Zai's tone startled me; I gasped loudly.
Even my mom's expression shifted, her eyes paling to a soft yellow.
"Did you think I came here for a pleasant visit or something?" Zai said, his voice low and sharp. "No. Fuck you. Snowe still has nightmares because of how awful a mother you were. I just wanted to put a face to the things I've heard."
I thought he wanted her blessing before our wedding... I guess I misunderstood him completely.
"You... dare insult me?!" my mom snapped, pointing at me. "What about her? She was always scheming for attention and always looking down on me! No one would be able to tolerate a child like that!"
…Is that true?
Hearing her say that made something tighten in my chest.
Had I always been trying to prove something, steal attention… or act superior?
"Oh wow... your child wanted attention from you?" Zai said in a mocking voice, arching a brow. "Imagine that," he muttered sarcastically. "And since you know you weren't someone worth looking up to, why are you so surprised she ended up looking down instead?" he added in a voice that made my mother shiver.
He rested his chin in his palm, elbow propped lazily on the table, but nothing about him was relaxed. His energy swirled around us, and the guards stayed on edge, ready to restrain him if needed.
"...Fine. I know I was a crappy mom, okay?! I know. But I can't control how I feel! Every time I looked at her, I got so pissed. I hated sharing Caem with another person, but I wanted to be a good mother," she admitted, teary-eyed.
"Then you know you're a failure?" he asked flatly.
She clenched her fist.
"You only have two redeeming features," he continued. "One, that you were brave enough to choose the power you wanted, no matter what anyone said. Two, that you gave birth to Snowe. Nothing else about you has any value."
Her tears overflowed.
If her powers weren't suppressed, she might've tried to fight him, but all she could do now was wail, crying in her seat.
"…If that's all you have to say, you can leave," she muttered after wiping her eyes and trying to calm down.
I started to rise from my seat, but then Zai grabbed my wrist and said, "No."
I sat back down.
He wasn't looking at me; he was talking to her.
"You're going to die. Sad that it won't be by my hand… but at least you'll suffer in here until they get around to your execution," he reminded her.
She touched her neck, as if she'd forgotten she was on death row. The harsh reality of her situation dawned on her.
"I believe it was fate that spared you this long… so that before you die," he continued, she visibly cringed at the word. "you'd have the chance to apologize to your daughter. You may never see her again, and if you don't apologize now, you definitely won't see her again. She's the only person on this planet who cares about you, so I know some part of you feels some remorse toward her."
The silence that followed was deafening.
She stared down at the table for what felt like an eternity.
I was tempted to just get up and leave.
Finally, she whispered, her voice cracking,
"Snowe… I'm sorry."
Her tears returned as she continued.
"I knew I wasn't ready to be a mom. But when Caem asked me… I felt so happy that, for a fleeting moment, I wanted a baby.
And because of that passing feeling… You were born. But I still wanted all of his attention. I wasn't mature enough to share it.
I don't even know if I'd do better now. But… you got caught in a fight that had nothing to do with you. I went through a lot before I had you, but that wasn't your fault. None of it was. So… he's right. I'm sorry.
I was so happy when you came to visit me… but part of me still saw you as my enemy. And I treated you like one. I… I don't want to be like this anymore. I don't want to stay this way."
My heart tightened. I could tell she meant it. And for the first time… I saw her not as a threat, not as something I had to protect myself from, but as a person.
"You were happy to see me?" I asked, sniffling, tears blurring my vision.
"Of course I was. I thought you were dead. But… I didn't want to show it. I didn't want you to feel sympathy for me, not after what I did to your father or how I treated you. I don't deserve that. You should keep hating me. So you won't be hurt when I die."
"I… I never hated you," I whispered. "I wish I could. But I can't."
Our eyes met, and she gave a weak smile.
"Oh, dear. I really am a stupid bitch, aren't I?" she mumbled.
I laughed, startled by how much that sounded like my first conversation with Zai about her.
"You are pretty dumb," I said, smiling. "That's where I get it from."
She snorted through her tears.
"I'm also sorry to Caem. I clung to him. Refused to let him go. I knew he needed to leave, but I wouldn't allow it. In this… prison, these chains, is where I belong. Your husband's right. The only good thing I ever did was create you. I wish I could've been a better mother…" she said softly.
"Time's up," the guard said, stepping forward and placing a hand on her shoulder.
"I guess… this is goodbye," she murmured.
"Thank you… for telling me that. It means a lot. I know it wasn't easy," I replied, wiping away my tears.
"You're welcome. And… I know you didn't come here for it, but I bless your union. I hope you stay as happy and devoted as you are now, until the end of time," Mom declared with a smile.
She was escorted out.
Zai kept hold of my hand as we exited the visitation room.
I had never imagined that I would get closure with my mom. I might even visit her again one day.
"Thank you. I had no idea… my mom could say things like that," I said quietly.
She used to explode with aggression every time she got emotional, as if she were ashamed of feeling anything other than rage. I never dared to confront her.
