The Lord of Shadows

by E E Ewer

  “All right, come with me. I have a few other things to show you before the day’s end.” Nire followed Margery out through the main doorway and down the hall.

  After being shown a couple other basic areas, Margery led Nire out of the East Wing. It was still early afternoon, and Nire was excited about the book.

  “You know your way back?” Margery asked as she prepared to part ways with Nire at the entrance to the East Wing.

  “Yup!” Nire exclaimed proudly. She was finally getting used to walking around by herself.

  “Good. Tomorrow morning I will have you help me with the windows in the main hallway; it’s getting difficult for me to climb that damn ladder.”

  “Okay, sure!” Nire agreed. She was more than happy to help Margery, after all, she had been so helpful to her in the beginning. Besides, it was also very kind of Lucian to allow her to stay as a guest, so the least she could do was help out a little. Her mother had always made a strong point of being a well mannered guest.

  Her high spirits fell a few notes as she walked back to her room. Mom… She thought. For a few moments she allowed herself to think of her friends and family, but tried to not think about how worried they must be. She was sure that Lucian would be trying to find a way to help her get home, so she put the thoughts out of her mind and tried to focus on more pleasant things.

  Nire reached her door and walked inside. The room still reminded her of something familiar, and it nagged at her almost every instant she was in it. She set the book down on the bed, and noticed something odd. The doors to the armoire were open, and it was filled with dresses. Caught by surprise Nire looked around in panic, thinking she may have gone into the wrong room.

  Of course, that was a silly thought. Spiral staircase, green door, green room… panic subdued almost instantly when she realized what a ridiculous thought it had been. Walking to the wardrobe she fingered through the numerous dresses that were suddenly hanging in the closet. There were also quite a few pairs of shoes at the bottom as well. Opening a drawer she found a number of different undergarments, gloves, laces and stockings.

  Where on Earth did all these things come from? She wondered, then corrected herself. Well none of them came from anywhere on Earth… did they? She mused for a moment. A knock on the door caught her off guard and made her jump.

  “Um, yeah?” she called out.

  “It’s Miko!” came a voice from the other side.

  “Come on in,” she responded, and the orange haired girl opened the door.

  “Oh, I see you have noticed all the hard work Margery and I have been up to today!” Miko exclaimed as cheerfully as ever.

  “Yeah… where did all these come from?” Nire asked.

  “Margery found them in storage and pulled them out,” Miko stated. “They were pretty old and dusty, but the seamstress was able to clean them up pretty nicely with a few simple spells.”

  “Oh… wow. They look new,” Nire said as she passed through them again. Most of them were greens, ivories, browns and blacks. But there were a few blue dresses as well, and a single red one. Looking down, she noticed her jeans and tank top had been folded and placed on the bottom with the shoes. Miko had wandered over behind her, and opened the closet.

  “Got stuff in here too. Some towels and bath supplies, and a few extra night dresses and chemises as well,” Miko said as she pointed quickly to each shelf. “Annnnd!” she continued as she made her way to the chest that sat at the foot of the bed, opening the top. “A place for all your things!” she exclaimed.

  Nire made her way over and peered into the chest. Her bag, sketchbook, and a few other items were situated in there. Nire smiled. It was comforting to her that everyone seemed to be going out of their way to help her.

  “Oh, look what I found in the library today,” Nire said suddenly, remembering the book and wanting to share it with Miko. Holding it up for her to see, she smiled. “Neat, huh?”

  “Oh, yeah that’s a great book. I bet you could do a better job with the pictures though.”

  “Really? You think so?” Nire asked as she turned the book back to herself and looked at it.

  “Yeah, you’re really great with drawing,” Miko insisted. “Well, I have a couple more things to do before the day is out, do you want to come with me?”

  “Oh, no… Actually, I think I’d like to read this book a little more,” Nire said, declining her friend’s offer.

  “Ok, have fun. I’ll come grab you when it’s time for dinner. Can you get ready by yourself?”

  “Yeah, I think so,” the green eyed girl responded with a smile.

  “Good. See you in a few hours!” Miko said as she shut the door.

  Sitting down on a chair that was nestled under the windows, Nire picked up her knees and rested the book in her lap. She opened the cover and then picked up a stack of pages, letting them fan to a random page. A glint of color suddenly caught her eye, and she stopped flipping. Turning back a few pages, she found a dried flower nestled in the book. It was purple, and appeared to match the description of the page that it was on.

  It was difficult to compare the flower to the illustration, but it did seem to be the same plant. Glancing to the left page she began to read the description. It was called a Jesoine Bloom, and was listed as a plant with magical properties.

  “Uses,” Nire began to read aloud, “for revealing hidden or unknown emotions. Place the fresh bloom in or near an object belonging to the one whose emotions or thoughts are a mystery to you,” she said, glancing again at the flower before she continued to read. “Once the bloom is in place, seal the flower with a drop of your own blood. In time, the truth of matters which you seek will be revealed to you. Take caution, the plant will also cause the revealing of your hidden emotions or thoughts to the one whom it is directed at.”

