Lanias didn’t turn around. “I had to think over something, but we both know you already knew I would.” She spoke while turning her head to look at Roni who came to stand beside her. “I guess I should thank you for making this easy.”
“Why would it need to be hard? Those in Veil City, place too much significance in their class system. Everything cost something.”
“It’s how they survive,” she said, facing forward. Her eyes on the small pond a few feet away. She’d discovered it after she’dcome down for breakfast. When she’d awoke to find Alek was already gone, she panicked. Her first thought was to go look for him but then she remembered that he’d gone back to his home to check on his kids.
Lanias could count on one hand the number of times she’d ever felt frantic over someone else, even those people on that list were family. Her unsurety about her own feelings with regard to Alek, had pushed her to go below and eat breakfast. She swore the people Roni had mentioned working were like ghosts, she’d caught not one sight of them. But at least the food had been to her liking. The breakfast had been served buffet style, she’d filled her plate with fruits, sausage and eggs. She hadn’t realized how hungry she was till after she’d taken her first bite.
It must’ve have been all the sex. She had to figure out why none of what he did made her uncomfortable or bothered.
Was this what relationships felt like, or love?
The minute she asked herself that question she mentally cringed away from that conclusion. She and Alek, did they need a title. He called her his Queen, but he wasn’t seriously talking about claiming her as such. Lanias was finding she wasn’t interested in being anyone’s leader again.
Yet, from the look in his eyes when she’d disappeared, he’d been serious.
“Where’s your Vampire?” Roni’s question pulled her to the present.
“He had to return home, to check on his children,” she answered honestly.
“Not many can come and go from here as they please. Your Vampire must be very powerful.”
She turned around. “We both share the same trait of getting into places we shouldn’t be able to.”
“You share that with the kids here.” Roni chuckled as he glanced at her. “Would you like the meet them?”
Lanias laughed, “I knew you’d offer that at some point.”
“Well, I assumed you’d be interested in meeting those who are like you.” He explained, his eyes turning greener than blue. “They are interested in you.”
“Why? It’s not like I’m planning to stay.” She sighed, her brow creasing. “Should they get to know a stranger who’s only passing through. I only wanted to learn about my past and now I know it. I didn’t want anything else.” Lanias hated that she sounded almost upset.
“And where is it you plan to return to?” Roni asked thoughtfully.
“I honestly don’t know.” She scoffed and squinted at the pond’s surface. “Maybe I’ll focus on how to use this gift Eris gave me.”
She still couldn’t bring herself to call him father.
“I have some annoying stalkers who are interested in returning to their home,” she added.
“We can teach you all of that here,” Roni confessed.
Hearing this, made her pause. “Can you really?”
He nodded. “I will be honest with you; this land and Mansion are on the opposite side of a reflection.” He stretched his arm forward as white and orange lights rippled from his arm and hit the surface of the pond. The water shuddered before rising into the air and circling into a mirror. Lanias watched as the surface hardened, she could now see that where she was standing was a man cutting the grass. He stopped midway, to rub a hand against his brow.
“It’s how we’ve remained in hiding for so long, it’s spell work from your mother,” he explained. “She could develop delicate charm work and hexes, and we would provide her with the power. She made this world, although affected by the other side, it is only in small ways. So, when breakfast is cooked on theother side, it appears on this side. The same with the care and repairs.”
Lanias watched the man on the other side of the mirror stop his grass cutter to get a glass of water from what looked to be the housekeeper.
Lanias whistled. “I’m impressed.”
“So, if you wished to stay here for however long. We would welcome you here,” he said, letting the water fall back down. “I would appreciate having assistance in protecting the children here.” His expression changed to something dark. “it’s been lonely and difficult to do this alone.”
She laughed, “If you knew me well, you wouldn’t want me to help you. I was never one to teach moderation; I would prefer teaching them how to use their magic to their advantage. It is needed within the world they wish to exist. Both in the Veil and the Mortal world. One should use every weapon at their disposal to survive.”
“Then teach them how to survive.”
She looked at him, to see he was being serious. “You’re sincerely offering me a job here?”