I guess… my upbringing's been weighing on Zai's mind more than I realized.
"Yeah..." he replied, still deep in thought.
Then, suddenly, he grabbed my hips and kissed me deeply, pinning me to the wall.
"Zai! We're still in the prison!"
He kissed a lock of my hair and looked into my eyes. "Is it illegal to kiss my wife?" he inquired.
I looked away, flustered. His hands moved to my ass, and I stiffened.
"It's not illegal but… PDA is highly frowned upon at this level, anywhere!" I shouted.
"We're not in public...we're alone right now."
"Zai! This is still a public building! Let's wait till we get home!"
He let me go, chuckling. "I just wanted to ease your tension," he confessed.
Well, now I'm tense for a totally different reason!
"I'm glad she apologized. She's not as crazy as I imagined. I was… kind of prepared to cause her a little pain if she resisted," Zai added.
What was he going to do?!
Then he continued,
"I'm glad I met you. I'm 30% happier now that you're in my life."
As we walked toward the exit, I elbowed him. "Only 30?"
He snickered. "It was way higher until you refused to let me do you in the prison hallway."
I gasped. "That's not fair!"
"What? It feels so forbidden… I want to try it."
Is he secretly mischievous?
"No! And this is not the place to talk about it!" I hissed. There could be cameras or telepaths monitoring us. If we did anything weird in here, we'd definitely get flagged. Authorities could follow us home, they might even find out that Zai is an Afarion.
We returned to the hotel to gather my things. As we were preparing to teleport home, Ibij met us at the exit.
"Wait… Smoke wants to talk," he said.
Zai's face instantly soured. I was ready to shut him down, but then Ibij pointed at Zai.
"Not to you. To him. You made a man's agreement. So he sent me to ask in his place."
Zai scratched his head and sighed. "Fine. Snowe, do whatever you like while you wait. Text me your location and I'll meet you when I'm done."
I nodded and watched him walk off.
I guess I'm on my own for a bit.
I wandered around the shops. Zai's always buying me things… Maybe I could finally return the favor.
I found him a set of earrings made with Infaniyan metal. A chin-link cartilage cuff with three red stones. It felt nice to be the one giving for a change.
Afterward, I sat in the park and texted him my coordinates.
Zai's conversation:
"Why are you hiding what you are?" Smoke asked, eyes narrowing.
Zai rolled his eyes and looked away. "What am I?"
"You're a Chosen of Lightning. No one who merely adopted the affinity could keep up with me the way you did."
Zai scoffed lightly.
"You should make your presence known. You'd be a massive asset in the war—"
"So would you. And your brother doesn't seem eager to jump into battle either."
"My brother has fought," Smoke snapped. "I can't just do whatever I want. I have royal obligations."
"Oh, so because I don't have those, I'm free to be used however others see fit? Got it."
Smoke's eyes flared, and his hair sparked with tension, crackling as static danced around him.
"The Chosen of Lightning was reported dead five years ago," he said. "Even if he'd been reborn, there's no way he'd be your age now. You faked your death to escape your duties. One of you is worth ten thousand soldiers. Staying out of this? It's selfish."
"I am selfish," Zai replied, voice cool and steady. "And to me, this war has gone on too long—fueled by pride, vengeance, and the foolish. Is wiping out all the Afarions really necessary? Are they all evil? We were once the same people, weren't we?"
"Of course they're all evil," Smoke said firmly, completely unaware he was speaking to one of them.
Zai smiled faintly, turning away.
"Then this fight has nothing to do with me. The Infaniyan Chosen of Lightning is dead. Don't bother me again."
Back to Snowe:
"Hey… sorry I kept you waiting," Zai said, sitting beside me on the bench.
"It's fine." As I answered, he kissed my forehead—making me blush—and I shoved the gift bag into his hands.
"What's this?" he asked, peeking inside.
"It's a gift…"
He lifted the earrings into the light. The stones shimmered. He smiled widely.
"I see… Thank you, Snowe."
My heart fluttered when he said my name, and I ducked my head.
"You're welcome… I don't need my currency here, so I wanted to do something for you for once."
"Hmm… okay. Put them on me."
He leaned forward and closed his eyes. I carefully removed his old earrings and tucked them into the bag before putting the new ones on, my hands trembling a bit.
When I finished, he smiled again. "I love them."
"W-well… I love you. Handsome."
He snorted, trying not to laugh.
"I mean it! I love you. I got so much more out of this trip than I expected. And it's all because you were with me. I love you so much, Zai. Thank you… for the courage you've given me."
His cheeks flushed, and he kissed me again and again, ending with a playful bite on my lip. I pulled away, flustered. Some passersby glanced at us, but no one stared.
"I love you, too," he said. "Now… let's go home."
He looked into my eyes, and my heart skipped a beat. We stood up, hand in hand, and he teleported us—along with our things—back to our backyard on Earth.