LC Satusi Prologue

 

Part 7

The last snowstorms of the winter came and went. The amount of snow was shrinking steadily, most already falling off of the trees. The warm temperatures were rising, making way for the end of winter. Shawn and I tried to make most out of it, having snowball fights and building igloos. We even visited Stoney Falls, the Sunset Valley waterfall.

The falls themselves were located quite far from the City, but that worked out for us without any problems. The waters were crystal clear and calling, water from the melting snow up from the mountains. With no one watching, other than Shawn having it as his mission as a safety measure, I went for a swim, able to savour it completely with him making sure no one could surprise us.  

As for Axisca… It had been silent on that front since the attempted abduction. It was annoying to have to take so much more precautions on things, but according to all the things Shawn had seen when they had used the anti-vampirism serum on him, the cautions were called for. The organization was nothing to be messed with.

We had made ourselves as unpredictable as we could, our work included, as without a pattern, it was hard to plan any ambushes.
   I made myself a promise to tell Shawn soon about my mission here, as things were getting so serious, with us and with Axisca. He had to be made aware it wasn’t only about myself, but about any heirs we might have. Should have, in my case. I had been sent here for that. To make my heritage on land, with a human.

I often spoke to Siku about it all, late at nights, relieved to have someone always willing to hear me out like that. I could practice my speech with him, not wanting to take any chances with it. We were spending time together with him lately more and more.

One morning, Sike and I were on a ride on the beach. He was like a wind, making my hair and his mane fly as we galloped through the beach, with more and more sand coming from underneath the snow day by day.

I myself had gotten better at riding, and had read upon race competitions that the City organized quite frequently. It could bring us more of a challenge, and some more money as well. I also wanted something to show to Axisca that I wasn’t afraid of them. That I wasn’t going to hide myself away.

I halted with Sike by the water, watching where my home had used to have been. I could not go that deep anymore, not with my human side as a permanent part of me now. I found it in myself that I didn’t mind or miss it like before at times; this was my life here now. And I had made it something I liked.  

On occasion we had ran with his herd and no one came close to Sike when we raced. With each one of our rides, I grew more confident with ourselves.

I did my decision, signing Sike and I to our first competition, after deeming us to have enough practise. I had done nothing like that, so it was making me a little nervous, but in a good way. And considering how competitive Sike was, I was certain he’d be good in racing. So I made the call to include us in the next race after visiting the stables.

Shawn had his suspicions on whether it was wise or not to possibly end up public, depending how we’d fare in the races, but he agreed that on one hand, more publicity could work out on keeping us safe. I wanted to make sure Axisca understood we weren’t to be messed with any more than they themselves.

Soon it did come the day of our race, of our first race. Sike felt raring to go but I wanted us calm and concentrated, not only fuelled by adrenaline of all of it. Some of the other riders were whispering around, commenting on my blue skin and hair, but I paid it no mind.

The competition shot into action the moment the start was given. I could feel the competitiveness of Sike, his every movement in it to win it. I hid my smile as I felt the power only horses held, and we raced, hooves beating the ground all around.

Our win came out as a quite the racket. Only one having bet on us as newcomers was Shawn, who made a decent money out of it, and Sike seemed to be dancing under the cameras, as if knowing it was all about him now. I smiled more openly now, not having doubted my handsome horse for one moment. After the photos we retreated a little from the crowds and cameras to catch our breath.

Shawn rushed to us, smiling brightly as he pulled me into a hug.
   “You’re amazing”, Shawn smiled to me and I laughed a little.
“It’s all Sike”, I said, cause of course.  
   “And you”, Shawn answered. “You’re amazing. I – I love you, Sisu.”
I stilled in surprise and so did he, as if he hadn’t thought it through. A smile spread to my face again.

“You love me?” I asked him, staring at him.
   “Damn it, Sisu, how could I not?” He huffed, making me grin. Cause the feelings I had had for some time now had been too deep to only be liking, and there was no other option left.
   “I love you too”, I said, pulling him in for a kiss as if to seal the confession. Sike let out a neigh and shook his mane, as if to shake off the remaining adrenaline.

