12. Skin #2
But even as he did so, he knew that it felt right .
Vex would have a voice just like that. But how could he ever achieve such a sound?
And he would have to physically embody the Night King.
Sensual, dark, ruthless… the opposite of him.
And would anyone truly think of a human as attractive in any way?
Or would it seem like he was putting lipstick on a pig?
Maybe it was a mistake to add Vex to his game. A bridge too far…
“Oh, wow! He sounds dreamy!” Gemma admitted, but then she shook himself. “But he’s the villain! He’s bad and mad and–”
“You would forget all of that in his presence,” Rhalyf told her. His voice became softer and his expression distant for a moment as he added, “You’d forget everything and everyone else really. When he focuses on you it’s like…”
Gemma leaned forward as if she feared to miss a word. “Like?”
Rhalyf gave a strange, uncertain smile. “You forget everything you’ve been warned about him. Everything you’ve trained to withstand. Because you know you are in the presence of someone quite extraordinary. And everything you are… is meaningless.”
Finley felt a momentary pang of despair. How was he going to get all of that across in tonight’s game? He was hardly in the same league as Vex looks-wise and he was never very sensual, sexual or darkly foreboding.
Less is more. I should just introduce him and then end it. But that will disappoint people and I never know how my player characters will react!
Gemma blinked and looked thoughtful. “Mom and Dad said that King Aquilan was like that, too. I don’t mean evil or anything! Or that they feel like they had to protect themselves just–”
“Someone completely beyond one. Yes,” Rhalyf smiled and nodded. “The opposite side of the coin to Vex really. In every way imaginable.”
“He is remarkable,” Finley agreed. “When he sang last night–”
“I can’t believe I missed him singing !” Gemma wailed, throwing her head back.
“He’ll sing again. Don’t you worry. I’ll make sure of it,” Rhalyf assured her. “I can always get him to.”
“He must like you very much then,” Gemma said.
Rhalyf actually blushed. It wasn’t a romantic response, just a completely happy, pleased one. And it was quite a humble reaction really. “Well, we have gone to war together. Once you do that, you are bonded.” He bit his lower lip and said, “I’m sure you must feel that way about Finley and Declan.”
Finley quickly opened his mouth to intercede. Being outside of the dome and talking about the beginning of the war would freak Gemma out. But he was surprised by how she nodded slowly.
“I don’t remember a lot of what happened. My aunt…” Here, she let out a breath between her teeth, “died in front of me.”
“I am so sorry,” Rhalyf said softly.
“Finley and Declan got there just in time to save me, but she… she was gone,” Gemma answered and wrapped her arms around her chest.
He likely thinks we couldn’t have saved her aunt even if we did get there sooner. But he’s wrong!
Yet when he glanced over at Rhalyf, he saw nothing like that in the Aravae’s handsome face. Nor did Rhalyf say anything at all like that. Finley frowned.
Something has changed his mind since yesterday, Finley realized. It must be what he knows about Declan. He believes that Declan saved us and could have saved Gemma’s aunt!
He felt a thrill of electricity almost run up and down his spine. Leviathan could only be killed with magic. So Rhalyf must believe that Declan wielded magic to defeat them. But Rhalyf was still of the definite opinion that humans could not wield magic.
Ipso facto, he thinks…
But Finley couldn’t even finish the thought.
It was too absurd. Or was it? What it did feel like to him was betrayal.
Most people treated Declan like a freak or worse.
To think he wasn’t even human was horrible.
So horrible that Finley would not go there.
And, of course, though it was the much smaller part of his brain, cried out that if Declan wasn’t human then his ability to wield magic didn’t matter. Well, not for Finley anyways…
“Let’s get back to Vex,” Gemma said as she gave a brighter smile.
“Of course.” Rhalyf inclined his head.
“You haven’t told Finley what he should wear,” she said.
“Oh, well, the more skin showing the better, as I said–”
“Just so he can seduce them?” Finley asked dryly.
“And put them in their place, too. He doesn’t need to protect himself from them, but then there’s the most obvious reason,” Rhalyf answered.
“Which is?” Finley couldn’t think of anything obvious at all.
“His Blood Weapons and Armor,” Rhalyf answered.
Finley blinked. “His–”
“They appear as tattoos on the skin,” Rhalyf said. “Surely, even the Aravae works you found mentioned this?”
They hadn’t…
Tattoos on the skin? Immediately, Finley thought of the kitchen knife that Declan had used to kill the Kindreth.
After the battle it had seemingly disappeared except it really hadn’t.
It had become a tattoo on Declan’s skin.
Could it be a Blood Weapon? Or can only Kindreth have those? And he’s not… not…
“Kindreth want to show those off. The more Blood Weapons you have the more tattoos appear on your body. The more tattoos you have the more powerful you’re shown as being. Practically everything, but Vex’s face is covered in tattoos,” Rhalyf explained.
“Whoa! So he has full sleeves of tattoos and all the way down to his ankles, too?” Gemma asked.
“Even the tops of his feet and the palms of his hands,” Rhalyf told her. “There is one particular Blood Weapon called Soul Breaker. It’s a whip that you can only see the base of the hilt in the center of his left palm.”
“That’s amazing!” Gemma shook her head.
Rhalyf nodded. “So, as you can imagine, Vex likes to show them off. So clothing is often optional.”
“Ahhhhh.” Gemma’s eyes were really wide.
