"Yes. She wasn't receiving pure love from her family and no matter what she did, they mocked her and insulted her parents. Essentially, they didn't want anything to do with her," Odion grumbled. I noticed the hint of anger in his eyes and he took a deep breath.
"Then Dark birds began to appear and take down nests. The phoenix familiars of her nest decided if they offered the birds a gift, they would leave their nest alone."
My heart dropped as my mind already began to put the pieces together of what possibly could have happened. "Don't tell me..."
"They took Momo in the middle of the night and tied her to a post. She was their offering in exchange for peace. Momo, being the age she was, had no clue what was happening. She just thought she was in trouble or something. She cried and cried, which only brought attention to her, and the Dark Birds arrived… and… you can guess what happened next."
"No..." I whispered and blinked back tears. "How could they be so cruel? Momo is so adorable."
"Familiars are no different from humans. When their life is at risk, they'll do whatever it takes to prolong it or avoid being killed. Momo was attacked by the birds, but she didn't die right away. The Dark birds carried her to their nest in the forest, which was tainted. Instead of turning into a Forsaken when she finally passed, she went through the trial of the Dark World. Esme was the one to find her and nursed her back to health."
"Momo..." My voice was tiny as a tear rolled down my cheek.
Odion was quietly staring at me and he reached out to wipe the tear from my left cheek.
"She's happier now, but you can tell that she's anxious about her appearance. To others, she looks scary, especially with her swirling eyes. I could change her into anything… but… her form is comforting to me," he admitted.
Odion...
I could tell that topic was related to his upbringing, and as curious as I was, I didn't want to bring it up.
"As long as it’s comforting to you and Momo loves it, that's all that matters. I think Momo is adorable and even though she's still little, she likes to help and comfort others."
"Hmm," Odion replied and we were both quiet. It wasn't awkward like before, which made me a little happy. I remembered what Arielle said about Orion and decided to share.
"Orion isn't at Aslan," I casually announced.
"I'm aware," Odion replied. I glanced at him with a relieved look on my face.
"He's okay?" I asked.
"Yes. He needs space."
That didn't sound very comforting to me. Odion noticed my frown and continued.
"Brother has a slow reaction to things. Some things don't hit him right away. He'll take care of whatever needs to be worked on in the time of trouble and then when everything sinks in, thatis when he reacts. If a cat dies, for example, he'll do everything to mourn the cat and bury it. He won't actually cry about it until after the cat's last needs are taken care of."
"How… do you know that?" I questioned.
"I stalk him sometimes." Odion shrugged. "It's entertaining."
"He did mention that he thought you stalked him," I mumbled more to myself than Odion who shrugged.
"Looking from afar is always safer," he whispered. He pushed away from the wall and began to move to the stairs. "I'm getting out first."
"Odion."
He paused, and I noticed the light scars on his back. I bit my lip, not wanting to make it obvious that I'd seen them when he glanced over his shoulder.
"You know… Orion… he didn't know," I whispered, knowing my eyes gave me up. I didn't want to mention what we'd discovered in the library. As loving as Odion had been the last couple of days, I didn't think our 'friendship' was there yet to address a topic as dark as his past.
"I'm aware," he mumbled and turned around. He walked out of the water and I got a glimpse of his lower back and ass, noticing larger scars that made my heart clench in agony.
A cloak appeared on his shoulders, covering his backside. "You shouldn't stay too long in the water. I'm going to get some clothes. I'll be outside the bathroom when you're done."
Without waiting for my reply, he walked out of the room.
"Odion..." I whispered.
