Chapter Text
I’m staying at the Cardinal with Seph and Zillah because she dragged us back with her. Something about how she wants me to convince Emilia to come back. I’ve been pining for Wrath ever since she left Caledonia. I don’t like admitting it, not even to myself, but ever since I spent some time with her, I am completely smitten with my little volcano. I should’ve known it wasn’t a good idea. I knew she had a family she would go back to. That she had Madison and their little girl and that she wouldn’t want to hear from me at all the moment she had them back. Kids aren’t my kind of thing and I try to stay away from them whenever I can, which means that I rarely get to see Emilia since she spends all her time with her family. Understandably so.
I walk into the lobby of the Cardinal, still unfamiliar with this world somehow. I wasn’t expecting to run into Emilia and Madison there. I stop in my tracks, staring in their direction. When they notice me, I nod once in greeting and the only response I get is Madison’s icy stare. I notice the movement around Emilia’s legs, the little girl clearly hiding behind her legs. I can see her little head peeking out from her hiding place. Our eyes meet, and the girl giggles. I scowl at her. I’m War; I don’t make friends with kids, after all. The girl giggles again and I roll my eyes.
The only thing that makes me stop is the sound of someone clearing their throat. I look up and notice that Madison’s icy stare could now put the arctic to shame.
“Astar,” she says with a coldness that makes the blood freeze in my veins.
I’m distracted from Madison when I hear the girlish giggle again. She has her tiny hands wrapped around Emilia’s right leg, still stealing glances around whenever she can. Her eyes haven’t left me since the moment we noticed each other.
“Emilia, I—,” I begin but get interrupted by Madison right away. “No,” she cuts in with such determination it makes me gulp. “You don’t get to talk to her. Not now. She just got back from wherever the fuck you dragged her off to, and now what? What do you want, Astar?”
My throat is dry and I’m at a loss for words. With my head hanging, I stare at the floor, the movement again catching my attention. The little girl, still half hidden behind her mother’s leg, stares at me with big eyes. It’s almost like she can sense that I’m in trouble. I scowl at her because I really don’t have time for this. For whatever reason, my scowl makes her eyes light up and she grins widely, putting two singular teeth on full display. I huff and turn on my heels before I stalk off.