peel away the layers till you're nothing and no one
And then all of a sudden he’s there. He lands beside the boy, eyeing Chaol briefly before looking to Kirke. “I’m sorry Father, I was just about to!” Then she falls silent, heart in her throat, as Kirin inspects the boy a little more.
She lets out a small, happy, sigh as he comments on the wings - she knows he’s always been fond of wings. They might not be as impressive as Ecco’s ability, but they are something that Kirin has himself, that Kirke has herself. A sign of the boy’s heritage.
Kirin asks after the boy’s name and Kirke pauses. She remembers Kirin’s anger after her mother had named the twins … but surely with his own daughter it’s different right? Especially since she’d chosen such a strong name (well, in her opinion). She’s about to respond when Chaol himself pipes up, almost defiantly. She smiles proudly at him - surely Kirin will like the boy’s attitude.
She doesn’t notice the hummingbird that flits past, but she does notice the change in his wings. Kirke can’t help but gasp as Chaol’s beautiful feathered wings suddenly begin to shrink and shrink and shrink until they are the size of hummingbird wings. She’s frozen for a moment, stunned, until the wings begin to grow again, and turn back into their normal colour and size. What on earth?
Chaol seems a little concerned, so she reaches forward to nuzzle at him. “Oh no sweetie, you didn’t break them. You just did something wonderful. Do you think you could do it again?” Something in her genes had clearly combined with something in his father’s genes to create something wonderful. She wonders if there’s anything else he can do.
kirke