Chapter 13
Point Of View
Despite the elaborate glamours that Vex had demonstrated to them not moments before, he chose a form that was little different from his own for their visit to Hope.
In fact, he mostly copied Declan. His eyes turned from red to a piercing green.
His hair went from silvery white to midnight black. And his ears rounded.
As to his clothing, his legs were suddenly sheathed in tight, faded blue jeans that were frayed in all the right places and a sleeveless black turtleneck appeared that clung to his muscled chest. And for once, he actually wore footwear, but, of course, they weren’t standard shoes, but black, leather boots that wouldn’t have been out of place on a rockstar’s stage.
When he fished out a pair of Ray Bans from the back pocket of his jeans the look was complete.
Beautiful. Sensual. Dark god.
When he had finished the glamour, Vex stood in front of Declan and spread his arms slightly to his sides as if presenting himself for inspection. His best friend stared at the Night King for long beats. Glamoured so simply like this, Vex looked like who he was: Declan’s father.
He didn’t exactly appear human, at least not any more than Declan did if one studied him too closely.
Their skin was too porcelain fine and shimmered slightly.
Their eyes were luminous in a way only seen in Instagram filters that no longer existed.
Their hair fell just so to look sexily mussed and windswept instead of limp or unmanageable.
But the similarities between them had become more stark now that Vex’s Kindreth wardrobe was stripped away and replaced by human clothes.
Father and son.
Yet Finley was not surprised when Declan merely lifted an eyebrow and turned away from his father to accompany Aquilan out the door of the Dawn.
Declan was not charmed. Vex’s expression didn’t change when Declan did that, but Finley felt the disappointment fall over the Night King’s shoulders like a cloak. His heart hurt a little bit.
“He’ll come around,” Finley told him softly.
Vex’s eyes continued to track Declan, but he answered Finley, “Oh? Was he this way with the Bastons?”
“If you were watching him all this time then surely you know he was?” Finley made that into a question rather than a statement.
Had Vex been watching? Most people would wonder if that was the case why Vex had not come when the wards had fallen and the Leviathan had attacked.
But Finley didn’t. He already knew the answer.
Declan had to rise or fall on his own. Until Vex figured out that watching his son fall was intolerable.
He was going to figure that out. Eventually.
“I have better things to do than watch a teenager. And my son’s days and nights were hardly titillating. Going to school, spending time with you or the Wildes, then sleeping. Hardly worth noticing really. Boring. Uneventful.”
“Safe. Happy,” Finley added.
Vex tossed his head back. “I suppose. But that didn’t last long, did it? It’s like danger sniffed him out.”
His eyes still tracked Declan and Aquilan as they disappeared out the door with Haera and Rhalyf hurrying after them.
Rhalyf, of course, had looked over at Finley meaningfully and made a movement to come to him, but Finley had shaken his head and indicated he should go on first. He would accompany Vex.
At least as long as the Night King would have him as a companion.
Rhalyf’s brows had furrowed whether in frustration or concern, Finley wasn’t sure, but he did leave.
Reluctantly. If it was out of concern, that was foolish.
After all, if Vex meant him harm a few feet between them more would hardly save him.
If he were frustrated… but no. Rhalyf was not the type to get jealous about something like this.
He knew–or should know–that what Finley felt for Vex was…
Well, it was not what he felt for Rhalyf.
“Well, if you had been looking five years ago, what you would have seen is Declan glowering in corners, not speaking to either Michael or Shonda, for the first few weeks after the Bastons had managed to make their way from Washington DC to Tyrael,” Finley said.
“He was still in war mode, I suspect,” Vex murmured.
“I think you’re right. He didn’t sleep much.
And he never let his guard down,” Finley sighed, remembering just how strained and thin Declan became during that time.
His friend had been a shadow of himself.
Like a blade blackened with old blood. Speaking of blades, the kitchen knife had not remained a tattoo on his skin for long, but would appear in his hand if there was the slightest sound that shouldn’t have been.
Even with the Aravae Mages protecting them, Declan would still slip out and be gone sometimes for the whole night.
Killing Leviathan. “Shonda would lower her voice when she spoke to him. Michael would offer a hand to lure him out. They tried to tempt him with food, drink, and conversation. That last one would never work, of course.”
