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The weeks following Malleus’ little… incident… were hectic to say the least. Between the cleanup at Night Raven College, the influx of paperwork and tests performed by Styx, and the seemingly endless sessions with Briar Valley’s senate, there had hardly been a moment to rest. But despite the school nurse’s orders for Lilia to do just that, he’d stayed by Malleus’ side through it all.
Malleus was obviously old enough to face the consequences of his actions, and Lilia allowed him to do so. But Malleus had only acted out of desperation – out of fear that he’d lose everyone he cared about and wind up alone.
Lilia had known loss. But Lilia had also known love in its many forms. Those two things had allowed him to treasure the people in his life so much more than he had in his youth. It was for that reason that Lilia couldn’t let Malleus’ fears come to fruition by forcing him to handle the aftermath of his overblot without support. He loved Malleus like a son. Or, perhaps more aptly, like a godson or a nephew.
Luckily for Malleus, he’d also had the support of two other people Lilia loved dearly. Although neither of them were officially royal guards yet, Silver and Sebek carried themselves with the decorum of soldiers as they accompanied Malleus here and there. Somehow, where two boys had fallen asleep in Diasomnia’s lounge, two seemingly battle-worn young men had awakened. It made Lilia wonder just what exactly they’d experienced during their time under Malleus’ spell, but he also feared the answer would haunt him.
That wasn’t the only thing those two seemed to carry after returning to the waking world. Silver and Sebek behaved differently around each other now. There was less of Silver’s well-meaning instruction. Less of Sebek’s less-than-well-meaning reproaching. Less overall division. In fact, whatever they’d been through together had put them more in sync with one another than ever before. Nearly perfect harmony.
Stranger still, they’d hardly spoken to one another. On the one hand, that made their sudden synergy even more impressive. On the other hand, it added a certain weight to the hesitant glances they kept stealing at one another. What were they avoiding saying, Lilia wondered. Had one of them said something so cruel to the other that it had broken his spirit? No, that didn’t seem likely. Silver had never had trouble ignoring Sebek’s insults, and he’d never been the type to speak unkindly of another person either. Then what?
They remained quiet even as they approached Lilia and Silver’s home in the woods as the sun was just starting to set. Malleus was with them too, after the council had decided that a stay in the forest would do him good, but Silver and Sebek knew they could speak freely in front of Malleus outside of official settings. Even in the aftermath of such a frightening situation, Malleus wouldn’t mind if either of them said something. In fact, he might welcome a bit of light conversation.
Lilia had just opened his mouth to suggest as much, but then he realized there was a more pressing issue at hand. Luckily, it might be just the thing he needed.
“Aha!” He put his hands on his hips with a smile. “Everything is just how we left it, eh, Silver?”
Silver perked up at the mention of his name, but didn’t respond.
Lilia added, “Even our woodpile. Why, it hasn’t been replenished in months. I suppose I’ll have to go chop some wood if we want to eat.”
That finally got something out of him. “Father, you really need to rest. You haven’t taken a break since we had lunch.”
“Allow me to prepare the firewood, Master Lilia!”
Lilia didn’t miss the way Silver’s eyes widened when Sebek spoke. But it wasn’t a surprised reaction like one might expect from the sound of a sudden booming voice. There was an appreciation behind that pretty auroral gaze. Something still unspoken.
It was starting to make sense now.
“That would be much appreciated! Care to use this?” Lilia held out his old magearm, chuckling as Sebek’s look of determination morphed into one of horror.
“Silver, why don’t you show him where the other axes and saws are in the tool shed? Then you can grab one for yourself and help him collect wood.”
A spark of excitement fluttered in his stomach at the way his pupils gave each other a look and, just as quickly, averted their eyes. How long had this been going on? How had he not seen it sooner? Surely they saw it too, didn’t they?
What happened in their dreams to change things so?
Sebek cleared his throat. “Master Lilia, I can gather and chop enough firewood for the three of you on my own. I shall return home for the night once I’ve finished and report back here at dawn.”
“Don’t be silly! Many hands make light work, as they say. Besides, you could both stand to loosen up a bit with some physical activity. Relax those stiff muscles after standing at attention all day.”
“Don’t you need help getting inside and getting settled?” Silver asked.
“I’m not so old and brittle that I can’t walk inside my own house,” Lilia said with a pout. “And Malleus is here, too.”
Malleus looked on quietly. How much did he know about this, Lilia wondered.
Silver nodded before turning his head (but not his eyes) to Sebek. “It’s just over here.”
As the two of them made their way to the tool shed, Lilia gave a fond sigh. “My goodness. You’d think I’d know him better by now. Children really are full of surprises.”
“Has something happened?”
Lilia looked up at Malleus with a warm smile. “Not yet, but it won’t be long.”
Malleus merely raised an eyebrow.
“You truly don’t see it? You should. They’re your future guards.”
By then, Silver and Sebek had each emerged from the shed with a hatchet and had begun walking deeper into the woods. Malleus narrowed his eyes as he watched them, but there was no hint of understanding.
Lilia, on the other hand, didn’t miss the brief glance Silver took at Sebek’s hand wrapped around the handle of his hatchet. He was even perceptive enough to see the slight twitch in Silver’s hand as he tightened his grip on his own axe.
Almost as though Silver was imagining the handle to be something else he wished to hold.
“Will you provide an explanation for any of this?” Malleus asked.
It hardly needed explaining at all now that Lilia knew for certain what it was. And it couldn’t have happened at a better time. The golden glow of twilight would illuminate the world for a little while longer, and then the peaceful stillness of evening would settle in. Perhaps the calm of night was just what two young men blessed by the nocturnal fae needed to say what needed to be said.
“Dusk is truly a magical time of day, isn’t it?”
Malleus frowned at that ‘explanation,’ but Lilia chuckled and added, “Let’s go inside. No use standing out here. Our quartet will be reduced to two for a little while.”