Because I Love You✔️

Chapter 17: Council

Chapter Seventeen: Council

Upon returning to the house, Xaphile sat down in front of the fireplace yet again since he had no more energy or will to do anything, not like it would matter if he did. He pondered his situation with a feeling of hopelessness that stretched deep down into the very core of his being while Amelia hurried off to fetch her glasses, but she soon returned with a huge stack of books in her arms. As he sat there, staring at the wall, she gently eased herself into the wicker rocking chair and set the dusty tomes down directly in front of him, breathing a little heavily.

He bit back a sneeze when a cloud rose up from the stacks, blinking through watery eyes as she began sorting through them.

"What are you doing?" he asked. "What's with the books?"

Instead of answering, she merely beamed in delight.

"You'll see!" she exclaimed, grabbing a specific book and dusting the dark maroon cover off. "All right... are you ready?"

"For what?" he blankly inquired.

"I didn't get a chance to finish our conversation earlier," she said, flipping the book open. "You said you were unhappy because you didn't understand anything about the world around you, right? Well, in all actuality, there's a way for me to help you."

"Really? How?"

"Even though I can't recover your missing memories, I can, at the very least, teach you a few things from scratch."

His eyebrows raised slightly.

"Teach?" he asked, narrowing his eyes a little. "As in lessons? Schooling? That kind of stuff?"

"Essentially, but we'll start with the more pressing topics, first," she said, giving him a firm look. "You don't seem to know anything about magic, and that can be dangerous for a creature like you, since it's a part of your being."

"What do you mean?"

"You know exactly what I mean," Amelia retorted, kindly shaking her head. "You used powerful magic several days ago, but whether it was simply an instinctive use or a planned one, the fact that you continued going even though it was physically draining your body speaks volumes. Magic isn't something you should take lightly. It's dangerous."

"Dangerous?"

"Yes, dangerous," she confirmed, looking away and absently sliding her hand across the weathered parchment. "Not only to the caster, but also those around him. So, in order for you to have a better understanding of what it is and how it works, I'm going to teach you the basics of it until Lady Ella arrives. And I'll continue teaching you what I know, every day, for as long as you stay here."

"Why are you doing this for me?" he demanded, suddenly feeling irritated for some unknown reason. "Why help me?"

Amelia was silent for a long while.

"Your song," she finally admitted, letting out a small sigh.

"My... song? What do you mean?"

"The song I heard when you were still locked up in that horrid cage," she explained, looking at him sadly. "I heard it through my kitchen window. That night, the sorrow in your words lanced my heart. I don't care what you are... it doesn't matter to me. I cannot simply stand by and watch the suffering of another."

His eyes narrowed, and the irritation increased to the point where it finally touched the ice inside his chest, like an ember.

"That kind of thinking could get you in serious trouble someday," he growled. "After all, what if I had been a monster?"