From Shadow to Light - Book Ten

Ch. 4- Outnumbered

"You believe this is a game, and you may be right. But if you think you can play it better than me, think again."

***

"Kerim!" I exclaimed, pulling his head back so I could focus on braiding his long white hair. He kept twisting his head to catch a tiny glimpse of Emmeline which made the braid uneven. Kerim was sitting on the floor while I was on my knees because he was goddamn tall I could barely reach him. It was a miracle he agreed to let me braid his hair in the first place since he loves to brood all the time but I might have let it slip that my dear cousin Meli loves men wearing braids in battle. It was genius, even Rosalind snickered at my lie. "Move your big head one more time and I'll have to cut off these beautiful locks of yours."

He groaned while I brushed his silky hair and started to braid it again. "I couldn't care less about my hair, Princess." Sometimes I have wondered what Emmeline sees in him. Most of the time he was an asshole that only cared about being a soldier. What happened to him that made him so grumpy? He attended Solasta Academy with us but when we graduated, he went off to train in the Fae Army. Ever since then, he climbed rank after rank until he became the youngest Fae soldier to be second in command. Mab and her wife, Tauriel, were the first. While he was making history, I was running off to a different country and getting drunk every night. I guess I never had any goals in life. Nothing I wanted to pursue. All I had was paint and a brush.

"Then, why keep it so long?" I questioned.

"I never had the time to cut it," he said, moving his head again. But I flicked his ear and forced it back in the right place again. He was so irritable and impatient that I wanted to start all over again just to piss him off even more. "We are ruthless when it comes to our training."

I nodded, vaguely recalling the rituals the Fae had to commit to before they were labeled as a soldier. Although, I never really listened during class so I would have to open a book again to remember it fully. "You're right. I guess becoming the youngest Fae soldier in history doesn't grant you enough time in the day for a haircut. It does suit you well, I have to admit."

"How so?"

I shrugged my shoulders, grabbing a hair tie and placing it between my lips until I was done braiding. How he even fought off his enemies without his hair getting in the way, I have no idea. "Everyone recognizes you by your long hair, Kerim. I remember when one of our classmates teased you for it but you did not care one bit about what they had to say because you were focused on graduating from Solasta and becoming who you are now. You achieved all of your goals even when others told you to back down. You did not lower to their level."

"They were assholes, Soari," he said in a husky voice. "And I remember the over-the-top pranks that left you with detention every day and almost getting expelled from the school. Emmeline was impressed by it. By you, even now."

I pulled the tie from my mouth and tied the bottom of his hair so it would stay in place during our battle. Then, I loosened it a little bit so Kerim can have a little freedom with it. We were the only ones in my bedroom, so it gave me a chance to speak to him about my cousins without the others eavesdropping. They were all changing into their armor whereas I was still dressed in my normal clothes. "She was more impressed by you, Kerim. Though you never noticed everyone crushing on you as you walked to class. It was as though you were in your own little world and Meli desperately wanted to rip you out of it." He turned around quickly, lowering his eyebrows in a frown. That got his attention. Before he could say anything else, I continued my speech. "Emmeline is my best friend and has always put others first before herself. She survived the Great War at the age of three years old when her mother was one of the casualties and that makes her one of the strongest women I know. I see how you stare at her, Kerim, and I'm saying to take a risk. Stop thinking with your head for one minute and feel what is in your heart for a change."