Once Upon a Midnight Dreary

[Kira Adia]

She stood at the bar. Her hands were shaking and her mind raced back to memories still fresh. Too many people. When will someone try to kill her? Or try to take her back? She tried to breathe, but she couldn’t. Kira felt herself falling further and further, a spiral she was trapped in, that felt like it would never stop spinning.

That night all over again. It felt like another nightmare, as opposed to her usual dreams. Kira had never dreamt about this particular night. She could barely remember the evening consciously before running away. Choosing to get drunk when the anxiety got out of hand was partly to blame. But, as always in her dreams, Kira knew what was next.

Except she didn’t. She remembered sticking to the edge of the crowd, looking for people she knew. Looking for her, if no one else, just to see her. However, in this dream, she stayed in place. Her mind cleared; things seemed to slow down.

Kira looked around, and that’s when she saw her Mistress in her frost blue gown, looking every bit as beautiful and elegant as she remembered--perhaps even more so—and she stood stunned in place. This hadn’t happened. Syl was with Lord Shadowsoul the entire time. Kira watched them dancing for just a moment before leaving.

This isn’t right. You should be with your beloved. This is not my moment. As hard as she tried, words would not leave her mouth. She was a statue, a piece of artwork under the eyes of her Mistress. Something admired and appreciated. But only from afar.

The soon-to-be Lady Shadowsoul stopped barely a pace in front of Kira and held out a hand. Kira took it. She felt she had no choice, as though a force of nature had taken possession of her. Her Mistress led Kira to the dance floor. The very center, in fact, where Syl stopped and turned to face Kira. She kept hold of her hand and placed the other on Kira’s waist. The faeling found her own left hand at moved to Syl’s shoulder. Her right was placed on the other, and two hands lightly hold to Kira’s waist.

Kira did not know what song they danced to. She had no clue who was around her, or how much time had passed. The two women danced just so, and to Kira, this was the only thing in the world. She would not run. There was no more fear or doubt. Everything in the Nexus existed in the sliver of space between Kira and her companion.

Sylista led Kira in a turn, and the motion pulled them close enough to touch, the electric sensation of her body rocking Kira like a storm. They were so close. Their faces nearly touched. She remembered the feeling of her lover’s lips and the taste of their tongues together. As though she could read her mind, Sylista moved a hand to Kira’s cheek. Time again slowed. Seconds passed by so slowly, it was agony to wait the eternity until their lips could meet, maybe one last time.

Kira felt the tickle of words barely breathed, just centimetres from her own lips. It reminded her of the first time they nearly kissed, a few days before this memory. Kira tried desperately to respond. To tell her one last time.

The Nexus itself whispered into Kira’s ear in the voice of her Lenore.

“But the fact is I was napping, and so gently you came rapping… and so faintly you came tapping, tapping at my chamber door.”

She slowly backed away, and they no longer stood in the Tranquility Ballroom. Instead, they were in the garden at the Rathskeller. Kira looked about, then back to her Mistress. She opened her mouth to speak.

Wake up.

----

Kira opened her eyes. She sat up, barely aware of where she was. The bedroom of the family house. Two of her lovers, Mira and Sere, were there next to her, nestled close to one another.

Something was on her cheek. Kira touched it, and her fingers came back wet. The pillow was wet too. That’s when the memory hit. The dream. Sylista spoke to her, right at the end. She concentrated, taking a deep breath, and recalled what Syl said and where they stood. Kira whispered to herself. “Poe, again.”

She started as she heard a noise at the door to the balcony. She closed her eyes and concentrated, drawing on her connection to the land. There was no one unexpected on the entire Estate. And no one outside the house itself.

Another deep breath. Kira leaned in to place a gentle kiss on Mira’s cheek and whispered that she’d be outside, getting air. Quietly, Kira slipped out of the bed and made her way to the balcony, itself overlooking the garden. She took a seat on the patio chair and closed her eyes for a second.

A bird’s caw opened them again. Kira looked across at the apple trees that stood guard at the other end of the garden. At the very top, a raven perched in a vigil, looking straight back at The Huntress. Suddenly, she was very aware of her nakedness in the night breeze, and nearly covered herself. Before that thought turned to action, however, the raven cawed once more and flew away.

Kira stood and walked to the railing, watching the corvid fly away as long as she could. “Lenore…” After meeting the girl Des — at the Rathskeller, of all places — Kira suspected there was a link between her and some shade of Sylista that lingered in the girl, and the meeting brought to the front memories and feelings she’d thought were long behind her. Since then, Kira had spent the time between study sessions in her sleepless nights reading old journal entries and letters saved like priceless treasures in her desk. The very desk that once sat in her room at the Red Dragon. There were memories engraved in every detail of every grain of the old wood.

The raven was long out of sight when Kira sat down again. She knew Mira would be out soon. She rarely left Kira alone for long after her nightly disturbances. Her arms would hold Kira until she was ready to come back inside. She needed it. Already, tears threatened to return.

All she knew was she needed to go back to Rathskeller.

[Kira Adia]

It had reached late evening, nearly twilight, by the time Kira began to walk the paths of the garden. Rarely had she been to Rathskeller Inn more than once a month, and never again so soon. The memories the place stirred within her were those she could lose herself in endlessly, if she allowed it, but they always brought with them pain. The longer she stayed, the more acute the heartache.

Time heals all wounds, and for the Fae Huntress, she’d had plenty of time to heal. She had moved on, started her own family, and even found love many times over. The younger version of her, before losing time to war and to her detour through the Faewilds, would have believed that, by now, the most her memories of her time with Syl could inspire would be the pang of nostalgia. Something many of the songs she listened to sang about. Now, she knew something those songwriters surely must have. The pain doesn’t go away. It just gets deeper.

This place helped to remind her of that. So, she always left while the memories were bittersweet. Before the dying embers could rise into a consuming flame once again.

There was no escaping that, now. The girl, Destiny Grace, was a walking, living reminder that something of her long lost companion still existed out there on this side of the Void. Kira had mourned the loss the moment she heard the news of her Mistress’s death. Now, she was haunted by the thought that she could still be here, somehow, in RhyDin.

The dream she’d had a few nights before only strengthened that feeling. Her dreams of the past never deviated significantly from the actual events. A few details may change, or she may act in small variances, but the dream of the Winter Ball was something completely new.

Then there was the ending. She was rarely in the garden, and she didn’t recognize the scene she saw. She couldn’t recall ever wandering to that part of the garden. Only close to the tavern and the bistro.

There were few people on the trail at the moment. That made it easier to concentrate. The haze of the dreamscape meant she could not draw a picture of where they stood. She had a vague memory of a particular glass sculpture at a fork in the path. If she could find that one...

Kira froze like a stone. She was in the exact spot she stood in the dream. The sculpture was there, a tree in the near distance, and a fork. Just a few paces ahead was where Sylista stood in her dream. The scene crystallized in her memory, and she knew this was the place.

The Huntress stepped forward to that spot and looked down the two paths ahead of her. To the left was a trail that passed by a series of planters, set apart by standing stones marked with engravings. To the right, a path that followed the back wall a ways along more flower displays and sculptures.

As she contemplated the direction she should turn, the sound of flapping wings caught her attention. She turned to look towards the sound, and her eyes landed on a raven perched on top of one of the standing stones, looking directly at her. Once it was sure it had her attention, it cawed loudly before taking off to fly towards the beach.

Kira took the left path. It was every bit as well planned and maintained as the rest of the gardens. The stone markers were the only thing that seemed to stand out in her mind as something to set it apart. She stopped at the first one and read the inscription.

"Blood does not make family; Here I forged the ties that held me together when I thought I might fall apart."

The marker was simple, almost resembling a plain gravestone. She set a palm against the face of the stone and thought about what it might mean. “Blood does not make family.” The family she had found here was not one of blood. She took a breath to remember all of those she had chosen to call among that number.

Then, she moved on. The second stone was much the same as the first, with a new inscription.

"And for a fraction of a second,
You can't remember where you are
Just open your window
And follow your memories
Upstream
To the meadow in the mountain
Where we counted every falling star"

This one did not stir any big feelings in Kira or memories of her Mistress. This must have been for someone she had not met. The next three were similar.

"Anywhere you go, let me go too.
Love me, that's all I ask of you."

“I’ll love you forever,
I’ll like you for always,
as long as I’m living
my baby you’ll be.”

“Ești parte din mine.”

This last one also displayed a feather along with the inscription. She could guess at the person memorialized by these three, and at each one, she laid a hand on the smooth face to give some respect to the intent.

Then, she reached a memorial that made Kira stop cold.

"Ah, distinctly I remember it was in the bleak December;
And each separate dying ember wrought its ghost upon the floor."

Kira reached a finger along each letter of the missive, reading it over and over again. Her thoughts turned to a day long ago, in December, when a raven came descending into her life at the bookstore by the river. She remembered the name she gave to Sylista, her Companion and her Mistress. Her first love. Her Lost Lenore.

The faeling knelt down to her knees to rest her forehead against the cold monolith. She gave herself a moment to let tears flow freely, allowing emotions to flood over her all over again. It was only a few minutes, and it felt far from enough, but that was all the time she ever allowed herself to take from Syl.

She stood again and remembered the dream. ”But the fact is I was napping, and so gently you came rapping… and so faintly you came tapping, tapping at my chamber door.” She had referenced that same line the first time they met. She turned to look back towards the beach, following the path of the raven in her memory. There was no longer any question or doubt in her heart. Syl was out there, and she was leading Kira down a trail to an unknown end.

For now, that trail led to one final memorial, and Kira only ever had one choice. She walked the distance to the next standing stone.

“Doubt thou the stars are fire;
Doubt that the sun doth move;
Doubt truth to be a liar;
But never doubt I love.”

This final stone was as inscrutable to the faeling as most of the rest. Much like the second stone, she had little clue as to who this epitaph stood for. This made Kira begin to question what she was meant to find here. If Sylista had some message for her, what was the key to unraveling it? Was it some way to give Kira closure?

That didn’t feel right. She knew she was missing something. Some context to make sense of what it meant. She had little to go on, but she still knew a few people to speak to and a few places to explore for clues. She laid her palm against the stone like all the rest and prepared to leave.

Something stopped her. She sensed something in the stone. A deformity not present in the near perfection each marker displayed. She turned to face the stone and pressed both hands against it, beckoning to the stone to reveal its secrets.

In the inscription, there was a secret. The letter “I” was significantly deeper than the rest of the letters. Deep inside, something was hidden in the artificial crack. She shifted her hand next to the letter, and she commanded the stone to give her the item it hid. With a groan, the slot pushed forward until it was no deeper than the rest of the inscribed letters, and a sealed envelope of very fine, thick paper fell into Kira’s waiting palm.

The stone had finished its vigil and performed its intended task. Now, nothing remained to distinguish it from its siblings along the path.

Kira ran her finger along the seal. It displayed the image of a flaming rose impressed in red wax. She sensed magic in the seal. She guessed it would only open for one meant to find it. An extra ward should one crack the riddle of the stone sentinels. That begged the question: who did Syl intend to find this? Why did she lead Kira here?

She pondered all of this, but behind all of it was the desire to ask her. She would follow every step laid out before her, but more than anything, she just wanted to find some way to see her one more time.

There was a crackling sound, and the wax began to change. It turned from red to black before her eyes, and the rose began to streak a vibrant green, reminding Kira of the rebirth of early spring.

The seal released the paper, and the envelope opened easily. Kira fought the urge to all but rip the precious paper open and pour over the words within, but she restrained herself. With measured motions, she folded back the closure and pulled the paper from within. As Kira opened the letter, she absorbed the fine handwriting written in a delicate hand so familiar, she could hear Sylista’s voice reading the letter to her directly.

FREEDOM IS SUCH A FICKLE THING.

Hello pisică.

I never thought it would be you to find this. I am glad it is.
You are clever.

I could never love the way my dear ones needed me to.
These are my apology.

Are you willing to save me?

A wrong must be righted.
A bond then broken.

I shattered.
Three pieces remain in this world.

A forge loved by a former keeper.
My first friend’s pocket library.
A seamless ebony hidden below my throne.

Help her.
Find them.
Set me free.

I will see you in your dreams.
- S

The Huntress felt her heart stop at the affectionate nickname Syl had given her, and she held the paper close to her chest, unsure whether to let herself collapse here and now in both grief and relief. She took a few halting breaths to steady herself, then read it again.

She was under no illusions that she could tease out the meaning in the riddles right then. She was too compromised by emotion to be able to give it the proper attention she needed for it. But that did not matter to her. She had all the time she needed to parse the mystery. One thought rose out above all the others: She is waiting for me.

With all the delicacy she could muster, Kira folded the note and slid it back into the envelope before folding it closed. She turned to look back along the path she’d followed so far. The sun was below the horizon now, and last light had nearly passed. For now, there was nothing more for her to find here. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. With a tug at the universe, it tugged back, and in a flash of indigo, Kira was gone.

[Kira Adia]

Lucien was overjoyed to once again have access to the Tower of Earth library. He was extremely appreciative of Kira for taking him into her household as head librarian of her private estate, as this expanded the range of what he could study and catalogue beyond the tomes hidden away in the mage library.

Nevertheless, to have the opportunity to once again see his peers tending to the shelves here, as well as continue coordinating the copying and transport of all he could for the Adia library, was a joy to him. It was, by all accounts, his favorite project within the last mortal lifetime.

As it was, his patron was currently in the library, working in her private office on some project or another. He did his best to keep his curiosity at bay while Lady Kira was at work. As it was, Lucien was on his way to deliver the day’s summary of the activities of the Tower.

“My lady, the stewards of the library will soon be awaiting your instructions for the next batch of copying.” He set the bundle of papers on a free spot on her desk. Kira never bothered with an inbox, so Lucien had chosen a corner as her “inbox” that he used consistently. Despite his attempt at respectful privacy, he couldn’t help but notice the wax seal on an envelope sitting next to Kira’s arm on the desk.

“Is there anything further I can be of assistance to you, Lady Adia?”

Kira lifted her head to give a polite bow-nod and smile to the elemental. “Thank you, Lucien. That should be all I need for now.”

Her eyebrow quirked when he did not immediately dismiss himself. She knew his habits well enough to know there was something he thought she needed, but wouldn’t impose until asked. “Is there something I need to be aware of?”

Lucien bowed his masked head in return. “My lady, please pardon the accidental intrusion into your affairs. I have noticed the seal on the envelope in your desk.” He gestured to the envelope and the letter it formerly held out on the desk. “I also observe the handwriting on the letter. I will not read it, if not asked, my lady.”

Kira made a gesture of dismissal. “Do not worry about it, my dear. I am not offended. Though, now you have my curiosity. What is it you see?”

Lucien gestured to the library at large. “Within these stacks, there is a notebook with the same handwriting, and I have seen letters bearing that seal in the past. The notebook and correspondence date to the custodianship of Lady de la Rose. I assumed it might…”

“A notebook? Here?” He was interrupted by the Keeper suddenly rising from her seat. “Please, show me.”

The look on her face suggested urgency. He silently congratulated himself for his observation and his timely offer of assistance. “Please, right this way, Lady Adia.”

The spirit guided Kira to a study nook in a back corner of the first story. After a short scan of the shelf, he produced the notebook and handed it to Kira with a slight bow. “I believe the one who wrote this book was one Lady Sylista? I have heard numerous surnames applied to her, so please pardon the familiar address.”

Kira took a moment to scan through the notebook. Apparently, what she saw there satisfied her. “Yes. This is Sylista’s handwriting. Thank you, Lucien. This helps me more than you know.” She paused and seemed to be struck by a thought. Her eyes focused to the side fractionally for a brief second in her usual tic when a problem seems to solve itself in her mind. “Please, inform the scribes to continue with the next step of the plan, but add anything connected to this notebook to the top of the list. Anything that My… hm, that Sylista studied, I want it in my possession. I assume you know the contents?”

Lucien dipped his head, his face unreadable behind the mask. “Pardon my presumption, but yes. After your first tenure began, when I saw that Lady Sylista was not coming to retrieve the book, I catalogued it with the collection.” And read the entire volume, of course. There were few books in this or Kira’s private libraries that he had not read, once it was catalogued and accounted for.

Kira nodded. “Good. Make sure her work is at the top of the list. If I only have a month with the Key, I need to be certain this is complete before I potentially lose access.” She nod-bowed one last time. “Thank you, Lucian. That will be all.” She turned and began to walk away, her phone conjured into her hand. She was busy texting someone as she reentered her office.

Once again, Lucien congratulated himself for his usefulness. He began to create the list in his mind for the other stewards to process and copy. They would certainly be most interested in the latest development in their virtual demiplane that was the tower library. It could get so boring waiting for something to happen in the tower, and they welcomed any news from the outside that Lucien could offer.

════ ⋆★⋆ ════

The text Kira sent was unusually short by her standards. Even after all this time, she still treated the format like a series of short letters, instead of a near real-time conversation that it was.

”Anya, please meet me at Books and Brews at your convenience. I am in need of your help once again.”

Once a time was confirmed, Kira arrived at the store a few minutes early to order herself a pot of tea and a cup of coffee for Anya. Once served, she chose a seat by the window and waited, passing the short time with doodling in her journal.

Anya arrived without a moment to spare, aided by the unfair shortcut of a portal that opened around the side of Books and Brews. She stepped through fresh from work, hurrying towards the door where the little bell announced her arrival. The sight of Kira diverted her to the chosen table, where she slipped into the seat opposite. A brief pause while she shifted focus away from work, and she smiled.

"Hi, thank you for the coffee." One hand ran through her hair, pushing loose strands from her face, while the other pulled the cup closer. "First, is everything all right?"