“They treated him like a wild animal!” Vex let out a slightly disbelieving laugh, but his eyes finally flickered to Finley.
“He didn’t trust anyone. After what had happened…
” Finley grimaced. He realized he had not truly looked at Declan’s behavior back then.
It was not of someone who had discovered the joys of magic at all, but a warrior that was ready to snap.
Though Declan had only told him a few halting things about his time in the Under Dark since he’d recovered a few memories, it hadn’t sounded good.
“I think, though he didn’t remember his past back then, that part of him had regressed to that time. Training and–”
“Being in danger constantly,” Vex finished.
Something flickered across the Night King’s face. Was it regret that he had not known about Declan and, therefore, couldn’t spare him from the harshness of that existence? Of the loss of his mother? Two mothers? And a father?
“Yes. He would only let Gemma and me near him and he never wanted us out of his sight,” Finley sighed and ran a hand through his hair.
“It was this one night when Gemma was having a nightmare and Shonda wouldn’t leave her side when Declan realized they were allies.
Shonda was holding Gemma. Rocking her in the moonlight.
Gemma was finally sleeping. Shonda was exhausted, but she wouldn’t go to bed herself.
But Declan wasn’t going to leave Gemma either.
So Declan sat down beside her. They laid Gemma out over their laps and just…
just watched over her together until dawn.
After that, the walls between Declan and them crumbled.
Shonda and Michael have always been patient.
Gentle. Understanding. It was what he needed to finally open up to them. ”
“Then things will never change between Rahven and me!” Vex turned his head so that he was finally looking at Finley instead of the closed door. His eyebrows had risen with every adjective. “Patient? Gentle? Understanding? Do I seem like that?”
Finley laughed. “Not really, no. You’re used to getting what you want when you want it, if not before. No one can refuse you.”
“But Rahven does.”
“Yes.”
“He is… unimpressed with me.”
“I doubt that. He knows your power. Well, somewhat. But he does not fear anyone,” Finley explained. “So if you’re looking for that you’ll never see it.”
“What does he fear?” Vex asked, almost casually as if he weren’t really interested in the answer.
Helgrom was puttering on the other side of the bar, smoking a fresh pipe, but Finley saw his intense, intelligent amber eyes cast their way. Finley knew that this was a warning to tread carefully. As if he would do anything else with this powerful, mysterious, unknowable dark god.
“Nothing you could ever be. He fears only failing those he loves. But I think you… you understand that very well,” Finley finally said.
A half smile lit Vex’s handsome face. “Ah, you’re still looking for the anti-hero in me and not the villain.”
“Perhaps. But I think you can choose which to be,” Finley admitted. “A full villain wouldn’t have found it too painful to watch his son all the time.”
“Painful? I didn’t find it…”
There was a clearing throat from behind the bar and a clink of glassware. Helgrom said nothing else, but Vex sighed and gave a tired smile. The lie died on his lips.
“C’mon, let’s catch up to the others. I think you’re going to enjoy Hope,” Finley told him. “You’ll, at least, get some good tchotkes to remember humanity by.”
Finley reached towards Vex, offering his arm.
He wouldn’t touch the Night King without permission, but he wouldn’t shy away from offering to if it was wanted.
Vex’s eyes dropped down to that offered arm.
Perhaps to his surprise–to both their surprises–he took it.
Arm in arm they headed out into the sunshine with Vex casting over his shoulder, “Make sure you get in at least a dozen hams, Hein! And eleven of those are for me!”
“You’ll pay double!” Helgrom called back. “Annoyance tax, remember?”
Vex just laughed.
The day was gorgeous. Sunwashed white stone paths stretched out ahead of them as if daring them to go on an adventure.
The wind rushed and shushed through the trees.
The glorious, sweet scent of flowers filled the air.
Brightly colored petals danced around them–especially around Aquilan–and formed wreaths in their hair.
Well, not in Vex’s hair. He looked at one petal askance that attempted to land on his dark locks.
It promptly withered and dropped to the ground.
“Did you ever come to Earth before… before all this?” Finley asked.
“I did.”
“When? Did you disguise yourself as human? Did you see great moments in human history?” Finley rattled off.
Vex chuckled. “You are assuming I consider anything in human history great.”
“True, but–”