Inamatuswas the opposite. Unlovable.
Nikias would not let the demon win. She and her cursed abilities would prove false. He would not let the prophecy she’d carved into him be his fate.
So Nikias clasped his chiton, securing it so the scar would never be seen. His head still throbbed.
Was it wise?
He looked at the ring on his dresser.
This was important. Even if it wasn’t, all Nikias wanted was to see her.
Hisamata.
So no matter how inappropriate it might be at that hour, given the sun was setting and the fact that everyone was talking about her wearing his cloak, he knocked on her door anyway, excuse in hand.
“Oh, I am not doing this with you again today!”
Her voice came through the other side, thick, heavy, burning. What had he done now?
Still, angry Aimilia was better than no Aimilia. His battered soul would not rest until he laid eyes on her, safe and whole and in perfect condition.
“I promise, it’s important.”
“Nikias?”
The door opened, and there she was, with only a few dim light runes illuminating her. Her breath hitched at the sight of him, and a brief tidal wave of panic ripped through him, but his illusion was in place. This wide-eyed shock was something else.
“Were you expecting someone who has already given you trouble today?”
Aimilia shook her head. “No. I mean, I thought you were my uncle. He gave me grief this morning, but no more than I expected. Um, shouldn’t you—I mean, what is it?”
He could hardly admit he just wanted to languish in her presence in the hopes her existence would dim the pain still coursing through his skull.
“I haven’t gotten to truly speak with you since you came out of the collapse.”
Aimilia held the door, half hidden behind it as she looked down. “I mean… what is there really to say now?”
“Can I come in?” When she still didn’t look up at him, he whispered, “Please.”
Then she did look up, eyes scanning over his face and his heartbeat picked again. No matter how much it might look like she could see straight through him, she couldn’t.
“Alright, come on before someone sees.” Aimilia stepped back from the door and let him through.
Her room was rather sparse as most Runai’s were at her age especially. At the Academy there was only so much space, and moving from post to post, a lot of things were a hassle. Most of her true possessions and most Runai’s stayed at their House’s estate.
Still, he saw her cosmetics, her hair things and a little jewelry box on her vanity and he couldn’t help his smile. Then it only grew bigger when he saw his cloak sitting on the ground beside her dresser with her other ruined clothes.
“So, what is it?” Aimilia leaned against the dresser.
“I’m sure it goes without saying, but we suspect the Stonai.” He tightened his grip on the tiny box in his hand.
How long he could draw this out just so he could stand in front of her?
Aimilia nodded, arms crossed. “They are the ones best suited for such an attack. And given Hypatia’s letter, clearly there’s something more going on here.”
Well, he was going to have a hard time dragging this out if she was going to keep connecting everything.
“Right. I can no longer send Gavril and Marcella alone. If we are to deal with the demon on this issue, I must go in order to ensure she’s not up to anything either.”