Kira nodded. “You are quite welcome. Yes, as far as the family goes, we have no more complaints than usual. I am well.” She took a sip of her to gather her thoughts. “I have a rather unusual situation that has… hm, has fallen into my lap. It is a bit much to explain though a text message, so I thought it best to show you directly.”

Kira reached into her satchel and retrieved an envelope. She pulled a letter from the envelope and handed it to Anya. “I have every reason to believe this is genuine.”

Anya took the paper when Kira passed it to her, unfolding it on the table in front of her. She skimmed it quickly, picking up on keywords and points, lingering on the three clues, before looking back up. "A friend of yours is trapped? I'm sorry, I don't recognize the handwriting, and they only signed with an S. What can I do?"

Her eyes fell to the paper again, rereading in more careful detail as she sipped her coffee.

“It’s… it is Sylista.” Kira reached into her satchel again to retrieve a notebook. “My assistant at the Tower of Earth, one of the spirits who tends to the library, saw the note and brought this to my attention. He tells me Sylista was often at the Tower under your stewardship. I was hoping you could… help me parse out the riddle.”

"Oh." She looked surprised at the name. "I'd heard she'd passed, that's not the case then?"

Kira shook her head. “No. She is… she is dead. But her soul is in fragments. I believe she is trapped somehow. Something is binding her to RhyDin.” She took a moment to sip at her tea. “Things have been happening last week. Ever since my visit to Rathskeller Inn. I am having dreams and visions. She led me to find this.” She gestured to the letter. “Those clues and the notebook are all I have to guide me from here.”

Again, Anya looked down at the paper, tapping the first clue with a fingernail. "I would be the Keeper then? There was a room I worked in often when I had the tower, it's down towards the mines and was well stocked for the creation of scrolls that seemed particularly potent. The forge…" Her brow wrinkled while she tried to dig up anything else she remembered for Kira. "There was something about a bloodstone? I'm sure that's not the right name for it. But it was in the Tower of Fire, if I remember. Maybe Rachael had it? Or knew about it?"

“There are references to blood metal in the notebook, and it’s connection to binding souls together. You said there is a sample of the material in Rachael’s care?”

Anya slid the paper back across the table to Kira with a nod. "I think so, or she may know where it went. My only other thought would be the Battlefield Park forge, since I held it at one point, but you'd have to talk to Hye-jin for access. And I don't know that Sylista was ever there. Certainly not while I had the Barony."

She sipped her coffee again, mulling the information over. "When you say she's bound, do you think she'll be back when you're done, or that she'll be able to leave?"

Kira tapped at the side of her teacup as she thought about the question. “I do not know. I am still working on little information.” She shook her head. Her cheeks warmed somewhat. “I would love nothing more than for her to return. But, if all I find is a chance to say goodbye…” She shrugged. “I have never asked her for more than a moment with her, and I had that. In that case, I can do this last task for her.”

Anya nodded slowly, thoughtfully. "I don't deal much in souls. Far less than people think, and when I do, it's for a very specific purpose. All I know is that sometimes they're on a path that takes a great power to change."

“Truth be told, you are the first person I have spoken with about this. I had no solid leads to go on when the notebook… hm, fell into my lap.” Kira smiled around a sip of tea. “You have already given me much that can help. Rachael will be one of my next meetings, I believe. And I still have information on a few associates of Sylista’s from when I was with her. If they are alive and able to be called upon, I will see what I can find there as well.” She dipped her head in a shallow bow. “Thank you, Anya. I doubt I can ever repay the help you have given me over time.”

She smiled at the shallow bow when Kira made it. "No thanks or repayment needed. I'm happy to help when I can. Hopefully, Rachael knows more about the blood metal and its fate."

She ran a free hand through her hair again. "Everything else is all right, with your Tower and your estate? You've been busy."

The pair settled into more casual conversation from there. It might have been a bit much to presume there would be a final answer in this conversation, but it most certainly gave her more to think on.

Blood metal was a start, and once that was understood, it would be most helpful to discuss things with Rachael. Kira knew Rachael had been part of the heart family that surrounded Syl, in addition to one of the most well-known and accomplished mages in RhyDin. If nothing else, it was a visit to look forward to.

[Kira Adia]

Upstairs in the apartment, Kira had nested on the bed. A few books sat next to her, and a note was out on top of the pile. Kira herself was taking a break, stretched out on top of the covers with her eyes closed as she thought. She needs a break, but the best she could manage in study mode was to review the work she’d done so far.

She needed more pieces to solve the puzzle, and she was exhausting what she could find with what she had.

Mira's door opened with a smooth motion of well oiled hinges and a perfectly balanced door, which meant a gentle push sent it swinging neatly back to its frame with a silent click. The vampiress rubbed at one eye as she shuffled into the room and across it, making directly towards a cabinet where Mira kept a special stash the vampiress would raid when she needed it, and tonight she did. Kira's bunny didnt seem to notice her though as she shuffled through in her night clothes, pulled open a drawer and reached in for something.

Kira did, however, notice her bunny. Her every instinct told her to quickly sneak up on her and…

Well, Kira had a wide imagination. There was any number of things she could imagine doing to Lesinda, and she knew her lover would enjoy most of them. If not all, for a given value of enjoy.

Nevertheless, Kira realized that she did not have the energy to descend upon her favorite prey like a falcon. So, instead, Kira sat up and crossed the room, silent on bare feet. When she was close, she spoke out just before laying a gentle palm in Les’s back.

“Hey, Les. Is everything okay? Anything I can do to help?”

The vampiress jumped suddenly at the unexpected voice as she came to full wakefulness. It was unusual for Kira to see Les being skittish or taken by surprise, or even scared. And yet there it was, all at once.
As soon as she recognised Kira however, it vanished from Lesinda's features as though it had never been there and she leaned into Kira's shoulder with a little nod. "It fine...Just, needed some help sleeping..." She replied softly. "What about you? How come you're here?”

The hand that settled on Les back felt... something, an irregularity under the night dress that was surprisingly modest for the vampiress (That said, while her underclothes might not be, Lesinda did tend to dress almost conservatively in a normal day to day. She just knew how to make it far more suggestive with her figure) especially with her porcelain perfect skin. And then that feeling also vanished, like it had never been.

Kira nearly took no particular thought to the modesty, if for no other reason than Les clearly had not expected to see anyone. What did surprise her, however, was realizing the extend of the glamours Les covered herself with. Kira was Fae. She knew when they were in play, but not the extend if she were not looking for it. And, really, Kira wasn’t looking before. If Les wanted to talk about it, she would, and until then, Kira would pry no more than to make herself available to her lover.

“I needed a change of scenery. I have been in the Tower too much. Reading. Studying. Trying to solve a persistent puzzle.” She wrapped her arms around Lesinda in a rearward hug. “I have had two hours of sleep in twice as many days. I want it, for the first time in years, but… I rarely get it.”

She leaned into the arms with a murr. "What has you so perplexed you've given up the tower, my Huntress?" Lesinda asked, looking over her shoulder at Kira. "I can’t imagine many puzzles that would stump you for long."

Kira kissed the cheek that turned to her. “It is… a puzzle that has many missing pieces. A riddle left for me by Sylista.” She remembered her love’s reaction the last time this topic was broached, and she was wary about what might come next now. “I loved her dearly, but there is so much she never got the chance to tell me. Or… I’m not sure. Maybe she was protecting me.”

The vampiress stiffened slightly at Sylista's name before relaxing again in Kira's arms. "Oh? I.... Didnt know you'd known her that well." Lesinda replied. "What... Makes you think she was protecting you?"

“We were… companions. She was my first love. I had always imagined I was more of… a pet. An admirer who could only get so close and no closer.” Kira paused to kiss the back of the vampiress’s head and breathe in the scent of her hair. “She told me she was… not a good person. That the ones who called her a… monster…” she spat the word like it tasted of venom for her to say. “…that they had reason to believe so. I saw how she looked at those she knew well that came close to me. Those that, at the time, could have done great harm to me.” She shook her head gently. “Even her husbands. Even they seems to only leave me alone because of her favor.

“I know I was never at the same level of affection as her husbands. But she left things that… make me wonder if I was closer to her heart than I thought.” She thought of the memorial marker in the garden of the Rathskeller, and of the note. She realized she wanted to show Les. She hadn’t shown anyone aside from Anya so far. She had been so secretive about her work.

"She did have a certain sway... " Lesinda replied quietly, giving another soft murr at the kiss. "I dont think you wear the position of pet very well, Kira." The vampiress ventured daringly as her hands captured Kira's for a moment.

Kira chortled somewhat. “She was the only one I ever called Mistress. Maybe the only one I ever will.” She hummed thoughtfully into the back of Les’s head. “And yet, I am still following her lead. But… I can’t help it. She is… trapped here. Unable to cross the Void beyond death.” She paused for a short moment, allowing her hands to be captured. “Many humans have a belief that ghosts are the souls of those with unfinished business. For whatever reason, her ghost has chosen me to be the one to settle hers.”

"Hm..." Lesinda replied softly, remaining leaning against Kira's frame, wrapped in her arms, nuzzling her cheek against Kira's arm Lesinda mused out loud. "I wonder what unfinished business she would have had, I thought everything was taken care of..."

Kira thought about it. “I can show you the letter she left for me. And I have one of her journals. Much of it is in her native tongue, and I have not learned enough to read it yet. Only bits and pieces. I recognize the name Mathian, her husband, rather easily. Something about his child. She did something to his soul. Taking something of him into herself to help his child. It’s is all unclear. But that last line, in Common…” she closed her eyes to recall it. “Should my plan fail, safeguards are in place. I just hope he doesn’t go mad again and get himself killed before his time.”

There was an almost missed, physical reaction at the man's name, a flinch quite unlike anything Kira had seen from Les before. As unusual as it was, it was also quick, barely recognisable, except perhaps by someone who was holding you at the time.
"His child..." Lesinda repeated softly, as Kira continued talking. "Before his time...?"

Kira felt it, and recognized it for what it was. She gently unbound herself from her lover and moved to be facing her, though she never fully let go, making sure she was as comforting a presence as she could be.

“Lesinda, my love… what happened?” She placed a soft hand on Les’s cheek. “How… how do you know Sylista?” She was beginning to form a terrifying guess from incomplete information.

Lesinda swallowed as Kira moved around to be face-to-face. When Kira's hand touched Les' cheek, a single blood red tear streaked down the vampiress face, and she looked up at Kira, red eyes welling with tears. "I met Sylista, some time ago... Before she met him. I didn't know her well, but I know... I know he...M-Mathian only had one Child, Kira... And he was not a good Sire. He was not a good person... Not a good person..."

Kira’s eyes widened as her worst fear was confirmed. She gently pulled Lesinda into an embrace. “My love… I did not know… I would never have spoken so casually.” She held the woman, wounded as she was, and allowed for whatever was needed to come out.

She knew Mathian was not a good person. But the way Lesinda said those same words, it was as though Kira’s earlier opinion was a defense, rather than the condemnation she now saw it as.

Les stood frozen for several seconds before the dam burst and she was in a flood of tears, leaning into Kira and clinging onto her as Les cried with a sound like a wounded animal as it all came rushing back in an instant. The carefully built façade crumbling instantly.

Kira simply held her and made what soothing sounds she could. They sounded feeble to her own ears, but she could do little else.

If Les stayed standing, Kira would be a pillar. If she lost her legs and fell, Kira would guide her gently down and hold her. There was no notice or concern for the blood that fell on her as tears. Her only concern was what comfort she could give to one who had apparently needed it for way too long.

Kira let it go on as long as it needed to, whether a few minutes or the whole night. She would not move or complain. When Lesinda did calm enough, Kira spoke to her softly and gently. “Whatever you need from me, my love. I will not move from here until you wish it.”

She did go down, curling up on herself against Kira and sobbed quietly for a few moments longer before managing to pull herself together. She was silent for several seconds, before speaking again. "I... D-dont know... Why that... Hit me, so hard..." she replied quietly. "S-s-sorry..." She added, before, peering up at Kira. "I... I dont know... I thought, all this was behind me"

Kira gently kissed her, as much of a reminder of her current safety as she could give. “It is, but that does not mean… that it does not hurt.” She ran a thumb along Les’s cheek, a gesture that would normally wipe off a normal tear, but only managed to smear blood further. She made a commitment to fetch a wet rag as soon as she felt comfortable being out of reach. “Don’t apologize, Les. I want to be here for you. To help you in whatever way you need.” She set her forehead against Les’s. “I was going to wait… and I do not expect a response… but you need to know now. I love you, Lesinda. And you will always be safe with me. As much as it is within my power.”

Fresh tears rolled down her cheeks as the vampiress continued to cling to Kira as their forehead's touched and Les let her eyes shut, nodding at Kira's words. She wanted so much to respond in kind, but the word left her open to so much hurt...
Les held onto one of her loves, until she was breathing normally again, before speaking. "I... Dont understand what Sylista means, about protecting me, about... What she did, to herself..."

Kira had been puzzling that for some time, but she now had another piece of the puzzle, at least. “I can only guess. I am studying what she studied, guiding myself with her notes as much as possible. She was researching souls. How to bind them. From what context I can manage… she was trying to take… his evil into herself.” She recalled the fragmentary translation as best she could, along with her reading on blood metal.

“I… need to know more. I believe that her soul is split into pieces. I am sure her soul is bonded to… to his.” She bit her lip gently. “Whatever she did, she thought it would change him in some way. Keep you from harm by taking those worst parts of him upon herself.” Kira thought about everything she knew about Syl. Every minuscule thing that convinced her that had led her to fall in love over and over.

“Everything I have, all the notes, translation, and research, it is available to you. If it will help.”

Lesinda nodded softly, leaning against Kira. There was a lot to unpack emotionally and she had put a lot of these things behind her in the hopes it would simply... Go away. She had a new life, far away from Mathian, safe from his predations and yet he was once again entering her life, unwanted and unneeded.
But at least she had friends to help her, Les thought, curled up against Kira with their foreheads touching. She breathed gently, eyes shut, and nodded to Kira's offer. "I had...better take a look... It will help me deal with him, if nothing else."

Kira nodded gently, enough to not break the contact between them. “Anything else I can do to help you, just ask it. I will uncover what it is Syl is trying to show me, and I hope it will provide some answers for you.” She angled to give Les a gentle kiss. “If you would like, you are more than welcome to stay with me tonight.”

"Yes" she replied immediately to Kira's question. She did not want to be alone tonight, knowing once more that Mathian might be stalking out there. The idea made her breathing pick up like she was going to hyperventilate before quickly calming. She was safe here, in the heart of Mira's home, with Kira and probably Mira herself before long. The vampiress shifted so she was resting her chin on Kira's shoulder. "I don't want to go anywhere else tonight..."

“You don’t have to. I am here.” She ran the fingers of one hand through Lesinda’s green locks, gently massaging her scalp and combing through her hair. “I will not allow anything to harm you here. You are safe.” She knew she told the truth. What affection she’d had for Lord Shadowsoul, for Mathian, was gone. Her shadow was considering ways to track him down and put an arrow through his heart herself, but she reminded herself of Syl’s words. [/i]Trust her plan. Whatever she has prepared, let it run its course. And after that, we shall see.[/i]

There was another sniff from the vampiress and a moment of silence before it was quickly followed by another. She'd cry again, chin settled on Kira's shoulder and likely cry herself to sleep that night as months, years of anxiety and fear built up and needed an outlet... At least it wasn't a violent outlet that was needed.

Even if that were needed, Kira would be in her gear and ready to stalk as many streets as was needed to satisfy her. “Would you like to sit at the counter, my love? I can find a rag to clean us up before we lay down.”

Lesinda nodded her head softly, cuddling against Kira with a shudder and kissed Kira's cheek. "Please.... Kira? Stay with me?" She asked quietly into her cheek and arms around her body.

Kira shifted to kiss Lesinda tenderly. “Of course, my love. I will be here as long as you need me.” She went to stand, guiding Les to her feet and to a stool at the kitchen island.

Kira quickly set about the business of cleaning Les’s face with a warm wet rag, gently providing whispered encouragement and comfort where she could. She abandoned the blood-stained clothes they wore, knowing it would be easier to clean later without their interference.

When Lesinda said “please stay with me, Kira,” She replied, as often as needed, “I am not going anywhere, my love.”

She helped the vampiress to the bed. With a gesture, the books she had piled on the covers disappeared, sent back to the library. The letter, however, simply reappeared on the nightstand. “Let’s lie down, my love.”

She remained clinging to Kira's hand, getting up onto the bed and settled under the blankets. She still had the package in the other hand, a small concoction that would help even the undead sleep. The vampiress looked up at Kira. "I don't want to be alone, in....in case, something happens..."

Kira crawled into bed alongside Les. After she took the package and set it on the nightstand, she adjusted to hold Les closely. “I’ll be right here. If anything happens, just let me know, and I’ll do what I can to fix it.”

She curled up, burying her face in Kiras shoulder. "I...h-hate him...I hate him so much..." Les whispered, her arms curling around Kira's arm, almost like she were afraid he would appear there before then.

Kira, in turn, kissed Lesinda’s head and ran her fingers through her hair, massaging her scalp gently. “I know. But he will never hurt you again.”

She shuddered beside Kira, curling up further beside her with a little whimper. Eventually, held tight in Kira’s arms, the vampiress fell a fitful sleep. Kira followed her soon after into a much desired rest of her own.

[Kira Adia]

Kira was inside the Books and Brews. It was the pale of winter outside, and she stood in the aisle with Anya, before she was a slayer, meeting her for the first time. This was that second day in RhyDin. Kira knew immediately what memory this was. She’d dreamed of this day many times before, especially when her lovers were with her as she slept.

