The Raven's Source

Chapter 34 - Reminisce of a Raven

"Why can't she be my daughter?" Leena teased and held Nikola close as Rose and Cerno rejoined them.

"Besides the obvious?" Rose chuckled.

"That you're a single mother with a dad lined up and I'm just a widow who could pop any time?" Leena asked. Her voice had dropped as her eyes welled up and an actual tear fell down one cheek.

"Well, I didn't really have an answer to give outside of the obvious that Jhonnis Angevin knows this is your first pregnancy," Rose said with a frown. "But way to ouch the whole room."

Leena suddenly started laughing. She looked over at Ilyana who was grinning.

"It's you!" Twyn exclaimed, wide eyed as he was the first to catch it. "You're making her feel sadness to make it real!"

"Guilty," Ily said. "She sure is believable, isn't she! I know it's another punch in the chest to everyone, especially Shej, but if we have to go out, we know she's going to be the most convincing widow in all of Saorsa."

"Who's Shej?" little Nikola asked, half smirking at Ily.

"My sister lies in her room, her body dormant. We all ought to not forget that out of respect for her," Cerno said silently, furrowing his brow and lowering his head a bit as his hand raised up to his chest and lightly grabbed at his shirt.

Leena instantly frowned and looked at the child on her lap. She quickly looked back up at Cerno.

"Excuse me, please," he said softly, his voice lightly cracking. He turned and immediately left the room.

"That was too real for him. Did you help him milk that?" Leena asked as she looked over at Ily.

Ily quickly held her hands up and shook her head.

When Leena looked at Twyn, he looked just as confused as she did. Even Rose looked a little stricken by Cerno's words and sudden exit.

"Was this morning..." Leena paused, looking at Nikola again, suddenly not sure of the identity of the child sitting on her lap. "Please...please tell me I wasn't hallucinating this morning," she begged.

"What's halushaning?" Nikola asked softly.

"It's when someone sees things that aren't there, and it can happen when people are really, really sad," Twyn answered slowly, glancing at Leena with a look that showed his equal confusion. They all knew Cerno couldn't act very well, and now Twyn too felt a bit of concern.

"Did Cerno visit us this morning because it didn't work?" Ily asked quietly. "The Angevin in our home this morning was Cerno's height."

"But they were Shej's eyes and the scar was there," Leena protested.

"Maybe Cerno can transfigure? He did sound like Cerno for a minute when he was talking about Sheja being dead," Twyn added.

Leena's eyes went wide and her face flushed as she suddenly looked mortified.

"What?" Twyn asked her.

"Exorcism..." she said quietly, staring at him.

"Exorcism?" Rose asked.

Twyn suddenly looked like he didn't know whether to laugh or cry.

"I..." Leena started but she couldn't get the words out. Her hormones sent tears spilling again.

"Oh," Nikola said. "Auntie Leena shouldn't be sad!" Nikola giggled and slipped her hand in Leena's and pulled it onto her lap. Slowly so no one would notice it, she stroked Leena's index finger.