All Things Wild and Beautiful

44. Stories of Family

The artwork above is not mine.

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Nascha followed Vaughan through the Bane's camp at a distance, sensing his dark mood. She hadn't bothered to ask what was wrong. Odds were, he wouldn't tell her, and asking about it might just make things worse. She couldn't help but wonder if being overwhelmed at the ball was part of the reason why he had stayed home the day before, and why he was acting this way now.

Nascha soon caught sight of Aeron, waiting with a group of novices. An unfamiliar female stood beside him. Their resemblance was unmistakable. Like Aeron, the female had blonde hair, but hers hung in loose waves around her face. Her skin was paler than his, although it held a sunkissed glow from her time at sea. Her eyes were a rich shade of gold. She was slightly shorter than her brother, with pointed ears and a brilliant smile. Nascha grinned and broke away from Vaughan, joining the pair.

"You must be Luciana," she said, offering a hand. "I'm Nascha."

The female shook her hand with a nod. "My brother mentioned you in a few of his letters. I didn't know he'd told you that I was coming." She flashed Aeron a mock frown. Aeron just smiled.

"I'm glad you made it here safely. Aeron told me about some of your struggles at home. I hope you'll feel safer here than you did there."

"I'm sure I will." Luciana crossed her arms. "Now, let me look at you. Aeron said you were stunningly gorgeous, and I want to see if he's right."

Nascha furrowed her brows as Luciana circled her. Aeron averted his eyes, an embarrassed flush creeping into his cheeks. "Don't let Fenrys hear you say anything like that," Nascha teased.

Aeron tilted his head and studied her, drawing in a deep breath. His smile grew brighter. "My offer to be your middle man still stands."

Nascha threw her head back with a laugh. "Of course it does."

Luciana skipped past, leaving a hint of citrus and lavender in her wake. "I have to agree with you, Aeron. She is very pretty." She draped her arm over Aeron's shoulder and leaned into him.

"So are you," Nascha replied. "I had no idea you'd look so similar."

"Neither did we," Luciana giggled. "We described ourselves in our letters, but it didn't prepare us for seeing each other in person."

"It never does. Aeron mentioned his secondary form is a lynx. Is yours similar to his?"

Luciana nodded. "In a sense. My secondary form is an ocelot."

Nascha knit her brows. "I've never seen one. What do they look like?"

"A much smaller version of a leopard," Luciana explained. "I'm close to the size of a leopard when I shift though, just like Aeron is closer to the size of a small mountain lion as his lynx. What's your secondary form?"

"A barn owl. I'm about five times bigger than what they actually are."

Luciana gave an understanding nod and began to reply. "Nascha!" Vaughan hollered, interrupting her. He joined them shortly, an irritated look on his face.

"I was meeting Aeron's sister," Nascha huffed. "Don't tell me I'm not allowed to meet people."

Vaughan rolled his eyes with a sigh. "Sorry. I haven't slept much the past two nights." He fixed his gaze on Luciana and a look of recognition flickered through his eyes. "I've met you before, haven't I?"