Something was different, however. Her dreams were first-person. She relived memories as they were made. This was different. She watched the scene as an observer, watching as though part of an audience.

The door chimed, and the figure of a happier Sylista appeared. “Hello, pisică. Do not turn. Watch. Listen.” Kira missed the general greetings the Lady shared. Fingertips traced down between her shoulder blades and the small of her back, parting their contact only to intertwine with Kira’s own.

An electric thrill passed through the Huntress, and she felt a sigh leave her lips. As she felt the press of a woman’s body behind her, she breathed in the scent of wild orchids and white amber. She would have let go of the vision just to feel that presence for a while, but her Mistress would not allow it.

The other Sylista chirped her muted greeting to the blonde woman and black-haired boy, the latter receiving a loving smile. Both greeted the woman heading straight for the fifth floor, only to pause upon hearing her son’s and dream-Kira’s voice. She descended the stairs.

“You did become one of my dearest companions, even if I struggled to show it. No matter how much I wanted your affection, I believed I did not deserve it.” Sylista Shadowsoul let out a soft sigh and turned her gaze from the room to the dreaming Kira. “I am so proud of who you have become.”

Kira longed to protest. Much as she always did. You deserved more than I had. I asked for nothing in return. You had your loves. Surely, they gave you what I never could. She found she was denied speech. She was not controlling the dream. More than that, she knew all she could say was weak and hollow. She fooled herself back then, and she could never lie to herself — or to Syl — that way now.

The scene changed. They were standing in the restricted section, and the specter of her love stood next to her now, hand in hand. Kira continued to watch curiously.

A fretting Sylista frowned and ran her fingers across the spines of each book. “There must be something here. I can feel it!” She muttered to herself. A visible shiver vibrated through her at the soft, dark cackle coming from the shadows. “I will not let you win!”

“You met me at a dark time in my life. I was so consumed by the overwhelming need to save myself from the darkness, to save my children heartache and pain, I could not see what I was missing.” Lady Shadowsoul sniffed a laugh before echoing the memory version of herself. “Ah hah!”

Kira felt a weight to the phrase. What she was missing… A part of her mind resisted considering that phrase further, while another was frozen with a fresh stab of grief.

It occurred to the Huntress, she’d never given serious thought to what Sylista was doing in the restricted section.

Angelite turned to peer into violet. “That book is still there. I memorized what I could and left it in case I failed. A good thing, too.”

The scene shifted again, and the couple stood before the much younger Kira. They followed the flap of wings down the stairs, though the raven landed on Sylista’s shoulder rather than the elf who walked in. The ghost released Kira and turned to watch the reaction of the young girl to the flirting of the two women before her.

The girl tried her best to distract herself with the book before her. Kira remembered the acute awareness of the eyes upon her. She had felt tiny under the gaze and terrified of the feelings she did not yet recognize in herself. Kira suddenly felt her own face glowing at the memory of her clumsiness.

"It seems it is my day for social slights against you as well. Not only did I mistake you for someone you resemble, I also did not get your name in my rush to find the restricted section. My name is Sylista, it is an absolute pleasure to meet you."

The dream-Kira looked up from her book, surprised. “Oh, it is no bother. I am Kira.” A small nod to the two women. “And what may I call you?”

Sylista smirked and purred, "Whatever you would like so long as you do. Call me, that is."

“Then I name you Lenore.”

Kira felt herself blanche. All along, it was Syl who had introduced herself first. She had never noticed, even in the recall of her dreams.

“You were so distracted, you missed me giving my name. I do like the reference to Edgar Allen Poe, however. It fits, no?” A sadness tinged her voice, despite her smirk. Kira shared that sadness. Something beautiful was happening before them, and both stood after the ashes settled, knowing where it eventually led.

Sylista appeared amused and murmured, "Come! let the burial rite be read--the funeral song be sung! An anthem for the queenliest dead that ever died so young-.”

“See, prophetic.” The ghost said, the sadness too much to hide now. She waved a hand, muting the scene with the icy haze, only this time it faded into the Veil. “I must go. The next time you see me, I will answer one question. Until then, I will miss you.”

I miss you. I love you.

“Take better care of yourself, too, hm? Running yourself to empty will do you no good. Watch for the greys and blues in the orchids. You will see a part of me there.”

Please, let me stay just a while longer. A moment is not enough. It never was.

”Wake up.”

----

Wake up.

Kira stirred as the whisper ticked her ear. “No… please…” She realized she was released from the dream. Violet eyes opened to look at the ceiling as she remembered where she was. Lesinda was snuggled against her in Mira’s bed, and blood from the vampiress’s tears still clung to her skin and the sheets around them.

Kira’s lover was still sleeping away her torpor, having finally settled late at night. The peace that touched her in her slumber was enough to lure Kira herself to sleep, and by her guess, she was out for a few hours.

”The book.”

This time, the whisper drew her attention. It wasn’t just in the dream. She looked across to the window. A small black shape perched on the window ledge, peering inside at Kira.

She took a short second to lay a kiss on Lesinda’s cheek before quietly climbing out of bed. She unlatched the window, and when it was opened, Kira leaned against the sill. This close, it was obvious that the raven’s eyes were a pale color. Angelite.

Kira tutted to the corvid. “Come now, there is no rush. I have waited this long. You can wait with me a moment longer.” She stood back up and made her way to the kitchen. Silently, to avoid waking Lesinda in the process. The raven took the invitation for what it was and hopped into the apartment, fluttering across to the countertop.

Kira crossed to the sink and picked up a damp rag, already stained with blood from earlier in the night. She wet it again with warm water and began to wipe at the dried blood on her chest and shoulders. She looked back to spy what looked to be the raven turning to look away. “What? Is it so shocking to see me so? A wonderful woman taught me to never be ashamed.” A giggle that carried the breeze passing through autumn leaves filled the room. Despite her confidence, a blush still touched her cheeks. She half turned as she finished cleaning.

Kira pulled out a stool and sat down, setting the wet rag on the counter of the kitchen island. “Don’t worry, my dear. No one is hurt, physically.” She spoke softly as she gestured towards the sleeping woman. “Les and I had a… challenging talk. She… told me… some of her story.”

She leaned in close and scratched the raven under the chin. “I do not know that you are her, exactly, but you have been keeping your distance. Just like she did.” She ran the back of her fingers along the bird’s flank and smiled at the preening as she did so. “See? You never needed to stay so far. All you need is ask. My affection is freely given.”

A thoughtful sigh escaped her as she stood. The faeling grabbed the kettle and filled it, preparing a ceramic pot with leaves as the water heated. “I will at least wait to ensure Lesinda is okay when she wakes. I will not leave her if she still needs me.” She turned to the pantry and filled a small prep bowl with a mix of seeds and dried fruit. She set the offering of food before the corvid. “I will leave the window open, if you do not wish to wait. If so, I will see you at the book store when I make it there.”

[Kira Adia]

(((Author’s note: this is a repost of the most recent part of the “Once Upon a Midnight Dreary” storyline. Part four of this series, consisting of a conversation between Kira and Lesinda, was not completed in time, and has now been added in the proper place in sequence, with the dream sequence and the meeting between Rachel and Kira moved up to fit the missing story. To read this most recent update, please scroll up to the newly added scene.

Thank you all so much for the support this story has received. I’m overwhelmed by your response and hope to live up to expectations.)))

————

Kira’s issue was not with the Watch as an institution. It was only really Jackson and those like him that set her on edge. As such, she held no strong feelings as she entered the precinct office where she’d agreed to meet Rachael.

Moreover, this was not an official matter. This was family business. Kira had never gotten to know Rachael particularly, but she did know Syl had thought highly of her. Enough to call her sister, in fact.

Upon reaching the reception desk, she quietly announced her arrival to the person at the desk and found a seat to wait. She was a moment early, as she preferred, but she did not mind the wait.

Detective Rachael Blackthorne claimed the nondescript institutional functional metal and vinyl chair at her equally constructed by the lowest bidder functional metal desk after yet another meeting important only to the Captain. She settled in to both log in her completed reports and check on any messages.

The Detective switched on her terminal and waited with studied patience for the spinning hourglass to clear on the amber on brown monitor screen. Rachael's sapphire-hued gaze, protected by the dark lenses of her Lunar Gray Gargoyle sunglasses, narrowed in study of the messages presented there.

*Interoffice Communications*
*From: SGT Toby Fuller*
*Detective, there is a woman by the name of Kira Adia waiting in the lobby. She said that she is here to meet with you on an important matter.*

Rachael's black leather gloved fingers played her keyboard like a concert pianist while she typed out a response to the message.

*Interoffice Communications*
*To: SGT Toby Fuller*
*Please inform Madame Adia that I shall be downstairs momentarily to meet with her.*

The Detective rose from her chair. Her measured strides took her to the Captain's office, where the gloved knuckles of her right hand rapped on the door briefly three times.

"Enter."

Rachael took a deep, centering breath and prepared to beard the proverbial Weasel in his den. She opened the door and paused in the doorway. "Capitan, I have a meeting with one of the citizens regarding an unsolved cold case. I will return once I have sufficient information to input into the report." Better to present the issue directly....

"Mrph. See that it doesn't interfere with your real duties. Such as the new stack of paperwork on your desk awaiting your review, Lieutenant Blackthorne. Dismissed." Johnson's voice oozed with unctuousness with his deliberate emphasis on her lower rank in comparison to his lofty title.

The Detective briefly dipped her raven-haired head in carefully feigned respect to the Captain. She stepped out of the office doorway and closed the door behind her with extremely great care. Rachael's shielded gaze flicked to the the new foot-high stack of hardcopy reports that rested on one side of her desk. Her leather gloved fingers itched with the urge to utilise her Tower talents on the reports. She sighed softly, barely resisting that urge, retrieved her black leather trenchcoat and slipped the garment on.

Detective Blackthorne paused to slip a bit of salmon jerky to Clancy, the chocolate brown and white furred tomcat, before her measured strides took her from the Special Victims Unit department to the ancient elevator that Rachael then utilised to convey herself to the street level reception area.

"Bonsoir, Kira. You are well, I trust," she greeted the Keeper of Earth.

Kira closed her book and stood, shouldering her bag once again. “Rachael, it is good to see you. I am well, and I trust the same is true for you?” She offered a light bow of her head to the Keeper of Fire. “I thank you, again, for agreeing to meet me. I have had multiple indications that have guided me to you as my… hm, my best chance to get help.”

Kira discreetly glanced about the reception area before looking back to Rachael. “Where would you like to speak? It at all possible, I would appreciate… discretion on this matter.”

"De rien. I am well, merci, as are those of the Household." Rachael's dark lens shielded sapphire hued gaze flicked around the reception area and took note of the lower ranked Watch officers who filtered through from time to time. "Oui, discretion would be most advisable in the discussion of this matter. I am amenable to, as it is said, walking and talking in the fresh air." Her black leather gloved hand gestured to indicate the front door. "After you."

With another dip of her head, Kira exited the station. She held the door for Rachael, however, to wait for the other woman to join her outside.

Once both were outside, she followed Rachael’s lead on the best way to go. Once at a distance she felt safe, Kira gestured, and the necklace she wore revealed glowing runes. The air shifted around them, insulating their words from traveling much further than to speak to each other.

“It would pay to start from the beginning, I believe. I met a young Woman named Destiny Grace. She was stabbed to death in Old Market as she left her job at the morgue. Two days later, she was released from the hospital in seemingly full health, with only headaches as her primary lingering symptom.”

Kira took a breath to settle her thoughts. “I met Des not long after. At Rathskeller Inn. Her mannerisms were… familiar. She said things that made me think of Sylista. I tried to brush it off. I go to the bistro there to remember Syl. Perhaps it was all coincidence.” She shook her head. “However, after meeting her, I began to have dreams and visions. Visitations from Syl herself.” She retrieved a note from her bag and passed it over to Rachael. “She led me to find this.”

Once enough distance was obtained from the brick and mortar building which housed Precinct Eleven in Old Temple District and the secrecy preparations were made, Rachael listened to Kira's introductory explanation of the matter up for discussion. Then she took the offered note. Her right black leather glove was slipped off so that she could directly touch the paper while she perused its contents. During the perusal, the Fire Keeper's shielded sapphire hued eyes briefly glowed. Afterward, her gaze directly met the Earth Keeper's.

"If you wondered at the authenticity of the missive, I can assure you that it was indeed sent by Lady Sylista." She tugged her glove back on and the note was then offered back to Kira.

"What precisely is the matter that you believe that I can assist you with, then?"

Kira smiled. “I had no doubt it is from her, but I am happy to have your assurance.” Kira nearly reached into her bag again, but thought better of it. “An assistant of mine found a copy of notes written by Syl in the library of the Tower of Earth, leading to books on souls in the stacks there. Another dream guided me to a book in the restricted section of the Books and Brews, revealing a book on soul transferral. When I spoke to Anya, she mentioned you might have access to something called blood metal, which is mentioned in Sylista’s notes.” Kira nodded to the note. “Syl did something with her soul that is binding her here. I… I need help finding what she did and undoing it. I want her to find peace.”

Rachael's left raven brow lifted with the mention of blood metal by Kira. "Blood metal. Oui, Sylista wished a great quantity of that metal. Fortunately, I was able to provide such to her during mon second custodianship of the Earth Tower before I had to surrender it." She carefully considered her next words before she continued speaking, "I was permitted to keep a sample of the metal, in the event that I had to recreate such a unique item again for her."

A briefly pensive expression shadowed the Detective's scarred features. "I do not know the exact means by which Sylista bound her soul to this plane of existence. I will however respectfully inquire into your motives for seeking the release of her soul. Is it truly to give her peace and release, or do you seek to destroy her?" Her tone of voice retained its usual calm nature during their conversation, perhaps not unlike that sensation which eventually heralded an impending storm of epic proportions.

Kira took a sharp inhale, but she restrained it. So, she took a deep breath and closed her eyes. “I have long called her my Mistress. I swore to be whatever it was she needed me to be. These are excuses. I love her.” Red waved rippled as her head shook and she opened her eyes. “She was the first to treat me with value. To see beyond what use I can be to her.” She took another deep breath. “She has suffered enough for a lifetime. She deserves the peace she has long been denied.”

Rachael bowed her raven haired head. "Mon pardons. I needed to know your true intentions because I consider Sylista mon soeur de coeur. Heart sister," she reflexively translated.

Her shielded gaze once again met Kira's. "Oui, Sylista does indeed deserve peace. If I am able to assist in granting such, I will. One clue to the location of part of her soul is indeed correct. I do not wish it to fall into... unfriendly hands. Therefore, I will surrender that part to you once you are fully ready to perform the ritual that is necessary to give Sylista the peace and release that she truly deserves."

Kira let our a breath, as though she’d been holding it. “Thank you, my dear. Your assistance is an assurance, and I find I am in your debt.” She held up the, now carefully folded, letter. “But, I do ask a little more help. The other two Syl mentioned… do you have anything you can offer to help me find them? All clues I have found so far have pointed to you. At present, until I can gather more information, I have no direction for my next steps.”

Rachael took a deep, centering breath. Then she followed it with another. "Unfortunately, I cannot assist you further in deciphering the other clues. I do not know who Sylista considered to be her first friend, nor do I have any knowledge of the location of her throne." Her calm tone was laced with sincere regret at being unable to assist in unraveling the other parts of the mystery. "There are many libraries in the realm aside from those in the Towers on the Isle. Monsieur Tass himself possesses one such library. Perhaps one of those might give you further insight into the location of another part of her soul. If I do learn of any information which will aid in the deciphering of the clues, I shall forward such to you."

Kira smiled. It was weak, but genuine. “Thank you. I have met Tass before, though not for more than a moment. I will see if I can find a way to speak with him. Otherwise, I have a few others I may attempt to contact, if they are still within my reach.” She thought for a second. “I will also see if I can find the guest list from Syl’s wedding party, just before her marriage to Shadowsoul. That will help narrow my search.”

"De rien. I was not present for the marriage ceremony between Sylista and Mathian, therefore I cannot speak to the matter of those who attended it. However, I was present at the ceremony which joined Sylista and Viktor Ravenwood in matrimony. Others who were present for that ceremony were Dris, Rhys, Maggie, and Haru. Perhaps this information will indeed narrow the parameters of your search net, as it is said." Rachael's left black leather gloved fingertips brushed the silver shield shaped badge of her office that was pinned to the upper left quadrant of her black leather trenchcoat much like one would a talisman for reassurance.

“Indeed, it does. Very little overlap between the events. I will keep you informed as things develop.” Kira gave a bow of her head. “I ask your leave, my dear, so I may return to teasing apart the riddles. Thank you, sincerely, for your assistance.”

She thought for a second, recalling the monuments in the Rathskeller garden. “‘Blood does not make family.’ I know we have interacted little before today, but I have only heard wonderful things from our mutual family. I hope to see you again soon.”

"Merci. Again, if I learn more about the clues, I shall refer the information to you. De rien. I am willing to assist as much as I can in this matter. I must take leave of you as well and return to mon duties inside." The scar that traced the left side of Rachael's face twitched briefly. Then a shadow of distaste fell across her features that cleared almost as quickly as it appeared.

"Those whom I consider family are treasured as dearly as those few who are related by blood to moi. Oui, it is hoped that we meet again soon for other reasons."

Kira gestured, and the runes in her necklace dimmed. The bubble around the pair dissipated, and she smiled. “At the very least, I hope to see you at the next tournament. Perhaps this time I will have a chance to challenge for the Celestial Tower?” Kira made sure everything was back in her bag. The letter she handled with utmost care, like a priceless treasure. “Stay safe, my dear.” With a final bow of her head, Kira began to walk away in the direction of Dragon’s Gate.