  She continued reading, and found that the flower was used in numerous kinds of truth potions, making one unable to lie, forcing someone to admit to a lie, and even making another believe lies.

  As she reached the bottom of the page she was somewhat surprised to find the plant listed as rare, difficult to locate and impossible to cultivate. Probably for the best… she thought.

  She couldn’t help but wonder if ‘N’ had put the flower there. And if so, what it was they had wanted to know that Lucian was hiding. She thought about it for a long time, and before she knew it the sun had begun to fall in the sky, and the light in the room dimmed.

  “Oh, shoot,” she stated as she jumped up. “I need to get dressed.” She hurried to the wardrobe and looked through the dresses. She found a light sage green dress that seemed simple enough, and this one had sleeves. She cheered silently at her sleeved victory and pulled the dress out. The bodice was decorated delicately with ivory embroidery, and it laced up the front just like the other one.

  Quickly she slipped out of the gray housemaids dress and into the light green one. It seemed to fit just perfectly as she tied the front. The sleeves were short and off the shoulder, but it was better than no sleeves at all. At the back of them, there was a trail of cloth that flowed down behind her. It was quite pretty, and she examined it in the mirror to make sure everything was in place.

  She was finishing with her hair just as Miko knocked and entered the room.

  “Ready?” Miko called out.

  “Just about,” Nire replied as she tucked a few strands of hair behind her ear and stood up straight. “Ready!” she exclaimed as she came out of the bathroom.

  “Ohhh, that one’s pretty,” Miko commented, making Nire blush a little. She had been feeling much more confident than before, but as they neared the dining hall the butterflies in Nire’s stomach began to act up again. Miko opened the door for her once more, and she walked inside.

  The Lord of Shadows was waiting for her this time. Standing next to her chair, he pulled it out for her as she walked towards him. Nire was blushing, and she hoped the dim lighting hid it. After pushing her in, he walked to the other end of the table and took his o
wn seat, just as he’d done the night before.

  There was far less tension in the room, and Nire was actually able to enjoy her meal without feeling like every move she made was being scrutinized. The conversation still remained in the realm of small talk, however. She had no idea what to talk about to someone like this.

  She certainly couldn’t talk about her favorite TV shows, or school, or anything else that was a part of everyday life back home. And why would those things be interesting anyway? After all, that book said he’d been around… pretty much forever. She paused for a moment and looked at him, wondering about his age. It was difficult to imagine that he was thousands and thousands… maybe even millions of years old. Just thinking about it boggled her mind.

  It made her feel small, somehow. The same way one feels small when they think about the scope of the universe. Here she was, having dinner with someone who had already lived for thousands and thousands of years more than she ever would. Seeing as her thoughts were situating on one particular subject, she figured she might as well toss it into the conversation, for lack of anything better to talk about.

  “If you don’t mind me asking,” she said, “how is it you live so long?” The question seemed to catch him off guard, as he raised his eyes to her and cocked his head slightly. It wasn’t really a question that had an answer.

  “How is it you do not?” he asked with a grin. Nire felt a little silly. “I am afraid while I do know a great deal, even I don’t have all the answers. It does, however, seem to have something to do with the amount of energy one is in command of,” he continued.

  This piqued Nire’s interest. “Oh?”

  “Humans command very little energy, live very short lives and for the most part possess almost no magical ability. Midblood demons, on the other hand, live moderately lengthy lives and command a moderate amount of energy. It seems that the more powerful a Midblood is, the longer they tend to live. I, on the other hand, command a vast amount of energy, and from what I am aware of, have no limit to my life span outside of the possibility of being killed,” he explained.

  “So, you can die?” she asked curiously.

  “Yes, I can. My body will not wear out in the same way a mortal’s would, but it can be damaged beyond repair,” he responded. “However… the amount of damage that would entail is.… extreme. To say the least.”

  Nire thought silently for a while, trying to take in all he was telling her.

  “Tell me about your life, Nire, before you came here,” the Demon Lord suddenly asked. It came as a bit of a surprise. She hadn’t really thought it would be interesting enough to talk about.

  “Well… I don’t really know what there is to tell,” she started. “My mom and dad died when I was really young, and then my step aunt took me in for a few years. She was… a bit crazy… and is kind of the reason I am… well… uncomfortable in the dark. I live with my new parents, who adopted me when I was 12. I just graduated high school… and I think… my birthday was a few days ago.” It was the first time she’d realized that she had completely missed her birthday.

  “Really?” The tone of his voice changed and it caught Nire’s attention. He actually seemed to be interested in something she’d said. “How old are you?” he asked.

  “Well, I guess I turned 19 a couple days after I got here,” she said. The expression on his face seemed to soften a little.

  “Then perhaps we should celebrate,” he offered.

  Nire blushed a deep crimson. “Oh… I don’t know. I mean it’s not really necessary. I don’t really know anyone and… well, it’s not that important.” She tried to avoid looking at his eyes as she spoke. Every time she caught them she found it hard to speak. Lucian realized she was trying to avoid being the center of attention.

  “Very well, something simple then,” he stated. Nire didn’t want to argue, and just hoped he wouldn’t do anything fancy.

