The Witch's Toy ✔

16: confusion amongst memories

Uriel. I felt like I'd never heard that name before, but something sparked at the back of my mind. She introduced herself as my grandmother, and yet... I felt that she was more than just that.

I watched her under dark lashes, large brown eyes matching the unwavering look in hers. When she didn't say anything else, I stepped back, grabbing the hem of Azazel's shirt and ducking behind him evasively.

Uriel's brows rose as she fixed her gaze on Azazel. He looked uncomfortable in this situation, eyes flickering down at me, then back at his mistress nervously.

"She likes you, Azazel," Uriel said dryly, obviously upset that I hadn't greeted her the way she did. Or even say anything to her, for that matter. I had instead attempted to hide myself from her like the sight of her scared me.

"I assure you, Mistress, that I didn't mean for her to ignore you like that," Azazel responded, smiling apologetically. "I was the first one she saw when her mother left her here, so I'm sure she is only the most familiar with me because of that."

Uriel brushed it off, waving her hand in the air. She pulled out a chair from under the table, lowering herself down on it before crossing her legs. Propping herself up on her elbows, she played with the ends of her long locks. "Of course you wouldn't mean for her to ignore me. She's a child and has a mind of her own. She's just shy, especially since her own mother just up and left her for God knows how long in a home she's never been in." She sighed softly, letting go of her hair in a swirl to look at me. "I don't know what has come over my own child."

My heart squeezed at her words, and my bottom lip started to quiver as I was reminded of my mother's absence. My grandmother was right. I really didn't know how long my mother was going to be gone. My hand tightened on Azazel's shirt, pulling at it. He held his hand out, and I reluctantly let go of his shirt to curl my small fingers around his.

"I would advise you to be a little more sensitive, Mistress," Azazel said quietly. "Yu Rui is still present."

"And I am aware that she is, Azazel." The warmth in her chocolate eyes had gone out, replaced by a steely glare that made Azazel swallow uneasily. His grip around my hand tightened.

Maalik stepped forward a bit, face passive as he spoke. It was subtle, but I noticed that he glanced up at the glowing man who stood silently behind my grandmother. Their eyes met for the briefest moment — crimson to violet. A sort of understanding was met between them. "Uriel, you seem... tired. Was work difficult today?"

"It always is." My grandmother sighed, dropping her head down into her hand. "If only I had known that becoming human would make this body so susceptible to pain and exhaustion. I always knew humans had a significant disadvantage health-wise, but I just never really considered it."

"You should rest." It was the crimson-eyed man who spoke. When he moved forward, hand on my grandmother's shoulder, his glowing aura dissipated to nothing where they touched. "I'll accompany you."

She looked up at him, and her eyes wavered, like she couldn't bear to rest her eyes on him for too long. When she swiveled her eyes away, the mood around her shifted. I could see it clearly just as I saw everyone else's.

People had commented on how perceptive I was for a child, but I knew my ability to read people's emotions and actions wasn't perceptiveness. It was something else entirely that I couldn't quite name. It was something otherworldly — a gift, some have whispered to me.

"I'll rest," my grandmother murmured, "but I don't need you to heal me, Raphael. You have the entire world to look after. Don't waste your energy on me." The words were so bitter that I didn't dare look up at Raphael to see his reaction.