"If mon duties permit such attendance to the Tournament, oui, I hope to see you there. I shall endeavour to stay safe, merci. Travel safely," the Detective Lieutenant of the Watch bade Kira.

Rachael Blackthorne then turned smartly on her black leather booted heels and headed in the direction of the Precinct House. Along the way, she procured two hot dogs with the works and a large soft pretzel. By the time that she reached her duty floor via the elevator, the snack would be mostly consumed, save for the bits that she reserved as treats for Clancy.

The Detective slipped off her right glove and her ungloved fingertips scritched the star-shaped blaze of white fur on the tomcat's furry chest while he gnawed on the hot dog and pretzel treats.

Once the tomcat finished eating, he butted his head affectionately against Rachael's ungloved hand before he trotted away with his tail held high to resume his patrol for mice in the Eleventh Precinct.

The Special Victims Unit Detective's dark lens shielded sapphire hued gaze tracked the tomcat's progress until he disappeared from view. Then Rachael slipped her leather glove back on her right hand and settled back into her chair at her desk. She retrieved the top sheet of paperwork from the stack and returned to her duties with a soft sigh.

[Verity and Destiny]

The nightmare took hold again.

Destiny did not feel the first jab; it was the second, which hit with harder force, which knocked her to the ground. The unexpected impact did not give her time to catch herself and the right hand, the one holding her phone, landed with a sickening crunch on the pavement. She cried out for help once, watching as Franklin came flying out of the funeral home where she worked, his phone in hand, and calling for an ambulance. “It hurts,” she murmured to the guard as she tried to push herself up.

“No, no, Des. Hey, Destiny. Come on, girl, stay still. There you go. You don’t want to do any more damage to yourself.” He paused, listening to what the operator asked him. “Yeah, she’s still awake. There is blood, yeah. I’m already putting pressure on it, yep.” Another pause. “Yeah, no, she’s in recovery position now. Left side up. Sorry Des, I need to check your side. Two entry wounds, no pulsing blood or nothin’, but it’s scary close to the-.”

Franklin’s voice faded away, and a new one filled her mind. It was a feminine alto that sounded seductive and yet dark, as though it was smirking. There were harmonic layers to it that came in waves as she crooned, “You are a fool, Destiny Grace. Should have said yes. Better for me, I suppose! Your future… our future… will be fun.”

Then darkness swallowed her.

Normally, her dream ended there. Tonight, however, continued. In the darkness, she could hear a dark, menacing voice speaking to the one she heard before she died. The clipped tone carried the woman’s fury.

“You attached to someone named Destiny?”

“Yes.”

“How amusing, Daughter. It will be easier to find you again, allowing me to seal your fate.”

“That is where you are wrong. When I am set free, you will never reach me.”

“We shall see about that. Perhaps I shall visit your pet one night, hm?”

“Let me be clear; if you touch her, your death will be torturous and slow, Father, and I will take pleasure in watching the light fade from your eyes.”

“I look forward to seeing you try.”

Something was shaking her. The sensation left her panicked; she felt herself flailing. There was someone calling her name, trying to soothe her. As the heavy weight of sleep lifted, Destiny could hear her sister’s voice telling her, “Des, sweetie, it’s okay. It was just a dream. I’m here, Des, I’m here.”

The girl shot up and wrapped her arms around her sister. She could feel her pajama shirt and white-blonde hair stuck to her skin, which was damp with sweat. “Verity, it was so real.” Her sister stiffened with her words, which Destiny tried to pull back from. The embrace held firm. “Veri, please don’t go there? Please?”

It was too late. Verity was reliving her dream, experiencing the pain of the attack Destiny tried to shield her from all this time. Her body slumped in defeat, waiting for her sister to find her way back. Tears fell.

No less than five minutes passed before Verity gasped, the hold on Destiny depriving her of air as she squeezed out of sympathy. “Des, I didn’t know.”

“I know,” the girl said, gently trying to push her twin away. “I hoped you wouldn’t have to see.”

“You can’t keep this from me, Des. I’m going to see either way, and it’s harder when it’s fresh. You gotta talk to me.”

She could finally pull herself free, grabbing her sister’s hands as they fell away, and holding them where their shins sat against one another. Staring down at the connection, she could not help but remember similar seating when they were children, one or the other making plans to escape the life of their cult, believing it was all a pipedream. Verity snickered at the memory, and Destiny released her hand, playfully shoving at her sister’s shoulder. “Hey! You promised!”

“I can’t help when you’re projecting like that!”

“You can; you just choose not to,” she pointed out, grinning, and staring into those pupil-less eyes. They matched in every way if one ignored their differences in style and their eyes. When Verity experienced the Marking, her eyes changed. They were once brilliant blue, but The Sight had turned sapphire into muted and marbled blues and greys with only the limbal ring remaining as a separation from the sclera Seeing it made the younger of the two sad. “I’m sorry.”

“You have nothing to apologize for, Des. Honestly, it’s a relief to put more of the pieces together. I, uh, went to see Kira.”

“You what?!” Destiny pushed herself closer to the headboard, away from Verity. A sharp pain ached behind her eye, and as a hand cupped her face, she glared. “Why?”

“Because I was scared, okay? First, you get stabbed, and I spent the few hours you were in surgery fearing I was going to be alone, and then you make a sudden recovery that baffled the doctors. People don’t do that, if you don’t remember. Then you broke up with Matthew, and from what I heard, there was nothing about you in that conversation. Finally, you started ranting about a dead woman sharing your space after you talked to Kira.” She stood up and stomped across the room to lean against the wall. It made Destiny feel guilty, even as angry as she was. “What was I supposed to do? If you’re Marked-.”

“I will not be like you, Verity!” It was Des’s turn to stand. She walked across the room, staring down her sister from the opposite wall—the fighting position. Only her twin stood down, her gaze falling to the floor and tone soft when she replied, “No, you’re not. We’re different, and that difference scares me. Kira said she’d find help if what I’ve seen is true.”

Destiny did not respond immediately. She felt her face become expressionless, her shoulders rolling back. Her tone was flat and cold when she said, “You were meddling in my affairs, unsolicited, I might add. I have nothing more to say to you. Leave.”

“Des?”

“I said leave. I have nothing more to say to you.”

Hurt etched Verity’s face as she stared at Destiny. Her Mark turned dark against her skin before she moved, her eyes narrowing with whatever it was she saw. Destiny didn’t move despite the grief that was forced down by whatever was holding her emotions hostage. She just watched, silent and unmoving, until the door opened and Verity paused in the doorway, uttering, “I won’t let you take her. She might be helping you now, but when it’s time to choose, I will fight for her Des is my sister, not your... toy.”

"Feisty."

With her sister gone, the weight released. Destiny crumpled to the floor, sobbing quietly and scratching at the mark on her arm that burned. “What do you want with me?” she whispered to the surrounding nothingness.

A warm breath tickled against her ear as an accented alto whispered, “To set you free.” The girl could feel the sensation of an invisible hand covering the one scratching, pulling it away with an unexpected gentleness. “Once I am finished, you will be strong enough to save your parents. Trust me, Destiny Grace, and let your anger burn.”

The incorporeal hand pulled at her, urging her to stand. The skin on that arm, bloodied and raw from her frantic scratching, smoothed over, leaving the mark on her arm dancing with embers. She peered into the shadows where she suspected the ghost was standing, faintly seeing the outline of a woman there. Whether it was a trick of her imagination, or if that really was the Lady Shadowsoul, Destiny dipped her head in agreement. “Fine. For now, but only if Verity is safe.”

A hand pushed her toward the bed, the voice crooning, “Oh, my dear sweet girl, I like her and have no plans to harm nor separate you two. We need her; more importantly, you need her.”

Feeling a sense of relief, Destiny crawled back into her bed, pulling the blankets up to her chin, and sighed as her head settled on the pillow. Phantom fingers brushed back a lock of hair from her forehead, and as sleep took her, she thought she heard the voice whisper, “Tell her to focus on her family. I am not going anywhere.”

It was a message for Kira, something she’d attend to in the morning. This was not an experience Des was soon to forget.

[Kira Adia]

Hey,
This is weird, and super awkward. I think your friend came to see me. She said focus on your family and wanted you to know she isn't going anywhere. I kinda wish she would.
Des

The Minister of Public Works stopped by her office after her midday obligations were settled, primarily to check in the status of an interoffice memo she had sent out. For whatever reason, that single system was inaccessible from her remote workstations. Usually, she relied on her assistant to handle such matters, but this one was of interest to her personally, and she was still in Old Market, so she stopped in.

The assistant, Erisir, handed off the note left by Des, and as soon as she read it, she let out a sigh. “Thank you, my dear. Once you finish your inbox, feel free to head home. The answering service can handle the calls.”

She knew what Syl was doing. Anyone who knew Kira beyond her more obvious qualities knew how much of a workaholic she was, and presently, she was well loaded with numerous major events she needed to handle. Such things seemed to come in waves, and high tide had come in.

Even an immortal had limits in time and attention. Syl was giving Kira permission to save hers. The problem was, Kira wasn’t satisfied with where she was in the puzzle. She had found the first part of Sylista’s soul, but she had absolutely no clue where to find the other two. The riddle was opaque, and she needed new information to find a new direction.

Kira’s wandering had let her to a modest park near the wall between Old Market and Dragon’s Gate. She had discovered it one night while tracking a trafficker through the area attempting to transport a few people to a new slave pen. Kira had since made the park very unsafe for their kind. Still, few people visited here during the day. Kira had taken breaks here to read or think in the past. It was no wonder why she’d walked here in her absent-minded state.

There was a bench near the wall she enjoyed, so she sought it out and took her usual place at it. Her phone was out, and she began to look through contacts. A name scrolled onto the screen that made her pause. Beatrice Thompson. If anyone could help guide her next choice, it was Betty. Kira’s thumb hovered over the name. Poised to make the call.

”Pisică…”

The tickle of a whisper teased her hair by keeping heft ear, and Kira’s eyes closed as she took a deep inhale. Her head reflexively tilted into the sensation, as though fingertips had grazed her cheek. The Huntress opened her eyes and quickly looked around. In a tree nearby, a raven had perched on a lower bough. The striking pale blue eyes stared back at her, and Kira immediately shook her head in resignation.

“I need to do this, my love. I cannot stop so far from my goal.” Kira went to look at her phone again, and a flurry of feathers drew her attention away.

The raven had landed on the sidewalk in front of her and canted her head just so, regarding the redhead curiously. Another caress of gentle breeze passed by her ear, and a soto voce seemed to come from behind her.

”Take time for the living.

Kira slumped forward, perching her arms on her knees, and closed her eyes. She held her phone between her hands as they intwined with one another. “You need me too, Syl. I can do this. Don’t make me stop.”

”I will be right here, Kira.”

Violet eyes opened again to regard angelite orbs. “If… you insist. Just… stay safe, my love.”

The raven cawed once, seemingly amused at the way she was being addressed by the strange redhead she’d been given charge of. With a flurry of wings, the corvid took to the air, crying at a cadence that could easily be mistaken for laughter.

A deep breath, in and out, and Kira rose to her feet. “Get thee back into the tempest and the night’s Plutonian shore…” Still, her smile was gentle as she opened the browser on her phone instead. There was a flower shop nearby that carried seeds, as well as blooms. The far edge of the garden would be the perfect place for a line of orchids.

[Kira Adia]

Originally, Kira ported into Mira’s apartment with the intent of heading straight to Les. She hated porting into the hallway and this was easier then coming from the ground level. Of course, that was until she met the refugee currently staying with Mira. She didn’t have sex with the woman (despite her best attempts at convincing Kira), but they did chat for a moment to become acquainted. Kira would remember her.

So it was that she knocked on Les’s door about an hour after intending to. She hadn’t told the vampiress she was coming to visit, though she had been at least asking after her well-being since the last time they’d seen each other.

Kira wanted to ask something important today. She had every intent on continuing to pursue Les as long as she was allowed to do so, but she wanted clarity on what shape that would take.

It had been a few days since Les and Kira had spoke to each other last. Maybe more, Les hadnt been very good at telling time since their last meeting, everything had run into one long, sequence of events. She had not, as she'd thought, settled her issues with Mathian after getting the warning from Giovanni. She'd gone a tracked down what she had thought was the last of his soul and had been spending the last few months trying to track down his grave.... Nothing had happened in that flurry of days and weeks, so long ago now, she had thought she was already free.... Maybe he'd already killed himself, or gone so far away she'd remain safe despite Syl's warnings. But, now. He was still alive.
Still a threat.
The vampiress had therefore done the only thing she knew. She'd hidden, in the time since she'd spoke to Kira, the vampiress had not been seen outside of her apartment, not down stairs, not in the corridor. She did not receive packages, relying on her blood to be teleported directly into her room when needed, every third day. Otherwise, there was silence, sometimes communication via text, but mostly silence.

The knock at the door brought a hair raising moment, seconds ticked by with out any sign of acknowledgement... Before a small voice responded through the wood. "...Yes?"

“Les? Bunny? It’s Kira. May I come I ?” Kira spoke gently and waited patiently outside the door. She didn’t know what Les had been doing during the last ten days, but she knew she hadn’t seen her in that time.

There was movement behind the door at the word 'bunny', no one but Kira and probably Mira knew that nickname, which meant from the voice it *had* to be Kira, even before she called out her own name.
What sounded like more than one lock and a latch clicked undone and Kira felt the subtle static of a ward, a powerful one, dissipating slightly before the door opened, more like popped, coming a jar slightly. "Come in!"

Kira made her way through the door and closed it behind her. She fully expected it to seal again with the ward, but she added her own anyway with a gesture. It that she didn’t trust whoever designed the existing ward. Just that she trusted hers more to give them the space they needed.

That done, she stepped slowly towards Les, gesturing to pull her into a tight hug, if she allowed it. “My love. How are you holding up? I should have visited sooner and I am sorry.”

The doors locks snapped shut as soon as the door closed, the ward returning to place like before. When Kira walked in, she found Les sitting on her bed, looking up at the otherwoman with her arms wrapped around her knees tight. There was no reaction until she was in Kira's arms where she relaxed a little and leaned into the other woman with a shuddering sigh. "Its okay..." She said quietly. "I've...Been....Fine. Safe here, at least..." She murmured.

Kira sat down in the bed next to her and looked over her briefly. “You are feeding. A little at least. That is good. I will… help you get a fresh meal before I leave.” She leaned in to give a soft kiss that lingered for a breath or two.

“I would like to talk, if you are willing. If not, I am happy to just be here with you for a while. But I want to be with you right now.” She took Les’s hand. “I want you as long as you will have me.”

"Mm" she murred in agreement, she had been feeding. The empty blood bag from the blood bank were testament to this, not quite strew across the room, but dangerously close to not being neat and organised. The vampiress kissed back, melting into Kira for the duration. When Kira took Les' hand, she shifted, settling on her side with her head on Kira's lap and nodded in agreement again. "I can talk... And... I could use the company." She murmured softly.

The huntress began to run her fingers through Les’s hair. She took a deep, centering breath. “I want to know how you would like me to pursue you. The arrangement we have had so far has been… hm, has been predatory. I… I am willing to happily continue this dynamic with you. It is… thrilling. Fun. I love doing it with you.” She began to caress Les’s cheek. “But I want to make sure this is truly what you want. I can alter our dynamic in any way you feel comfortable without complaint. I want you, first and foremost.”

She was quiet for a moment before turning slightly to look up at Kira from the corner of her eye. "I...Kira, if I wasn't happy or didnt enjoy what we have... I wouldnt encourage it, and I wouldnt let you get away with it." The vampiress replied. "Remember, I might play the prey, but I am a killer, with the very real ability to turn the tables on you if I wanted." She turned her eyes away, nuzzling into Kira's thigh with a deep breath. "I'm not owned by anyone. I give myself freely to those I choose. Those I want to be with. I play the game the way I want."

Kira nodded, though it was unseen. “That is what I needed to hear. I do not doubt you. I just… I wanted to hear you say it.” She resumed playing with Les’s hair. “I will not change anything between us.” She bit her lip for a second. “What I said to you last time — about what I feel for you — it still holds true.”

"I feel the same for you Kira." Lesinda replied softly with another nuzzle, relaxing into the hair stroking and let her eyes drift closed. She was safe. Someone she loved held her, all was well with the world. "I've missed you... And Mira. And Serenity."

“We’ll all be there, whenever you are ready to come out. And of course we’ll come to see you.” She watched Lesinda for a few seconds. “Do you want to talk about any of it? Tell me what you’re feeling?”

The vampiress smiled softly at the idea. She'd like to see everyone... At Kira's question she bit her lip and curled up a little tighter in place. "Scared...No... Terrified... If...If Mathian finds out where I am... He can...Make me..." She trailed off, trying to find the words.

“No, my love. I will not let him.” The comment did remind her of something, however. “I have… continued translating Sylista’s journal. He… he can’t make you. Your bond is broken. She made certain.”

Lesinda's eyes snapped open and she tensed like she was about to leap up, but stopped at the last second. Instead, she carefully pushed herself up right and sitting beside Kira, looking her dead in the eye. "What did you say? Are...Are you certain?"

Kira closed her eyes, recalling the words and her best possible translation of them. “She is certain. I cannot verify it but…” she opened her eyes to meet Lesinda’s. “I trust Syl with my heart and my soul. Her words suggest you escaped before he could release you himself, and he declined to pursue you, possibly for fear of harming you further. Syl believes it was guilt that held him back. You… you are free.”

