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Their relationship was a mystery to Nathair, as Weldir scarcely spoke of it. He had a feeling things hadn’t been well for a long time, but Nathair was aware of Weldir’s longing to keep his intangible hands on her.

It must be hard to be made of cloud and mist when you have a female you crave.

Therefore, Weldir could have bestowed upon him advice.

All he needed to do was call for him – shout his name,speakit.Then again, I would need to be near his mist for that.

No. Nathair was on his damn own, and he was making a mess of it.

When shade finally entered his home and the Demons could run along the path of the cliff wall, he released a growl. They immediately bolted with shrill cries, taking his mercy when he was offering it.

Annoyed that the shade finally came, he backed up and turned to go up the tunnel.I have no other excuse to stay away.Time to go face the human.

His tunnel felt arduous and longer than normal.

When he was halfway up it, he winced.Should I have obtained something as a gift? Is that not what humans do when they seek forgiveness?He couldn’t remember what they gave, only that it had to be a physical representation of their remorse.

A fish?No. She’d asked to go ‘foraging’ because she wanted a break from eating sea creatures.Then what else could I give her? A fucking rock?

The closer he climbed, the more he heard... something. It was soft at first as it echoed down the tunnel.Is she... singing?It sounded like a sorrowful song, her voice quiet and yet transfixing.

He ducked into the main area. Seated on her backside with her feet flat, Linh had her arms wrapped around her legs to hug them as she stared at the lake.

Does she think I went into the water?He’d considered it, but he wouldn’t have been able to sense her properly, and if she had been in danger, he may not have saved her in time. At least going down his tunnels meant nothing could come up them to harm her.

With the way she was positioned, he tilted his head in surprise.Has she been waiting for me to return?

Not because she was hungry, or bored, but because shewantedhim to return,missedhim?

He longed for that to be the reason.

Nathair approached her, and his silent form meant he didn’t disturb her. The voice grew louder, as did her scent, and both tangled and spiralled together in his senses.Her singing voice is beautiful.

Something about it had his sight wavering. His movements grew sluggish – even his heart slowed – and he thought his breaths would taper off and cease.

Time seemed to pause except for her song.

The chatter in the back of his head, the constant source of his suffering that had been going on forcenturies,quietened. Then, suddenly, the voices dissolved altogether.

Silence greeted him. Blissful, long-awaitedsilence.

Nathair shuddered when lightness radiated within his skull. Lightness that was so breathtaking and heavy, his entire body lost every ounce of its strength. Sight going dark, his humanoid torso fell forward, and he didn’t have the will to catch himself with his arms.

His body hit the ground with a thud, and his skull smacking it thundered in the cavern.

Linh released a sharp gasp.

Nathair clutched at his skull as his body shuddered, twitched, and writhed. The voices were gone, and he opened his sight to see orange floating droplets. He’d seen his own tears before, how they hovered and sparkled around his eye sockets, but he’d never previously shed them in relief.

He crawled to her since she’d stopped singing, following her beautiful scent like he was a leashed being returning to its master.

Don’t stop,hepleaded.

“Nathair?” she asked, lifting her arms when he came upon her.

He weakly curled around her with what little strength he could muster. He couldn’t wrap her up as normal – it required energy he didn’t have.

Please,he begged, wishing she could hear him, could hear how desperate he was.Please don’t stop singing.