Solstice Souls Book 2: Black Fire, White Flame

Forgiveness

Wei Ying POV

A soft whisper tickled Wei Ying's ears. It was so familiar, like an old song locked away in the depths of his mind. Voices that he had listened to since his birth conversed faintly in the background.

He felt warm, loved....at peace.

"A-Ying, you need to eat before you go outside for your archery lesson!" his mother called.

"Oh, come on. Let the boy get some energy out and then we'll eat." his father argued.

Wei Ying blinked away the fog blanketing his brain. His eyes slowly adjusted to the light of the late afternoon sun beating down on his skin. In his hands was his favorite bow. It had been gifted to him by his grandmother when he was eight years old. He looked at it carefully, wondering how it came to be in his hand. Jiang Cheng had accidentally broken it two summers later and Wei Ying had held back his tears over the broken bow until after he returned home.

A firm hand on his shoulder snapped Wei Ying out of his memories. "A-Ying, let's show your mother how much you've improved." Wei Changze murmured with a wink.

"Baba?" Wei Ying's heart clenched at seeing his father. The last time he had looked into his father's eyes was right before he was captured by the Wens three days ago.

Three days. Had it only been three moons ago that he had been reunited with his parents only to turn his back on them? It seemed more like three years since he had teased his father and given him a piggyback ride out of Lotus Cove.

"Come. Take your aim and remember what I've taught you." Wei Changze coaxed.

"You mean what I've taught him!" Cangse Sanren chimed in as she came out of their house, hands full of fresh meat buns.

"Mama!" Wei Ying shouted as he took off running. Before his mother could set the food in her hands down, Wei Ying picked her up and spun her around, meat buns flying everywhere.

"A-Ying! What's gotten into you?" she giggled.

Wei Ying buried his face in the crook of her neck and breathed in the comforting scent of camellia and cinnamon. Her soft hair brushed against his face and he squeezed her tighter. The knot in his throat made it difficult to answer so he stayed silent. All the horrors of the past few days evaporated, the tension in his muscles ebbing away.

I'm home.

"I love you, mama." he whispered.

His mother stroked his hair and held him close. "I love you, too, sweetie."

"What about me?" Wei Changze whined. "Does anyone love me?"

Wei Ying let one of his arms slip away from his mother's waist and placed it on his father's broad shoulder. His bright silver eyes met his father's tarnished silver ones. Wei Ying's always infectious smile spread across his face as he pulled both his parents into his embrace.

"I'll always love you, baba."

"A-Ying, is everything alright?" his mother questioned.

"It is now." he answered.

Wei Ying.

Wei Ying lifted his head.

Lan Zhan?

Wei Ying.

"A-Ying, what is it?" his mother asked as she placed a loving hand on Wei Ying's cheek.

Wei Ying looked at both his parents. His lips fell down at the corners. "I have to go."

"But your mother cooked your favorite meal." his father pointed out.