Lesinda blinked as she heard the words and a small part of her screamed in disbelief, but the longer she looked into Kira's eyes, the quieter that voice became until eventually it died out and she stopped staring into Kira's eyes to turn and face forward, still unblinking. "F-free...? I...Free?" She repeated, the word broken as it passed her lips and Kira heard a quiver. "I..."

She very gently leaned in and wrapped her arms around Lesinda to hold her. “He can’t hurt you anymore.”

She broke, again and sobbed, crying into her hands as Kira held her while a weeks worth of tension and fear bled out, literally, and the vampiress let her emotions run for a moment so she could at last clear her mind.

Kira made herself present while Lesinda processed the revelation. She didn’t let go until Les indicated she was ready. “I went back and focused on those sections after we talked. I wanted to make sure you knew if I found anything that could help.” She kissed the top of Les’s head. “I don’t want you here hiding forever.”

Les took several, shaky, deep breaths before responding. "He... Still has a power, over me... He'll always be stronger and faster... But if he can't enter my mind, force me to give into him. I dont need to hide." Lesinda replied, wiping at her eyes before she kissed Kira's cheek. "Thank you Kira. Thank you so much."

Kira stole a kiss back from her lips. “I… it’s not a problem. I… I love you. I will do whatever I can to give you peace.”

Les kissed her back, a hand catching Kira's cheek to keep her where Les could look the other woman in the eye. "Kira... This isnt peace. Its my life... You're giving me my life..."

She smiled and leaned into the hand in her cheek. “Anything for you, my Bunny.”

Les cracked a smile and kissed Kira again. "Kira...Gods, I would do anything for you..." the vampiress whispered in her ear. "If...If he really cant.... Then that means, there's a chance... I can rid myself of him forever...."

Kira nodded. “I wanted to wait to say this, but I will need it, too. As long as he lives, due to the bond Syl created between them, she cannot pass on. His death will be part of my attempts to free her.”

She pulled back a little to look at Kira and nodded in understanding. "I see..." Les replied, before grinning slowly. It... Was a little unsettling. The cant of her eyes, the draw of the lips, the way her fangs showed. It was no one thing, and yet it was all of it, and quite unlike anything Kira had seen on Lesinda's face before. There was almost an eerie resemblance to Renna... "He'll have us both hunting him... He'll never stand a chance."

A flash of green in Kira’s eye showed the Huntress responding to Les’s look. “I can support you. In whatever way you need. But it must be you that gives him final death. No one else may do it for this to work. And I do not know where to look. But, whatever you need of me, I will not hesitate.”

She sobered but only a little, enough her features became more normal and nodded again. "I think I understand.... I have some ideas on where to look. I...When....whenever he would die...I would get... flashes, imprints of where he was resurrecting. I think I know where to find his last phylactery, and then it will just be a case of ending him."

She nodded. “Very well. I will await your word, then, and my bow will be yours. I am yours.” She laid a hand on Les’s leg. “We can do this, my love.”

Lesinda leaned in once more, pressing her lips against Kira's for a deeper kiss. "I adore you, Kira. Helping me with this... I'll owe you everything..."

She returned the kiss, happily humming. “You owe me nothing, my love. I… consider this finishing Syl’s work. My love for you is freely given.” A bit of a flush crossed Kira’s face.

"And mine to you." Lesinda replied, cupping Kira's face in her hands, smiling at her. "Always." She added, before kissing her again.

Kira drank in the kiss and closed her eyes, thanking any gods listening and a few that weren’t for not needing to breathe. “Hm… my love… I promised you a fresh meal…”

"You did..." Les murmured and her lips slowly moved down to Kira's neck. "Were you...Offering yourself... for that?"

“Well… I didn’t bring anyone else…” Kira was grinning, her breath catching in anticipation. “I hope my offering pleases you…”

[Kira Adia]

It was what had proven to be a relatively quiet afternoon. The streets were only moderately busy, which, all things considered, mattered very little to one who teleported most places. Kira was such a one, but the relative peace in Seaside was almost soothing. One who made her home in the nearer edge of the Deep Wilds would find the bustle of a city a little… less than comfortable. But, fortunately, Kira had adapted to the pulse of city life.

The Huntress appeared near the front entrance to the Rathskeller Inn, an increasingly common destination as of late. As soon as she appeared, the beating of wings signaled the arrival of the raven that has been a frequent companion. Kira pushed her way through the entrance.

Once passed the front door, Kira made her way to the reception desk. She waited patiently while the clerk took care of their current business. Once acknowledged, Kira stepped forward with a bow of her head. “Yes, my dear. If you would so please, I would appreciate if you would inform Salvador Delahada that Kira Adia is here to see him.” She backed half a pace, waiting for acknowledgement of her request. Once assured, she took a seat to wait.

Minutes ticked maddeningly by as Kira waited. Salvador Delahada had a reputation, and it was one that even the staff of the Rathskeller Inn were wisely wary of. Whispers scattered through the halls as bell hops drew lots and bargained with each other over which of them was going to disturb the Butcher King's peace and quiet. Eventually one of them wound up being the victim of his potential wrath.

Whether or not they survived the encounter was not a rumor that circled its way back to Kira's ears, however. A body stepped into the light of the lobby windows some time later, shrouding the Huntress in momentary shadow. For the length of a three count he loomed, staring and not saying hello, but then stepped aside to settle into one of the lounge chairs to her right.

Salvador slouched in his seat, dressed in ragged and well worn blue jeans with frays in the knees. Instead of his usual black boots with the laces removed, he had on a pair of slide sandals that exposed otherwise bare feet. Above the belt—not that he was wearing one—he had on a puke green t-shirt, as old and faded as his jeans, that proudly displayed the IFL team Deathcake logo on the chest.

Resting his elbows on the armrests he let his hands hang over his lap. After a moment said, "So... What do you want?" Part of his reputation included being shit at diplomacy. Here was proof.

Salvador had not been alone in the suite, as was often the case. His shadow drifted through the halls on nearly-silent footsteps. Only his choice of footwear—a pair of open-backed sandals—kept him from walking on the proverbial *cat's feet*. When he reached the ground floor, he lingered in the archway to watch Salvador loom over Kira, wondering if he might have to intervene.

It was only once the man had settled that the gatito came forward. He glided up to the side of Salvador's lounge chair and perched delicately upon the arm of it. In deference to their proximity to the beach, he was wearing a lightweight, sleeveless dress the color of pale roses. It looked like something that could be easily shrugged on and forgotten about. He crossed his long legs and smoothed the skirt against his thighs, offering Kira a flicker of a smile. He was not nearly as gruff as his companion. Most of the time, anyway.

Kira had occupied her time with her usual habit of doodling in her journal. When she saw the motion of Sal reaching the chair, she closed the book and put it away in the shoulder bag she carried.

Sal was not know for diplomacy, but, at least compared to her lovers, Kira was. And she knew not to give the impression of wasting Salvador’s time with too much small talk. She only delayed long enough to offer a smile and a finger waggle in response to the gatito.

“I am receiving visits from Sylista.” There it was. “In the forms of dreams and visions. This started a few weeks ago at my most recent monthly visit here.” She pulled the letter from her bag and passed it across to show him. “She guided me to this, and she is asking for help.”

For the gatito, Salvador moved his arm. He lifted that one off the armrest that his companion chose to perch upon, and skimmed his knuckles across the middle of the man's spine. A minor readjustment that had him tucking his arm around the gatito’s waist and draping it across his thighs. His fingers fiddled idly with the fabric at his hip.

There was a point on the faraway wall where he kept his gaze focused, even while Kira spoke. When she spoke Sylista's name, however, his eyes ticked a bit more to the left to look at a point somewhere over Kira's shoulder.

His fingertips twitched when the Huntress presented the letter. Slowly, as Kira explained further, his gaze slid to lock upon the paper in question. There was hesitation in the lethargic lift of his fingers, and sluggishly he reached to pinch the letter between his two forefingers, accepting it from her. When he turned it so that his thumb caressed the words, a glint of light licked through his irises, and he looked down to read them.

At the end of that smoothing motion, the gatito allowed his fingers to briefly flare upward in a returned wave for Kira. Then he glanced down at Salvador, feeling the man’s knuckles against his spine. When Salvador tucked his arm around him and allowed his forearm to drape across his thighs, the gatito smoothed a touch along the back of Salvador’s arm.

Unlike his companion, the gatito watched Kira directly while she talked. His stillness took on a new quality when she invoked Sylista’s name, and his eyes seemed to sharpen.

Though it was tempting to reach for the paper she extended, he waited. Salvador would let him know if he wanted him to field that for him—and in the end, he did not. The gatito angled his head to try to read the page that Salvador held.

There was something on the tip of his tongue, but he held it back. For now.

Kira gave them time to absorb her words and Sal time to read the note. “I know you were both… hm, how to say it? You had a degree of closeness with Syl.” She wouldn’t presume the word friend unless it were confirmed first. “I felt it was right to let you know.”

Kira slid the shoulder bag off and set it next to her chair. “Her soul is fragmented, and I have found one of the three shards she has mentioned. The first one, with the former keeper. I intend to find them and break the bond keeping her from passing on in peace.” She gestured to the note. “I wonder if you might be able to… help me unravel the riddles she left. And, if not, at the very least, I hope her memory at least gives you some pleasure. It… it does for me.”

The subject of their conversation made a tsk noise and smirked, murmuring to herself (not realizing she was not as invisible as she thought), “Clever girl. He will make it too easy for you.”

Interestingly, though Salvador's eyes were trained on the paper, they did not turn or move in any way to indicate that he was actually reading the words. He stared almost blankly; the thinnest ribbons of light slithered through his irises. Nor did he seem to really be listening to Kira as she spoke. He sat very still, perhaps seeming to have zoned out.

There passed what could have been an uncomfortable number of very long minutes before Salvador breathed again. Only then did it seem that he had been holding his breath. With a slow blink, he snuffed the lights from his irises and deposited the paper onto his lap. He rubbed his fingers against his thumb, flicking them after as if trying to dislodge an unwelcome residue or tingling sensation.

A quiet sadness infiltrated his otherwise stoic expression, and he turned his head to once more look aside, at that point somewhere across the room and over Kira's shoulder. "Dreams, hm? Too easy," he said softly. An echo of a ghost he had been pretending not to see.

After another slow blink, he turned his head again and actually focused on Kira. "One of them is here," he told her. "The throne. She was sitting on it on her birthday." Salvador lifted a finger to point at an empty space. The throne was not there now, but he remembered and could see it as if it were. "They moved it," he added, stating the obvious, "but it's still here." Clearly he meant: in the building.

Something tugged at the corner of the gatito’s mouth. Not quite a smile, but something a little more complex and harder to read. It was brief, however, and his expression returned to more neutral and thoughtful lines. He nodded when Kira mentioned it had felt right to let them know about what she was experiencing, regarding Sylista.

“Fragmented,” he repeated slowly and softly. There was another flicker of something at his mouth, but this one was more identifiable as a frown. It seemed like he might say more, but something seemed to catch his attention. He turned his head as though listening to something. His gaze went distant.

Though he was outwardly distracted, he reached for Salvador a moment before the man blinked, and slid his fingers gently through his hair. One pass, and then his hand came to rest upon Salvador’s shoulder for a moment. Finally, the gatito turned his head and focused upon his companion. He pulled his fingers through the man’s hair one more time, then reached down for the sheet of paper Salvador had discarded into his lap.

Unlike his companion, the gatito seemed to actively read the words printed there; his dark eyes moved as he skimmed.

Kira looked to where Sal pointed, and stood. It was a measured, deliberate motion. If it weren’t, there was no promise that Kira would not have dashed across the room in excitement. She crossed to near the spot and crouched to place a plan against the flooring, eyes closed. “Nothing. It is not here. So, I must see the throne itself.”

She crossed back to her seat and gave a bow of her head as she sat. “Your assistance is appreciated, Salvador. Might your generosity extend to the location of the throne?”

She watched gatito as he finished reading the note himself. She had caught some of the play in his expression previously. Her curiosity at his thoughts burned, but she didn’t press on them just yet. There was a dynamic between the two Kira enjoyed observing. Nevertheless, she sat patiently.

The gatito's fingers pulling through his hair seemed to relax Salvador somewhat. His eyelids drooped a little, and he tilted his head away from the other man, only so that he could rest his cheek on his knuckles when he bent up his arm. The fingers of his other hand twitched and ticked out an erratic rhythm along his companion's thigh.

Salvador allowed the other man to pluck the letter from his lap without argument. His attention veered back to Kira as she got up from her seat and he watched her cross the room, investigate the floor. He was still watching her when she turned back and returned to her seat, his expression impassive, and almost bored.

"My generosity," the Spaniard muttered. There was a sarcastic edge to his tone. Once more his gaze turned aside, fixed on the very same spot as before. "Should I tell?" he seemed to muse aloud.

Beyond those first passes, the gatito did not try to stroke his fingers through Salvador’s hair again. Instead, he focused upon the letter in his hands and endured the erratic tapping of his companion’s fingertips against his thigh. A gentle shift of his weight against the arm of the chair brought him a fraction of an inch closer to Salvador.

He glanced over the top of the page when Kira got up from her seat and watched as she lay her palm against the floor. Something else tugged at the corner of his mouth, but he didn’t speak. He did not seem surprised that she had found nothing on or in the floor.

That twitch of his lips came again when Kira spoke of Salvador’s generosity. He started to lay the paper down across his lap, but remembered it was not his to keep and, instead, leaned forward to offer it back to Kira. A faint turn of his head cast his gaze over her shoulder. He seemed to be listening, or perhaps waiting for something.

The specter took in a sharp breath, or what sounded like one, and exhaled, “Salvador…” Silent steps carried her closer, and a brow arched. “You can see me?” Her question carried both grief and amusement. Eyes ticked to the gatito. “Both of you?” She laughed. What else was there to do? It faded away as she shook her head. “You may tell her it is in my office.”

Something like pain flickered through his expression, there and gone in a heartbeat, and he rolled his lips inward between his teeth and bit down. His dark gaze trained vaguely away from Kira, and his chin dipped downward once in a faint nod.

Then his gaze ticked to the side when Salvador tensed and lowered his arm. His hand settled lightly over the one the Spaniard still had resting against his thigh, fingertips gentle against cool skin. “Oui,” he echoed softly. His gaze turned outward again, training once more on empty space.

He didn’t add anything to Salvador’s following words, not even to give his own insight on the puzzle Kira had shown them. Perhaps he knew something, or perhaps he didn’t. For the moment, he remained inscrutable, like a cat. But his attention shifted gradually back to her. There was a flicker of golden light in his irises when his eyes focused upon Kira again.

Kira leaned forward to retrieve the paper. It was soon folded gently and tucked back in its envelope. Kira observed the curious looks of the two, an uncertain suspicion. She didn’t look to the spot they were looking, however.

She questioned her choice of wording, but she knew expressing thanks could be a trap in dealings such as this. The question didn’t seem directed to her, so she kept her thoughts to herself.

Internally, the Huntress was on edge. It was clear that Sal and the gatito knew enough to potentially solve the riddles for her. A part of her, one that had long held sway in her with such questions, questioned why she was chosen by Syl when Sal was more than capable and lived in the place where her note was hidden. Then she remembered the memorials in the garden. She remembered finding the one inscribed with the poem the represented the fondness shared between her and her Mistress.

This… calmed the Huntress. Somewhat. Enough that none of this showed externally. From what Sal or the gatito could see, Kira was patiently and politely waiting for reply.

Salvador tensed some in his seat and lifted his cheek from his knuckles. That arm slowly lowered to settle again on the armrest, hand carefully turned so that his palm was facing up. He was well aware that to Kira, he might have appeared to be talking to himself.

"Yes," Salvador said after a moment. Almost as if he were answering his own question from before, having reached a decision on the matter. Though he was looking significantly at a point in space when he said it. Then with a slow blink he forced his head to turn and focused on Kira, saying again, "Yes."

All the clues had been laid out before him, and Salvador did not seem at all inclined to rush into solving them. It took him a few seconds more to turn his hand over and lift one finger to point up. "It's upstairs," he said, "in her office."

Kira watched the changing faces and the focused stares. She did not turn around. She felt certain she would see nothing if she did. Her heart did stop, however, for just a moment. The haunting whisper she’d come to associate with such a feeling did not come, but the very sensation of her presence was heavy on the faeling.

With a deep breath, Kira grounded herself back in the land of the living. “So, I should check her office. I am hopeful I will find what Syl intends for me to find there.” She gave a smile to the two in front of her, especially to Salvador. “You have been most helpful. I had only expected to share what I had found this far and… hm, and I am not certain what else.” The smile softened with a touch of sadness.

“I know she admired you both, and though my respect has come into its own, for my own reasons, it is her…” Kira found herself at a loss for a description. Affection? Faith? Friendship? None seemed to fit well on the Spaniard, even if the gatito was able to accommodate them for some. “Hm, well, her opinion of you was high, and that was enough for me, at the time. Mine is only enhanced since then.”

The silent figure had stopped a few feet away from Kira, and once the Huntress spoke, the ghost sniffed a laugh and shook her head, obsidian black curls moving with her.

Dove grey eyes lifted from the young faeling, moving between Sal and the gatito once before she squared her shoulders, lifted her chin, and hid all her emotions behind a neutral expression. “Shall I leave you to your peace after this?” Nothing could hide the grief that made her voice crack after the first two words.

She missed her friends, lovers, and family. This was the first time in months that sense of loneliness faded, if only for a few minutes.

"No," Salvador said, somewhat distantly. Quiet. In that moment he was not looking directly at Kira, but nor was he looking in the same direction as he had been before.

