Bonus Chapter
Because I had a lot of extra flash backs (and one scene) I wanted to write, but didn't fit in the chapters.
Bonus
1992
THE INFANT WAS STARING AT HIM. Valamir squinted back at it. Albert called it "Lorna." It didn't seem to be doing much except gargle and stare. Their uses seemed...limited. Valamir knew humans required them to further their species, and in truth he'd need them as well, but did they have to be so useless? Or at least be more that a little less unnerving. Must it watch him so closely?
"Hello I am Valamir Alinsky. You are Lorna Ainsworth," Valamir crouched in front of the child. It was best to begin with the basics. "We are not friends. We are colleagues. Do you understand?"
"Valamir, she's hardly a year old. You would be lucky if she understand her own name," Albert scolded.
"When does it become functional?" Valamir picked up the child. He turned it over, trying to study it, only for Albert to take it away.
"She has a bit of growing to do, I will admit. But the point isn't to use them. You take care of them until they can take care of themself," Albert explained. He placed Lorna back into her crib, but made a point of keeping himself between Valamir and the child.
That was going to take awhile. Albert himself was twenty five, and Valamir certainly wouldn't call him self sufficient. A part of him was tempted to dismiss it. He wasn't the one who would be wasting his time raising the child, and could possibly benefit from it. Yet he was still curious what on Earth would drive someone to attach themself to what was functional a leech for years, with no benefit in sight.
Valamir crouched in front of the crib again. Lorna seemed to be smiling at him. He smiled back. He wasn't sure why.
———
2016
LEANNA WAS LOOKING FOR FLYING PIGS. They had to be somewhere, because Sanis was letting her teach him to dance.
It wasn't that he'd never shown interest. From the day he was adopted, Sanis have been hovering around her studio. Acting like he was sneaky. It was just that he refused to admit it. Like he'd melt or something if he admitted he had even slightly unmanly interests. Leanna like to tease him about it. Obviously. That was her job as his little sister.
Still, it was exiting. There was nothing Leanna loved more than a chance to show off — which was what teaching someone was, wasn't it? Sanis even let her choose music. Which was great, because his taste in music made her want to cry. And not a happy cry or a moved cry. A 'this poor uncultured idiot' cry.
Honestly, if Leanna knew all it took for Sanis to get over himself was getting married, she'd have set him up years ago.
Another reason to think pigs were flying. Sanis Ainsworth was getting married. And the weirdest part? Leanna had actually met Emily, and she seemed totally normal. Bit of a hippie and seemingly convinced that yoga could solve all problems, but definitely not the sort of person to make the poor life choice to marry her brother.
Whatever. Sanis was probably the happiest Leanna had ever seen him.
Well...to an extent. At the moment he was deeply annoyed. Maybe Sanis was willing to practice, but it didn't change the fact he was absolutely trash at it. Even when Leanna focused on the simple basics of slow dances.
"I feel like an idiot," Sanis grumbled.
"You feel like an idiot?" Leanna scoffed, folding her arms. "I'm sorry, which of us is getting their feet stomped on by an overgrown buffoon?"
Sanis raised an eyebrow, clearly questioning if that was supposed to make him feel better. It wasn't. He really needed to stop stepping on her toes. If his fat feet messed up her dance career, he was getting sued. Leanna sighed. She'd asked for it, hadn't she? He better learn well. She was doing this for free, he might as well make her teaching look good as payment.
Or he could just keep grinning like he'd discovered the meaning of life. That was sweet, too.
———
ALEX ALMOST FORGOT LEANNA HAD BEEN HURT. They woke up certain it was some brand of nightmare. Then they, in an attempt to figure out why they were sleeping on the floor, spotted Leanna on the couch. She'd finally fallen asleep. One of her arms definitely had, given how awkwardly it was wedged against the backing. Sanis had curled himself up against the foot of the couch. As if that could protect her.
Right. That was what Alex needed to talk to Leanna about. It wouldn't be fun. The two where close, for reasons beyond Alex's understanding. She wasn't a stranger to lying for Sanis.
It wasn't hard to get Sanis out of the room. They needed groups to search the building, taking turns watching Leanna as they did. All Alex did was offer to stay with her first. Sanis didn't even suspect anything. Definitely a relief, given his temper.
As for Leanna...she was a lot harder to read.
"So," Alex sat in the small space Leanna left in the couch. He tried to look casual. "What...happened to your leg."
"I don't know. I was at the top of the stairs and something just...pushed me," Leanna took a deep breath.
So that was the story she was sticking with. It was a pretty weak one. Alex would call himself good at sniffing out lies, but even an idiot wouldn't miss the giant holes in that logic. He was supposed to believe something just snuck up on her? This was getting strange, but not that strange. Alex sighed. This would make the conversation much harder.
"Listen, Leanna...If Sanis did something —" Alex started.
"What?" Leanna shook her head. "It's Sanis. What the hell makes you think he'd hurt me?"
"I'm not saying it's on purpose," Alex assured. Leanna didn't seem soothed. "I'm only saying...he was upset when he left and...well, you know how he gets. You wouldn't be the first."
"Are you serious, Alexander?" Leanna said. Like the possibility was ridiculous and he wwas stupid for even considering it.
"What am I supposed to believe, that you just happened to fall while looking for him, and he just happened to show up at the last second," Alex demanded. They sighed, softening their voice to add, "Listen, I know you're close, and you want to believe in him. I wanted to believe in him, too. But Sanis...he's the sort of person you have to cut off eventually. It's healthier for you that way."
