LUCARION
I was able to convince them to go ahead while I got changed. I went into a nearby washroom. There was a basin with a washcloth and a small mirror hanging on the wall.
I looked into the mirror. A red-skinned boy stood there. He looked cute, except for his swollen, sunken eyes and the cool black lines across his face. The lines were similar to the ones my mom has whenever she spends a whole day painting with coal.
I reached for his face and noticed the bandaged fingers. I took the bandages off and saw the crusted blood beneath. If this were my real body, I would have simply magicked the injuries and puffiness away.
but magic doesn’t work like that here, all I can do is summon demons,
That demon encounter with the behemoth made it clear. The Eclipserans don’t treat demons like we do our magic instead they treat them like multipurpose knives, keeping them constantly at their side.
This made me take stock I had No knife. No magic, no real magic anyway. No family. That last thought stopped me.
Alone.
I didn’t want to think about my lack of family here. I washed my hands and face, getting my shirt wet in the process. I took it off and stared at his chest. Vivid red, enhanced by black. It reminded me of a red shrike.
The only animals here are demons.
I shook the intrusive thought out of my head, and slowly used the washcloth on the boy’s chest, my chest, I quickly corrected myself. Once I was done cleaning it, I traced the black lines with my fingers. While the red skin was smooth, the lines felt heavily textured, as if they were made up of the smallest bumps.
I kept my finger on one and watched as it slowly moved.
My brain could not comprehend it. My head hurt just thinking about it. While my finger stayed still, the line moved from underneath it, and yet it felt precisely where it had always been.
Next, I took my pants off. The markings ran down my legs as well. I wondered if the lines reached my face. I moved my hands upward and traced the same texture across my skin.
I had not noticed anyone else with these lines.
What if they send a demon to fetch me?
Fear coursed through me at the thought. I quickly finished getting dressed, not looking while changing my underclothes. I paused at the door, my hand clenched around the lever.
What if there is one right outside?
The thought was crazy. The more I hesitated to open the door, the more likely it felt that they would send someone to get me. And yet, I could not move.
I hugged myself, feeling the soft silk of my outfit, searching for any thought that could pull me out of the fear. I rubbed my arms and wondered, deliberately, about my strength. They felt weaker than my own.
Climbing trees had always been a workout, I thought of my last tree climb, of Arbolive with Emma.
She had come to comfort me though we hadn’t even met, she even climbed with me and we saw the Aethron’s bubbles though Dad thought they were bubblewisp I’m sure they were a variant of Aethron. We need to investigate it soon before the balance of the forest goes out of wack.
This distracted me enough to open the door.
And oddly enough there was a demon waiting outside my door, well barely.
Flicker sat there calmly, tongue lolling out. His tail flicked excitedly as he chased me out the door. I walked toward the large table in the library, trying not to trip over Flicker on the way.
Among the rows of books, my eyes skimmed from title to title too quickly to understand any of them. In all the excitement, I had not gotten around to reading. Maybe some of these books had information on demon weaknesses. The thought of choosing one felt daunting. There were more books here than trees in my forest.
At the table sat Indolyn. Across from her was an Eclipseran teen. The new girl had horns like Magnavex and wore a very pretty blouse. The scene felt cold as they glared past each other.
I considered hiding behind a shelf until Magnavex arrived. Flicker let out a small yelp. Both girls turned to look at me.
Indolyn’s eyes widened. “You clean up,” she started, before the other girl burst to her feet. Her tail sent the chair flying as she rushed toward me. Indolyn rose as well, and for a moment I realized how much taller they both were.
Before I could react, the teen launched herself forward. “My lord, it is so great to be one of the first people to greet your grace, and your signature is just gorgeous, much more defined than Lazeth’s. I am so glad you invited us to dinner. We are going to be the closest. Ardoral would absolutely love you. We should make sure she is never alone with you because…”
She kept talking, mentioning every name but her own. Flicker flattened himself against the floor, ears pinned shut.
I tried to find the courage to interrupt her. Before I could, something unexpected happened, sending goosebumps across my skin. My hand was clasped by another, and I was pulled into a soft embrace.
“Learn to breathe, you daft girl. You chatter like a Gnathid.”
It was Indolyn. She held me loosely and guided me to the table, hands still clutched. She sat me down beside her.
The teen froze. Her hand moved to her chest before she whirled around and pointed at Indolyn. “How dare you touch the lord in such a… such a…”
For once, she seemed at a loss for words. Her purple cheeks gained a hint of rose.
I glanced at Indolyn. Sitting, our height difference meant I was not quite looking at her face. After a moment that stretched too long, I tilted my head up and saw a small smile on her black lips.
I was tremendously grateful for my red skin.
The girls attempted small talk, though it mostly consisted of Splendith saying too much and Indolyn shutting it down. During a lull, Magnavex and Dormathis entered the pseudo dining room. Magnavex’s step faltered when she noticed Lucarion seated at Indolyn’s side. Dormathis’s gaze landed on us, gleaming with triumph.
***
INDOLYN
Indolyn took the plate Magnavex handed her and placed it in front of Lucarion. The imp stood strangely still in the corner, almost out of sight. The prelude to dinner had gone well. Magnavex had nearly tripped when she saw Lucarion sitting beside Indolyn, and she had clearly caught his eye.