Looking back at Kira again directly, Salvador nodded several times. In this way he silently acknowledged her words. He had none of his own to offer her in kind. In his estimation, their business was now concluded, and so without warning he unwound from his seat and stood.

Yet as his arm withdrew from across the gatito's lap, his fingers skimmed over the back of his hips, and he pressed his hand to the small of the man's back to keep him from toppling over at the abrupt change. He paused to fix Kira with one more lengthy stare, blinked slow after three whole seconds, and then stepped away from the chair, crossing the room to the stairs to return up them and to his suite.

No you're welcome. No good luck. Not another word spoken.

“I hope you do,” the gatito said quietly to Kira. His smile returned briefly. Though there was a gravity to his expression now, the smile was no less sweet because of it. That smile seemed to grow fainter and more bittersweet, however, the more Kira said. In the end, he simply acknowledged her words with a nod.

His dark eyes grew a bit unfocused and shifted away again after a moment, then ticked up to again regard empty space. He seemed at a loss; Salvador’s response cut across his silence, despite being so quiet.

The gatito shifted against the arm of the chair, almost like he was anticipating the impending exit. He glanced over his shoulder at his companion, appreciative of the steadying touch, and his gaze remained with Salvador as the man rose.

Only once Salvador had left the chair behind did the gatito uncross his legs and get to his feet. He shared one more smile with Kira and the ghost, then moved away toward the stairs. He paused before he went up, however, and looked back. A muscle in his jaw twitched while he tried to decide what words he wanted to use. Eventually, he said, “May time and fortune be kind to you.”

That flicker of golden light returned to his dark eyes and his line of sight shifted away from Kira to focus more firmly beyond the faeling. Briefly, he brought his fingers to his mouth, then tipped them away and let his hand drop. It could’ve been him stemming more words that wanted to come, or it could have been a blown kiss.

He turned away then and went up the stairs to join his companion in their suite.

Kira watched them walk away and up to their abode. She nodded a sad smile back to the gatito and watched his gesture with curiosity.

Once out of sight, Kira closed her eyes and took a deep breath. She held it for a moment and allowed her awareness fill the space around her. The tentatively curious staff moving about the space filled the edge of her awareness, but she ignored that. What she focused on was the glaring absence she felt. The empty space in the room, and the hole in her heart. The one she always felt in this place.

One she’d denied to herself for a year. The hole still occupied by the woman who she could not see, could not hear, could not touch. Not anymore.

Kira slowly let the breath out. With that breath came a nearly whispered utterance. “Thank you, my beloved.” Violet eyes opened, having withheld the threat of a tear, and she stood, making her way towards the steps, up towards the office.

The door, she found, was locked and sealed in a way that frustrated her efforts. The office was warded to prevent teleportation, and even her unique means of pulling herself through space and time was thwarted by her inability to find anything to pull. It was as though the interior of the office were part of the Void.

A short inquiry with the staff found that no one at the inn could open it. A few names were suggested, and one stood out.

Kira had not visited nor spoken to Beatrice Thompson in some time. Perhaps it would be best to catch up with her. Of all the people Kira knew in her service to Sylista, there were few as loyal as the old necromancer, and fewer whose fire matched the runelord’s in intensity.

Kira found she missed the old woman. She was always kind to her when they crossed paths, and beyond the teasing banter shared, Kira could recognize the efforts she spent helping the young urchin acclimate to her position in Syl’s life.

She hadn’t received a response to her message earlier in the week, so Kira considered her next move as she left the inn. There were other obligations to meet, but, as it had for nearly a month, this would remain constant in the back of her mind.

[Kira Adia]

You would be amused. I found myself at Books and Brews earlier and there was a poetry night. I read Sappho. I blame your influence.
I almost read Poe.


Almost?
I am there now. I was hoping to find entertainment for someone staying with me.


It was too long for the courage I had mustered. I prefer Sappho. And I curse the spirits that possessed me to leave so soon.


I do not wish to spend overlong here. I am only now done dealing with a rather urgent family emergency. I apologize for my lack of contact.


I have kept myself quite busy, the details of which can wait until we can talk at length. I have had news to share myself. Take care of your family. I will continue to count the eternities as they pass.
As it happens, I am in no hurry and find myself desiring a rather leisurely night time stroll through the city. Should some hunter of the night find me thus occupied...


Are you tempting a predator, Kira?


I am a huntress, my dearest. I am mearly baiting the snare.

Kira put her phone away, rather pleased with herself at the exchange of messages. A month before, she would have blanched at the very idea. To speak so directly, to be so forward, had seemed an impossible task to the young lady who stumbled her way into the city.

Tonight, she decided to forego her usual path through the market district and looped back to the river walk. It had been too long since her last visit to the book store, and she missed the sound of the water late at night.

That, and this route would take a bit longer to make it back to the Dragon, especially if she took the time to enjoy the scenery, as she did now.

A croaking caw alerted the faeling to the fact she had been found, and a raven landed ahead of her on a tree branch along the path. As Kira spied the corvid in her path, she smiled at the memory it provoked. Her hand found it’s way to the golden raven necklace, now hanging from a fine white golden chain about her neck.

“and sweat pours coldly over me, and all
my body shakes, suddenly sallower
than summer grass, and death, I fear and feel,
is very near.”

Feathers gracefully turned to obsidian tresses and lithe feminine body. She wrinkled her nose in amusement at the redhead that approached and jumped down from the perch she sat on. "Hello, Kira." The name sounded purred as she greeted her companion. "It is a pleasure to see you."

Kirra smiled to her beloved as she approached. Her every instinct told her to run to the woman’s arms, but she put forth effort to restrain herself.  “Hello, Syl.” Restraint lost to desire. Kira felt herself drawn to her companion with all the haste she could muster. She responded to the second statement with a kiss, tender at first, but with a hunger behind it inviting a response.

Kira remembered this night. It was the first time she saw her Mistress following her wedding to Shadowsoul. The memory was pleasant, and a hole opened wide in her heart at the memory of the kiss. She heard the musical hum that accompanied the kiss, and the intensity of the response as the shorter woman pulled Kira further into her left an ache in the sleeping woman.

Kira responded by wrapping her own arms around Syl’s shoulders. She would have held that kiss much longer (ah, but Kira missed the thrill that accompanied running out of breath in a kiss), but eventually the huntress needed air. When she finally pulled back, her eyes glowed with a subtle flame, and her face was flush, despite the cold around them. “I am so happy for you, my Lady Shadowsoul.” Her face showed pride and happiness to greet her as such. She gave a lighter kiss on her forehead. “I have missed you beyond reckoning. I am overjoyed to see you safe.”

Syl bit when lip with a look of concern, but she also blushed, perhaps for the first time Kira had ever seen. "Yes, though every day I spend in this city makes me wonder if safe is only a moment away from being lost." She looked away from Kira for a moment, steadying herself. "I nearly lost someone I love deeply. It is why I have not reached out despite Edward returning to me."

Kira allowed her concern to show. She was past hiding most things from Syl. “Tell me as much or as little as you would need, beloved. If you would rather not for now, that is fine. Anything you need, if I have it, it is yours.” She cupped her hand on Syl’s cheek and her thumb idly traced along her cheek.

Soon, the couple were walking along the river, hand in hand, taking their time in defiance of the frigid winter air. What followed was a lengthy exchange of news. Much of this seemed more focused on Kira reporting in the events of her life while Syl was away at her wedding. Her companion, meanwhile, mostly responded to her declarations and asked questions, probing into the recent week of her absence.

They discussed magic and dueling. It would be more than half a year before she won her tower first the first time. Now, sitting with her third tenure as Keeper of Earth, she desired to hear what Syl would say about her fortunes in dueling since. She had a miserable record in the rings at first as she began to awaken her power, and shortly after this conversation marked the turning point in her fortunes in that regard.

They spoke of Kira’s budding strength in the arcane. Syl showed her interest openly. They had been discussing runes, but the subject of Kira’s geomancy arose. “I am very curious about the type of magic you are capable of."

“I would like to show you.” Kira stopped and felt the ground below them. Ahead of them, a bit of earth rose and compressed, settling into a figure with the appearance of being cut from sandstone. “I’m still limited in what I can do. Manipulating earth into clouds, statues like these, and the like. I do not have the focus to do anything heavier than gravel.”

Her power at that time now seemed so limited. The statue before them was somewhat detailed enough to give the appearance of a raven. At least, that was what had actually happened. It was the fickle way of dreams to have their own aims at times, however. The statue Kira saw before them now was a near perfect representation of the companion standing next to her. Her dream had the recognition that what was presented as a way to impress was, more accurately, an attempt at confession.

They discussed matters of magic and the elements briefly. As Kira’s focus shifted back entirely on Syl, the statue dissolved back into the earth it sprang from. As the two began walking again, she made up her mind to wrap her arm around Sylista and hold her close. “I once asked you to promise to not stop teasing me until I made you blush such as you do to me.” Such an expression claimed the young faeling’s face. She had seen the rouge that touched her companion’s cheek earlier. “I changed my mind. Never stop your teasing.”

“I have no intention of changing who I am.” The reply came with a smirk as Sylista nestled in against the taller woman. “You may grow immune to my charms over time. I will need to seek my brother out for lessons after that. He is better at flirtation for the sake of charm than I am.” There was a short pause. “It helps he did not require the use of sex as a matter of survival.”

There was an involuntary twitch at the mention of sex. Not one of panic, though, as it would have been in the beginning. Kira, instead, ever so subtly held Syl closer for a breath. “If I ever grow immune to your charms, my beloved, I trust you to mourn my passing into the afterlife. Even now, I am no less affected by your gentle torture. Only more accepting of my own responses. I... like to feel this way. I want to keep feeling this way. And I want to see what else I can feel with you.” Her face glowed.

The memory of this exchange brought out a fresh ache in the Huntress. It did not do to dwell on regrets. Nevertheless, she could not help but mourn what she never had with the woman she so loved.

That twitch did not go unnoticed and Sylista winced in response. “I forget that my people are far more open to sexuality and frank discussions of sex. I should have known to keep that to myself after my discussions this evening.” A beat. “Though, some of that was more about the who than the what of it...”

Kira stopped and turned to kiss Syl. She wanted to make sure she was not misunderstood. “I am not ashamed. I would have let you take me long ago and not complained. My hesitation was never about that.” She looked back to angelite eyes. “I want you. Desperately.” Kira took a deep breath. “Right now... your family must come first. You have things to focus on other than your Little Huntress. I am here. And my patience is long. Please, know I am not ashamed, and I am not afraid anymore.”

She lied twice to herself just then. She was terrified to allow herself to pursue this train if thought further at that time. The younger version of Kira was loathe to ask for that which she felt was not hers.

The other lie was much deeper, however. No matter her attempts to maintain the tortuous status quo, she could never admit to Syl that this was never enough. Kira was already in love by this point, deeply and profoundly. To be a companion would never be enough.

“What I have shared with some was not based on feelings, just mutual desire. What I have with the fathers of my girls is about passion and desire with an added benefit of love. You deserve that from me, Kira. You deserve the tender, breathtaking moment that I did not get until I discovered what love was.” A sad look crossed Syl’s face. “Do not doubt I desire you, and your devotion to me is endearing… I just want to ensure you are picking the right person for all of this. I, well, I am not a good person, and I never will be.”

The senses of the huntress were trained directly on Sylista during her response. Something in her face Kira saw suggested that her desires were accepted. What she didn’t see then, and what the Huntress saw now, was the extent to which those desires were returned.

She kissed Syl again, more tenderly this time. “I... I don't know where my feelings are heading. I have been... I have not wanted to name anything that has passed through me, fearing what it might mean. I would very much like to say those words to you, right here and right now...” Gods below, just tell her, please. “I am a hunter, patient and persistent. I also know I am a lovestruck and impulsive girl. Your touch calls to me more than I can say. I trust you to know when I am ready.” She tilted her head close to her beloved’s. “When that time comes, know that I am yours.”

She took both of Syl's hands in her own. A deep sigh escaped her as violet met blue-grey. “I can only judge you, if I can judge at all, on the woman I know, and I see before me. You have been generous and kind, and shown patience enough for me to find myself in all of this, all the while protecting me from my own inexperience. You have shown yourself to be a devoted and fierce lover, and I see that same dedication in your eyes every time your family is spoken of. I care not for the sins you believe you have committed. You are good to me, and that is all I care about.”

This was the theme of Kira’s life, it seemed. What was the measure of a monster? What is the difference between evil born from one’s nature, and that born of the evil committed by others? She was not so naive, especially now, that she could not see that Sylista was far from an innocent. She had survived a terrible life, and by the time Kira had met her, she required the death of others simply to survive a bit longer.

Not one moment had Kira ever truly thought ill of her companion. She showed love to one that Kira now knew was, at least at one time, a true monster. She saw the man behind the madness and reached out to him, taking a portion of that evil onto herself to give him the chance at redemption and relief. She found nothing in Syl she could not love and admire, and if there was the taint of evil in her, Kira was prepared to claim that evil as her own.

The memory began to slowly drift back into the fabric of the dreamscape. The rest of the conversation was lost to her once again, claimed by the passage of time. Kira grasped for the sight of her first beloved. She was in agony for all the words she wished she’d said. She pleaded with the fates, the gods, the spirits, with anyone to grant her one last moment.

A fog passed over her, and the pull of wakefulness became irresistible. She was out of time. She ran out of time so long ago, and she believed there would never be that chance again.

A beloved voice echoed from the void.

“Your growth allows you to see these events in a new light, pisică. Hold on to this when you speak to him. Remember it when your faith is tested, and know I saw what you could not say.”

------

Kira awoke to a wet pillow to once again. She stirred and rubbed the remnants of the tears from her eyes. This was her home, and Mira was next to her, dozing away the remainder of the night. They hadn’t shared a night together in too long, and Kira did not want to waste this chance to sleep secure next to one of her lovers.

She did not know what to expect of her dreams, other than the constant hope that she would not be plagued with another nightmare. This dream was a surprise. Both a pleasant one, in that it was a memory she cherished, and one that carried bittersweet melancholy. Every time she dreamed of Syl, it reminded her of what she’d lost when she failed to understand her own feelings and to show them to the subject of those affections.

”... know I saw what you could not say.”

That final statement rang in her mind again. It was not part of the memory. She placed a hand on her cheek. It was still damp from the tears, but there was also a warmth there that she had come to welcome every time she felt the presence of her first beloved.

A fresh tear met the tips of her fingers, and she wiped her face, standing carefully to avoid disturbing Mira. She wanted some air, so she made her way to the balcony.

Once outside, Kira took a moment to look out over her garden. The orchids were thriving in the enchanted soil of the Estate, and she smiled as she looked down at them. Soon, she’d be able to trim a bouquet or two and place then around the house. The fragrance would be a wonderful addition to the atmosphere.

The beating of wings preceded a croaking caw. The grey-eyed raven landed on the railing and looked at her. She seemed to bow its head for just a moment.

“I knew you would be here, my dear. You always follow my dreams of her.” Kira stroked along the bird’s flank, and she leaned into the affectionate gesture. “You are not Syl. I thought you were for a time, but I do not see her body language in you.”

The dream had reminded her of those times her dearest appeared to her in that form. It was often enough for her to feel confident that, now she was suitably reminded, she could pick out Syl from a conspiracy of ravens without excess difficulty.

The bird cocked her head at Kira. “No.” The voice that came from the raven was strange. It sounded nothing like a human, and that word alone was accented strangely. It was, however, clearly an answer.

An eyebrow went up. “You can speak. I did not know that.”

The raven’s head dipped down. The gesture seemed amused. “You didn’t ask.”

That elicited a giggle from the faeling. She brushed along the being’s flank again. “In that case, may I ask what name I may call you?”

“She calls me Perdea. Please call me Perdea.”

Who she was felt obvious. “Ah, I am pleased to meet you, Perdea.” Kira cocked her own head. “Is she watching now?” Given Kira’s habit of sleeping unclothed, and she made no stops on her way to the balcony, she felt intensely curious at that answer. And a little warm.

Perdea cocked her head the other way. “Wouldn’t you like to know?”

This was a more heartfelt laugh. “Ah, I can see why she chose you. Very good. Come, if you promise to behave and let my beloved sleep, I will take you inside and bring you to the kitchen for a snack.”

“No promises.” Perdea flapped up to Kira’s shoulder. The faeling winced slightly from the claws, but the raven was holding as gently as she could, and this wouldn’t case any real harm to her.

Kira gave one last chin scratch to the bird as she turned to walk back inside. There was bound to be something Perdea could eat in the pantry.

[Kira Adia]

“Okay, Edward. Please, let us start from the beginning. What is happening?”

Kira rarely brought outsiders into her personal house anymore. Not since the construction of the family home and the estate offices. It felt strange to have someone here in the first floor office once again. It had been unused for some time. She still did not feel comfortable bringing the man in front of her to the second floor, however, and the privacy of her personal study.

Still, the gravity of the news Edward had brought Kira that night in the Outback was grave. He’d done her the favor of waiting until after Mira had finished her challenge to defend ShadoWeaver, at least. As soon as he had the opportunity arose, however, he passed on the brief form of his news. It was enough to convince Kira of the need to bring him to the most secret and secluded place she could offer.

Edward remained professional as Kira expected of the man, but the concern on his face was apparent. “Miss Thompson is in danger, Miss Kira. The whisper web is compromised.”

Kira’s eyes narrowed in response. “You said as much at the challenge. Would you please be more specific in what compromised means.”

“The kids.” Edward’s teeth clenched. “Someone is going after them. Especially the important ones.” His eyes drifted to one side. “I’ve seen some of their bodies.”

He didn’t have to say more. A flash of green touched the Huntress’s violet eyes. “How long as this been happening?”

