Two weeks flew by in the blink of an eye.
I ran my fingers over the wall as I walked down the hallway, reflecting on the past fortnight. It was late, and sleep eluded me, so I decided to take a walk in the palace. I didn’t have a destination in mind; I just wanted to move around for a while.
I must confess, as time passed, I began to feel a little more at home here. Lyric and his subordinates treated me well, though I kept my guard up out of habit. Most of my time was spent recovering from the ordeal I had lived through.
Lyric did spend time with me, but it was limited due to his responsibilities. As a ruler, his life was quite busy. Yet, he always made sure to carve out some time for me, even if it was just joining me for meals.
Not that he didn’t try to spend more time with me. He’d sneak away several times and sit with me in the courtyard, usually in one of the more secluded areas. We talked about a lot of things there, though we tended to steer clear of our pasts. Hell, I still didn’t even know what he was supposed to be. But that didn’t bother me much. I simply enjoyed spending time with him. It felt like having a real friend for the first time.
I finally reached the end of the hallway, stopping in front of a massive door. This was the west end of the palace, an area I didn’t know much about. While Lyric had shown me around shortly after I’d arrived, he hadn’t spent much time here. It was almost as if he was avoiding this area.
I took in the faded bronze color of the door. It looked like it hadn’t been opened for years, possibly even decades. Curiosity got the better of me, and I pushed against it. It was heavy, but it did open, the smell of must filling the air as it flowed out of the room.
I peeked inside to see what this room was. I’d seen many types of rooms in this palace, but none quite like this one. It was extremely large, yet also in terrible shape.
I took a few steps inside, then stopped to look around. The room had once sported fine marble, but it was now all torn up and shattered in places. There were deep gouges in the floors and walls—evidence of an intense battle that had taken place there. A giant cracked stone throne sat on the other side of the room. It looked ghostly as the moonlight shone down on it from the high broken windows.
I slowly continued forward, taking in the carnage that had been left behind. There was such an eerie feel to this place. While I was certain that it must’ve been a throne room at one time, it didn’t seem like it had belonged to Lyric. That throne was much more suited to a giant.
I walked up to the throne to get a closer look at it. That was when I noticed something in the wall behind it. Looking closer, I realized that it was an old stone door. My curiosity piqued even more, and I stepped forward and pushed on it to see if it would open. It was heavier than the previous door, and the hinges were rusted, but I managed to open it enough to look inside, though all I saw was a staircase that led downward.
I decided to step back, knowing it was too dark to try and go down there. Better to not take the chance of getting hurt again.
I had just stepped away from it when I heard the main door being pushed open. I spun around, startled that I’d been caught, but relief swept through me as I saw it was Lyric coming in. He looked just as surprised to see me in there.
“It seems like I always end up finding you in the oddest places,” he remarked.
“I guess I have a bad habit of wandering into them, but you did tell me that I could go wherever I wanted here,” I reminded him.
Lyric took in our surroundings as he walked over but kept the conversation focused on me.
“I know, and I’m glad that you’re getting around so well now. You’ve recovered much faster than I thought you would.”
“It usually doesn’t take long with what I am. I don’t know whether to call it a perk or a curse,” I admitted.
“I understand that sentiment, although there aren’t many who’ve ever managed to land a substantial blow on me,” Lyric boasted. He put his hand on his hip as he looked at the room around us. “It’s been a long time since I’ve been in here. Maybe I should finally give in and tear it down.”
“This isn’t your throne room?”
“No. I don’t need one. They’re too gaudy.”
I was confused. He was the ruler of these lands. This was his palace. Did this mean that there was another ruler before him?
“How long have you been in charge of the Eastern Lands?” I inquired.
Lyric thought about it before answering.
“It’s been quite a while now. Maybe two or three centuries. I’ve never been that good at keeping track of time.”
That was no time at all in the Veil. From what I recalled hearing my father say, the other rulers had been in their positions for at least a thousand years or more.
“I guess this was the previous ruler’s throne room. You’ve just left it as it is,” I surmised.
“I have for now, but as I said, I have been thinking about tearing it down. I have much better uses for this space, and I hate that nasty stone he called a throne.”
He whipped his hand toward the throne, and a bolt of black lightning hit it, shattering the top of it. I winced, holding my ears as the loud sound echoed through the chamber.
Lyric quickly apologized as he hugged me.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to scare you.”
“It’s okay. I’m fine now,” I whispered as I hugged him back.
Lyric pulled back to face me.
“Why don’t we get out of here? I’ll take you back to your room,” he offered.
