Caesarion’s lips parted to let loose words Noah couldn’t readily understand. The first statement was convoluted, and Noah wasn’t a devout man aside from the god whom he already aligned with from birth. He needed but one divine entity in his life, no other. It wasn’t all Caesarion spoke of, he spoke of change, how he had changed and turned darkness into a being to be controlled. Not only that, the man drew close to Noah, and the Kelvic stayed, believing himself to be yearning for the touch of the man before him. He felt the heat radiating off of Caesarion’s body, how it took the chill out of the air and eased towards him through the tiny space Caesarion only closed all the more.

The Ravokian was peering into Noah, telling him what he could see inside the eagle’s heart through a gift the Kelvic didn’t understand. Ridiculous questions followed, questions asking why he wasn’t smiling, why he wasn’t overly joyful to see the man who had all but abandoned him without a given reason. The questions and inquiries were infuriating. Why would he stupidly ask such a thing, Noah wondered.

The thoughts fueled his movement away from Caesarion, rolling out of the man’s hold as his own arms and hands came around his midsection protectively, shelling himself against another advance.

“Why?” the Kelvic ask rhetorically. “Why would I be elated to see you at all?” Noah shook his head, a hand rushing through the curls atop his head.

“You say you see into my heart. You say you see my hesitation, grief, and anger, but you don’t understand my hatred for you,” he pointed out. “I’m not smiling because I told myself I never wanted to see you again. If I saw you again, I wouldn’t know what to do. I learned to live without you, so don’t expect me to be happy to see your face.”

Noah licked his lips, his gaze fluttering from the ground between them to settle upon Caesarion. It was true, he had not donned the feathers of his eagle form in months now, it had been several days and weeks since he felt the wind beneath his wings. Words couldn’t explain how much he missed it, but where would he fly? Why would he run the risk of being discovered for what he truly was, a beast able to take on human form?

“Look at me with your eyes and tell me what you see,” he commanded. “Stand there and tell me what you see. Do you see my hurt? My scars from wounds you caused?”

In time, Noah had become hard and rigid, jaded and unforgiving. He was beyond vindictive and Caesarion was going to face the consequences for the crimes done unto him. The Kelvic knew how he wanted to handle the situation now that he had been faced with it. This was no fantasy, no image in his mind, a scenario played over and over with a new approach. This was real and he was handling it in real time.

“Don’t touch me,” he warned.