A KINGDOM OF DEAD HEARTS [COMPLETED]

CHAPTER 9: HOME WITH STRANGERS

Lyanna started talking more halfway home.

She asked a lot of questions about what she saw, and Airin tried her best to answer, in simple, short, sentences like she did with her young students in class.

As Lyanna grew more secure, she began to walk next to Airin so she could ask her more questions, and Xander walked a few steps behind them.

A few times they stopped so Lyanna could admire the buildings, the cars, the buses, the metro trains ... all. Her mouth opened wide as she struggled to contain her awe.

When Airin could get some words in among the barrage of questions from Lyanna, she asked how old the girl was. Lyanna said she was five, then she was busy asking this and that again.

When they finally got to her apartment, and Lyanna was exhausted from all the exposure to the new things she saw and learned on the way. She jumped in fright when she heard the metro passing by with its loud noise, she ran to Xander and almost cried until Airin explained, to the best of her ability, what metro was and what the noise was.

That explanation was enough for both Xander and Lyanna, both clearly trusted Airin more now. The little girl quickly rediscovered her curiosity, walked around the living room, asked a few questions, and just casually found her way to the futon couch and slumped – completely forgetting her hunger, and falling asleep right away.

Airin never truly realized the sheer smallness of her apartment, until Xander, with his tall muscular body that seemed to almost touch her ceiling, stood in the middle of it. His clothes made it all more obvious in the backdrop of her apartment, that he came from a completely different place from her.

"Look, I don't know in what kind of home ... castle ... dwelling you live in ...in ... wherever you come from. But this is my home ... dwelling ... apartment ..." Airin stumbled her words.

She felt the urge to speak like those characters she saw in movies about some Middle Ages warriors in their kingdom. "It's a bit ... small ..." Airin added as she took a deep breath, trying to calm her racing heart.

She had guys over before, but this guy in front of her felt different. He felt literally otherworldly, and otherworldly was not just as an adverb, a description, that she would mindlessly add to her social media caption when she did upload a photo of a guy she was with.

Xander looked around, and nodded. "I do not have problem with the size of this ... apartment, Miss Airin."

"Just Airin, please."

"Airin."

"Yes."

Xander stumbled a bit, and Airin came closer. "You are wounded. Let me see it."

"Do not worry about it," Xander took a step back.

"I have some first aid kit. I don't have a car but I could take you to the ER if needed. By cab."

The confusion on Xander's face made Airin realize she had spoken too fast on too many terms that may be new for him. "Just let me at least see it," Airin sighed.

Xander seemed in doubt, his eyebrows furrowed as he thought, and he finally nodded – a fleeting, unsure, nod. "I have something I could put for it. It will be alright," his doubt was back.

The thunderstorm arrived. Raging rain pummeled the windows, droplets of water ran after one and another, thunder roared, and Airin was glad they got to her apartment before all the water broke loose.

"Fine then. Let me know if you need anything."

"Airin, I ..."

"Yes?"