“Sure,” I caught sight of the door near us as I let him go. “Hey, Lyric, what does that door lead to?”
Lyric tensed up like he didn’t want to answer me, though he forced himself to as he turned away from it.
“Just some old caverns. It’s nothing you need to concern yourself with.”
He didn’t want to talk about that place for whatever reason, so I let it go and followed him out without saying any more.
We were halfway down the hall when Lyric suddenly stopped and turned to me, still holding my hand.
“There is something that I’ve been meaning to show you. Would you mind coming with me?” he requested.
“Sure. I’m not tired at all.”
Lyric led me down the hall to a room that took me by surprise. It was an art studio. Like the other rooms I’d seen in the palace, it was quite large and filled with numerous paintings and sculptures. There were also a few canvases on easels that appeared to still be works in progress.
“This is amazing. Did you paint all of these?” I asked, looking around in awe.
“It’s a hobby I picked up a long time ago. I like to come in here and work on them when I have free time or can’t sleep,” Lyric answered.
“They’re so beautiful. You’re really talented.”
“Thank you. I appreciate the praise.”
I walked around, admiring the paintings that had been hung up. One caught my eye, and I stopped to look at it closer. It depicted sirens under the water. While I was familiar with the concept of them, these were a bit different than what I was used to seeing. They were very fair with long white hair streaked with blue and glowing white tails. They had long white tentacles coming from their backs and waists.
Lyric noticed my interest and stepped beside me. “I have a habit of painting different creatures that catch my eye, and a lot of them have subspecies, like these Sirens, for example. These are the rarest of them, the equivalent of what the mortal realm calls jellyfish,” he explained.
“So they’re Jellyfish Sirens? They’re really beautiful,” I commented.
“Yes,” Lyric agreed as he looked at them. “She was.”
I wondered what he meant by that. Could he have known a Jelly Siren at one time? I guessed it wouldn’t have been unheard of given his position.
Another painting nearby caught my eye as I looked away. It was one of the larger ones, showcasing what looked like a starry sky. In the middle of it were two brightly colored balls of light. They seemed to have many different colors in them, along with the outline of wings to their sides.
“The Seraphita,” I whispered, instantly recognizing what they were.
“You recognize it. That’s impressive. The others who’ve seen this painting have had no idea of what they’re supposed to be,” Lyric said.
“How do you know about them?” I asked him.
“I had heard about them a long time ago. The Mages that helped shelter me when I was little used to tell stories about them,” Lyric explained. He gingerly ran his fingers over the painting. “They always intrigued me, even though I forgot about them for a time. But recently, a rumor started going around that two of them had chosen to be reborn as Nephilim as part of the Redemption effort. I kept thinking about them after I heard about that, and one night I ended up having an incredibly vivid dream where I saw this vision, so I had to paint it.”
A painting inspired by a dream; a dream that may have been all too real. I wondered if all of the rulers had them. The presence of those Angels probably had affected them, even if just remotely.
“Lyric, do you know why the Seraphita were reborn as Nephilim?”
I wanted to find out how much he knew about all of this. He’d been aware of the Redemption and the previous hunts on the Nephilim, so he must’ve been keeping tabs on things.
“Only the bits and pieces I’ve heard,” Lyric answered. “I’d imagine you know more about it than I do, given you’re a Nephilim. While they did talk over here because it was such a big deal with the repercussions of the hunts, other than that, it didn’t affect us that much, although I admit that it didn’t seem to make much of a difference for you either. Redemption didn’t change those Nephilim that hurt you.”
“Redemption was only to stop the hunts and allow us to be considered equals. There will be a time when they’ll be judged for what they’ve done. At least I would think so,” I reminded him.
“I wouldn’t mind doing that myself. I can’t stand seeing any harm done to others simply because they find it amusing, especially a helpless woman.”
I looked down, feeling a bit guilty. Maybe I needed to be honest with him now. He had saved my life, and he was letting me stay here now. Plus, he kept saying that he wanted to be friends. He needed to know what he might be getting into.
“Hey, Lyric, about all of that…” I started.
The sound of a knock at the door interrupted us. Lyric stepped closer to me as he called out to them.
“Enter.”
Soliel entered the room, coming over to us and bowing politely before speaking. “My apologies for disturbing your time with Lady Anya, but there has been an urgent message that’s come for you, sire.”
“Urgent, huh? What’s going on?” Lyric asked him.
“There have been reports of a Mountain Troll that has roamed into the forest near the village of Hager. It seems that Chief Legard is becoming quite concerned that it could come into the village, and such could be disastrous given its size and strength,” Soliel explained.