“It started about three months ago. Sometime the children go missing, so that was not unusual, but Miss Thompson has her ways.” Edward smiled subtly. “She finds them, either through her network, or some more subtle methods. Then...” he spread his hands out, “... she gets them back.”

“And how is that?”

He looked amused. “Usually through tips to the right people. Reliable agents who she knows she can trust. Like that Huntress they talk about in Dockside.”

It was Kira’s turn to smirk. “That was Betty? Well, of course it was.” She leaned back in her chair. “I wonder why she never made herself known?”

“The same reason she managed the network on Lady Sylista’s behalf. A layer of protection between herself and her charges.”

An eyebrow raised. “I do not imagine I need such protection.”

Edward snorted shortly. “From what I’ve seen, Miss Kira, you do. But, no. Miss Thompson was protecting the kids. If you had no links back to her, then there was no trail to follow back to the other children.”

Kira nodded slowly. As much as she hated to concede on either point, Edward was right. On both points. “So children started going missing, but instead of captured as slaves, someone killed them?” Her palms pressed together as she brought her hands under her chin. “What do we know about the attacks?”

Edward shook his head. “Very little beyond what I’ve told you already. Whatever is happening, it is effecting Miss Thompson. She is getting tired—seems older. She used to leave the office regularly, but she has stopped even that.” He scratched the side of his head. “I left a few days ago, and when I returned, the house was warded. I could not get back in.”

The faeling was quiet for several breaths. “What leads do we have? What trail may I follow?”

“I can show you where my contact found their bodies. I don’t know where he is or how to find him, but when we couldn’t get in the house, he took me hoping I could pass the message along.”

Kira quickly rose and rushed to the bookshelf on the wall behind her. After scanning for a few seconds, she pulled a thick folded pamphlet from the shelf. Kira spread it on the desktop in between them. It was the welcome pamphlet often given out at the Red Dragon.
“Mark the locations on this map. It does not need to be precise. I can find the rest from there. Is there anything else at all?”

Edward stood and took a pen from the desktop. He spoke as he made careful marks on the map. “I can contact Lord Shadowsoul. He was the last person Miss Thompson visited.” He paused as he made a mark. “I don’t now how much it will help. He released me from service for leaving my post.”

Kira’s head cocked slightly to the side. “Please tell him I wish to speak to him about Sylista. It was my intention to begin with. This merely gives a greater sense of urgency to the task.”

Kira sat back down as Edward pulled out an older model flip phone and sent a message. “Why did you leave your post? And why did that lead to your dismissal?”

He returned the phone to a pocket, and Edward returned his attention to the map. “I was to guard the portal from the city to Lord Shadowsoul’s home and watched Miss Thompson decline. No one came to help. I overheard the whisper network reported on your search, it... seemed like the right thing to do? I knew Lady Shadowsoul trusted you and you were always kind to me.” He paused, seeming unsure about his words.

Kira leaned forward and rested her chin on her intertwined hands as she listened. “For what it is worth, I believe you made the right choice. My reach may not be as far as Betty’s, but I know how to find and kill monsters.” She nodded, sitting back up with some resolve. “House Adia will help. I will help. I am, as always, as Syl’s service, and that extends to Betty, as it always has.”

Edward set the pen down, and his shoulders seemed to relax some as he took his seas once again. “Your loyalty is... remarkable, Miss Kira.”

Kira likewise relaxed further back into her seat. “Speaking of loyalty, where will you go now?”

He rubbed at his chin as a thoughtful look crept onto his features. “Seek alternative employment, I suppose. There are plenty of opportunities in the city and I always wanted to see more of it.”

The Huntress noted a look of dissatisfaction in the werewolf’s eyes. He would rather hunt, not work as a glorified doorman for another aristocrat. “Why not work for me?”

He looked across the desk, a suspicious curiosity creeping over his face.

Kira’s head shook emphatically. “You left your post out of loyalty to Betty. You were never anything less than faithful to Sylista. It would honor me to have you in my service. Besides,” she narrowed her eyes. “I will look for those who are doing this. Once I have decapitated them and made them understand who their rivals are, I will continue working to reunite Syl’s soul.”

Edward nodded. It clearly tempted him. “And after that?”

Kira spread her hands out vaguely. “I will need someone to keep me safe from myself, will I not? I understand you have experience with such an assignment.”

“With mixed results.” There was a threat of a smile in his cheeks. “I’ll help you.”

Kira nodded, offering Edward one of her warm smiles. “Very good. I will make sure you have keys to one of the unused houses here on the homestead. I have just the one in mind.” She reached into a drawer and produced a key ring with a few keys attached. “Across the main road from here. Tomorrow morning, I will give you a tour of the grounds before I head back to the city. I will ask you to accompany me to some locations you have marked. I wish to begin right away.”

Edward took the keys. “Thank you, Miss Kira.”

She gave a slightly dismissive wave. “It is no trouble for me, Edward. Get some rest. We will begin work first thing in the morning.”

[Kira Adia]

Mathian got the majority of his affairs in order, and after receiving word from the werewolf guard Edward, he made his way from the safety and quiet of his Lord Giovanni's estate, back to Rhydin. He wasn't overly pleased about the idea of being back in the accursed city. He never much cared for it…too busy, and there were far too many creatures more powerful than him there.

He headed to the place that Edward said Kira would be meeting with him.

There was a small, barely visited café near to a graveyard at the outskirts of the city. The cemetery was semi-private and rarely took in new occupants, and as such, visitors were scarce and unlikely to comment on a pair of seeming aristocrats conversing near such an exclusive location.

Kira occupied one half of a small table at the edge of the outdoor patio with a cup of tea and her journal, sketching idly as she awaited Mathian’s approach. When he came within speaking distance, Kira looked up and flashed a warm smile. She stood and, with regal precision, offered a respectful bow.

“My Lord Shadowsoul. It has been quite some time. May I offer you a glass of bloodwine? This café, unfortunately, does not stock any, but I prefer the atmosphere to a bar that would.”

He gave a small, tight-lipped half smile to the woman and dipped his head in acknowledgement. "Indeed it has, Miss Kira." He arched an eyebrow and opened his mouth to comment, but closed it again and waved a hand. "It matters not. I am not thirsty nor in the mood to drink. Thank you." He moved closer to the table and gestured to it, given that there were two seats, "Edward informed me you were looking to discuss something with me?"

Kira nodded. “Indeed. Two things, truth be told, but connected in outcome. One more important and the other more urgent.” She responded to his gesture and made to sit, timing her motions to be simultaneous with him. Once she had returned to her seat, the intricate engraving on a golden raven skull pendant at her breast glowed green, and a pocket of air formed around the pair, shrouding them in silence. The spell was nearly identical to one she’d seen used many times.

“Ultimately, my aim is to find and reunite the shattered parts of Sylista’s soul. There are three still to be found within the world. I have located two. One is out of reach without Betty’s help, while the other is in safe hands until the other two are ready.”

The vampire pressed his already thin lips together firmly a moment. For some reason, a small bit of anger raising at someone else talking about Sylista… no matter if they were friends or more. "To what end? It will not bring her back." His words had a small bite of finality to it. He was certainly more cold and quick to temper without his lady love among the living than he had been before.

Another nod, this time of acknowledgement. “But it would set her free. She is trapped, my Lord. I would see her given peace. She has more than earned that.”

That made some of his defensive and surly nature pull back a touch. The vampire nodded slowly as he thought. "Very well… but as far as I was aware, what was keeping her 'trapped' here was my unfinished business with Lesinda." He narrowed his eyes ever so slightly at the name while looking at Kira, "…. Which, I suspect, you will be able to assist me in that matter as well."

An eyebrow quirk answered him at first. “The two are related, as I understand it. In addition to the bond you share, Sylista split her soul into fragments and hid them. Based upon her letter, I suspect three must be found to free here.” She retrieved the envelope from a bag set at the side of her chair and passed it across to Mathian. It had a peculiar seal that had already been broken. “That said, how may I be of assistance? I am, as always, as the service of my Mistress.”

He nodded. "I recall when she did so…" Mathian grumbled. He also recalled not being happy with the decision the woman had made at the time. He took his eyes from Kira to look down to the letter and picked it up to read it. He read over the clues and gave an outward sniff of amusement. "I suspect it is the 'first friend' shard that has eluded you?" He would get to the assistance to him part shortly.

Kira picked up the cup of tea and sipped as Mathian read. “It is. I have found the keeper and the throne. I admit both my time with my Mistress and my sources available have yet to provide me with answers. And with Betty unavailable to me, I had hoped to appeal to you for aid and guidance.” She gave a vague gesture. “My options are not exhausted, admittedly, but timing and opportunity brought me an audience with you first. And so, here I am.”

"Indeed. Here I am." He was quiet a moment before he gave a sigh. "There are few Sylista counted as 'friend,' and when I first met her, she had made two. One ended up adopting her, so it would have to be the floating eyeball. Tenball was the one who made her a milkshake for the first time." He gave a small smile at the memory when she told him about how vexed she was by straws upon her arrival. The happy memory turned bittersweet, and he returned to his natural scowl once more.

That final fact clicked into place like the final piece of a delicate model. “Ah. Embarrassing that I did not see that before. She told me the story herself.” The mask of impassive formality slipped as she silently chided herself, then after a short breath, she returned to her own warm visage. “Thank you, my Lord. I am afraid I have too many trees before me to see the forest. You have brought me clarity.”

He got a distant look briefly before he chuckled and shook his head at something unheard before his attention returned to the woman before him. "Good. Now, onto my issue. I am going to take a stab in the dark and assume that you know Lesinda." May as well be blunt about it… he did not have the patience for a long meeting, it seemed.

Kira nodded. “Well acquainted, in fact. She is engaged to my wife, and we have, ourselves, become quite close.” She smiled fondly. “I trust her with my life and my death, as it were.”

He arched an eyebrow at the bit of knowledge, and in the past, would have been rather careful around those that knew the green haired vampiress….but given what needed to be done, he would have to elaborate. "Engaged… I see. Last I had heard, my wayward childe was wed to Renna…" Mathian shook his head a bit at the bewilderment at why on earth that was a thing. He steepled his fingers and leaned back in his seat a touch, waiting for whatever verbal or physical assault to come if Lesinda had shared any information about who her sire was or what she had endured.

“Indeed. My understanding is that Renna now sits imprisoned at the bottom of the ocean. Seemingly by her own volition, in fact. Knowing her reputation, I imagine it will not last.” She canted her head slightly. “I have been more than happy to have Lesinda as a part of our family. My House is hers.”

Whatever reaction he was anticipating, it seems he would be left wanting for now.

"Hm… I see. No, I imagine not. She will tire of it eventually, I would wager." He waited for a few moments longer, his eyes on Kira's. When she didn't launch herself at him, he simply gave a small nod. "I would have you relay a message for Lesinda, then. According to my late wife, Lesinda needs to be the one to… unburden me. Permanently. Which, I suspect, she will leap at the chance to finally do so." There was a brief glimmer of something in his steely eyes. Something spoke of dark amusement in them and on his lips, but it was only there for a moment before his impassive scowl returned to its place.

“Indeed. Her journal said as much. You may be pleased to know that our Lesinda has already begun to prepare for her part in my Mistress’s plans.” She allowed the mask to dip only slightly. “Your rest will come soon, my dear.”

He raised an eyebrow, but couldn't really say he was surprised. He chuckled, nodding, "Hm… yes. Well… if it was as a favor for me, one would imagine Lesinda would choose to do the opposite… I suppose I should be thankful that Sylista was so personable that others cared so for her."

A much more genuine smile passed over her face. “In that, we agree.” She allowed a breath to pass in thought. “I would pay any price to be by her side once again. I must find my peace in what I do for her now.” Her delicate finger tapped at the side of her teacup. “I love her, Mathian. And she loves you unfailingly. For that, I truly hope you find peace beyond the Void with her.” She gave a sad laugh. “I envy you that. I can never go there. You will have each other, and I will be left with memories.”

It was no question of whom the “her” was, given they had only talked about two individuals who, and he knew good and well how Lesinda felt. He gritted his teeth, feeling some misplaced anger rise at the woman. He pressed his lips together again and simply nodded. "Everyone did." He murmured then gave a snort before looking aside, "I have yet to decide if I will put up a fight or not…"

“I am not certain if my preference matters, all things considered. You will do as your… hm, your nature demands.” She took a deep breath. “Whatever you choose, I hope it is with dignity. Les deserves this, and you will have your beloved waiting for you in the end.”

He smirked. "Well said, despite whatever else you may have wished to and left unsaid." He cleared his throat and made to stand, "If that is all? I suppose either have the girl contact me personally, or send a missive through young Edward again. Though, I believe she has my lord Salvatore's contact as well."

Kira rose with him. “Indeed. I have much I would enjoy saying, but…” she looked thoughtful, “…she asked me to trust in her when I spoke to you today. My admiration of you may be tainted, Lord Mathian, but I find I cannot hate you.” She seemed to throw a smile off to one side, towards some possibly unseen spectator. “I… I can see why she loves you so. I can walk away in peace.” Her eyes cut back to his. It could be a trick of memory, but it seemed she stood straighter than her prior encounters with the man.

Mathian arched an eyebrow, rather surprised she did not hate him. He paused a moment but then nodded deeply, not having more to say, "Until next we meet then, miss Kira. Do keep well." He headed back to the graveyard and away from Rhydin again.

Kira watched him walk away. The bubble of privacy dissipated, and she slowly took a seat. She returned to sipping at her tea.

She did nothing else until he was gone. She closed her eyes and muttered to herself. “I hope we do not, my Lord. Be good to her.” She turned to see her spectral companion perched on the now empty chair. “I hope she is pleased. My trust remains unshaken.”

The corvid cocked her head. “Good girl.” It was not the voice Kira hoped to hear.

The faeling giggled. It was weak and sad, but genuine. “You forgot the purr in her voice.” She found the end of her drink and took it.

“Yes, yes. I’m sure she meant a kiss. But I have no lips.” Her head cocked the other way. “You could be an actress.”

Kira shook her head. “It was no performance, my dear. I truly do not hate him. How can I hate anything she loves?” She set the teacup aside and left a very generous tip on the table before standing. “He is one she chose above most all others.” A wince at those words, perhaps. “I would not deny an ounce of her happiness. I can afford that for her.”

A sound that Kira recognized as Perdea’s version of a cackle erupted from the raven as she flew up to perch on Kira’s shoulder. “Do you enjoy lying to yourself?”

Kira scratched below her companion’s chin. “Why not? I have done it for so long, after all.” She began to walk back towards the city proper. “What would I gain from admitting the truth?”

[Verity and Destiny]

 “Des?” Verity’s sweet voice tried to reach through her sister’s fog. When the prod didn’t get the result she wanted, the next step was to touch her; a gentle hand rested on her elbow. Nothing. “Des, where are you? I can’t reach you.”

“You can’t see them, can you? The street performer on the corner? He’s there every day, doing the same act, but people walk through him.” Destiny pointed at a busy corner where Verity couldn’t see anything pointed out. “Or there, that restaurant? The man is there for lunch every Wednesday, and he’s joined by a beautiful woman who stares at him sadly. She wants him to know she’s there.”

The clairvoyant shuddered, looking at the wrinkled man, feeling his grief. “I don’t see her. How do you know all that?”

“She told me last week.”

Another shudder. This was what Verity was afraid of. It was why she reached out to Kira Adia when Destiny’s mark changed. “You can talk to them now, too? Maybe we should go see-.”

“No, Veri. I don’t want to. I don’t want to get help.” Violet eyes narrowed as Destiny turned to face her twin. “I don’t need whatever help you’re thinking about.”

“I was just thinking about what Minister Adia offered you, Des. She knew that ghost who haunts you.” Verity sighed when her sister bristled. “You talk in your sleep. Sometimes you have conversations with her or, worse, I think I hear her voice.”

They stood there for a while, staring at each other with their oddly colored eyes. Destiny’s now showed flecks of blue-gray, deep green, and hazel brown—a stark contrast from the pupilless, clouded sapphire marbled with gray within the other set of limbal rings. Something electric zapped them both, calming the brewing storm. It was Destiny who spoke first, offering a soft, “I’m sorry, Veri. It’s hard.” 

Seeing her sister in such a state broke the elder twin. She took a step forward and wrapped her arms around her sister, petting her long, white hair. It was difficult to miss the ashen skin against her tanned arm—a conversation for later. “Who else do you see? What do they need?”

Neither pulled away for two more breaths, but when they did, they were smiling at one another. “The Psychopomps like to gossip. Hermes isn’t as attractive as Mercury.”

“Aren’t they the same person?” Verity asked with a perked brow. She linked her arm into Destiny’s and they continued their stroll. 

“I thought so, too, but I guess not. They look kind of similar, though.” They both chuckled. “Oh! There is the guy spouting conspiracies, trying to get anyone to listen to him.” That made both shudder, each remembering a part of their childhoods. “I’ve played hide and seek with a little girl. I’ve never seen someone so excited to be found before!”

“Can you help them?” That was the question she had desperately wanted to ask, but never felt it was the right time. Verity’s visions could show the living what they were missing or answer questions. If Destiny could help the dead in the same way, it might point to why Selos chose them. 

“Nissa, the little girl, she is almost ready. The rest? No; they are all fighting to live again.” It looked like the younger of the two struggled to say what sounded so strange to hear. “Like, some part of the Nexus revives them and they get another shot. I don’t really understand it myself, other than it being a choice.”

Verity worked hard to keep her reaction to herself. The cult leaders preached the Laws of Life and Death; dead things were dead, their lives snuffed out. Hearing parts of them lingered was hard to wrap her head around. “What about your ghost? Does she want to stay?”

