âWell, after learning that the original Eyes of Menadion can resonate with the towerâs, I thought about having all the pieces of Menadionâs set assembled and checking if they have other properties that can be unlocked.
âMy plan is to use both sets of Menadion to redo my equipment from scratch and boost its performance before the war resumes.â Lith replied.
âI stand corrected. Heâs not romantic.â Selia rolled her eyes, sighing.
âAlso, Kamila couldnât stop telling everyone the story behind her moon pendant so they all started nagging at me to bring them here. I thought that everyone deserved a little break so here we are.â Lith said.
âHow thoughtful of you.â Tyris chuckled. âIf anything happens to Garlen, it will be your fault then.â
âMeaning?â Kamila asked.
âIâm here and so are Leegaain and Salaark. They have liked your idea and have followed us. There are no Guardians left on Garlen.â She pointed at the couple that was arranging their own table in the towerâs dining room.
Lith could change the shape and size of every floor at will so combining his favorite restaurants to create the perfect ambiance was childâs play. The food, instead, had to be manually prepared but everyone had faith in his cooking skills.
âBy the way, whereâs Tista?â Just like Phloria, Quylla had no intention of having a big serving of her own liver for lunch.
Seeing the happy couples irked her so she had packed some food and now needed company.
âOn the dark side of the moon, with Nyka and Tista.â Lith replied. âThey had to talk about something and they needed a place where sunlight wouldnât send a Vampire into slumber.â
âThen weâd better not disturb them.â Faluel said. âQuylla, Phloria, letâs find our own place. What do you say about that mountain range?â
âFine by me.â Phloria shrugged, using the Mirror Hall of the tower to reach their destination in one step.
Meanwhile on the dark side of the moon, Nyka the Vampire couldnât stop gawking at the starry sky.
âBy the Red Mother, this place is amazing. Even the grass is so filled with world energy and vitality that it amounts to a half-decent meal.â She said as a small patch of greenery withered at her touch.
âIâm glad that you like it.â Solus said with a warm smile. âI missed you guys a lot, especially during the mission at the Golden Griffon. Vladion was so angry at us once he discovered the truth about Lith and me that if he was still alive, he would have had a stroke.â
âIâm sorry about that.â Nyka said with a sigh. âI would have loved to come with you guys, but Iâm nowhere near a full-red blood core and I have no idea how to move during the day.
âI could have cast Aunt Scarâs Eternal Dusk array, but it might have been easily turned against us.â
âSame here.â Tista slouched her shoulders. âIâm getting closer to the deep violet by the day, but without an Abomination side, Hystar would have turned me against you way before you reached the Headmasterâs office.â
âSpeaking of violet, do you mind storing as much of your blood as you can?â Nyka asked. âOnce you turn into whatever your merged life forces will become, your blood might become as toxic as Lithâs to me.
âWithout you guys, I have no steady supply of nourishment for my blood core.â
Nyka was young, but having a diet based mostly on powerful Awakenedâs blood she was much stronger and progressed faster than her peers. Awakening had sped up the development of her blood core even further.
âSure.â Tista nodded. âEnough talking about work, though. Why did you want to talk to us away from the tower, Solus?â
âI have good news and secret news so keep your lips tight. This is for your minds only.â Solus created a mind link with them, sharing the recent events.
The good news was about Kamila asking her to be a Mom for the baby girl, the memories she had recovered from the painting, and the fixing of her relationship with Silverwing.
The secret news was about the consequences that future fusions with Lith might have and the fact that one had already happened without Kamilaâs knowledge.
âThatâs amazing! Iâm so happy for you sister.â Nyka said while hugging Solus. âEven though your body canât have children yet, you are going to be a mother.â
She still considered her friend to be a fellow Vampire due to the condition of Solusâ life force and the need to feed upon someone elseâs essence to prolong her existence.
âI honestly donât know what to say.â Tista tormented her lower lip for a while before finding the right words.
âLook, Iâm happy that you and Kamila have become so fond of each other that you donât feel threatened anymore by the role that the other plays in Lithâs life. On the other hand, I donât know if taking such a huge responsibility is the right thing to do.
âYouâve been struggling for a long time now to find your own place in the world. To become your own person and make a life for yourself. Taking care of the baby sounds awfully like going back to square one.â
âI see your point, but thereâs something you donât know. Something I didnât share with the mind link.â Solus lowered her eyes, scribbling in the dirt with her finger.
âAnd why did you do that?â Nyka asked in confusion. âThere is just us here. The whole point of getting away from the tower is to have some privacy. If you donât feel safe opening up with us and half a planet away from Lith, you never will.â
âA satellite.â Solus mumbled, trying to avoid the topic.
âI beg your pardon?â Tista asked.
âThe moon is a satellite. Planets are bigger. If it was even smaller it would just be an asteroid like that one.â She pointed at a flying piece of rock about to enter Mogarâs atmosphere.
âFor someone supposed to be a genius, sometimes you act really dumb.â Tista grabbed her hand, showing Solus how dirty it had become and the mess she had made out of nervousness. âIf you donât want to talk about it, just say it.
âIâm sorry. Itâs just thatâs really embarrassing and confusing.â Solusâ cheeks flushed.
âYou mean more than usual?â Nyka asked in disbelief.
Solus was an ancient being, fused with a legendary magic tower, who also shared her life and body with another person of even more confusing origins. Life could hardly get more confusing than that.
âSo much that I have trouble even admitting it to myself.â Solus nodded. âI havenât talked about it even to Lith, let alone Kami.â
âOkay, now you are making me worry.â Tista said. âIs there something wrong with the tower?â
âYes, I mean, no. I mean, maybe.â Solus clenched her gown in frustration.
pAn,d a-n0ve1,c-o-m Her eyes wandered to the magnificent landscape surrounding them. Starlight reflected on the silver grass, making the dew sparkle like crystals and the flowers like gems, yet she found no beauty in it.
Solus knew that once she said those words out loud, they would become more than just stray thoughts that she could ignore. Things would get real and so would their consequences.
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