coffin made, Adele and Elric will preserve the body as best they can, and Josette, go with Darcia to prepare a burial site. Mina, get Elise to bed before she snaps.” He swallowed hard and waited. Slowly, the others hesitantly moved into action, executing his orders. Waiting until the others had cleared out, he turned to Elric. “After this, when we have a moment, I need you to explain to me slow acting poison.”
At an acknowledgement from the male healer, he went to his and Solomon’s room. Digging in the dresser, he tried to find the smallest pair of clothing that he could. He had a naked teenager upstairs to deal with. Once he had an outfit, he headed back upstairs; he was careful not to jar the baby Shadowrider.
He’s over here. Nikola called out in his mind from under the desk.
“Thanks. Nik, can you watch…uh…it for a moment?” He held out his little charge.
Tesla looked over at him, It’s a her. She’s very pretty. Made out of your desire to find happiness.
Hope. Nikola intoned. You should call her Niveus. It means hope, or
faith.
“That’s a good name. Niveus.” Kissing the top of her head, he laid her on the desk next to Tesla before going around and leaning down. “Hey, guy…do you speak?”
“…Yes.” The male blinked up at him in a disoriented way.
Mathieu nodded at him, smiling. This was encouraging. “Do you have a name?”
“…Jo. My name is Jo.” He smiled his shy smile from before, his voice a gentle tenor.
“I brought you some clothing. Is that okay? They might be a bit big.”
Jo nodded and crawled out from under the desk like an unstable foal, standing. He was only a few inches shorter than Mathieu. As he put on the clothing, however, he looked much smaller, practically swimming in the garments. “Thanks.”
Flopping into a chair, Mathieu looked at the other. “Okay, now, maybe you can tell me where you came from?” Jo looked around owlishly, seemingly taking everything in.
Jo eventually looked at Mathieu, but it seemed to take a long time for his mouth to start working. “I…came from inside you. I don’t know why I’m out here instead of in there, thought. But I can’t go back, now. I’m stuck.” Jo sat on the floor, legs folded under him. And then his eyes glazed over, his upper lip pulling back slightly. “I don’t require your pity. I can handle myself.”
Mathieu raised an eyebrow at the sudden change in demeanor. “Okay?”
Jo blinked a few times, his face sweet yet again. Then, he giggled. “Oh, just ignore me. I heard yelling earlier. What’s going on?”
Mathieu raised one eyebrow, but let the moment pass. He didn’t know who, or what, Jo was, but if he was in the house, he deserved to know what he was walking down into. “Nathan, the man whose house this is, died. I guess he was poisoned. I don’t really understand how it works.”
“Well why aren’t you down there?” Jo tilted his head curiously.
Sighing, Mathieu reached out and picked up Niveus. “Everyone else had something to be doing, and I didn’t.” He looked Jo over; the boy seemed very…plain. “I thought you would be thankful for some clothing.”
“Well, thank you. Not to be overly rude, but could I get something to eat? Pretty please?” Jo smiled rather blankly at him despite how sweet his words were.
Chapter
Fifteen
“Really, it didn’t hurt that much…” Lenore said as Elric healed her hand. “Just a scratch.”
It had been a week since Nathan’s funeral and life was slowly moving on, just as Mathieu’s had after Avian died. Lenore had finished his sword, which was truly a work of art: it had a beautiful hilt with grooves for his hand, a guard that tilted down around his hand, and the blade was the width of a broadsword but had a section cut out of the center, creating two thin blades with an area for him to bounce his energy between. She had also fashioned a scabbard for it. During the week that had passed, Solomon had actually smiled at him once, Avanon and Elric had been hanging around each other more, Akira had returned to Unith to play mistress again, and Jo had taken to living with them pretty well. He was bunking with Elric because he ‘refused to sleep in a dead man’s room’.
“How does a metalbender manage to hurt herself?” Elric asked sarcastically.
Lenore smiled, blushing. “Surprisingly easily, actually. That sword is sharp as Mina’s temper.”
Darcia held Mathieu’s blade in his hand,