Destiny grunted a no with a quick shake. “Syl is tired. She wants to move on, but she’s so shattered, and I can’t help but wonder if a piece of her wants to linger with the people who loved her.”

“Loves.”

“What?” Destiny turned to look at the smirking Verity. “Minister Adia?”

Verity wet her lips and continued looking ahead, neither confirming nor denying it. When she heard her sister mutter something about first loves never die, Verity laughed. She sobered a beat later, focusing her gaze on her twin. “So, what do you want to do about all of this?”

“I want to go to the Rathskeller to see if she’s there. Maybe you could get a feel for the people who worked for her or, better yet, meet her yourself?” It was a tentative question, the trepidation audible in her voice. She quickly added, “Something is calling me there and I don’t want to go alone.”

All she needed to do was ask, and not just because the elder sister was over protective. “Of course, Des, I’d love to. You don’t have to do any of this alone; I’m right here.”

“Thanks, Veri. I love you.”

“I love you too, dweeb. Lead the way.”

════ ⋆★⋆ ════

Destiny watched as the sliding door opened and took a deep breath. The magic here was potent, thick. A surprising amount of death lingered here, too. Not the people, but their essence; it left her skin feeling oily. 

“You okay, Des?” Verity’s voice cut through the sensation - a reminder to stay grounded. 

“I will be. Do you feel anything… off?” Her cautious question, uttered only loud enough for an identical set of ears to hear, betrayed the girl’s nervousness. Her eyes shifted from the entrance to her sister. “Or is it just me?”

“It’s not just you, but I don’t think we are getting the same sensation. This place is thrumming with life.”

Definitely not the same. Still, Destiny could appreciate balance - a tenant of their childhood faith (if you could call it that). That was the needed reassurance to help her cross the threshold into the Rathskeller Inn. 

It was a choice she immediately regretted. The lobby, which had felt spacious the last time she visited, now seemed so small with the crowd of people in coveralls, all of them holding helmets with lamps on them while chittering excitedly. Several eyes turned their way, freezing Destiny in place. Verity, who looked the most unusual of them, ignored them. She linked their arms and steered them toward the security desk. Behind it, a surly man watched the adventuring group, ignoring the girls until they were face to face. 

 “Can I help you?” He asked, his warmth surprising Destiny. 

“I’m sorry to bug you, Remy,” Verity said sincerely. Destiny followed her gaze to his name tag. “This is my first visit to the inn. Is it always this busy?”

“Welcome to the Rathskeller Inn, Miss. You caught us on a strange day. A sinkhole appeared in the wilds a few months ago. Now that the inspections have deemed it safe, this group is off to explore the crystal caverns.” He scowled at the group, and Verity stiffened. When his attention returned, he added, “If you want a tour, I suggest talking to Ginny or Justin at the front desk. They can arrange that for you.”

As the elder girl thanked the guard, the younger was battling a rising anxiety. There were too many people, too much noise, and too much death here. If her sister’s arm didn’t hold hers, she might have run. 

“If you are looking for me, I am in the garden.”

Purple eyes darted toward the doorway leading to the back of the building, her heart skipping a beat. She looked back at Verity, who turned to lead them toward the concierge desk. “I heard-.”

“It’s okay, Des; I could feel you change. I’ll come find you.”

That’s all Destiny needed to hear. As her sister released her, she moved with urgency toward the promise of quiet and answers. “You know I’m here?” She asked, directing the thought toward the ghost. Her gait was all but a run when she heard her reply, “Yes.”

Sylista Shadowsoul sat on a bench with her hands folded in her lap. Her attention lingered on a memorial rock across from her, all but ignoring her tie to the living until the gravel crunched a few feet away. She was beautiful, even as a ghost. Shiny black hair appeared piled in an intricate knot at the back of her head, a few loose tendrils spilling down to her shoulders. Her close-fitting purple dress appeared the same color as the eyes that watched her. Then there were the pouty lips that curled into a smile as their gazes met. “Hello, Destiny Grace. A pleasure to meet you.”

“You’re real?”

The ghost laughed, and Destiny thought she could hear something tinkling in the sound. “Indeed, I am. I am glad someone else can see me. Better yet, she has sought me out for conversation. I grow tired of playing tricks on my staff.” The amusement faded from her expression, and the deep blues, greens, and browns decorating blue-gray irises flashed. “Sit with me.”

It was not a request. The regal woman blinked once, waiting, and only released her intense stare when the young woman obeyed her command. “M-my sister will join us soon. Will sh-she hear you? See you?”

Sylista waited until Destiny settled on the bench next to her, though she smirked as the girl tried to imitate her posture. “Do you want her to?”

“Yes.”

“Then I will meet your sister. Perhaps it will lessen how much she loathes me.” Her hand lifted, pointing to the memorial stone. “While I love the family I chose, I wish I had something similar to the bond you have with Verity with my twin.” 

Blood does not make family; Here I forged the ties that held me together when I thought I might fall apart.

Destiny stared at it for a beat, a million questions flooding her mind. Sylista did not seem like the type who would answer them, so it took effort to rifle through her thoughts to find something less personal. The ghost waited, her patient eyes on the stone rather than staring (something Des appreciated). When the words finally tumbled out, she stammered and squeaked, “Who else can see you and what do you need help with?”

Sylista blinked at Destiny, her brow arched. “Out of all the things you were thinking, you asked that?”

“It was the least personal and the reason I’m here.”

“Fair enough,” she purred, the vibration dancing along Destiny’s spine. “Salvador and Gatito have a suite here - a thank you for helping me with my vision for this place - and those two friends recently informed me they can see me. I have not tried to initiate contact.”

“Why?” the girl blurted, clamping a hand over her mouth. 

Sylista giggled. “I would not normally admit my weaknesses. That said, you are the only one who can hear or see me.” She sniffed a laugh. “I am nervous. I have always found Salvador attractive. Gatito, too, though differently. It never faded, even after my birthday.”

Destiny had a brief flash of the memory and tried to push it away. Her cheeks burned as she stared at the path. “Right. Well. Uh, the other question?”

Again, the musical laughter surrounded them. Destiny didn’t look over when Sylista shifted next to her, or when she explained why she could not speak directly to Minister Adia. She listened with a surprising amount of calm when she heard about the blood, sweat, and tears that led the woman to preserve her life. An hour passed before Verity found them, and, once she sat on Destiny’s other side, she listened as Sylista continued with the tale. By the end, she rendered the twins speechless.

After a period of silence, it was the elder twin who asked, “You said you will help us if we help you?” 

Sylista stood and turned until she faced them. “I did. You, Truth Teller, must learn to work with Destiny’s ability to speak with the dead. Together, you can learn the third side of every story.”

“The third?” Destiny asked. 

“Yes, the truth exists in the space between each person’s tale. This will be vital for finding your parents.”

Verity shot up as Sylista’s head whipped down the path. Before she could ask her question, the ghost faded away and a young man trotted up the path. “There you are, Verity! I have those dinner vouchers I promised. They are good for Kalan’s Bistro or the restaurant.”

Those milky-blue eyes turned toward the man, and it surprised Destiny to see her sister blush. When she heard the slight tremor in Verity’s, “Oh, Westin, thank you,” the younger twin started snickering, stopping when they both turned to look at her. 

“What?”

“Des, this is Westin. He gave me the tour of the building. Would you like to have dinner with us?”

Westin blanched. “Us?”

“Can you take your break?” Verity asked, an eyebrow raised. Destiny almost rolled her eyes; it was a rhetorical question, really. She watched as he eagerly agreed, explaining he needed to clock out on his break and would meet them at the restaurant. Any discussion about the conversation with the dead would have to wait.  

[Kira Adia]

Kira ascended the steps to Lesinda’s apartment, later in the day. She didn’t have a particular aim as she passed through the city. To any passers-by, she looked the part of the impassive Minister going about her day. She played her part well.

She felt hollow. Her meeting had taken too much from her, and she simply allowed her feet to take her wherever they might. There was little surprise when she found herself standing in front of Endless Nights. She had subconsciously created her usual bubble of Ether to remain dry as she passed through the permanent rainstorm, so she wasted no time entering the café and passing through to the stairs up to the apartments.

She thought she’d end up at Mira’s apartment, but when she found herself inside Lesinda’s doorway, she was surprised. “I suppose it makes sense…” with a sigh, she knocked and let herself in. No one was home currently, so Kira set her bag and her coat on the table before kicking off her boots and sitting on the bed.

The faeling didn’t want to be alone. But now that she was here, she didn’t want to leave, either. Given who she’d just met with, this seemed to be the most healing place she could be.

And so, she stretched out on the bed. She grabbed the pillow Lesinda most favored and held it close, burying her face in the cloth covering. It smelled of her, and very faintly, of the mixture of their blood, spilled by so many mutual feedings. She didn’t move or let go for a long time.

The rain cloud was passed again, this time by someone happy to be rained on, and Les paused there long enough to dampen her hair before she walked back into the café. She stopped to smile appropriately and wave where she needed to. She was, after all, a common face and everyone who worked there, or was a regular, knew she was seeing Mira. Quickly, the vampiress headed upstairs towards her room, fingering her choker with a smile as she walked up the stairs and opened her door without a second thought.

The scent of tea tree oil grew stronger as the vampiress walked in. She didn't have much in the way of her a unique scent, but it was there, mixed in with the smell of mint and tea tree oils. It was only as she set down a shopping bag that she noticed Kira's coat on the table. She caught her lover’s scent and spotted the faeling on her bed. Lesinda's look of surprise quickly became pleased, seeing her lover in her room! What could be better? "Kira! What a lovely surprise!" Lesinda crossed the room, falling upon the bed and curling up against Kira with a grin.

Kira raised her head to smile to Les. Evidence of tears remained behind on her face that even her glamour didn’t hide. “I apologize for intruding, lover. I just…” She laid back down, cuddling into Les as she curled against her. “I… needed to be somewhere to feel safe.” She closed her eyes against the threat of more tears.

"Mm?" Lesinda's smile turned to a frown upon seeing the tears, and she cuddled Kira tightly, kissing her cheek. "Kira? What's wrong?" She murmured, wiping her thumb under Kira's eyes, wiping the tears from her face, and offered a small smile. "I guess we both feel safe here, mm?" Lesinda nuzzled Kira. "What's wrong Kira?"

She abandoned the pillow in favor of holding her lover close. She nuzzled into Les’s hand against her cheek and collected herself for a few breaths. She didn’t know how the vampiress would react, and she wanted to be comforted as much as possible first.

“I… I saw him. Just a few hours ago…” she didn’t elaborate. She hoped she wouldn’t have to say his name so soon.

She blinked, failing to comprehend for a few seconds before it occurred to her there was really only one 'him' that Kira would play the pronoun game with Les. Her eyes widened in shock, and she took a sharp breath of panic, stiffening for a moment before she breathed again, shakily. "Ahh… D-do you know… Is he still, in the city?" She asked quietly.

Kira shook her head. She had buried her face in Les’s hold as she put it together. “No. I watched him leave. And he did not follow me. Neither him nor those who work with him. My shadows made sure of it.”

She breathed again, shaky but collected. He wasn't here. Good.
Lesinda kissed the top of Kira's head, wrapping her arms around her tightly. "Did he touch you?" She whispered softly. The answer could mean the difference between razing a town or remaining in Kira's arms.

Her head shook again. “We spoke. Nothing more. He made no moves against me. Even when he learned about us and my own desire to see him dead.” She took a deep breath. “I was never in any danger. I have… rapport with him. I seem to have some privilege as the… companion of his late wife.” She swallowed the lump in her throat as using the term for herself. With all the soul-searching she’d been forced to do lately, Perdea’s taunt cut deep. It was becoming harder to maintain the lie each time she spoke of it.

She breathed deep, relaxing from breath to breath, something she had picked up from Mira. Kissing Kira's cheek again. "You're okay…" She murmured softly between kisses. "You're okay." She repeated a few more times before squeezing Kira softly. "What… Did you talk to him about?" Les asked after a moment, running her fingers through Kira's hair.

She took a brief moment to collect her thoughts. Her eyes were drying, which was good. She needed some resolve. “I went to him for help. I asked for assistance in locating Syl’s soul, and he revealed his knowledge of his need to be killed. By you.” Kira proceeded to give a more detailed recounting of the conversation.

“I couldn’t hate him, my love. I tried to. I want to. But… damn the gods above and below, I can see it. I can see the man Syl sees in him. And I can’t hate him.” The sobs she’d held back began to break through. “I pity him, and I envy him the chance to be with her when you take his life. But I cannot hate him. I’m sorry, Les…”

"He already knows?" She murmured in surprise. That… She didn't know whether that made things better or worse. She had hoped to surprise him, catch him unaware, but now he knew she'd be coming… Would he be prepared for her? Go into the abyss fighting? She shuddered at the thought of having to fight the man again.

Lesinda clung onto Kira tightly, kissing her scalp, stroking her hair gently and nodded softly. "It's okay…" She murmured. "It's okay… It doesn't matter, Kira, you don't need to hate him. Just… just help me?"

Lesinda’s comfort helped, but only so much. It still took a moment to settle herself. “Anything, my love. Anything in my power.” She silently enjoyed the fingers in her hair. “He told me he has not decided. Whether to fight back or not.” She gave a weak laugh. “I admitted my preference had little weight, but suggested he pass with dignity.” She was quiet a breath. “Maybe he will listen and die quietly. Allow us… hm, allow you your peace without a struggle.”

"That would be nice…" She murmured softly, smiling softly, and buried her fingers into Kira's hair to bring Kira's face up to look Les in the eye. "At least if he tries to fight back, I hope to have you and Mira at my side." She said, and pressed her lips to Kira's for a long moment. "I want this to be over… Get these ghosts off our backs."

Kira held the kiss as long as Les wanted to. Slowly falling tears tickled at their cheeks. When they parted, she pulled herself even deeper into Les. She had no reason to believe she would think any less of Kira after her admission, but she still felt the fear, regardless. With that passed, she could breathe more easily.

“I love you, my Lesinda.”

She paused a heartbeat, then pressed her forehead against Kira's. "I love you too, Kira." She said quietly, pulling herself tightly against Kira's body, cuddling her and burrowing into Kira's neck. "I'm sorry… about all of this…"

“Don’t you dare…” Kira brought her fingers to tangle in green locks. “I give myself to you freely, my love. This is a task I do willingly and with love. I have my own reasons for pursuing this path, and it would have set me alongside you regardless.” Kira moved to kiss Les again. “To be here for you is an act of love, I give freely.”

Lesinda took a breath. It was shaky again, but she returned Kira's kiss with a little nod. "Okay…" She murmured softly. "I just… He… wouldn't have ever come here, to the city, but for me…" The vampiress said quietly, squeezing her eyes shut, and had to bite her bottom lip to stop it from quivering.

“Well, I have a certain amount of leverage. I had suspected that if I’d involved Syl’s name it would bring him here, and… as much as I hate it, I needed his help.” Now that her own eyes had dried, it was Lesinda’s turn to receive comfort. “I made every precaution to ensure you would be kept safe. I did not reveal us until the end, after he had been convinced I was no threat to him. Immediately, anyway. But… he seems to be in no hurry to meet you again. He almost seems… reluctant.”

"Hm… The last time I saw him… Renna had done, something to him." The vampiress replied. "He had been… Trying to convince me of staying with him." She shuddered against Kira. "He released me, but continued taking his anger out on me for a time. He met Syl, she discovered what had been going on… Took him away. Protected me." Lesinda spoke quietly, her voice low to a whisper. "I… Cant remember everything that happened at the time, it's all jumbled… I was in an awful place." The vampiress paused to swallow, regain her composure. "I doubt he is eager to meet his end, and even less eager to meet me. He never understood how I could hate him, I… I think that hurt. He didn't know how to handle it, his emotions for me… He lashed out."

Kira nodded. “His body language suggested he expected an attack from me. I… am not sure if I’m flattered that he considered me even a minor threat or insulted that he believed I would disrespect Syl in such a way.” She kept running her fingertips through Les’s scalp. “I cannot speak to his mind or his feelings. I trust in Syl’s judgement and her love. I can do little else.” She kissed her lover’s forehead. “She saved both of us.”

She purred softly under Kira's ministrations, nuzzling her, she nodded softly and tilted her head into the fingers running along her scalp. "He was angry before… I… can't imagine what he'll be like now. I still need to go and destroy the phylactery… I should do that, soon, now he knows everything."

“Is there any help I can offer? Anything I have is yours.” She rested her forehead against Les’s. “Even if only a meal. If it will help.” She giggled quietly.

"Right now? No" She murmured, nuzzling Kira. "I think I've fed enough the last day, any more, and I might have to go on a diet." Lesinda said with a giggle, making a small joke. "I just need to know you and Mira are safe…"

“Hm. Nothing in this entire affair is a risk to my life. You need not fear for me. I have survived a broken heart already.” Kira placed a delicate finger under the vampiress’s chin to tilt her head up to face her if she allowed it. “So long as I have you, and all my lovers, I will survive this, too.”

The vampiress allowed it, and smiled softly with a small nod of her head. "Kira…" She said, relaxing into the pillow. "Thank you." Lesinda smiled, breathing deeply. "I don't know what I'd do without you all…"

She snuggled into her. “You are most welcome, lover. And you never need to know.” She settled in to relax for a long time, entwined with Lesinda. “I will never leave you alone for long.”

She leaned in and kissed Kira again, entwined with her and content. All she wanted was to remain right here in a lover's arms, in the comfort of her bed and the soft pillows and blankets around them. "I'll hold you to that, Kira…"