Kyra giggled happily, her tiny hands grasping at the air as her eyes followed the swirling of pastel lights dancing above her head.
"She's an energetic one," Cyril smiled as he tried in vain to force another spoonful of mashed carrots into Kyra's mouth.
She was uninterested, far too transfixed on something that Cyril couldn't quite see. A small tabby cat pounced from one of the wooden shelves on the wall beside her high chair, panicking Cyril as sharp claws swiped far too close to her head.
"Shoo! Get!" Cyril stomped his foot at the cat, frustrated as yet another climbed onto the shelves, no doubt intent on attempting the same acrobatics.
"They aren't trying to hurt her Dad," Sean frowned as he scooped the gray cat from its new spot among the mass of leather-bound books and scrolls.
Cyril sighed as orange mush slowly dribbled from Kyra's mouth, her smile as she babbled and cooed making his heart soften. He was beginning to suspect that the girl had been blessed with spirit sight, an ability that was going to be the absolute bain of his existence as she aged.
Sean had been enough of a handful around the temple once he'd learned to move on his own, he didn't want to be chasing a toddler that would run after beings that he was unable to see and ward her from.
Kyra's abilities were slowly becoming more apparent though. While the temple strays often trailed after his son, many of them now seemed to swarm around Kyra almost in rotating shifts, batting at the same air that she did, playing with things that only they could see.
True spirit sight was a rarity. While it wasn't uncommon for some to see glimpses of the unseen from time to time —especially if they were already blessed with other gifts— to see all without restrictions was something practically unheard of. In all his years Cyril had only ever known one other to possess true sight— his late wife Shia. He had heard rumours of others but even those were few and far between, as it was understood that like any blessing, spirit sight was not something that one could pass down, at least not at its full capacity.
Even his son only ever spoke of seeing things on rare occasions despite his mother's gifts, though his sightings of the unseen had been increasing since Kyra had come to them, no doubt a side effect of the blessing that had been bestowed upon him by the deity Amadeus.
That was yet another headache becoming more and more apparent each day. Sean now seemed to possess the ability to tell when a person lied in any capacity, without fail. He was already a perceptive child but now had become a terror of truth around the temple.
If you had to say anything untruthful, even something small, you had better say it well out of earshot of Sean. Like any child, he was quite pleased with his newfound ability, and thus would quite proudly proclaim when anyone said anything that wasn't 100% true.
The slight glow of his now violet eyes as he stared through whoever had fallen prey to his ability only added insult to injury.
Cyril only hoped that as he aged he would learn some tack and understand the benefit of not calling out every single person in a public setting.
A lesson that would hopefully be learned before Kyra became able to understand the people around her and began to learn about the world and grow.
Sean was already a proud menace, and his father didn't want to think about how his powers could grow with use and age.
Cyril huffed as yet another cat scaled his bookshelf, knocking over some of the smaller books. Maybe it would be wise for him to seek out an expert on things unseen if only to add a layer of protection to the temple for Kyra's sake.
He remembered how Shia would talk about the horrors of her childhood and how more creatures took an interest in her as she aged, being drawn to her powers. She hadn't mentioned many instances of danger from them but that didn't mean that all were friendly, or that the sight of them wasn't unnerving.
When she'd become pregnant with Sean she had cautioned Cyril about bringing things home that he may find while out of the temple. The fae were a part of the unseen and they were known for leaving gifts, small little contracts that could be harmless or could mean the end of your life if you offended them.
Shia had been far more paranoid of the fae as her pregnancy had progressed. They were known to claim children with any strong semblance of spirit sight and Shia had already drawn their attention simply by being. She had been terrified of Sean possessing even a small amount of her powers, convinced that he would be stolen away once he was born.
Her fears only amplified closer to her due date, the presence of the fae becoming apparent to all within the temple.
If they had known that it would be of no concern once Sean was born then maybe the last few months of her life would have been filled with far more joy than fear.
Cyril looked at his son, sadness misting his eyes as he watched him scoop up a kitten and hold it in the air by Kyra, the two babies batting at whatever creature had decided to entertain them for the day as smiles adorned their faces.
He loved Sean dearly but he missed his wife just as much. She had died during a traumatic childbirth, leaving Cyril to fend for himself as he tried to navigate raising a child while managing his grief and loss.
Sean never asked much about his mother, perhaps because he hadn't known her long enough to miss her absence. There were plenty of older women around the temple who had helped to raise him, a community of people who had helped them during his darkest times and who would no doubt continue to.
Maybe that was why the god Amadeus had chosen to charge his son with the duty of raising Kyra— because he knew that he would not be alone, that she would be well taken care of and protected within the temple alongside Sean.
Kyra cooed inquisitively, drawing Cyril's attention once more, her warm hazel eyes wide as she stared at his face, almost as though she could sense his inner turmoil. He gave her a small smile which she returned with vigor, her hands now reaching out towards him.
"Let's get you cleaned up little one," Cyril laughed lightly as he hoisted Kyra from her chair, ignoring the sensations of mushy vegetables smearing across his clothing as he held her in his arms.
He would reach out to some old friends in the coming days in the hopes of finding someone who could help them with any unseen who may decide to cause them issues.