Lucinda waits by the door. She finished bathing with Charlotte. Her advice was enough to make Lucinda think about Xylek and what she wants from him. Right now she wants to talk to him. Maybe they will have a good conversation and things will go smoothly. Lucinda swallows hard as a pit forms in her stomach. What if this conversation doesn’t go well? What if he doesn’t feel the same way?
Ready to knock again, Lucinda hears the door unlatch. As the door opens, she sees Xylek, his hair a mess, circles under his eyes. She didn’t realize how much the travels have taken on him. His eyes don’t have the same shimmer, but they still are mesmerizing. Lucinda looks away, a slight blushing dancing onto her face.
“Hurry inside, we have company,” Xylek says as he pulls Lucinda into the room.
Lucinda goes pale. Who has come to visit them? As she enters the room, Xylek still holding her hand, Lucinda notices the giant in the room. Lucinda sighs in relief.
Zakasi stands, then bows to the princess. “Lucinda, it’s good to see you.”
Lucinda releases Xylek’s hand to greet Zakasi with an embrace. Her dainty frame is easily engulfed by Zakasi’s hulking arms. She hasn’t been this excited to see another demon in so long.
“My father,” Lucinda says to Zakasi. “How is my father?”
As Zakasi releases the princess, he looks at her with a somber expression. “He’s still in prison,” he admits. “He asked about you.”
“Is he alright?” she rephrases.
“As alright as he can be.”
Lucinda has an idea. She goes to her bag and rummages for something. After locating what she was searching for, she hands it to Zakasi. “My journal. Give it to my father.”
Zakasi smiles and nods. He stashes it in his side pouch.
Xylek asks a question even Lucinda was thinking. “How did you get here?”
Chuckling loudly, Zakasi admits to using enchanted chalk and followed their scent. “Not many demons up here. You two were a little easier to find.”
All three demons have a nice laugh together. Despite how nice it is, the three demons knew it wouldn’t last long. A somber expression takes over all the demons’ faces. Lucinda looks to the floor.
Zakasi stands and makes his way towards the door. “I’m sorry,” he whispers. “I wish I had more to say, and more time to stay.”
“Brother, why don’t you travel with us?” Xylek asks, tears in his eyes.
“You know I can’t. I have the inn and have to infiltrate the palace to try and help this mess. Or at the very least figure out how to bring the council down.'' Zakasi hugs onto Xylek, squeezing him tightly. “Until next time, dear brother.” With that, Zakasi draws on the back of the door and goes through the glowing portal.
Xylek stands by the door, tears welling in his eyes. Lucinda can see them begin to dim and shimmer at the same time. A strange effect for the fabulous purple globes within his head. She takes his hand in hers and they watch as the portal slowly diminishes before them.
Wiping the tears from his eyes, Xylek notices what Lucinda is doing. He gives her hand a subtle squeeze before releasing it. He sits on the bed and exhales sharply. He sniffles quickly, then looks to Lucinda. “So,” he says with a slight tremble in his voice. “What did you want to talk about?”
Lucinda sits on the bed next to him. She wants to hold his hand again. She finds comfort in it. She wants to tell him about the conversation with Charlotte. She wants to tell him that even though they were thrust together, literally fist fought and then the fiasco of having to travel to the human world, she finds comfort in his presence. She wants to tell him that he makes her feel less alone in the world. That she has learned to control her emotions because of him.
Instead of telling him any of that, she chooses to tell him that she thinks he needs to express his emotions. Maybe, by talking about his emotions, it will help him come to terms with the reality of the situation. Maybe he will find comfort knowing he isn’t alone.
Xylek looks at Lucinda. Doubt draws in. She can tell that he doesn’t believe her. He looks her in the eyes. A glimmer of something shines through. He tells her that he’s terrified. He explains that despite how long they’ve had the amulet, he refuses to see the dead. He tells her that he misses home, he misses his brother. He misses his sense of normal.
As he continues on his rant of why he feels so lost and vulnerable, he stands and begins swearing. Cussing into the air around him, spewing each word like a venom out of his normal joking and calm demeanor. He grabs the pillow, grips it tightly and screams into it. Lucinda worries he may rip the pillow with how tight he’s holding it.
Falling to his knees and releasing the pillow, Xylek begins to sob. He claims that he is no different than his birth parents. He abandoned his brother, his family, and his home. But he proclaims something to shock Lucinda.
“I’m terrified you will leave me, too,” he says through angry tears.
Lucinda slides to her knees. She grips Xylek by the shoulders and squeezes him tightly. “I won’t abandon you. I can’t abandon you,” she says with tears in her eyes. She didn’t realize how much Xylek had bottled up. She feels awful that he battled these emotions on his own for so long without telling her. She may have feelings for this demon, but she knows as a friend, she could be there for him.
She hugs him. He cries into her shoulder. Lucinda, while stroking her traveling companions hair, shushes him, assuring him everything will be alright.
Once finished crying, Xylek exhales deeply. He stands with Lucinda. “Now tell me, princess,” he tries to smile as he says this. “What did you want to really talk to me about?”
Lucinda blushes. She thought she got out of discussing what happened in the bathhouse. Sighing, she admits it’s personal.
“You just made me share my personal business, now it’s time you share yours.” A sense of smugness crosses his face. Lucinda sighs slowly before explaining to Xylek about the woman in the bath house.
“Her name was Charlotte,” Lucinda explains. “She gave me some advice.”
Xylek cocks his head in curiosity. “Advice on what, exactly?”
Lucinda blushes. She wants to tell him exactly how she feels. She wants to tell him everything. But she feels an insatiable urge to kiss him. She wonders if his lips are soft and warm. She ponders if he would kiss her back. Her chest is pounding. She feels the blood in her body rushing. She goes to speak, but the words catch in her throat.
“Lucinda,” Xylek says, trying to get the princess to focus and share her thoughts.
“She told me to tell you how I really feel.” Lucinda shrinks away, her voice carrying a slight tremble. Why is this so hard, she wonders.
Xylek looks baffled. He seems to swallow hard. “So, how do you really feel about me?”
Lucinda sighs. Looking to the floor, she admits, “It’s complicated.”
“I know that,” Xylek exclaims. He quickly covers his mouth.
Tilting her head, Lucinda looks confused. “What do you mean you know?”
Looking away and rubbing his neck, Xylek admits to using his abilities on Lucinda to see if they would even work.
Lucinda feels the pain in her legs start to fester. She hasn’t felt the pain in a while, so now it is more painful than she remembers. But fueled by rage, she doesn’t let the pain affect her. How dare he use his mind manipulation on her? She is not some kind of experimental toy. She raises an open palm, smacks Xylek in the face, leaving a red handprint and storms out of the room.
Footsteps follow closely behind her as Lucinda rages through the inn, out the door and into the village. Each step of hers is a stomp of utter aggression. She feels the scorching pain of the scar as it creeps up both legs now. But she ignores it, sweat on her brow and tears in her eyes. She enters the woods, footsteps still following her closer, Xylek calling her name.
Once in the woods and out of sight of the humans, she picks up speed. Dashing quickly, she runs with her demonic speed. As she looks back, Xylek is keeping pace. She groans with anger. How dare he follow her? Would he use his abilities again? Why would he do it to her in the first place.
Faster and faster, she runs along the river's edge. She tries to lose him, but no such luck. She turns down a path leading further into the woods. As she enters a clearing, she stops to catch her breath. She lets the pain overtake her. She collapses into the floral bed in the clearing, tears streaming down her face.
“Why are you doing this to me?” she screams into the ether. “Why do you have me this conflicted?
ns 15.158.61.48da2
