Chapter 9

• "I don't know." Her mom nervously scratched her hair. "Just don't call him by his name. You can call him brother if it pleases you."
• "Really? So, he's my new brother?"
• "Yes, he is." Her mother touched her hair, "now, go up there and keep him company. He must be missing your exceptional presence."
• "Okay, mom!" Clar happily ran up the stairs to meet her new brother.
• "Why did you tell her he's her new brother?" Clar's father folded his arms.
• "What else do you want me to tell her? Do you want me to tell her we knocked him down and had to bring him over since we couldn't find his family?"
• "No, that's not—"
• "Then, what else are you complaining about?"
• "Do whatever pleases you." Her husband turned and strode into the parlour.
• Meanwhile, in Clar's room, Lyre was standing in the same spot he was in when Clar left the room.
• "Why are you still standing? Come and sit on the bed. I have many things to tell you!"
• Lyre walked to the bed and sat down. The softness of the bed made him want to lie on it, but he dared not do that for fear of what might happen.
• "It's okay if you don't know talk. I can speak for the both of us!" She clapped her hands in Glee. "My name is Clar, it's a pleasure to meet you, brother."
• She brought her hand out for a handshake, but Lyre only glanced at her outstretched hand before he turned to look around the room.
• "It's alright." Clar flopped down on the bed and patted her side. "Come and lie next to me, brother."
• And Lyre did so.
• ********
• "That was what happened! Can you imagine? That girl took my cookies and ate all, so I sent my dog after her."
• Clar laughed, expecting Lyre to do so. And when she heard no sound from him, she turned, only to see him sound asleep.
• For the first time in forever, this was the day he soundly slept.
• Clar covered him with her blanket, before she lay next to him, and slept.
• She felt happy being near her new handsome brother.
• "Clar, we have—" The mother opened the door, to a sight that made her emotional. She smiled at the scene in front of her before she closed the door, and went downstairs to tell her husband about it.
• *********
• Lyre woke up later that afternoon. At first, he lay on the bed to rest. However, when he remembered where he was, he immediately rose from the bed, startling Clar awake.
• "You are awake?" Clar rubbed her eyes.
• Lyre glanced at her, and at the door before he made his decision.
• He's going to leave this strange family.
• He raced to the door, and before Clar can stop him, he was already out of the room.
• Out in the corridor, he was confused about where to go.
• The stairs were in front of him, but just the sight of the thing made him want to howl out in frustration.
• "Brother!"
• Clar ran out of the room.
• Instantly, Lyre took to his heels. He doesn't know where he was going. But what he knew was he needed to get as far as he could from the little human.
• "Brother!"
• Clar gave chase when she noticed where he was heading to.
• "No, don't go in there! It's Rain's personal space!"
• Yet, Lyre didn't listen. He turned the corner and continued running until he reached the room at the end of the hall.
• "Brother!" Clar called out, as she tried to keep up with Lyre's surprisingly fast legs.
• Lyre didn't waste time. He opened the door and entered.
• His heart was beating loudly as he leaned on the door.
• Thump Thump.
• The Merman took a deep breath as he waited in the room until the girl who was chasing him, left.
• "Brother!"
• Clar called out but when she didn't see him around, she went back to report what happened to the mother.
• "Who are you?"
• !!!
• Lyre was startled at the sound of the voice behind him.
• And for the first time, since he dashed in here, he turned to look around the room he ran into.
• The room was unlike the Little girl's room.
• Everything in here was completely made of black. The curtains and bedspread were completely made of black.
• On the bed with the black sheets was a boy who doesn't look older than Lyre.
• Lyre thought as he gave the boy on the bed a thorough look.
• Lyre gasped at how handsome he was.
• The blue eyes of the boy on the bed, and his black hair, gave him an otherworldly look.
• Lyre swallowed deeply as he watched him.
• He can't tell why he felt like hugging the boy and burrowing his head in his chest.
• Lyre's throat became dry when his eyes took in the boy's naked chest.
• The abs and pecs made his mouth water. He had to blink to make sure his mind didn't conjure him up.
• No one can be this handsome. It's a crime to the world.
• Rain, who was lying on the bed, furrowed his brows at the intruder.
• Initially, he thought the person was a girl however, the flatness of his chest made him know he was a male.
• However, that wasn't what caught Rain's attention.
• The boy's scent was the thing that got his attention.
• Rain sniffed the air to make certain his nose wasn't deceiving him.
• He smells so nice.
• Rain thought as he watched the beautiful boy.
• His essence was like the ocean, mingled with the scents of strawberry and spring.
• The combination alone drove Rain crazy, and he didn't understand why.
• Lyre swallowed as he checked out the boy. It was as if he were trying to save the image in his head.
• "Do you like what you see?" Rain rose from the bed, and approached Lyre, who stood rooted to the floor, with only his eyes making movements.