by E E Ewer
“Mhm. Just need to catch my breath that’s all,” she said with a smile. The gray demon nodded and hesitantly turned, leaving the brunette girl to her butterflies. He disappeared down the hallway and Nire let out a sigh of relief. Taking a few minutes to compose herself, she eventually stood back up and continued with the rest of the windows.
As the days crept by Nire found herself becoming increasingly comfortable in this strange place. The halls of Eastcastle were feeling more and more like home, and she made a point of exploring new areas every day. Somehow, it seemed there was always another room she had yet to find.
Keeping notes in her sketchbook, she had so far counted three libraries in the North Wing alone. She wondered if there was a reason for that… or if somewhere along the line they had just run out of room. Flipping through her sketchbook past all the drawings of plants she’d made recently, she wandered into the East Wing.
She was not planning on doing any chores today, but she did want to pay a visit to the library. For some reason it felt more natural to use the one in the East Wing, and she enjoyed the fact that it was only her and Eireane. The other residents of the castle had been hearing rumors about the strange human girl from another world, and she drew quite a bit of attention in the North Wing.
Lucian didn’t seem to mind that she borrowed books from his personal library. She had noticed that he had been in there himself recently, and checked out books with titles that sounded like they related to the study of other worlds. He must have noticed that she’d borrowed a book, and hadn’t said a word about it. On another note, she was happy that he had taken an active interest in getting her home.
She walked into the service hallways with her nose in her sketchbook, reviewing some of the plants she had drawn recently. As she turned the pages she noticed that she had nearly filled her entire book already, and she frowned.
Stopping, she looked up to find that she had wandered a little farther than she had intended. Looking behind her she couldn’t see any doors to her right. Damn it… she thought. Of all the places to get lost, the last thing she wanted to be doing was poking around the East Wing without knowing where she was going.
None of the doors in the East Wing were marked in the same way as the rest of the castle, so aside from pure speculation, she had almost no idea where any of the doors went. Crap. She thought as she turned in place. The service hallways were dimly lit, and she didn’t like them all that much to begin with, but being lost in them was another thing entirely.
Tiny knots began to form in her stomach. It’s ok, she reassured herself. Even if you get a little lost, you still have the glow dust so it’s not a big deal. The knots in her stomach eased at the reminder. She had begun to keep a small pouch of glow dust on her at all times, just in case she ever found herself in a dark sort of situation.
Okay, she thought, no problem, I can just go back into the main hallway at the next door. As she walked a door appeared to her left, and she quickly pulled it open. However, she was caught off guard to find what appeared to be another service hallway. Checking the door to make sure the top was round, she looked back into the new hall with a confused expression.
It... should be a different location, she told herself as she stepped through. Maybe there are other things that are different about the East Wing as well as the door marks…Walking cautiously forward she didn’t see any other doors to either side of her, and considered turning back. No, it should be fine. Besides, I did kind of intend on exploring a little today… and it’s not like there are any people for me to really disturb, especially if I mainly stick to the service halls… Pulling out her sketchbook she decided to make a quick map of the path she was taking, so she would at least be able to go back the way she came.
After jotting down the first few lines and marks for doors she passed and went through, she examined it to make sure it was readable. Keeping a look out for any doors as she walked, she found herself suddenly in a circular area, with three corridors going in different directions. That’s odd, she thought as she drew the image on her sketchbook map. Marking the one to the left with an arrow, she turned and followed it.
There were still no doors on either side of her. The enchanted candles seemed to be growing dimmer and were placed further and further apart along the walls. She noticed that the hallway was slanted, and that it descended ever so slightly. She came to a corner and turned to the right, following a staircase down. As she continued to walk, the stone that made up the walls and floor appeared to be older and more worn. The air grew moist and Nire could see what appeared to be some form of moss growing in the corners where the walls met the floor.
She could hear the sound of water dripping off in the distance, and the air was becoming increasingly cooler. The candles were so very dim now that it was hard to see much aside from the direction that the hall went in, and Nire nervously pulled out the pouch of glow dust. She had learned a neat trick by accident a few days ago, when she sneezed into her hand while she was holding the stuff.
It was indeed attracted to those marks, but it was also sticky. Holding a small amount in her hand she closed her fingers around it, and blew into her cupped hand. Through her fingers came a glowing light, and as she opened them the orb clung to her hand. It had been quite the amusing predicament, trying to get the glowing orbs off her dress and face the other day, and Miko wasn’t of much help as she stood by laughing hysterically.
The thought made Nire smile, and almost laugh out loud. The glowing orbs tingled in her hand, and stuck quite tightly to her finger tips. During the sneeze quandary, she had learned that the best way to get a tingly glowing orb off of you was to put it on something else. Sticking the orb to the front of her dress so that her hands were free, she continued to draw her map.
She tried to imagine where this hallway would lead her to. Perhaps just to a part of the castle that isn’t used anymore, she thought. As she continued the candles grew fewer and fewer, until it seemed they had disappeared completely. The sound of water dripping appeared to be getting closer now.
