Chapter 640

• "Kothi, are you sure you'll be fine here on your own? Wouldn't you rather stay with someone for some company?"
• Kothari searched his mother's face, seeing the tell-tail signs of concern that was never far when she looked at him. She tried to hide it from him, but he was adept at seeing through most subterfuge. That expression infuriated the monster that lived within him, but it also broke the heart of the little boy who craved his mother's love.
• This morning it was the boy who held dominance, and the much softer side of his personality came forth, a side that only his parents ever witnessed. Giving his mother a tight hug, he pushed down his inner demon so he could savour the blissful moment. It wouldn't last, it never did, but he would take each precious moment when he could. "I'll be fine, Mother. You don't need to worry about me. Don't go to Europe looking back and worrying. You need all your attention on your task there."