Chapter 442: A Startling Admission
"You stowed away to come to Ravenheart!"
Noble felt her heart palpitate. What would have happened if someone had discovered the hitchhiker? The family might have been denied entrance or worse—caused a big political incident.
"That wasn't my intention. I only came for Rain."
"But you were the one who steadied her when she almost fell at the gateway. It wasn't just my imagination, was it?"
She remembered how strange it had been, but due to Noble's actions, no one else had seen the save.
"That was me, yes," Sunny admitted easily.
A man hiding in her daughter's shadow! So many things made sense now. And many more things didn't.
Another thought came into the professor's head.
"Were you the one who bit Cade at the movie theater that night?"
"I don't usually bite people. Wait, Cade? Who's Cade? That sounds like a boy's name. Why was a boy with Rain at a movie?!" Sunny's emotions spiked.
They were so strong that Noble felt queasy from his indignant anger.
"I guess that wasn't you." Noble pursed her lips. "The timing is wrong anyway. So you aren't the strange Guardian that's been protecting her, then. Then why isn't it protecting her from you?" Noble's gaze studied him more closely.
"Guardian? Ah, I think you are talking about a helper of mine. He watched over Rain while I was…gone." Sunny seemed very reluctant to answer her, and yet the words came anyway.
More than that, his emotions did not spike.
He wasn't lying.
Which begged the biggest question of all.
"Why?"
Sunny swallowed, "because I want to help her. She's special."
Noble took in a sharp breath. Her muscles tensed.
"I need a better answer than that. Why did you select Rain out of every other human in two worlds? What makes her special to you?"
If the strange man was some sort of pervert, Noble would do everything in her power to separate him from her daughter. She needed to make her weekly report to Seishan that she hadn't found any more Skinwalkers, so she could mention the intruder.
Surely the Lost Princess would be very interested in knowing about the guest.
Even the promise of natural Awakening wouldn't allow Noble to accept someone with improper attention toward her daughter.
"She's my sister."
The words were said with such sudden conviction that Noble gasped.
"What did you say?"
Rolling his eyes, Sunny sighed. "Here we go again. I'm her brother, not that you'll remember me saying it."
"Rain has a biological brother?" Noble could see the obvious resemblance in their faces now that he mentioned it. She lowered her sword. "I...I had no idea!"
She bent over and offered the man her hand.
"Wait, you didn't know before?"
There was a change in the man's expression. His somewhat hateful glare turned to confusion. With a dubious expression, he accepted the gesture and stood. Noble tried to focus her whirlwind of thoughts.
"Were you at the orphanage with her?"
The man–her daughter's biological older brother!–nodded. "I was."
Noble felt her chest tighten. She had unintentionally separated a family! "They didn't tell us, I swear! I never would have–"
"I believe you didn't know." Sunny allowed a sad smile.
"I'm sorry," Noble wanted to say many things: beg forgiveness, invite the man over to meet the rest of the family, and do so much more.
But the young man held up his hand. "What's in the past is in the past. I am glad you took care of Rain. That is what I want to do now."
His motives were pure. That was a relief that Noble couldn't describe.
"Then be honest with her. Tell her you're her brother and train her out in the open. Why hide?"
The man in black scratched his head. "Maybe someday I will. But for now, this is the way it has to be. Awakening naturally is no small thing. I don't want to attract unwanted attention to her or myself. For now, I will remain hidden."
Noble chewed her lip.
"Have you done this before?"
"No." Sunny's eyes darted away but then returned to meet her gaze evenly. "But I know it can be done. Rain can do it."
What Sunny was proposing could be life-altering for humanity. And even more life-altering for her daughter.
Awakening without the Spell–without Nightmares! Hadn't she wished for such a thing before?
"I don't suppose you have a way to become a Saint without a Nightmare, do you? You could try it on me before Rain then!"
"That is beyond my ability at present..." Sunny shrugged. "And even if I knew, the process would be different."
They stared at each other.
"I don't like it," Noble admitted. "This experimentation sounds dangerous."
"So is entering a Nightmare." The young man held up one finger.
"Touché..." The professor had no good response to that. "And I suppose my opinion in the long run is moot. It's Rain's decision to make."
"You won't intervene?" Sunny tensed.
"As long as you won't pressure her." Noble shot back automatically.
"I would never do that. If she wants nothing to do with me, I will honor that." The man promised. As sad as the thought made Sunny, Noble could feel that he meant it.
Her stern expression softened.
"I am sure Rain will want you around. And she will want that even more once she finds out you are family. If you do stay, I will ask a few things."
"I'm listening." Sunny tilted his ear toward her.
"Respect her space. Don't go places with her that you shouldn't." Noble didn't specify, but the understanding passed between them.
"I already stay outside your home and any other private place," Sunny assured her.
That was good.
"Second, if she agrees to do what you have proposed, for my husband's sanity, don't let her try anything dangerous until she is at least eighteen."
The young man rubbed the back of his neck with a goofy grin, "You and I may have different definitions of what is considered dangerous...but I'll try."
"Third, and this is most important, please continue to protect her."
Noble couldn't be with her daughter all of the time, but it seemed Sunny could. She had sensed when they met before just how powerful he was, and the same aura emanated from him just now. Not much would stop him if he put his mind to it.
Sunny's silly smirk faded. "I will guard her with my life, I assure you."
"Thank you." The professor was more grateful for that promise than she could ever say.
Sunny looked at the ground.
"I...am glad we had this conversation."
"Me too. I know you could have faded back into the shadows as soon as the light receded." Noble at last dismissed her sword.
Sunny brushed off his clothes.
"I wasn't sure what other sorcery you had hidden up your sleeve. And you throwing me out of Rain's shadow at a later time would have been very inconvenient. It was better to figure things out now."
"It is good we did." Noble agreed. "We aren't going to tell Rain about this conversation, right?"
Sunny's eyes opened wide."Dead gods, no! No one can know this talk ever happened. To you, I don't exist."
"I understand." Noble glanced at the far door. "I'll leave before Rain returns, but Sunny...if you ever come out of hiding and want a place at our table, you will be welcome."
"I believe you," the man responded, neither accepting nor rejecting the offer. "I do have one question for you before you go though."
Noble raised her eyebrow at him. "Ask me anything!"
"Who is this Cade fellow and how badly do I need to murder him?"