The small corridor vanished suddenly, and she found herself standing on the edge of a large, round pit, with a circular stone staircase attached to the wall leading down. It was completely dark in this room aside from the glow of the orb on her dress, and Nire pulled out her bag of glow dust once again. Lifting the dust to her lips she blew the orbs into the dark hole.
Down and down they traveled as they danced in the air, but not as far as Nire thought they might go. In fact they fell only about a single story before landing on the floor beneath her. A small, humble wooden door was perched on the wall near the end of the stair case.
The sound of her footsteps on stone echoed as she walked down the stairs. She retrieved the glowing orb from her dress and held it once again in her hand, passing her sketchbook to her free arm and cradling it. She moved towards the door and stopped in front of it for a moment, considering what it might lead to. The door had a squared top, so it probably didn’t lead to a room of any sort that she wasn’t supposed to be in… that is assuming the doors down here followed all the same rules as the ones in other areas of the castle.
Curiosity reasoned with her sense of unease, and she slowly reached out and took hold of the handle. Pressing on the latch she pulled the door open and gasped. The feeling of rushing air coursed over her and she lifted her hands to her face to block the onslaught. The orb in her hand, and the orbs that lay scattered on the floor behind her were suddenly snuffed out, and she stood in the doorway in complete darkness.
The darkness was thick, and it moved around her like water. Nire knew that it was not in fact air that she’d felt rushing at her moments ago, but the darkness itself. It had consumed the lights the same way the strange black dust did, and the force behind it had pushed the door away from her hand.
She stretched her arms out trying to find the wall or the door, but felt nothing within an arm’s length of her. Her body was gripped with fear and she couldn’t move her
legs. If she could have screamed, she would have, but the fear in her stomach seemed to be choking her as she stood in silence.
The terrified girl could only manage a small whimper as she stood there surrounded by the thick, churning darkness that seemed to close in around her. Nire tried to move her legs forward by shuffling her feet, arms outstretched trying to find the door. She knew she had to shut it, but in order to do that she first needed to find it.
It couldn’t be that far away… she told herself as she took tiny steps and leaned as far as she could without falling. She had no way of telling how far in either direction she had moved, and she couldn’t remember if she had moved when the darkness hit her. Completely at a loss, she moved her foot in front of her and felt the tip of her shoe slip off the edge of the stone floor. Nire screamed as she realized there was nothing beneath her foot, and her voice echoed throughout the darkness.
Suddenly a pair of arms wrapped around her from behind and pulled her backwards and away from the ledge. She felt her back press against the body that stood behind her. Terrified, Nire cried out again at the sudden touch and pulled her arms close to her body, shutting her eyes tight for fear of what might be sharing the room with her.
“Nire...” came a familiar voice. The brown haired girl opened her clenched eyes and relaxed her muscles.
“Lucian?!” she whispered, her voice ringing with fear and desperation. He relaxed his grip on the girl who was trembling in his arms.
“You should not be down here,” He said gently to her as he turned her around to face him. Her steps were reluctant and clumsy as she turned in place. Quickly realizing he was not going to be able to get her to walk out of there on her own, he bent his knees and swept an arm beneath her legs, bracing her back with the other. Nire made a sharp squeak at the unexpected movement and clung to the material of his jacket.
The action brought a strange feeling of familiarity, as well as an odd sensation of comfort. The demon bid the door closed and held Nire tightly to his chest.
“Nire, hold on to me and exhale,” he instructed.
Breathing out she suddenly felt a drop in pressure, and the air that remained was forced from her lungs. She was suddenly cold, and pressed herself against the warmth of Lucian’s chest. Emerging into her room, Nire gasped and coughed when air was once again finally able to enter her lungs. As she caught her breath, she looked around and realized where they were. Confused, she turned her gaze to the demon that held her.
She immediately looked away as his golden eyes fell on hers. Nire’s heart was still pounding and she made no move to release his jacket from her hands. She couldn’t shake the way it felt… the way it moved around her like it was a thing.
Silence stretched between them as the Ancient demon continued to hold the girl in his arms. Nire felt like she had done something wrong. She knew the East Wing was supposed to be a personal space, and she had been caught somewhere she wasn’t supposed to be. She was worried he would lose his trust in her, and not allow her back.
He walked to her bed and set her down, kneeling in front of her as he did so he could be at eye level with her.
“What were you doing down there?” Lucian asked as gently as he could manage through the stress he was currently conflicted with. Even though his tone was not particularly agitated, Nire felt as though she was being scolded.
“I…I’m sorry.” She tried to speak, and her voice caught in her throat. Lucian sighed and placed his hands on her shoulders.
“There is no need to apologize,” he said more sternly than intended. “I’d just like to know why you were down there.”
“I got a bit turned around… I guess. I thought it was just one of the service halls…” her voice trailed off. “What… was that?” she asked finally.
“The Depths,” he responded. “Not a place for young girls who are afraid of the dark.” That was all the information he gave her. Nire was quiet. She waited for him to tell her she couldn’t enter the East Wing anymore. To her surprise, one of his hands moved to stroke her hair. “You could have been hurt,” he said.
Nire looked into his eyes at the strangely personal gesture. They appeared to be softer than usual.
“Are you mad?” she asked timidly, looking away. The demon sighed and sat next to her on her bed.