“Understandable concerns,” Lyric acknowledged. He took a moment to think things over. “But they also are only active at night, and this one is halfway over. Would he be disagreeable with me taking care of it tomorrow? I don’t like the idea of having to look for it when it may be getting ready to hide away for the day.”
Soliel agreed, “I sincerely doubt that he’d be bothered by that. The night is waning, and there is no immediate threat of the Troll coming to the village as of now. Aside from that, I would imagine that Legard is upset to even have to trouble you with such a matter at this hour, but he is in a tight position with what could occur if this continues, and it’s quite difficult for most of them to wrangle such a creature, especially if it is rabid, as he suspects.”
“All good points. I suppose I don’t have a choice in it. I’ll make sure to take care of it tomorrow night,” Lyric concluded.
I was feeling a bit uneasy now. “Are you sure about that? You want to deal with that thing on your own?” I asked him.
“I do not need to involve any others. I’ve easily handled creatures like it many times. They can be big and nasty, but most aren’t very bright,” Lyric assured me.
“I get that, but you really shouldn’t do it all alone. If something were to happen to you, then no one would be around to help you,” I reasoned.
Soliel rested a hand on my shoulder. “Your concern is understandable, my lady, but you needn’t worry so. Master Lyric has handled such matters many times and without incident. It is part of his duties in his position too,” he explained to me.
Lyric seemed to consider my concerns. “You can always come with me if you feel that uneasy about it. We could head to Hager before sunset, and I can show you what my lands are like outside of the palace.”
Soliel looked surprised. “Master, far be it from me to interject, but our lady has been recovering…”
“I’m well aware of that,” Lyric interrupted. “However, it’s also her choice if she wants to go. I’m certain she’s tired of just roaming around the palace. Of course, I’d also never allow her to be hurt.”
I had already made my decision. “I guess it would be nice to get out, and I could stay in Hager if I start feeling uncomfortable about things.”
“You’re free to make that choice,” Lyric told me. He glanced at the nearby clock. To my shock, it was nearly four in the morning now. Where had the time gone? “Let us get some rest for now. I’ll take Anya back to her room, and you and I can speak more of this later, Soliel.”
“Of course. As you wish,” Soliel agreed, bowing and disappearing.
Lyric took my hand and led me back to my room. We stopped to face each other when we reached the door. “You’re not going to sneak out of here without me, right?” I confirmed.
“I would never do so,” Lyric swore before chuckling a little under his breath. “I’ll make sure to take you with me, but for now, you and I should get some sleep.”
I looked down, trying not to blush. “Um, Lyric?”
“Yes?”
“I know this might sound inappropriate, but could you stay with me? It’s nice to sleep beside you.”
“Of course. It’s quite comfortable for me as well.”
The two of us headed into my room, closing the door behind us. I crawled into bed and curled up against him, closing my eyes as he put an arm around me. As odd as it was, I felt safe with him. I knew in my soul that he would never hurt me.
“Goodnight, Lyric,” I whispered, taking a chance and kissing his cheek.
“Goodnight,” he whispered back.
The two of us drifted off to sleep like that. When I next began waking up, bright sunlight was pouring in through the curtains of the windows. Lyric was still with me and waking up too.
“Damn. I need to watch my late nights,” he muttered.
“No kidding,” I stretched a little, snuggling against him. “I don’t think I can get up yet. This is way too comfortable.”
“Maybe not right this minute, but we do need to think about it. They’ll be looking for me soon enough. Soliel never lets me sleep in too long,” Lyric admitted.
I rested my head on his chest, closing my eyes and listening to his gentle heartbeat. I was beginning to question myself about my comfort with him, though it wasn’t enough to make me move. There was something so inviting about him from the day we’d met—something I couldn’t and didn’t want to resist.
We lay there like that for a few more minutes before Lyric spoke again. “I guess we don’t have a choice. Let’s get ourselves up and ready for the day.”
“Okay,” I reluctantly agreed. I sat up and let him get off the bed, then followed.
Stepping out of the room, we promised to see each other later, and I headed to the washroom with a change of clothes. I was still somewhat tired, but I hoped that a nice bath would reinvigorate me.
Everything was quiet as I stepped into the washroom and closed the door. Drawing a bath, I undressed and brushed my hair, then stepped in. A sigh of relief escaped me as I leaned back, closing my eyes.
This felt nice. At least it would let me relax before what was coming later.
