Seventh King

Stings

For me it started with burns marring my skin.

I was with Mother when it happened, but she wasn't the one who hurt me, not yet that was later. I sat in her lap, encircled by her arms, my eyes glued to the TV, drinking in every word of the King's- of Father's interview.

I let out a loud, startled, gasp and curled in on myself with a soft whimper of pain.

"Azazel?" Mother's arms tightened around me pulling me close. "Are you alright? What's wrong?"

I couldn't answer, more than "ow, ow, ow," my voice was shaking, I held out my arms as they sting, making touch unbearable.

There were burns on my arms that weren't there before, that had nothing to do with my powers. My hands shook and tears welled in my eyes I looked down only to see inflamed skin, bright red in the shape of hands.

Small hands-too small to be like the burns Father gives me when he isn't careful. They're Me-sized hands, but it's at the wrong angle for me to have done this to myself And even if it wasn't, I can't even make burns like this both hands anyway.

Moments later, as suddenly as they had appeared, the burns vanish, though the stinging pain remains. I sniffled quietly, and Mother wrapped me in a hug, rocking me back and forth as she pressed a kiss to my hair.

"That's your soulmate, Azazel," she whispered. There's no one else in the room, and Father isn't even at home right now, but she always whispered just to be safe whenever she told me things that Father wouldn't like.

I knew very little of soulmates. I heard Avaa's mom talk about it before, but never to explain what they are. She always made it sound like something good, but Mom flinches at the word. And now, the first time she's ever talked about it, it's to explain why my arms burn.

"Did they hurt me?" I asked, still looking at my arms.

"No, no." I felt her shake her head. "Never, Zel They'd never hurt you. They love you."

"They do?"

"Mm-hm." Her voice is warm and soft. "They will, when they meet you. That's what soulmates are for. It hurts because something else hurt them."

"Oh." The pain is ebbing now, from white-hot needles to duller, smaller stings. "Um... does that mean they feel it too?"

"Yes. Whenever you're in pain, your soulmate will feel it, too. That's how they know you need help."

I fell silent again, looking at the TV. I thought about this-about how Mom and Dad aren't soulmates, they can't possibly be soulmates because if they were then Father would never hurt her the way he does. I thought about how useless it is for my soulmate to know that I hurt, because no one can help me. Not against Father. And if I feel my soulmate's pain, then what am I supposed to do to help them?

I can't stop Father.

I can't even help Mom.