Shcielle (Draeyer Academy 2)

Chapter 15-Learning a Past

Icefall City
Arktis Skyland
Northern Space

Alec sat on one of the brown-cushioned seats around a table, surrounded by the cozy atmosphere of the Govonos' family restaurant. To his left sat his guardian, who kept rolling a meatball over his almost empty plate using a silver fork. Gael's shocked expression from earlier was still quite evident in the depths of his green eyes. To his right, eating a meal of red sauced fish, sat the woman who all of a sudden attacked him in Xavier Park and then unexpectedly peppered his face with kisses after calling herself his eaana.

Ever since that moment, Vaneesa tugged their silent and stunned selves to Sierra's. She kept up her animated chatter until they reached the restaurant, yet all Alec could do was stare at her with her words passing through one ear and out to the other.

"Alec," Vaneesa called. He snapped out of his train of thoughts, and with the way Gael jerked in his seat, the man was interrupted from his deep musings as well. Alec's eyes trailed from his guardian, along the top of the table, before rising to meet the woman's clear grey eyes. A bright smile lit her entire face, adding to the entrancing beauty she already possessed. He blinked at her, not knowing what to say.

After another minute of silence among the three of them, Vaneesa's sigh shattered it. She tucked a lose strand of her black and blue hair behind her ear before speaking. "Judging by the look in your eyes, Alen never mentioned me, did he?"

The young man stopped himself from lowering his gaze and met hers as he shook his head. Something similar to pain flashed in Vaneesa's eyes and the corner of her lips turned down. She was the one who looked away and her forefinger traced circles on the table cloth. "I see," she almost whispered. The happy air around her vanished in an instant and was replaced by a gloomy mood. Alec felt the need to somehow raise her spirits, surprising himself. It was something he only felt doing for Solana whenever she was sad. He still had no idea what to say but he spoke anyway.

"Are you...really my sister?" he asked. Vaneesa paused from circling her finger over the cloth. Ever so slowly, her gaze rose to meet his and she smiled. It was so small that he had to look hard to see it. She reached out and ran her hand through his short hair before her slender fingers cupped the right side of his face. Her thumb gave his cheek a gentle caress, causing his body to go rigid from such an affectionate gesture. Vaneesa seemed to notice which made her retract her hand.

"By blood, no," she said, "but in a sense I see you as my little brother."

From the corner of his eyes, Alec saw Gael lean forward and stare at the woman with curious eyes. He found himself doing the same soon after.

"Alen's work was in this city that's why you moved here. You were three and he was fifteen, but he didn't act like he was fifteen though," she said. "We were neighbors, which was why your brother often left you in my mother's care whenever he had to leave. I helped in looking after you. We were playmates too.

"Alen was like the eouno I never had the privilege of having. Whenever the other students in the preparatory schools bullied me, he scared them all away and he baked biscuits to comfort me. He also offered to braid my hair but I never let him."

A smile tugged at the corners of Alec's lips. While looking into the woman's warm gaze as she spoke of Alen, he somehow felt happy. All his life, he had heard nothing but scornful words thrown at his brother. It was the first time somebody else other than himself to spoke so fondly about him.

"The biscuit-part sounds like Alen," he said. He then thought of the time in his childhood wherein he had long flowing hair, and his smile widened. "He was terrible with braids though which is why I eventually asked him to cut my hair before he got it all tangled. But of course I didn't tell him that."