HORNS (BoyXBoy)

Chapter 121

Chapter One Hundred and Twenty One

Wind whistled through the swaying evergreens, carrying swirling snowflakes around and against my body with an unpleasantly frigid chill, and I shivered violently, hugging myself, trying to process shit. Igor noticed and his long ears flicked forward in what could have been interpreted as concern, but he said nothing.

"You're my grandfather?" I finally managed to ask, staring at him blankly.

"Ila," Igor whispered, perking his ears up with warm, glittery eyes. "I am being beautiful, you, grandfather."

I shivered again, and this time it wasn't from the cold. Have you ever had a moment so jarring that it made you question your sanity? A moment that sent you so far into the pits of mental space that you literally felt like your consciousness was concussed and all you could do was just... space out and try to figure out if it was a nightmare you'd suddenly found yourself in?

I have.

Many, many times.

And this... this was one of those times.

I was in a state of absolute mental overload. I glanced at the forest around us, smack dab in the middle of nowhere, then looked back down at him with mistrust and disbelief.

"So, what you're saying is," I slowly grit out, "you're Yuma's father?"

I think the way I spit his name out of my mouth was what did it. Igor's face went blank for a second and I caught a glimpse of grief that went very, very deep before it was masked with something a little more neutral. He glanced beyond me to stare at the hostile blonde male, who--when I looked back--hunched even lower and turned his head away. Snow had collected in his beard and the flurries made it hard to see very far.

"Yes," Igor finally said. "I be Yuma Papka."

I narrowed my eyes, hackles rising, but I guess my nasty expression made it obvious what I was thinking because he suddenly froze, looking fear-stricken. A spurt of momentary doubt hit my heart right along with a guilty twinge when his posture slumped, but I held firm.

"Why would you think I'd ever want to see you?" I angrily demanded. "Why the hell would you bring me here? Do you know what your son even did?"

Igorofka jerked, eyes widening, ears drawing back as if he'd been slapped, and a genuine look of hurt twisted his lips into a puppy-eyed frown.

"Not know," he raspily informed me, but instead of drawing away he scooted closer, looking flustered, ears flapping anxiously. "World know Yuma did big bad, evil enough to call queen mother faery for help. Queen agree, and Igor do be knowing now that beautiful you is Yuma second child. I not believe rumors pixies telling at first, but many faerie say more rumors, so Igor gather tribe to do magic and become dream fellow. It hard to connect to dreams but Igor need to soul-touch birthmarks. We same blood, yes!"

He smiled at me eagerly, as if expecting me to be happy, but my stomach simply twisted with a confusing mixture of anger, grief, defiance, and guilt. I wanted to go off on him and tell him he was a fucking idiot to ever think I'd wanna have anything to do with him or anyone related to Yuma, but another part of me saw something in him that reminded me of Luka. Maybe it was the way he was looking at me... eager, like a puppy, and so excited, too. Then again, there was... heaviness in his gaze--weight that seemed to hide behind the giddiness.

"Your actions were out of line," Echo suddenly chided, drawing everyone's attention; he stepped forward warily, keeping his eyes on the surly-looking blonde man when he glared and stamped a hoof with a snort. "You nearly killed me, and you did injure me to the point of leaving potential scars on my body."