That night we celebrated the race victory and our confessions between the sheets, and I felt like I still felt the adrenaline of the race and of having heard Shawn say he loved me. I didn’t want to stop feeling like this – to think I had fallen in love with a human, it was like straight from the stories I had read humans having written.

.

From then on, Sike’s and my training started to be more planned, though still we made sure to have no clear comings and goings in case Axisca had their eyes still set on us. Sike and I visited to practice on the Equestrian Center’s racing grounds whenever we had the proper moment, and I planned to sign us on another race soon enough.

Heidi was our trainer most of the time. She made time for us whenever she could so we could train. Her experience was more than helpful, and she got along quite well with Sike, which wasn’t at all guaranteed, as the horse often had a dislike for any new people.

And though our races were going very well, the pressure of telling Shawn about my real mission here was wearing me down, slowly but surely. I felt guilty, thinking I hadn’t told this all already, as now I had made him fall in love and he had made me.

Or maybe no one had made anything, and it merely happened. Alas, I wanted it all out in the open, but at the same time I couldn’t help but fear if he’d decide it was too much for him. I could completely understand if he felt that way. On the other hand its not like our relationship so far had been very free of complications…

One day when Shawn was making calculations on how we could at last afford to remodel the house, to have some more space. He seemed to think it was a solid sign we had gotten along so well in sharing such a small house, but that we’d deserve some more space now that we could have it. That then was a sign to me I had to talk things clean before we’d have any more major changes made.

So that evening I asked him out for a walk to the beach, to see the stars and count the constellations. And to talk. Shawn seemed to sense something was off soon.
   “Something’s in your mind?” He inquired when we walked by the water and stopped to watch the soothing waves crashing lightly to the shore. Having my element so close I felt calmer, my mind clearer.

“I omitted something of why I’m here”, I admitted then. “Of why I’m half-human.”
   I had wondered if he’d tense, expect the worst, but he merely raised his eyebrows in slight surprise.
   “I’m listening”, he simply said and I felt warmth in my heart. He seemed to assume I had my reasons, that I’d tell things when I was ready – and he was ready. He knew me. He trusted me. I wanted to hug him.

I told him all of it. All of rest of it. How I had studied humans as a siren. How this had been planned with my whole clan, with my own kind, how it was important for my whole species. To test if times were right for our co-existence with humans. How my heritage had to be my priority, how I had to have at least one child with a blue skin to mark the siren genes having moved on. That come tenth generation, they could return to the sea.

Shawn listened closely, calmly. I monitored his body language but it was as it had been when I had revealed to him what I was, and I felt myself relax as a response.
   “I understand if it’s too much, if it’s something you don’t want”, I said then, smiling a little sadly. I had prepared myself for the worst.
   “Sisu. To me, this changes nothing”, Shawn answered sincerely. “I want children as well. And I understand you have a mission with this. And… I was honest at the race. I love you, I can’t think of anything that could change that.”
   I felt almost numb with the relief, repeating his words in my mind until I could be sure I had heard correctly.

“I’m sorry I didn’t tell earlier, I wasn’t sure what to say”, I shook my head. “I wanted to, for ages. Things feel so serious.”
   “Only as serious as we want them to be”, Shawn assured. “We can take this all at our own pace. I’m happy with whatever pace you want, or don’t want.”
   I couldn’t help but smile. “Had you said no to all, we would’ve had a shared custody of Sike”, I joked to lighten the conversation and Shawn laughed.
   “That is a valid point”, he grinned. “Though I think he still prefers you. I would’ve sent you alimony. And asked at least visiting rights.”
   I rolled my eyes. It felt like a weight was gone from me when we kissed underneath the constellations, a shooting star flying through the skies.
   It seemed I truly had found myself a mate. I could continue my mission, and at this one moment, I could forget the threat of Axisca always shifting in the shadows.