"I bet it's better for your campaign, too," Leanna snapped.
It was. Alex had been smart enough to realize that 'related to a total psycho' didn't gain you much love in the political sphere. At best it would be ignored. At worst it would be used to call you...well...to be on the nose, insane, as well. There were reasons a majority of the people in Alex's life were blissfully unaware they had a brother. Hell, Isaac didn't even know until Sanis showed up drunk to the wedding Alex definitely didn't invite him to.
Except Alex definitely wasn't telling Leanna that. They could already hear her disapproval. Like she got to judge. Sanis wasn't exactly flying to Russia to be a pest to her.
"I'm just trying to take care of you, Lea," Alex insisted.
"I'm sorry, when did I ask you to 'take care' of me? Because I'm pretty sure I can do that myself," Leanna seethed. She pushed herself up into a sitting position. "You're lucky my leg is broken, because I would so be storming off right now."
Oh, Alex didn't doubt it. Honestly he didn't even know what he expected. Since when did Leanna take criticism?
———
AZIMA PACED THE CLEARING. She didn't know what they were waiting for. The adaption process was nearly finished. Even Valamir had admitted he thought she had done as much changing as she could do. Of course they couldn't confirm anything. They had never started off with a template before, let alone a human one. She was completely one with Eos.
So why wouldn't they her leave?
Being part of Eos came with an awareness Azima couldn't even comprehend. Things should couldn't put words to, things that had no meaning to the human mind. At once she was Azima and Eos. She was the trees that surrounded their clearing, the blades of grass beneath her feet. The crawling cold, the birds that danced through the clouds. The creatures that watched from the shadows, waiting for the slightest falter to disappear their lates victim into the night.
There was so much Azima could do with this connection. Eos had opened her eyes to a new world. A beautiful world. Imagine what she could do for the world. Eos was her's now, it flowed through her veins and filled her soul. There was no fear of losing it. And without that, what sort of person would be be to keep it from them?
Only a monster would keep Eos's gifts from the world. From people who deserved it, and suffered without it.
"It isn't as simple as you believe," Valamir always said. "We are the Maywood's creations, we gather energy for it. We do not give gifts for nothing."
"Can't I at least see Mari? I have to. I have to," Azima demanded. She ignored that he called Eos 'the Maywood.' It was horrible name.
"You do not. You want to," Valamir scolded. Azima crossed her arms and pouted. He sighed and, when he spoke again, he was truly sympathetic. "I know you care for them. We can take many things from you, but that we cannot. We have existed for millennium, as will you. But they are still human. One day they will die, and they will disappear into a void even we cannot reach. It is best to let go now by choice. It hurt's less that way."
"I need to see to see my sister," Azima repeated.
"Azima —"
"Why won't you let me see my sister?"
Valamir sighed. Azima knew he didn't understand — he couldn't. There was no family for him. No one to love, no one to miss. No one except Eos. But Azima wasn't him. She knew humanity. How they suffered without their gifts, left in the world of pain Azima had been rescued from. Perhaps they didn't all deserve better than that, humanity could be cruel, but Mari did at least.
In the end, Valamir relented. There wasn't much he could do for the woman. In the end she would always be stuck between two world. With humans she longed for the clarity of her Eos. In the Maywood she missed the connections and feelings her kind so desperately needed. There would be no satisfaction, not for her.
It was something Valamir understood. Perhaps that was why, against better judgment and fully aware it would only bring momentary relief, he pressed his fingers to her temple. Azima closed her eyes, a smile crawling across her face. He couldn't let her see her family in person, not yet. That wasn't his choice. But at least he could let her watch. At least he could give her that.
I know, I know, the book is over. Move on! But I had so many ideas I'd wanted to write, but didn't get to, and since this is basically the only thing I can get motived to write I figured I might as well.
The first scene got cut for the actual beginning of Lonnie's chapter. I thought it was a good parallel to Valamir interacting with baby Azima. Of that the very least it definitely showed the chance in Albert's relationship with him. I ended up not using it because I wanted to keep Azima's scene unique to her, since the point was to explain why she had a particular connection to the Maywood.
Second one was cut from Sanis's chapter, and then from Leanna's. Which sucks because they really do have my favorite sibling dynamic. I blame the fact they'd both ESFPs.
Also, fun fact, Sanis's ex wife never actually got a name. I couldn't find it in the application so I didn't put one in the chapter. The name Emily is a reference to Emily by San Fermin, which I've been listening to on repeat for inspiration and especially influenced Sanis's chapter.
So, uh, check out the song. :)
The third one...oof. Technically I cut it because it didn't work with the time line. Unofficially I cut it because, with everything else in his chapter, I genuinely didn't know if Alex would stay sympathetic. Like he meant well and genuinely believed Sanis hurt Leanna but...oof.
It's also why I didn't include the wedding scene, even in this. It'll get mentioned in Don't Play with Dead Things, where their relationship gets explored more and Alex has enough character development to survive that. But the poor dude didn't need anymore scenes that make him look like a selfish, insensitive ass.
And the last one. It's not actually for this book! Think of it as a...teaser for Don't Play with Dead Things. Mostly I just wanted to write Valamir and Azima. I know Valamir isn't most people's favorite, but I really do love his relationship with Azima. Also, I've been wanting to write a dark father/daughter duo since I decided Darklina would have been 100% if they had that dynamic instead of a romantic one.
But that's another rant entirely.
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