Page 5 of Bound By Fear

“…chance to talk to some of the Captains about how to minimize the advantage the Aethereans are giving them. I don’t want to overplay that and knock the confidence of the rank and file but—Jann, are you listening?”

I blinked as Melek’s eyes cut to me, then to Jann and he arched one brow.

Wrenching my gaze from Melek, I found Jann watching me watch Melek and smiling suggestively.

I glared at the sunny Nephilim, whose smile just got broader.

“This isn’t the time for a fuckingjoke,”Melek growled. “Jann, I need you to attend—can you think of anything else that I need to use this time for, since I’ll only have hours. And I need you to stay here and watch her, and Gall as well. I don’t know when he’ll be pulled back to the shifts, but for now they keep sending him to me—don’t give them reason to draw him back. I’m sure they’re sick of dealing with him and it would be better to keep him here where at least he can be out from under the eyes of—”

“You said I was always useful.”

My heart screamed with empathy for the faint, pained tone in that precious voice.

All three of us snapped our heads to find Gall standing just inside the tent flap looking…so sad.

Melek’s eyes widened, and he lifted his hands. “Gall, I wasn’t—”

“You said I wasalwaysuseful. You said I amstrong,and—”

“You are, son. We’ve spoken before about how others misunderstand. You know that. I was only—”

Gall’s eyes welled with unshed tears and my heart cracked for him. “You said they were sick of dealing with me. Are you sick of me, as well?”

“No, Gall…” Melek rushed forward, putting his hands to his boy’s shoulders. I covered my mouth with my hands, simultaneously wanting to rush to Gall’s side and slap Melek for his thoughtless words.

In fairness, it was clear from Melek’s stricken expression that he’d slap himself if he could.

Hug him,I thought.Don’t just grip him…hughim.

But Melek kept Gall at arm’s length, holding him by the shoulders and leaning down slightly—though not far—to be eye to eye with his son.

“Gall, we have spoken in the past about how the soldiers view… all of this. I was only referring to that.”

Gall’s forehead was lined, his brows pinched together. His expression was one of a wounded child. My heart went out to him.

It was so hard to see him standing there—a big, bullish young man whose body held all the muscle and vigor of an accomplished warrior and yet housed the heart and mind of a child.

Life was already confusing to that kind of mind. Add the disparate nature of his appearance and the world would be greatly confusedby him.My sister also suffered similar misunderstandings whenever new people were introduced since she looked like a normal young woman and acted with grace and kindness. She, at least, did not have to comport herself among the filth and aggression of soldiers.

But Gall…

I wanted to weep for him, seeing him watch his father scramble to explain his words. The transparency on his face—the clear wound, the fear, the fading hope.

They spoke for a long minute, Jannus watching them, also worried, but remaining silent. Eventually Gall looked down at his hands and shrugged.

“I understand.”

Melek sighed, knowing as I did that Gall had learned enough to know he was supposed to hide his fear, his hurt.

“Do you, Gall? Because I’ll be gone until tomorrow. I don’t want you to worry—”

“I understand, Papa. I do.”

Melek stared at him a moment longer, then nodded.

I mentally urged him again to offer a hug, an embrace, some kind of tangible comfort that did not have to beinterpreted.But Melek only slapped his upper arm, then ruffled his hair. “Good man.”

Then he turned back to Jann, and though I could see the tension in him, it was also clear that he’d determined there was nothing more to be done for Gall at that moment.