Chapter 353 - The Connection

For a long moment, Chris and Oziyat just stared at each other. Oziyat looked like he wanted to look away, finally, Chris turned away and cleared her throat.

"Thanks for trusting me," she said quietly.

"You are welcome," Oziyat gave a small nod and smiled.

"So, about Sol . . ." Chris tried to get back to the topic. "He is born from a Wizard and a vampire but he doesn't have either of our powers."

"Yes, Sol --" Oziyat looked surprised. "How did you know that?"

"Er . . . I can feel people's aura. Anyway, you were saying?"

"That's a really unique quality, Christina."

"Yeah, well, I am unique," Chris shrugged.

Noticing her indifferent attitude Oziyat didn't push it.

"So, I think you have noticed Sol's speaking problem?"

"Oh? I just thought he didn't like talking to me that's why . . ."

"Also true. He usually doesn't like to talk to new people. But it's more than that. Sol didn't utter a single word until he was five, but even after that we barely hear him. He has some problems that prevent him from expressing freely." Oziyat gave a sad smile. "But never underestimate him. That boy is a genius. He had knowledge worth all the world. He understands stuff we don't or never thought about. And that's why Rosaline is a bit protective of him. She thinks what if the world takes advantage of Sol just like it did to her?"

Oziyat let out a long sigh.

"Is this how Sol came back from South-east? Because of his knowledge?" Chris asked hesitantly.

"Probably. Who knows what happened there?"

"What do you mean?"

"I mean Sol has no memory of what he faced there."

⁂

The sky darkened and started to pour down at Titian, which caused Oziyat to hold off his political campaign outside the castle. However, Chris didn't like the idea of just sitting around and doing nothing, so she started to visit Sol in the hopes of he would open up. Even though he didn't remember much, Chris believed there was something he knew. It was her gut feeling and of course, her instincts were always right.

But even after trying for a week (with Oziyat's help), Sol didn't speak to Chris. The truth was he simply didn't trust her. Yet rather than giving up Chris formed a plan.

After a week when the sky cleared a little bit and the rain stopped Chris marched to Sol's room alone and knocked.

Sol opened the door and as soon as he saw Chris alone, he tried to close the door but Chris quickly intercepted and held the door. Sol struggled a bit but Chris held her ground.

"I have something to tell you," Chris whispered very quietly so the guard at the end of the hallway doesn't hear her. "I think you will like to listen."

Hearing her whisper Sol stopped struggling and looked interested but there was still a lingering doubt.

"I will not harm you, Sol. I hope you know that by now," Chris said seriously and taking the chance pushed opened the door and slipped inside.

"Why . . . are. . . you. . .?"

"Here?" Chris finished.

Sol nodded nervously.

"Don't worry, I am not here to ask you any uncomfortable questions anymore," Chris gave a friendly smile. "In fact, I am not going to ask you any stupid questions anymore at all. I just came here to invite you."

"Me?" Surprised Sol looked at her.

"Yeah, I heard from Oziyat that you spend most of your time here in the room. You never go out," Chris said looking around the room. "I thought maybe you will like to go outside. I was planning to go out and feel the sunshine since the rain had stopped. So you wanna come?"

Sol didn't say anything, just suspiciously stared at Chris.

"Hey, you don't have to talk at all if you don't want," Chris shrugged. "Also, you don't have to come if you don't want to. I just thought you will like the sunlight and I would not get bored alone."

"Oziyat?" Sol asked timidly.

Chris had now come to understand Sol's short wordings.

"Oziyat's busy today. He can't come with me," Chris said. It was a half-truth. Oziyat had some work but Chris specifically asked him to not go with her today.

Sol was still hesitating, so Chris took a step towards the door.

"It's fine if you don't want to go."

Praying Chris reached the door and Sol called her.

"Wait . . ."

Chris sighed with relief and turn to look at Sol.

"Yeah?"

"You . . . are . . . not . . . lying?" Sol asked.

"No."

"And . . . Mother . . . knows?" Sol asked grimacing.

"That I am inviting you to go outside with me? No, she does not. But if she asks I can handle her," Chris replied confidently.

