~
Aroya crossed her arms across the surface of the table and rested her chin atop them. “Why were you flying over Brazil?”
Rei gave a start. “What?”
Aroya tilted her head and stared up at her. “Remember when you first took me back home to collect my things and I asked you how you broke your wing? You said it happened when you-”
“Were flying over Brazil. Now I remember.”
“So what were you doing flying over Brazil?” she asked. Rei sighed and leaned back in her chair.
“That was…eight years ago.” She cast a glance around the table. “We’d received some information that Ataya might have been to Brazil when she disappeared. It was possible she was still there at the time. There was said to be a woman matching her description with a daughter down there.”
Aroya’s forehead furrowed. “What was my mother doing in Brazil?”
“That’s what we wanted to know.”
Rei cast a frustrated look at Tas. “I don’t know how many times I’ve told you. You couldn’t’ go.”
“Well I don’t see why not.”
“You don’t speak the language Tas. And besides, my father’s contacts would never have talked to you.”
“Your father?” Aroya asked. What did he have to do with all this?
Rei nodded. “Yes. My father was the one who sent us the information. He was web of connections all over the place. He pulls the strings like a giant spider and people come running, eager to fulfill his every wish,” she muttered. Her voice was bitter and cold and she was slumping further down into her chair as she spoke. Rei made a face and dismissed the conversation.
“Anyway, I went to check on the information, but it proved to be false.”
“It wasn’t my mother?”
Rei shook her head. “No. Just a woman who matched the description, but she was perfectly human and her daughter was too old to have been you.” She smiled. “It appears your mother never set foot in Brazil.” Aroya’s lips formed a silent ‘oh.’
“So…when flying back home you were attacked by a half blood who knocked you out of the sky?” Tas shot a look at Rei who looked panicked. She swallowed nervously.
“Uh…yeah. Hit a tree and busted up my wing. Had to walk through the jungle for awhile, but eventually was able to fly again. As you can see I made it back in one piece.” She laughed, but it was tight and strained. Tas looked furious.
“If you’ll excuse me.” He rose to his feet, his body language defensive and tense. “I have things to do.” As he vanished atop the landing Rei’s forehead struck her palm.
“Great. Just great. This is bloody wonderful.” Alexander sighed lightly. Aroya glanced back and forth between the two as Rei continued mumbling to herself.
“What just happened?” she asked.
“Nnnghffff.”
Aroya stared at Rei. “Excuse me?”
“What she means is that Tas finds the term “half blood” offensive.”
“But I didn’t mean-” Rei cut in. Alexander lifted his hand, cutting her off.
“I know.”
Rei sighed and put her head in her hands again.
Aroya looked panicked. “But I-” Rei reached over and touched her hand.
“I wasn’t your fault sweetie. I never should have called him that. The man who attacked me didn’t deserve to be referred to like that.” Aroya looked from Rei to Alexander.
“I still don’t understand.”
“Tas’s mother is human. According to some, that makes his blood mixed and he is therefore inferior because of it.”
“But isn’t he stronger than you?” Aroya asked. Alexander laughed and she flushed. She hadn’t meant it to sound like Alexander was weak.
“Yes, he is which is why it’s such a ridiculous claim.” Laughter lilted in Alexander’s voice and Aroya was glad he wasn’t offended.
“He shouldn’t be upset by that though. He knows my mother was human too,” Rei insisted.
“Yes, but the difference is that you were never chastised by your peers for it.” Rei snorted. “He’s had problems with his place in the world, with his blood, with who he is since he was three. And it’s never stopped,” he said quietly.
Aroya was horrified. “I-I didn’t know…” Neither had Rei. She knew he hated the term half-blood, but she’d never quite known why.
Alexander nodded. “He’d like to keep it that way.”
Aroya’s heart ached for Tas. She didn’t know what kind of pain that must have inflicted on his heart. To be as old as he is and spend so much of his life having people judge him because of who his parents were. She didn’t know how he handled it.
~
So there you have it. :) It'll get cleaned up when I finally work it in, until then this is probably as good as it's going to get.
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