Louisa's POV
"Now, you're ready to go," I put the cloaks on top of Mana and Mata's heads and said.
They looked at themselves in the mirror and then looked at each other. Then, they walked towards me and bowed.
"Thank you, miss, for making clothes for us."
"We'll find Darren and get him back safely."
I adjusted their hoodies and said, "Protect yourself first."
At that time, Colt walked into the tent with grease and dirt on his face, sweating as if he had just taken a bath.
As soon as he saw me, he cracked a giant smile on his face.
"We've made it. Alex is amazing! He works like a giant octopus!" He wiped the sweat on his face and said.
"Colt, thank you! You're amazing!" I hugged him and said.
"The airship can only take two people at a time. These two chaps look very light, so I guess there won't be any problems when we fly to Ivory City. But on our way back, I might be able to only take Darren with me," he said.
"No problem, miss. We'll swim back."
"No one will see us. They don't look at the river."
I frowned and bit my lips.
"Please stay safe, Mana and Mata. If you can't find Darren, it's OK. Just come back to me. Don't let anyone hurt you again," I said.
"OK, miss," They nodded and said.
"They're ready to go," I said to Colt. "They know the way and they'll point it to you. Please take care of them, Colt. They might not be able to speak, but they are my friends."
Colt smiled and patted his chest, "Don't worry, Louisa. I understand."
He wanted to walk out of the tent. I grabbed his arms and said, "And you, please stay safe."
"No worries," Colt smiled and walked away in a hurry.
I stopped him again.
"Please take Darren back safely, Colt," I said with tears in my eyes.
"Don't worry. I'll take him back before the end of the day," Colt said and walked out of the tent with Mana and Mata.
"Will they take away your pearls and run away?" Will leaned against my body, looked up, and asked.
I stroked his head and said, "Will, Mana, and Mata volunteered to risk their lives to help us. They don't have to help us. When we ask someone to help us, we must trust them wholeheartedly."
"But what if they betray us?" Leo asked.
"Then we take up the responsibility of making the wrong decisions," I said to him.
Leo looked very confused.
"There is a way out other than being angry all the time, Leo," I said.
Leo nodded and didn't say anything.
He looked very nervous and uncomfortable in front of Will, so I said, "Leo, I'm going to make Will a cloak as well, and I'll make Gianna's baby some suits. Do you want to help me?"
Leo looked at his hands and said, "I don't know how to sew. These claws are very clumsy."
"You can help around. Will can join us as well," I looked at Will and said.
He didn't look very enthusiastic about working together with Leo, but he didn't protest.
Snow went away and no one else except Leo could play with him. So I guessed he could stand being mad at Leo for a long time.
As I was doing the measurement on Will, Leo asked him, "Do you like listening to stories, Will? I can read them for you."
"My father used to read all kinds of stories to me all the time," Will mumbled. "But I don't mind listening to them again."
Leo said immediately, "OK. I'll let the soldiers pick up some books from my brother's study. Maybe we can read together."
"I don't like books without pictures," Will frowned and said.
"OK, I'll tell them to bring us some picture books," Leo said and walked out of the tent.
"Is Leo going to kill you, Louisa?" Will asked when Leo left.
"No, Will. Leo is a very good boy. He's going through some adolescent changes. That's why he's a bit unstable."
"I have never been a teenager, but I've seen a lot of adolescent boys. They're very emotionally unstable, but none of them have the same level of cruelty. It feels like there are two different people trapped inside one body," Will said. "It's a bit creepy."
"Will has been through a lot of difficulties ever since he was a little boy," I said. "We have to put that into consideration."
"And don't you find it strange that Leo and Lucian are brothers, but there is almost a twenty-year-old gap between them?" Will asked.
For a boy who had lived a thousand years, Will seemed to be very sensitive about age.
"What do you want to say, Will?" I asked, lifting his arms to do the measurement for sleeves.
"He's not Lucian's real brother." He shrugged and said. "Lucian's old enough to be his dad."
My hands trembled and the needle pad on my wrist accidentally scratched Will's arm.
"Ouch," Will protested quietly.
"Sorry, Will. I didn't mean to..."
"It's OK. Just a scratch." He shrugged and said. The cut instantly healed.
"I don't think he's Lucian's son... I mean, Lucian met Gianna when he was six and they have been with each other ever since..."
"He's old enough to be Lucian's son, but it doesn't mean that he's Lucian's son. A lot of people were of the same age as Lucian," Will said.
"He can't be Lucas' son. They look so different. Lucas has got dark hair, but Leo's hair is fair," I whispered.
Will looked up at me, stared at me for a while, and said, "I know why he feels so strange now. He looked just like you, Louisa."