Now, as Indolyn stared at her plate, she saw the perfect line of attack.
The plate lacked Belgorath’s usual presentation. It was a meal of fruits, vegetables, and grains. No meat. No eyes of Crawlknight. Not even a tongue of Emberghast. It seemed Magnavex had prepared the meal herself, which meant all blame would fall on her.
“This looks wonderful,” Splendith said.
She seemed ready to continue, but Magnavex shot her a small look. Nothing sharp. Nothing overt. Just a precise flick of the eyes and a subtle tilt of the chin. Splendith’s words died instantly. Her mouth stayed open for a fraction of a second before she closed it.
Indolyn drew a breath. With the bravado of a teenager, she gestured at the dishes. “What is this? Do you believe this to be a meal worthy of our lord Lucarion?”
Dormathis had already separated his food into neat sections.
“There isn’t any meat,” Indolyn continued. “A growing leader needs protein.”
“I do not eat meat, and I like Magnavex’s cooking,” a small voice said.
“And even ignoring that issue…” Indolyn stalled as she realized who had spoken.
She froze mid-sentence. Her eyes slid toward Lucarion, who sat with his hands folded politely in his lap. He looked apologetic, as though he had not meant to speak.
A glimmer of victory lit Magnavex’s eyes before she masked it. She lowered her head, composed.
***
LUCARION
Indolyn forced a smile. “My lord,” she said lightly, glancing at me from the corner of her eye. “You do not eat meat?”
I shook my head. “No. Well, yes, but only if I hunt it myself.” Taking life should mean something.
Indolyn swallowed. “Then surely you would prefer something more elaborate than this.” She lifted a vegetable with her fork as though the plate itself had offended her. “Belgorath’s dishes are known for artistry.”
I leaned forward and glanced at Magnavex. “It smells nice,” I said. “I think it looks great.”
Splendith smiled smugly, even though I had complimented Magnavex.
Dormathis resumed eating with methodical precision.
Indolyn looked down.
She tensed, then glanced at Dormathis as he poured a thin trickle of water over his grains, stirred twice, and ate. His jaw moved as little as possible.
What a weirdo.
I did not understand why this unsettled her, but she was meant to teach me how to increase my mana. I needed her calm.
“Thank you,” I said. My gaze on Indolyn.
Splendith choked.
“Thanks?” she blurted, covering her mouth.
“For caring enough to speak up,” I clarified.
Indolyn’s shoulders eased. “If that is your preference, my lord, then it is acceptable.” She sat more quietly than she intended. Her fork clinked softly.
***
We had finished eating dinner and moved on to our mana practice. Splendith, Indolyn, and I went to a spare room in the library, the one next to my room. It was a round chamber lit only by a suspended chandelier that pulsed like a heartbeat. The floor was covered in a soft fur carpet, and the only furniture was a small cabinet set against the wall.
Indolyn gestured at the room. “This study isn’t suitable. We should use the Inner Reflection Chamber instead.”
Splendith stepped forward and went to the cabinet. From it, she produced a small obsidian dish and set it on the floor. A single droplet of silver liquid formed in its center and began to pulse faintly.
“Lucarion would prefer to stay in the library, don’t you?” she answer before I could answer. “Magnavex said you really like the library, and you’re already learning resonance for your hellhound, which is so strange and impressive and adorable, and for this part you’ll need to focus on the droplet first because it helps align everything, you really are fascinating, and once we finish maybe you could contract a demon who can read to us, a very good one that can make all the voices correctly, or even multiple demons if you want variety, but before that we have to increase your capacity, which means resonating with the world around you and finding the quiet inside yourself and your connection to our Silent Father, and after that we should absolutely start a book club.”
Her words spun together in a single breath, tripping over each other as they rushed out.
Indolyn ignored her. She guided me to sit beside the dish. “Watch the droplet,” she said. “And breathe, with the pulses.”
I sat cross-legged in the soft carpet and stared at the droplet, trying to keep up as Splendith blathered on.
“Breathe,” Indolyn repeated, unhelpfully.
“I am breathing.”
“No. You are thinking about breathing. Not the same.”
A few minutes later, Splendith crouched behind me and adjusted my shoulders with careful precision. “Magnavex told me Colbran liked to hum songs while focusing. Colbran was the Demon Lord before you. Do you know any songs? I can sing some for you, and then you can pick your favorite.”
Indolyn talked over her, voice firm and precise. “If you let your mind tangle, then you will tangle with it. Focus on the breath, not to control it, but to let it show you where the knots are.”
Knots? My mind wandered to the Arbolive again my safe haven and guardian. I thought about her leaves flowing in the wind, her branches creaking her melody while I read.
The droplet pulsed again, syncing with something in my chest.
“Breathe. Follow. Do not chase. Just feel.”
We stayed like that a long time. My mind wandered. Then returned. Then wandered again.
At some point, the buzz in my skull, the one I had learned to ignore, quieted. Relief came immediately. It felt like carrying a heavy backpack through the forest and growing used to the weight, only to finally take it off and feel your shoulders and back cheer.
The connection between my two bodies, the stretch, the pull, eased.