Chapter 8
Phin
Once the numbness passed, I got shakily to my feet, determined to make good use of the bath.
The thought of languishing in hot water to chase away the chill that lingered in my bones after living in the drafty church for so long was a temptation I couldn’t resist. If nothing else, I could wash the fake colorants from my hair and face.
The bathroom itself was just as plainly decorated as the bedchamber.
A small water closet for the toilet was set off in one corner, and the shortest wall hosted a length of countertop and sink with a plain mirror over it.
The tub was oversized, and the main attraction of the room.
It sat under a four-paned window with a plain curtain, the windowsill extra deep and serving as a shelf for the cake of soap and shampoo bottles.
To my absolute delight, water ran steamy directly from the faucet, and the towel I’d been left was plush and soft.
The soap and shampoos smelled like lavender.
Tears sprang to my eyes as I took stock of the space, moving from one thing to the next with an odd sense of wonder.
Father Morton had done his best, but luxury was not in his vocabulary.
Old, scratchy towels and the cheapest of soaps had left my hair dry and skin itchy and raw more often than not.
My clothes were all second- or third hand.
Not that he was living any differently—everything the church had was old and worn.
The new items presented to me here were a much-appreciated novelty, one that reminded me of the comfortable life I’d had before my parents had left me at the church.
As I settled into the hot water, I shoved away all thought; it could wait for a little while. I soaked and scrubbed, emerging only once the water had cooled and my fingertips were wrinkled.
After dressing in my most comfortable tunic and the one pair of soft woolen leggings I’d managed to keep in good repair, I emptied the contents of my bag onto the bed.
There wasn’t much to put away, but I methodically stored my meager collection of clothing in the dresser and lined up my collection of pretty rocks on the nightstand by color.
My stomach finally decided to come around, growling loudly as I returned to the bathroom, hanging my towel to dry and making sure that the tub had emptied.
The one in the church had a habit of draining very slowly, then stopping with an inch or so left in the basin.
This one, on the other hand, worked perfectly.
Finding everything in order and with no other tasks to distract me, I cautiously went back down the hall toward the kitchen.
Despite the quiet, there was an ambient hum, like the whole of the crossroads was breathing. It likely had something to do with the energy flowing to and from all the portals, but it reminded me of the way Heaven had always sounded, just lower, softer. I found it comforting.
As I peered into the kitchen, I stiffened at finding Tap standing at the counter.
His broad shoulders moved with precision as he worked, barely wrinkling the sleeves of his shirt.
He turned, sensing me staring. His quick glance turned into a longer one, and I blushed as he scanned me up and down.
The corner of his mouth ticked before he turned back to his preparations.
“I thought you might still be resting, I was going to bring this to your room. Did you find everything you needed?”
I stepped closer, unsure what to do with myself. “Yes, thank you.”
“Good. It’s just sandwiches, but I thought I should make an attempt at a proper meal.” He turned, two plates in hand, and gestured with his elbow toward the table. “I don’t often have guests, at least not ones aside from my brother, so I’m afraid my hospitality skills are a little rusty.”
I sat in one of the four mismatched chairs, and he selected the one across from me, setting a plate in front of us both. “You’re doing just fine.”
He visibly brightened at my compliment and turned back to get a pitcher of water and cups, along with a bowl of cut fruit. “That’s kind of you to say.”
Everything looked fresh and delicious. While the offerings were plentiful in Vincara, particularly through the merchants that brought things to the apothecary, Father and I had mostly survived on bread, stews, and whatever root vegetables were either in season or kept well.
My stomach rumbled again, and as I blushed, he smiled and took a hearty bite. Encouraged, I sampled some of the fruit and was pleasantly rewarded with a burst of flavor I hadn’t tasted since before coming to Earth the last time.
I gasped, nostalgic tears suddenly burning my eyes.
“Starberries.” I inhaled slowly, trying to regulate the surge of emotion that had hit me from the sight of the fruit.
“It’s been a very long time since I had these.
” I picked one of the little coin-sized golden fruits out, pleased to find he’d cut them in half to better show their five-pointed shape.