Opening my eyes, I looked forward and thought about the night before. Lyric wanted me to go with him to that village before the night came because he wanted to show me what it was like. I wondered if that meant that this was a date. It seemed a little quick considering we hadn’t known each other that long, but then, I had also invited him to sleep in my bed a few times now and even snuggled with him as we slept.
I wondered if I was losing my mind. I should’ve been terrified of being so close to a guy after all that I’d been through, not wanting to be so close to one.
A sudden tinging sound brought me out of my thoughts, and I noticed that one of the strands from the ceiling had fallen to where I could reach it. I sat up in the tub, looking at it and remembering what Jewel had told me. This belonged to a guard here at the palace. Was he trying to communicate with me?
I admit that I was intrigued by him. When I’d tried to ask Maline more about him, she’d avoided the subject, only telling me that he was allowed to keep the fourth floor as his own and I shouldn’t bother trying to go up there. It was strange, but she’d looked afraid to talk about him.
I wondered why. If he was a guard there, then he served Lyric, just like her.
Curiosity got the best of me, and I gently pulled on the strand. It was very soft and silky, yet strong too.
“Hello, Lovely.”
The sudden voice caught me by surprise, and I whipped my head around to look for where it had come from. It was a male voice, somewhat deep but not terribly so, and its tone was as smooth as silk.
“Where are you?!” I demanded.
“There is no need to be so agitated. I am not in there with you. I simply have chosen to communicate with you through my strands. You don’t mind speaking to me at least a little, do you?” he continued.
That made me feel a bit more at ease. At least he wasn’t actually in there. But I was even more intrigued now. This elusive guard had decided to finally talk to me.
“No, I don’t mind. Actually, I’ve been wondering about you. Jewel told me that you were here, and I’ve seen your strands all around the palace, but I haven’t gotten to see you,” I told him.
“That is my choice. I do not wish to be seen too often, nor do most others wish to see much of me. You could say that they are uneasy in my presence despite what Lyric tells them,” he explained.
“I see,” I sat back a little in the tub, looking at the strand. “I’m Anya, by the way.”
“Anya. An uncommon name, but quite fitting. You are a Nephilim, are you not?”
“I am, but before we continue, it is rude not to tell me your name.”
The guy chuckled. “Ah, I have been unintentionally rude, and I do apologize for that. I am Rune.”
“Rune. That’s a different name too, but I like it.”
“You do? That’s very kind of you. I haven’t heard anyone say such a thing for a very long time.”
I looked around again. “Where are you right now? Are you outside?”
“Not at all. I’m sitting on the floor above you, but don’t be alarmed. I’m not the uncouth type who would ever look in on a lady in the bath,” Rune assured me.
“How considerate of you,” I said flatly. I looked up at the ceiling. “I’ve heard someone moving around on the fourth floor in the middle of the night. Is that you?”
“You can hear me? You have very good ears. I thought I moved silently most of the time.”
“I’m a Nephilim. Our senses are pretty sharp most of the time,” I sat back in the tub, letting out a sigh. “I can’t say I understand, though. I asked Maline about you, but she wouldn’t tell me anything. It was almost like she’s afraid of you.”
Rune chuckled. “I tend to elicit that reaction in others quite often. I suppose one could call it a byproduct of nature. Those like me are often misjudged for what we are.”
Now I was starting to put the pieces together. He must’ve been a creature that was considered a predator type. Looking at the strands, the answer suddenly dawned on me.
“You’re a Spider, aren’t you?”
“Ah, you’re quite perceptive, or was I too obvious?”
“Maybe a little of both,” I shifted in the water a little. “I’m not scared of you either. Now that I think about it, I was told that Jewel is a Spider too.”
“She is, but we are not related. Spiders like her ply their trade in beauty and clothing, so they are much more revered than ones like me. It’s truly a double standard,” Rune informed me.
“That’s not fair! You’re here protecting the palace! That should count for something!” I asserted.
Rune became quiet, and I wondered if he’d left. But finally, I heard him speak again.
“You honestly have no fear of me?”
“Why? You’re not out to hurt me, and you have taken the time to talk to me. I like your voice too. There’s something…soothing about it,” I confessed.
“I see,” Rune sounded thoughtful now. “If I may, I would like to talk to you more when I can. Would you be willing to do so?”
“Yes, and I’d like to meet you in person. I want to see if you match that voice of yours.”
Rune laughed. “Perhaps one day, but I’m not quite ready for that yet. For now, let us communicate this way. You may call on me by pulling any of my webs. I will always answer you,” he promised.
