The Summoners' Heir

Chapter 23: It's Like Looking In A Mirror

"I suppose even the Darkling isn't immune..."

"To what?"

"Now he understands," she concluded.

I was so confused.

"What do you mean?"

"It's one thing to love, but the love for your child..."

"It's why you could never turn away from him."

She nodded.

"It s brings out something feral, primal from inside of you. You can never turn away."

"How are you so sure?"

"Because I haven't seen my Aleksander in a long time."

At that moment, Mother decided to enter with her grenade of light. I'm surprised the place didn't burn down.

"Good, now the work begins," Baghra cooed.

But once Mother's eyes caught mine, her inferno was snuffed out.

"Leksi, what are you doing here?"

Ummm...

"Well, you're not the only sun summoner around here," I declared with as much confidence as I could muster.

This got a quirk of the eyebrow from Baghra.

"Let's train."

"Very well," Baghra conceded.

Hours later... (honestly, I can't remember how long)

The training was over, thank the saints. My skin still remembered where the lashes struck.

"See what I mean?" Mother commented.

"Indeed, I can't believe I come from that."

That got a laugh from the Sun Queen.

"Well, that's not all you've got," she said while gesturing to herself.

"No, thank the saints for small mercies," I smiled, tucking my arm in hers.

"You are very gifted, Leksi."

I looked at my Mother now. Sure, she had given me a compliment, but I knew what that voice meant. After many years she hadn't experienced, I had worked out the code. There was a question lurking there. My code didn't fail.