  Lucian had been enjoying the time he was able to spend with Nire greatly. The fact that she was 19 had both intrigued and discouraged him, and the thought tumbled in his mind as he headed back down the empty halls of the East Wing. Not only was she the same age she had been the last time he saw her, but he was now faced with the same moral dilemma he had back then as well.

  Trying to convince himself that for humans 19 was a completely acceptable age, he struggled with the fact that she was still just so… young. As hard as he tried, the memories of her as an adult were still dominated by those of her as a child. The idea that she had somehow crossed a threshold between childhood and adulthood in the matter of only a year or two was a difficult concept for him to grasp.

  The Ancient was fully aware that his perspective was completely influenced by the fact that a human’s entire life span was no more than a brief moment in his existence. It was normal for the humans of the realm to begin courtships at 16, with the possibility of marriage after two years of a successful courtship. By his own laws, Nire would have been available for marriage a year before he lost her.

  Something within the demon’s indistinct sense of morality had kept him from acting. The concept of him courting someone so young and inexperienced was a difficult obstacle to maneuver. However, it was also the same damned ideals that had left him without her to begin with. Had he acted more promptly, even to just announce the courtship, Azael wouldn’t have dared.

  It was a fairly clear fact that if he were to wait until he felt Nire were old enough he would be waiting a long time, and Nire no doubt would not be so interested in waiting. The demon tried to convince himself that she was in fact, quite grown up. The dress she had been wearing this evening revealed that fact quite nicely, and it brought back dozens of memories he had tried so diligently to put out of his mind.

  The Lord of Shadows was filled with an overwhelming need to protect the girl from anything that might harm her, and acting swiftly in the matter would certainly do so. This, however, brought him back to his initial dilemma; with a formal courtship announced and Nire so easily and willingly within his grasp, how would he protect her from him? The side of him that wanted to shelter her was set on a lengthy courtship filled with formalities, until he could be sure… The side of him that desired her on the other hand, had a quite different set of ideas.

  Although he was not currently interested in sending her home, how she got here was a mystery he wanted to solve. There were a few books he knew on the subject of other worlds, and thought that perhaps they might hold some clues alluding to how she would have found herself here. Growing impatient, he quickly stepped into a shadow at the end of the hallway.

  Stepping into the library from behind a bookcase he silently made his way towards the section where he knew the books to be placed. It only took a few moments to locate the three he was looking for, and he quickly walked towards the front of the library. As he picked up the quill on the desk his heart skipped a beat, and for a moment he was caught completely off guard. He stood entirely still as the sudden realization shook him from reality.

  He hadn’t seen that book’s title since he’d found it in her room months after the incident. Signed ‘N’. He traced his fingers over the letters as memories stirred his thoughts. He clenched the books he held in his left hand and quickly wrote down their titles. Nire would not be leaving his side again… of that he was sure.

  Chapter 8

  Table of Contents

  As morning rose over Eastcastle Nire was quick to dress and eat before hurrying to help Margery with the windows. There were quite a few of them it turned out, and it was a month long chore to get all of them cleaned. The grand windows were two stories tall, and Marge intended to have Nire up the ladder cleaning the higher panels.

  She had planned to leave early today and return the book of plants to the library, before heading out on an expedition with Miko. As she walked down the hallway, Margery placed her hands on her hips.

  “Ah there you are,” she said as Nire approached. “I’ve already completed the bottom halves of the windows in this
hall, you can handle the ladder on your own can you not?” the old woman asked.

  “Sure thing. When I’m done with this hall I need to take my book back and meet Miko, okay?” Nire asked as she climbed the first few steps of the ladder.

  “Very well. Do take care up there, child.”

  “I will!” Nire assured her as the old woman took her leave.

  Five down and five to go… Nire thought as she moved the ladder down the hall to the next window. Situating the base securely against the indent in the wall and laying the top diagonally across to the other side, she began her ascent with rags tossed over her shoulder.

  “Nire,” a deep voice called out from below. Chills ran down her spine and made her jump at the sudden sound. She dropped her rag and instinctively grabbed for it, causing her foot to slip from the landing. Quickly she gripped the ladder with both hands and steadied herself before looking down.

  “Are you alright?” the demon continued.

  “Fine!” she shouted back in a high pitch. Her arms and legs were shaking from the close call. Slowly making her descent from the ladder, she felt Lucians hands wrap around her waist as he lifted her from the last few steps and placed her on the ground. The butterflies he had just let lose in her stomach only added to her anxieties, and her legs refused her weight.

  Lucian eased the shaking girl to the ground and leaned her against the wall. “I didn’t mean to startle you, are you sure you’re all right?”

  “Yes, I’m okay,” she said, trying to smile in reassurance.

  “Hmm,” he began. “I had intended to tell you it was unnecessary for you to be working. You are a guest in my house. Margery can handle herself.”

  “No, its okay,” she insisted as she tried to crush the butterflies with mental rocks. “I like helping out.”

  Lucian raised an eyebrow. “Very well, but do be careful,” he said as he prepared to stand. “I have things in need of my attention, will you be all right?”