“You–you shouldn’t be talking to her about this. She’s only thirteen,” Finley objected weakly. The truth was that he was still reeling from the fact that Declan had a Blood Weapon. That had to be what the kitchen knife was. It had to be! But then…
“Well, why not? In human terms, she’s already lived more than one-tenth of her life span. She might have only ninety years of lovemaking to enjoy!” Rhalyf looked horrified at the thought.
Gemma giggled into her hand.
“She’s still a little girl, Rhalyf! Sex and stuff like that is ages away!” Finley protested.
“I don’t know about ages . Mom and Dad want me to hold off dating until I’m fifteen,” Gemma explained. “Truthfully, I’m not in any rush.”
“Yes, but… but you’re missing out!” Rhalyf still looked horrified.
“You are not talking to my little sister about missing out on sex, Rhalyf.” Finley pinched the top of his nose.
“I’m not offering myself! I’m just saying young people her age or–or–”
“It’s okay,” Gemma said with an amused shake of her head. “I’m glad that you think I seem adult enough to be doing that.”
“Dating and romance is overrated anyways,” Finley said.
Rhalyf lifted an eyebrow. “Really? That sounds rather jaded. How many lovers could you have possibly had in your–your what? Decade plus of dating time?”
Finley abruptly pinked. “I’ve had… I’ve not really had… I mean there was no time…”
“Finley hasn’t dated anyone,” Gemma said, but she looped her arm through his as if to take any sting out of that fact. “Not that you need to date people to have a full and happy life! It’s perfectly normal.”
“You don’t and it is! There is only so much time to study and learn! To fill it instead with–with pointless kissing and other things would just waste time,” Finley informed them.
“ Pointless kissing?” Both of Rhalyf’s eyebrows rose. “You haven’t been kissed properly then if that’s what you call it.”
“Maybe I haven’t, but I doubt spending time cooing at someone or being cooed over would be as valuable or rewarding as learning things!” Finley insisted.
He felt his cheeks flushed hotly as he explained himself. From the look on Rhalyf’s face it was clear that the Sun Elf did not believe a word he was saying. In fact, his expression was rather pitying .
“Don’t look at me like that! I don’t have oceans of time to study like you do. You have the time to do both, but I don’t! I barely have the time to be with friends, family, prepare for my game and study for Taranth’s exam,” Finley cried.
Gemma squeezed his arm. “It’s totally cool, Finley. I think if more people concentrated on things other than romance, the world would be even better.”
“Yes! Exactly!” Finley stared at Rhalyf without blinking, just daring the Sun Elf to say otherwise.
But Rhalyf just shrugged and said, “Each to their own, of course. But, I think, the world might be a little bit sadder for those who will never know what it’s like to kiss you or be kissed by you, Finley.”
Finley blinked and swallowed. Heat swelled within him. “I can’t imagine that being true.”
“Ah, it looks like our time together for right now is over. You are heading home and I must go to the palace,” Rhalyf said.
They had reached the dome. Tyrael’s serene and elegant beauty spread out before them.
“But you’re coming to the game, right? And you’re going to help Finley with Vex’s voice?” Gemma clarified.
“Absolutely. What time and where?” he asked.
Finley was almost reluctant to tell him exactly where, because then Rhalyf would know where he saw the rift to Illithor and might not actually come to the game.
And so what if he doesn’t? Then he’s not the person I’m beginning to believe he is!
“Eight,” Finley said. “It’s at the Memorial Park.”
“Where the Leviathan first broke through?” Rhalyf frowned.
“Right by where Declan’s house used to be,” Gemma told him with a solemn nod.
And something chilled in Finley at that simple statement. Was it just a coincidence that the first rift had appeared there? Or had the Leviathan immediately attacked the one person in Lightwell who could kill them?
“Our houses were just around the block from there. It’s all a beautiful park now,” Gemma continued. “I’m glad there’s nothing left actually.”
“You will be all right going there tonight, won’t you, Gemma?” Finley asked worriedly.
She immediately looked up at him. “Of course! I’m glad we’re having it there. It’s a big deal for you and… and I want to remember that place as somewhere to celebrate.”
“I shall meet you both there this evening,” Rhalyf promised.
He made a ridiculously sweeping bow and then was turning on his heel. Finley felt a sudden ache at the loss of his company. He tried not to think about why. Though he kept thinking about that kissing nonsense. And it was nonsense.
Finley and Gemma continued on down the road ahead of them towards their house.
Gemma was chatting idly, but he found himself unable to keep track of what she was saying.
He couldn’t stop thinking about all of the things that Rhalyf had said.
The Sun Elf knew so much about the Kindreth… and Blood Weapons… and…
Declan, Finley finished. I need to find out what he knows about Declan so I can support my best friend.
“Finley? What’s wrong? Why have you stopped walking?” Gemma asked.
He’d practically skidded to a halt. “I… Can you take this home for me?”
He pushed the bags of extra dice and figurines he had found in Hope towards her. She took them from him.
“Sure, but why?”
“I have to go–”
“Go where? Don’t you have to prepare for your game? I know that Helgrom is managing the setup of the space, but–”
“I have to talk to Rhalyf some more,” he said, which was true.
“About what?” Her forehead was furrowed.
“About…” Declan. Blood Tattoos. And if Declan isn’t… isn’t human. But instead he said, “About Vex. I’m going to ask him to play Vex tonight.”