“My brother has taken an interest in specialty plants recently. Between his gardens and Merry’s greenhouse, there’s quite a number of things growing I haven’t seen in an age. I think we all remembered a fondness for these.”
“The brother that I met? Seir?”
He shook his head, half of a berry impaled on the tine of his fork. “No, another. Rylan.”
“How many do you have?”
Tap’s head tilted. “You recognized that I was of the original fallen. Do you also know how many of us there were?”
I considered, but that part of my memory was fuzzy. There was no recognition like there had been connecting his name and that he’d leapt from the heavens. “No, sorry.”
“No need for apologies. I was curious what you’d been taught, is all. I have seven brothers. We all left with Lucifer.”
“Oh. That’s quite a few.”
“Indeed.” His eyebrows dropped and he frowned. “Do you have any siblings? Are there other Nephilim like you out there we should be worried for? It might be possible to arrange something for them as well. I should notify my brothers of what Armaros is up to, regardless.”
My fork halted halfway back to my plate.
It was such an odd thing for him to say, and yet, it didn’t seem as though it was an unusual question for him to ask at all.
Of all the things in the world for him to want to know, he was most curious whether or not I had a loved one we should be seeking out to protect?
We’d barely met, and he thought there was a we?
“Why?”
His eyes widened slightly as he absorbed my confused tone. “Why not? Shouldn’t they also be saved from such a cruel fate?”
“But …” I found myself unable to disguise my shock. “You don’t even know me.”
“I wouldn’t know them either, but if you thought they were worthy of being spared, family or not, I would use my resources to find a way.” His head tilted to the side, eyes narrowed and mouth tight in confusion. “Is that so different from what you would do, if our roles were reversed?”
It took me several moments to gather my wits enough to respond.
Everything about him threw me off balance.
“No. I suppose not.” I stared at him, waiting for a change in attitude, some indication of humor or anger that would expose him as the devious, trickster creature I’d been taught a demon might be.
But nothing happened. He radiated only sincerity and gentle strength, and I had no idea how to reconcile that.
“I’m an only child,” I admitted. “Though I’m sure there are others out there, they are not relations of mine. ”
Tap nodded and conversation fell off as we both worked through our meals. My stomach was pleasantly full and my mind tired from over analyzing everything that had happened since I’d woken that morning by the time we finished. I reached for the plates, but he waved me off.
“I can manage the dishes if you’d like to return to your room to rest.” When I didn’t move, he continued, “If not … I have several hobbies. Most are not what I would consider good choices for entertainment, but I’m sure we could come up with something.”
My body was definitely tired, but I was certain my thoughts would continue to spin for quite a while.
“What time is it?”
“Something comparable to nine bells or so, probably.”
Torn between my desire to explore my new temporary home, to stay and study this fascinating demon, and my fatigue, I hesitated. In the end, much like my stomach had decided for me, a yawn betrayed my exhaustion and made the choice for me.
Tap smiled softly. “There’s no sunrise here, but you’ll find that the windows brighten and darken with the passing of time.
” It wasn’t until then that I even realized I hadn’t thought twice about the fact that there were windows here at all.
“Sleep as much as you like, there’s no rush.
When you’re up and ready in the morning, come find me.
We’ll go over what needs done in the library then. ”
“Okay. Good night.”
“Sleep well, Phin. If you need anything, I’ll be in the great hall.” I turned to go but paused at his next words. “It looks nice, by the way.”
“Sorry?”
“Your hair. There was something in it before, yes? This color, it suits you much better.”
I blushed hot, fingers straying to the short strands at the back as I left the kitchen on another mumbling of gratitude and returned to my room.
I went through the motions of preparing for bed, making sure the door was open enough that I could see a sliver of light from the hallway before I slid between the sheets.
The mattress was far softer than I was used to, the blanket warmer.
As I sank into the pillow and my eyes grew heavy, I silently listed off the things I was grateful for out of long ingrained habit.
My new residence was unexpected to say the least, but I didn’t feel as uncomfortable as I’d worried I might, in any sense. I nestled down and blinked heavily up at the vast darkness that was neither ceiling nor sky, but somehow felt like both, oddly optimistic for the first time in years.