“Okay. I’ll make sure to do that.”
The strand of web pulled back to the ceiling, and I knew that he’d left. I waited for another few minutes, then got out of the bathtub and dried off.
I was thinking over the conversation I’d just had as I got dressed. So it was a Spider helping to protect the palace and its grounds. In a way, I understood a little bit of why Maline would be afraid of him. But that didn’t seem very fair. It wasn’t like he was out to hurt anyone here.
Maline was waiting for me as I came out of the bathroom. She greeted me with her usual friendly smile.
“Good morning, my lady. Did you sleep any better last night?”
I had the feeling that she was unaware that Lyric had stayed in my room with me again, but maybe that was a good thing.
“A little, but it took me forever to get to sleep, so that’s why I got up late this morning,” I answered.
“That’s fine. The Master tends to do that here and there too. Soliel has suggested that he take a sleeping aid, but he always refuses. I suppose he worries that he may not be able to wake up if something were to happen,” Maline told me.
We’d gotten back to my room by then, and I sat down at the vanity, allowing her to brush my hair. This was something she’d been insistent on doing every morning now. She seemed to enjoy getting the chance to help me appear presentable, as she called it.
“I can understand why he’d worry about that. Lyric’s really serious about his position as the ruler here, but he hasn’t been one that long, has he?” I went on.
I saw Maline shake her head in the mirror.
“Not at all when one looks at it. Master Lyric is still considered quite young compared to the other three rulers in our world. We honestly look at it as one of his charms. A younger ruler brings much potential to the table, especially one like ours.”
“I guess,” I glanced at the ceiling in the mirror, taking in the slight shimmer from the web strands there. There weren’t many in this room, but they were still there. “Hey, can I ask you something?”
“What is it, my lady?”
“Why are you afraid to talk about Rune?”
Maline tensed up but did her best to hide it.
“Oh, you know his name now? I suppose Master Lyric did wish for you to know more of him,” she said, a slight tremble in her voice.
“Why do you fear him? I get that he’s a Spider, but Lyric has him here protecting the palace. That means he’s an ally.”
“You really think Rune is dangerous?”
“Anything is possible. After all, one should never completely trust a Spider.”
While I was understanding some of her concerns, something about this didn’t quite sit right with me.
“You know, Jewel is a Spider too, yet you trust her,” I pointed out.
“Jewel is a different case. Black Widows are masters at crafting clothing and beauty treatments. It would never benefit them to attack others. They would lose their livelihoods. The ones like Rune don’t rely on such things. They simply are what they are, so attacking others wouldn’t make much of a difference to them,” Maline told me.
There was no reasoning with her, so I decided to let it go for now. I could always find a way to talk to Lyric about it later.
“I suppose,” I decided to change the subject. “By the way, did Soliel tell you that I’m going away from the palace for a while this evening?”
Maline blinked, looking surprised again.
“No. What are you planning on doing?” she asked.
“I’m going to Hager with Lyric,” I explained. “He invited me so I could see the village. He received a message from their chief asking him to take care of a Mountain Troll. I’ll probably stay there once night falls and he takes care of that.”
Maline nodded, looking a bit more at ease. “That sounds fun. Hager is a very nice village. It’s one of the larger ones in the lands here. I used to visit there a lot as a child. They have wonderful shops and entertainment. It will be nice for you to see it with the Master too. He doesn’t often take pleasure trips, even if he does have something to take care of later.”
“It seems like Lyric’s always busy with something,” I confessed. “Sometimes I worry that I’m causing trouble being here and distracting him.”
“Why would you think that?” Maline responded. “Master Lyric truly enjoys your company, and I know that I do.”
I looked down at my lap. “I know he’s snuck away quite a few times to spend time with me, and Soliel hasn’t been very happy about it. It seems like he’s worried about Lyric not doing what he needs to. Maybe I should tell him not to worry so much about me.”
“You can speak to him about it, but I don’t believe it’s that bad,” Maline explained. “Soliel is the type who’s very serious about his job. He’s always worrying about keeping Master Lyric on the path that would be best for him and our lands. I sincerely doubt any of this has anything to do with you. He just wants to make sure Lyric stays on point as he should.”
“I guess,” I relented. I glanced back at her. “So you think it’s okay for me to go with Lyric today?”
“I do. I think it’s lovely that he wishes to spend more time with you,” Maline responded. She smiled as she stepped back and let me stand up. “Now, why don’t we get some breakfast? We can’t afford for you to miss meals while your body is still recovering.”
I returned her smile. “Okay. That sounds great.”
