Just a little cough

“Mommy Niiiiiaaa, wake up”

“Leave.me.alone.”

My little brother came to visit me from South America yesterday and hasn’t stopped being annoying since. He’s been calling me “Mommy Nia” ever since I told him about the baby. Speaking of her though, I should get up and feed her. She gets hungry often.

I try to pick her up at my side but all I feel is nothingness. I wake up in a brisk fashion and almost burst with panic until I see her on Abu’s hip.

“Aw look, Mommy Nia almost ripped the sheets off her bed looking for her poor precious and deadly human baby,” he mocks in a baby voice.

“Yeah, and I’m gonna rip the skin off your face if you don’t stop calling me that,” I lash.

“My deepest and most sincere apologies my dear and beautifully talentedOmega Nia,” he sarcastically says.

I get out of bed, snatch the baby from him, and push past out my door.

“Don’t you have somewhere else to be?”

“Nope, not really. I want to spend all my time with my wonderful big sissy.”

“Oh, lucky me,” I mumble under my breathe.

“You know big sis, I really don’t understand the concept of sarcasm. If you don’t want to spend time with me then just sa—”

“I don’t want to spend time with you.”

“Well too damn bad. You’re stuck with me for the next 2 weeks. Woo-hoo!!!”

His “woo-hoo”ing makes the baby laugh. Her laugh is contagious and I find myself grinning, but it is gone the next second. She may be a baby, but I still don’t know if she’s completely harmless. This could still be a trap. As a leader I need to be on my toes and prepared. Thank Gasha that....well Gasha is coming today to see us. I wonder what she will say about the human baby?

I’m standing at the barrier with Troy and a carriage waiting for Gasha to arrive. It’s tradition to greet when she passes through the barrier. Because she was the one that taught us the latest barrier spell, it doesn’t need to be taken down in order for her to enter. Anyone that casts his/her own magic or spell can’t be effected by it. It’s a good thing because Qylis sleeps a lot during the day.

“Has the human baby tried to kill you yet?” Troy says.

We both lightly laugh.

“Unfortunately for you no. But when she does I’ll make sure you be the first to know,”

I joke.

“You better. I can’t have anyone eating up my wife on my watch.”

“Oh, now that you said that I want to get eaten up now.”

“Come on, don’t hurt my pride like that.”

Troy puts his hand to his heart and feigns hurt. I laugh loudly and hit him in his chest.

“Ouch. You’re killing me, Ni.”

“Hush. Stop being so childish.”

“Would it really hurt you that bad to become my wife?”

“Yes!”

“Why?! I’m not that bad. Come on just give it a try.”

“Shhh! She’s here.”

“No, she’s not.”

“I can smell her.”

And soon after she appeared from out of a tree stump. Literally. Not like a rabbit out of its hole, but like the stump formed to let her appear. Earth is a product of Gasha, so she can manipulate the natural part of it as such. Regular animals like birds and fish can be controlled by Gasha. And also plants, trees, and bodies of water. However humans and hanimals can not be controlled because we have high intelligence. I guarantee that we wouldn’t have to have a safety system if Gasha could control humans.

“Nia and Troy, my wonderful children,” Gasha excitedly says.

I smile widely at her.

As she crosses the border I say,” Mother, how are you?”

“Mother, Nia can’t be your child anymore when we get married,” Troy says matter-of-factly.

“Oh my stars! I kind of always knew you guys would be lovers. I’m thrilled! When is the wedding?”

“There is no wedding Mother,” I growl and look pointedly at Troy.

“You don’t want a big celebration?” Gasha asks.

“Honey, I understand that you don’t like big parties, but do it for Gasha,” Troy inputs.

I think of all the ways I can kick Troy into next week. He’s always teasing me. How can he sit there in Gasha’s face and lie? I never ever want to marry this jerk face.

“Nia, I would be really thankful if you would celebrate your marriage. It’s way more exciting than you think.”

“Mother, there’s no—”

“There’s no one yet to plan our wedding. Would you be interested in helping us out? You know it was always Nia’s dream to have you plan her wedding.”

“Do you really want me to plan it? It would make my whole century Nia!”

WHAT?!!

“Then it’s settled. We’ll meet sometime today to discuss. Now let’s get you back to the kingdom to meet our people,” Troy states with a smug smile.

I want to tear him to pieces right then and there, but I don’t want to upset Gasha so I just settle for a death glare the whole ride. I have to let her down easy sometime through the day. Oh, that sneaky *** Troy. I will end him!

“What are you going to do with her?”

“I don’t know yet, Mother,” I sigh.

“I’m keeping her because in hopes we can solve the human problem. So far though, we have no leads.”

Gasha moves to the mat the baby is laying on and picks her up. She peers into her eyes intensely for a couple moments before breaking into a grin.

“She isn’t tainted.”

I look at her in confusion.

“I mean that her heart doesn’t know hate, anger, or jealousy. She’s pure.”

“At what age does a human know hate, anger, and jealousy?”

“The answer to that question is infinite. Some don’t even experience it until adulthood. Some can be exposed to it as young as childhood.”

“So how do I keep that from getting to her.”

Gasha smiles. She glides over to me and puts the now sleeping baby in my hands.

“You can’t. The good of a person is not determined by how much hate they have experienced, but by how they choose to deal with them. The best you can do for her is to teach her the good of the world. Teach her the values th—”

Gasha goes into a fit of coughing. I wait for her to finish, and the coughing continues for what seems like a thousand years. They sound wet, like there is something in her throat trying to catapult its way out. Gasha looks as if she’s about to colapse. I’m starting to worry.

“Gasha, are you ok?”

I briskly put the baby on the mat to help her, but by the time I head over to her she’s done coughing.

“Nonsense child. I am okay. It happens when the humans use too many greenhouse gasses.”

“How did they find you? Is there a cure for greenhouse gas?,” I say panicking.

“It’s not what you think, Nia,” she says with a giggle.

“Now like I was saying, teach her the values that the kingdom lives by. She needs as much light and positive energy as she can get. This is your chance. You can start change with her, Nia.Do not waste it.”

“How am I going to teach her? I don’t even know where to start,” I say dejectedly.

“Sweet child, you have the support of your people on your side. Your mother may have some idea,” she says with a wink.

“Can you at least give me some idea?”

“Unfortunately, no. Don’t underestimate yourself. You are capable.”

“Mother, please.”

“You are too old to whine, Nia. Now it’s time for me to take my leave. Remember what I said.”

And with those words she went to the nearest window, jumped and transformed into a butterfly. On and away she went.

I never got the chance to tell Gasha that the wedding was never gonna happen. Ever since we had our talk, millions and millions of thoughts have been on my mind. I’ve never taken care of a infant full time before. Me and Abu are 3 years apart, so I never had to take care of him. I never had to care for myself as a child either.

I don’t even know where to start. Teach her good values. What if she still turns out as vicious and cruel as the others? I am scared I’ll fail. And then Gasha’s coughing; what was that about? Is it really nothing? Could it be a bigger problem than she says? What if she’s dying? I don’t know what I’ll do without her.

Movement by my window snaps me outta my thoughts and into defense mode. I creep out from under my covers and extend my claws, ready to scathe anyone who dares peek in on me. I’m 2 inches away from the window when a yellow face and hands aggressively plant their hands on the glass. I jump and trip back over my feet and fall to the ground.

“Let me in, clumsy.”

***Download NovelToon to enjoy a better reading experience!***