The five of them soon found themselves in a cozy sitting room. "This is the room we use most often when we have guests." Leora explained. Most of the walls were lined with books, save for the one with a large couch covered in pillows. Across from the couch was a low coffee table, with two chairs on either side. Angie and Leora took the chairs, while everyone else piled onto the sofa. Triple sat on the very edge, ready to bolt at a moment's notice. Six and Mono made themselves at home, meanwhile, fully taking advantage of the seat's softness.
"A lot of guests don't react well to a TV," Angie said, adding to her daughter's previous thought. "So, we have books instead. Would you like to read something?"
Mono's eyes widened. "You have TVs here?"
Leora was quick to reassure him. "Don't worry. They were never connected to the transmission. We can play DVDs though, and I think we also have a game console or two! But we should probably stick to books for now."
As if to emphasize the light caster's point, a blast of thunder shook the room. Mono jumped, and Six burrowed even deeper into the couch cushions. "Yup, definitely should stick to books." Leora muttered under her breath, more to herself than to any of them.
Angie stood up, approaching a shelf. She picks out a worn paperback with a dragon on the cover and hands it to her daughter, who beams and buries her nose within the pages.
"Anything in particular you three would like to read? We have almost anything you can think of, we even have some books that can help you learn to master your magic. Of course, they're no substitute for proper training, but they can help you get a better understanding."
Triple scoffs. "Bet you don't have anything about umbrakinesis." Finally, got them, the shadow girl thinks, using the restraint she'd learned from her creator on The Maw to keep her wary glare from becoming a devious smirk. She'll say she doesn't have any, and she'll finally be exposed for—
Her train of thought was cut short when a familiar book was gently sat onto her lap. Its cover was black leather, but Triple could swear she saw something moving within it. It was entitled In The Shade, A Shadow Caster's Guide To The REalm of Darkness. Triple can't help it, she gapes.
Angie smiles kindly down at her, and if Triple didn't know better, she'd think it was genuine. "There you go," she says.
"I-I already read this one," the shadow girl stammers, which was true. She'd spent who knows how many days pouring over this text, honing her skills so she could escape from The Lady's grasp. She wasn't used to it being so thick, though.
"I wouldn't be so sure about that, given this is the latest addition," Angie says. "But even if you have, it's never a bad idea to revisit the basics. Something might stick out at you that didn't before."
It was then that Triple noticed her sister. She was practically vibrating with excitement. "I've never read that book before!" She exclaims in a loud whisper. "Can we read it together, Triple? Please?"
As per usual, Triple was unable to say know to her sister. 'I suppose," she says through a sigh.
Mono speaks up next. "Do you have anything about electric powers? Or, what did Leora call it techno…"
"Technomancy?" Angie was on the move again, and in a flash, she procured another book from the shelf. This one's cover was orange, and appeared to sizzle with static electricity. Mono shutters at the sight of it, but grabs it anyway. "Thanks," he says sincerely. "I really need to get these powers figured out."
"I can train you," Angie responds, tucking a strand of loose hair behind her ear. "But not today. For now, I have a lot of reports to look through. Le, you'll look after these three while I'm gone, right?"
The little light caster doesn't respond, too immersed in her book. Her mother taps her on the shoulder, causing her to nearly fall out of her chair. "Wah-ah! What? Oh, yeah, yeah! I'll make sure they don't get into trouble."
"Thank you sweetie."
Meanwhile, almost on the other side of town, two more girls were also trying to wait out the storm. They sat across from each other, sipping lukewarm tea from dainty porcelain cups.
"I say!" Exclaimed the slightly older of the duo, the excited clapping of her hands muffled slightly by the white silk gloves encasing them. "This tea party is absolutely divine, wouldn't you agree?"
"Oh, yeah." The other replies, fiddling with the end of her dark auburn braid. "A lot better than the first one of yours I went to, that's for sure."
The older girl nods, slightly jerkily, grabbing a cookie from a plate in the center of the table. "Quite."
The younger girl is quick to backtrack. "Sorry, sorry. I really shouldn't have brought that up."
"Don't worry about it," Her friend says softly, her otherworldly voice holding more kindness than anyone would have thought it's capable of. "It's in the past. I am curious, though. What brought this on? If… if I have done something to remind you of your—ahem, our time in The Nest…"
"No no no!" The younger girl cuts Lilith off, determined to nip her best friend's thought process in the bud. "It's not you, Lilith! Not you at all!"
"Then, what?"
"I just… I feel something spooky in the air. Like something is watching us."
Lilith giggles with a sloppily lipsticked smile. "Why, of course someone is watching us. As you well know, I have many friends here. My kitty, for one."
"No, I don't mean like that. Like, a monster got in from The Pale City somehow."
Lilith was quick to dismiss her friend's idea. "Impossible. The Haven is more protected than The nest was."
"I know, but I'm still getting a funny feeling. And I really don't think we should just ignore it."
Lilith takes a noisy sip of her tea. "Very well than." She grumbles. "I suppose we shall postpone this tea party for a later date."
The younger girl tried not to look relived. She knew how much Lilith loved her parties. It said a lot that she was willing to end one early for her. "So what, we tell a grownup?"
"Probably the best thing to do." Lilith waves a gloved hand, and a tall, imatiated corpse of a man approaches and begins clearing away the tea party things.
"Hey! YOu're not supposed to do that, lil! Remember?"
"Well, I suppose you can grass on me when we speak with miss Valentine." Lilith says with a huff, her amber eyes turning a slightly darker red with her slight annoyance. This was one of the traits that many found offputting, aside from the whole necromancy thing.
"I won't do that, but you're on your own if anyone sees."
Lilith sighs but nods, jiggling her silver ponytail. "I can accept that. Now, come on, Isabelle."
A/N: I live! There's no excuse for me not to have updated this fic in so long, but I have now, and that's good.
And yeah, two new characters are joining the roster. I bet you can't guess who they are. ;) it's probably really obvious.