“No, but you should probably not be wandering around those hallways alone until you know where they lead,” he said simply. Nire couldn’t help but feel stupid as she sat next to the Lord of Shadows while he instructed her on the simplest of concepts.
Shadows… she thought.
“How… did we get here?” she asked, thinking that she might already know the answer.
“I took you through the darkness and stepped out over there,” he said, pointing to the shadow that was cast along the wall by the armoire. “Why don’t you rest for a while?” he suggested as he stood. “The Depths are enough to put anyone on edge.”
“Except you?” Nire asked. The demon raised an eyebrow.
“It puts me on edge when you’re in them,” he said with a hint of sarcasm.
“How did you know I was down there?” she asked as he turned to leave the room.
“The Depths are… a part of me, so to speak. I felt you there,” he said before closing the door behind him.
Nire sat quietly on her bed for a moment before lying down. She was surprised he hadn’t been angry with her. More surprised that he had been so… personal. Turning over on the soft blankets she thought about it for a while. The way she had felt when he held her against his chest … it was kind of like that strange dream.
The entire episode had left her feeling drained, and the bed was soft and comforting. Her eyes eventually closed, and she drifted into sleep as she recalled the way it felt when Lucian held her in his arms.
She was awoken from a pleasant dream by a knocking at the door.
“Nire?” Miko’s voice called from the other side before opening the door. “It’s dinner time,” She said with a smile to the brunette, peeking through the doorway.
“Oh…” Nire said as she sat up.
“Heard you had a bit of a scare today,” Miko added softly.
“Oh… yeah,” Nire said, feeling a bit embarrassed.
“Well, let’s comb your hair and get you ready to go!” Miko said cheerfully. The brunette smiled.
It was strange. Nire almost felt excited to go down to dinner tonight. She felt less distant from Lucian somehow. Maybe it was because he seemed to show a bit more emotion than his usual stoic appearance. He seemed to actually have been worried about her, and the thought made her smile.
At dinner, Nire felt quite a bit more cheerful than usual and she even allowed herself to laugh at all the scares she’d been having recently. Lucian smiled at her unusual playfulness, and it made her blush.
“I’ve brought a gift, Nire,” he said suddenly when the meal was over. Nire’s smile fell and turned into curiosity as the Demon Lord stood and approached her. He carried a square object wrapped in cloth, and handed it to her as she sat. Nire took the gift and unfolded the cloth to find a beautifully decorated leather book, but it had no title.
She opened to a random page and found it blank. It took her a few moments of flipping through pages to realize it was a sketchbook.
“Oh!” she exclaimed when the realization hit her. It was the most amazing sketchbook she’d ever seen, and it looked just like the old leather books in the library. She flipped to the front page and found a beautifully written inscription. “To Nire, From Lucian” it read.
She blushed. It was an enormously thoughtful gift.
“Thank you. I…. oh... my sketchbook,” she said. “I dropped it when I was down… there…” she said, looking up at the demon standing next to her.
“I will retrieve it for you,” he said with a smile. Nire smiled back. The butterflies in her stomach seemed to have become permanent residents as of late, but she didn’t mind. “I have one other surprise for you,” he added.
&
nbsp; “Oh?” Nire asked, filled with curiosity. The sketchbook was already one of the best birthday gifts she’d ever received. Lucian offered her his hand in assistance, and she took it without hesitation. Helping her from her chair he led her to the door behind her. She still had yet to see what was on the other side of that door, and craned her neck with interest as he pushed it open.
It was the Grand Ballroom, and Nire felt her voice catch in her throat. She’d heard Miko talk about it, but she’d never actually seen it. Suddenly she felt panic fill her as he led her into the room. He said he’d keep it simple… she cried in her head, not wanting a party.
But as she entered, her panic subsided. The room was entirely empty. Nire stood quietly for a moment, confused. Then she heard a deep chuckle from Lucian, who had obviously noticed her state of tension, as well as her confusion.
He stepped in front of her, and holding her hands he walked backwards leading her to the center of the floor. Everything was quiet, and Nire wondered what, in the Realm of Shadows, he had planned.
Suddenly she could hear music, and she looked around wildly trying to find the source. When none was found, she looked back to Lucian, who was smiling.
“I promised something simple, and since your main concern is not knowing anyone, I thought it might be best to keep it a private engagement,” Lucian said.
Nire felt the blood rush to her cheeks as he stepped forward and placed his hand around her waist. The expanse of his hand on her small frame was almost shocking.
“I…” she squeaked. “I don’t know how to dance…” she said quietly.
“That’s all right,” he insisted as he placed her left hand on his arm and took her right in his. Nire felt unbelievably small. She could barely reach high enough and it was obvious he was holding his arms unusually low so that she could. He suddenly began to move and Nire jerked along with him. “Don’t look at your feet,” he instructed. “Just follow my lead.”
She lifted her head and focused on his hand as it guided her along. It didn’t take long for her to realize exactly how someone led in a dance, and it became very easy for her to follow his movements. She noticed that he was being careful to take small steps, and she blushed again thinking about how silly she must look trying to dance with someone more than twice her size.