Sol looked surprised at Chris's reply but then his lips curved upward, just a ghost of a smile.

"Ok. . . but I . . . will choose . . . where to . . . go."

⁂

"And you chose the garden gazebo?" Chris mumbled surprised as Sol led them to the very gazebo where Zil was. Sol just shrugged looking unbothered.

Seeing Chris Zil trotted forward and head-butted her shoulder. While watching Sol curiously Chris absently stroked Zil's head. Sol's expression turned wistful as he watched the Thestral.

"When I said outside I meant outside of these Castle walls, you know," Chris explained.

"I . . . know," Sol nodded slightly. His eyes fixed on Zil.

"Do you want to pet her?" Chris asked.

"I . . . can?" Sol gave an expression full of shock and hope.

"Yeah, sure."

Chris nudged Zil towards Sol and Sol took a tentative step forward.

"Just be careful, Thestrals are not known for being affectionate and --" Chris abruptly stopped seeing the scene in front of her. Zil had eagerly leaned into Sol's hands and Sol broke into a big smile as he patted her head.

"Well, that's new," Chris muttered under her breath. Then cleared her throat, "Have you done that before, Sol?"

"Done. . . what?" Sol sounded defensive and scared.

Chris raised one eyebrow at his sensitive attitude but maintained her friendly expression.

"I mean, have you met Zil before?"

"Oh, that . . . no, I . . . haven't . . ." Sol let out a small sigh. "I . . . thought . . . she won't . . . like if . . . I came . . . near her . . . without. . . . . you."

"Yes, she doesn't like strangers but that's not the matter with you. Weirdly she already likes you," Chris smiled at Zil.

"Can we . . . stay . . . here?" Sol mumbled giving a small shy smile.

"Yep. No problem." Chris sat down on the steps of the gazebo.

A comfortable silence settled around them apart from the chirping birds and the sound of the wind blowing through the trees. A few dark clouds were still floating around the sky and the sun was peeking in and out among them. The dark clouds reminded Chris of a particular dark-cloaked figure. Dames. Chris smiled to herself remembering the first time she encountered Dames. It was a rainy day, she was on the Quidditch field with other Gryffindor players. Harry had flown straight to the dementors herd and she went to rescue him. Her smile faded into a frown. She has not checked with Ryan since she had come here. Come to think of it, no dementor had tried to reach her since that day she met Ryan outside the forest. She had no clue what was going on in the outside world. She needed to talk to them.

Chris lowered her gaze from the sky and found Sol staring at her.

"What?" she asked.

Sol opened his mouth and closed it with a shrug.

Chris rolled her eyes then suddenly with a jolt a realization hit her.

"You are not supposed to see her!" Chris sat up straighter. "Thestrals are not to be seen unless you have seen death, yet everyone here can see her. I . . ." Confused Chris trailed off. Have all of them seen death?

"Vampires. . ." Sol muttered.

It took a moment for Chris to understand.

"You mean vampires can see Thestrals?"

Sol nodded.

"Everyone . . . has . . . seen . . ." Sol paused for a long time. "Death."

"Every vampire?" Chris was surprised more and more.

Sol nodded again.

"You too? But you are not a vampire." Chris regretted the words as soon as they were out of her mouth. "Sorry."

"No."

"Wait, what?"

"I have . . . not seen . . . anybody . . . die," Sol smoothed his hands over Zil's wings looking distracted. "But . . . I . . . can see . . . all . . . of them."

The way Sol said "All of them" struck Chris. She remembered seeing different types of feathers inside Sol's room. Then the way Zil reacted to him and how he escaped Chris the first time. Something clicked in her mind. She knew it was a long farfetched guess but she decided to take the chance.

"Sol, do you feel connected to magical beasts?"

Sol froze, his eyes widened. Chris stood up recognizing the fear in his eyes. She was right. Sol glared at her then sprinted back to the castle.

"Sol! Wait! I feel it too! The connection," Chris called running after him.

Sol halted in his steps then turned around, for a moment he looked like he might believe Chris. But then --

"You! are! lying!"

With a lot of effort, he spat out the words and disappeared inside the castle.

_____________ _____________

To be continued. . .