Farungals is hidden inside Rieyu? How can you allow your son to be around that?”

“Evil, Father?” Kirran huffed. “That man is not evil. Kaelen is right, you're behaving shamefully. I can hardly believe that you would treat our valorian like this.”

“Thank you, Kirran,” Kae murmured.

I glanced over my shoulder just in time to see Kaelen look at his mother askance.

Draphea sighed as she looked from her son to her husband. Her expression fell as she made her decision and took her husband's hand.

“Goodbye, Mother,” Kaelen said crisply. “Don't worry, we won't taint your home with our presence again.”

“Kae,” Draphea called mournfully after him.

“Neva, bring Soril!” Kirran shouted back down the corridor. “We're leaving!”

“What?!” Draphea shrieked.

“No!” I shouted, my calm shattered at last.

Everyone went quiet and stared at me as I turned to face them.

I took a deep breath and let it out. “You are a beautiful family. Do not fall apart because of me. Please, Kirran, do not put your son through this. Don't take him from his grandparents because they're trying to protect him. You are fighting because you love each other, and that is not a reason to fight.”

“Fuck,” Kirran whispered as he blinked rapidly. Then he glared at his parents. “This is the man you think is evil.”

“I don't think he's evil,” Rionthal protested. “I think there's a possibility that evil lay inside him, waiting for the right time to emerge. It's as if he's been infected with one of those diseases the humans catch. It's not his fault, but that doesn't mean he should be allowed to get healthy people sick.”

“What's going on?” Neva asked as she joined us with Soril. “Where are we going?”

Kirran looked at me.

I shook my head.

Kirran sighed and said, “Nowhere, sweetheart. Kae and Rieyu were called away by the Queen. We need to say goodbye to them.”

Neva frowned at him, obviously not buying it, while Soril whined and started toward me.

“No!” Rionthal scooped Soril up before he could reach me.

“Grandpa, I want to say goodbye to Uncle Rieyu,” Soril said sternly.

“You can say goodbye from here.”

It was a good thing I had so much experience in keeping a neutral expression. It was even harder to force it into a smile. “Goodbye, Soril. It was nice to meet you.”

“Goodbye, Uncle Rieyu,” Soril said brightly, then scowled at his grandfather. “I'm sorry that Grandpa is being funny.”

“It's quite all right.” I nodded to Neva. “Goodbye, Neva.”

“Goodbye, Rieyu,” Neva said in a confused tone and looked from her husband to her in-laws.

Kaelen took Soril from his father and hugged him tightly. “I might be gone awhile this time, cub, but I'll be thinking of you.”

“Why?” Soril cried.

“I have to go back to Stalana and end the war with Uncle Rieyu.” He shot a glare at his father before saying, “Uncle Rieyu is going to help us even though he's not from this continent.”

“All right, Uncle Kae,” Soril said softly. “I'll pray to the Goddess to keep you and Uncle Rie safe.”

Kaelen kissed Soril's cheek, then his mother's, and hugged his brother goodbye.

“I'll come by later tonight,” Kirran whispered.

Kaelen nodded, took my hand, and led me out of his family's home.