Gotta continue after last time. I am so proud of the last chapter. Brace yourselves for a long one.
Blood Ties
Chapter Six
It was a week before the new school year, and Lilithein was on her way to her new home. To Kalego's house.
She was riding in a carriage her Uncle Narina rented for them. She was again dressed in the baggy clothes Opera had given her, but Kalego promised her that there were clothes her size waiting for her at the house.
Most teachers lived at the dorms. However, Kalego moved out of them the moment he could, refusing to live in the same dorm his predecessor had longer than he had to. The closest town near the school, that wasn't within walking distance of the Chair-demon's mansion, was Kali-Ma. It was a suburban area about the size of a small city. Though it could be a headache to go to town at times, the neighborhood he lived in was quiet, and his neighbors left him alone.
The brothers watched their niece as she gazed out the window, watching the scenery change from floating islands and trees to buildings and streets. Her gold eyes were filled with unease, and she had a healthy frown on her face. Narina had glanced at his brother to see what he would do, but was surprised to find him looking puzzled.
The elder sibling closed his eyes. He supposed...that was normal. However, he had to shove down the part of him that said Kalego wasn't a suitable guardian. This was a first for the younger, in many ways. He was simply inexperienced, and Kalego was determined to learn how to be better. This was something that both Narina and his brother's former classmates all knew.
When Opera, Balam and Narina observed Kalego interacting with Lilithein, each one absorbed what they saw differently. But, they were also pleasantly surprised by how capable Kalego appeared to be in that moment.
Narina was watching with a calm gaze, a feint smile gracing his lips. So far, he seemed to have underestimated his little brother. Seeing Kalego sit by Lilithein's side, his cool demeanor softened and his hands in his lap, Narina felt a bit of relief. He couldn't remember the last time his brother acted this...gentle. He had only just started, but so far, he was taking his position as a guardian in strides, and taking the time to decide how best to act. This came to Kalego naturally in combat and in academics, but it wasn't something he normally cared for in people. And the relief he felt at the sight only grew with what Balam and Opera told him when they reached the hospital lobby.
Balam was more than curious about how Kalego would take up his new role. The gargoyle was surprised when he learned that Kalego had taken custody of her. They were both dedicated teachers, but Kalego swore he'd never be a parent, as work took most of his time and energy. He had no interest or time to pursue a relationship, so having children just wasn't in the cards. And even if it were, he wouldn't be an adequate parent, or so he thought.
This wasn't said with any disdain or annoyance, Kalego was just stating the facts in a stable, calm and blunt manner. "I had told him once that he was a bit too close-minded about the possibilities, but he simply wouldn't hear it. And now, seeing him interact with Lilithein, I wonder if his viewpoint will change," Balam had said to him in private.
Opera had been watching out of concern, revealing to Narina something they only ever shared with Lord Sullivan:
"In spite of himself, I think Kalego actually blames himself for what happened to Helena," they said, ears flattened. "And since he failed to save his sister, he doesn't want to fail her daughter. At least, that's what it looks like to me." The security devil bowed to Narina before saying: "Please, give Kalego support in this. He will need it."
Opera's statements, though still a bit relieving, also left a pit in Narina's stomach. A pit that only grew larger with what happened the next day.
He and Kalego had visited Lilithein at a good time, listening to her read the book in her lap aloud. The pair listened for a few moments before Kalego spoke, amused by what he heard.
"I see Silence's child has started their journey," he said, only the faintest of smiles on his face.
When the girl looked at them and nodded, Kalego continued: "That's quite an animated narration you're doing. Did your mother read it like that, as well?"
Lilithein's cheeks turned pink and her shoulders tensed up. "Uh...yeah, she did," she said before looking back at them. "How did you know?" She asked.
"Lucky guess," Kalego said before approaching her. "How are you feeling today?" He asked her.
Before she could answer, a commotion outside drew their attention. The voice of Lilithein's doctor could be heard, yelling at some hoodlums that only grew louder and louder. The door burst open then, revealing three demons in suits, as well as the doctor with an annoyed look.
"I told you that you can't be here!" He yelled at them.
"And we told you that we would wait for Lady Lilithein to be stable. Now we must take her statement," said the demoness, the one standing in the middle of the group. Like her coworkers, she was wearing a black suit. She had moss-green hair pulled into a tight bun, and a set of grey eyes that could care less about anyone's feelings.
As the exchange occurred, Narina felt a vein pop in his forehead before he turned and took note of his family's reaction. Kalego looked as infuriated by the interruption as he expected, but Lilithein's own reaction is what drew his attention. She was glaring at her lap, and her hands were balled into fist. Once he saw this, he spoke to the three nuisances.
"All well and good," Narina said, standing before them, eyes narrowed and arms crossed. It took the three only a moment to recognize him, and just a few longer to start shaking before his stern gaze. "However, Demon Law states that you can't take a minor's statement without prior consent from their parent or guardian. You of all demons should know that, Agent Korvus. Or did you forget everything I taught you?" He said, his gaze hardening.
Agent Korvus, the demoness who spoke, froze where she stood before changing her tone. "Oh, Chief Narina, what a pleasant surprise!" She said with a nervous smile, sweat dripping down her face. "I didn't expect to see you, today. I was told you had taken some time off," she added with a nervous chuckle.
Narina's expression calmed only slightly, his eyes closing before he said: "You should have. A quick glance at Helena's background would have told you that she's my sister. So I'm taking some time to see my niece and help my brother in what ways I can. He is Lilithein's guardian now, so it's the least I could do."
Agent Korvus again froze for a second before slowly looking past her superior. She began shaking at the sight of Kalego, taking a few tentative steps back at noticing his murderous gaze. "I see," she said before taking a deep breath and recomposing herself. "I apologize for interrupting your visit, but we need to speak with the lady urgently."
"Get lost!" Lilithein barked without hesitation.
The girl's words rewarded her with a few stares, but Agent Korvus didn't appear surprised by Lilithein's response. She merely crossed her arms and said: "We did our jobs, Lady Lilithein. Your father's death was caused by the trauma of the attack. It couldn't have been clearer. I'm sorry for your loss, but you can't hate us for giving you the facts."
"Yeah, yeah, you're so sorry," Lilithein said turning her body and giving the woman a glare. "Just like you were sorry when Mr. Lu's son died. Just like you were sorry when a herd of vulcan dragons destroyed half of our fields. Just like you're so sorry that the two people who made you do your damn job aren't around to rip your head a new one for your laziness anymore! Hmph!"
Lilithein turned her head sharply and shut her eyes, crossing one arm over another. "I have nothing to say to you lot. I'll gladly speak with any other agent of Demon Border Control. But if you're in charge of my mom's case, then the chances of her being found are next to none," she stated, a strict firmness behind her wavering voice.
Kalego had stared at her for a moment before moving in front of her, creating a frightening wall between Lilithein and Agent Korvus. It took Narina a few moments longer to notice that Lilithein's limbs were trembling, and that her breathing had quickened a little.
"Narina," Kalego said. "Is what Lilithein just described on par with what this agent usually delivers?" He asked, his gaze never drifting from Agent Korvus.
Narina grunted. "It varies, but if Korvus truly loathes anyone or anything, she won't give her work much effort."
"Then allowing her to speak with Lilithein would be a waste of time."
"Beyond a shadow of a doubt," Narina said.
The three balked at the brothers, and began fumbling in an attempt to persuade them. After five minutes, the door opened again, and Henri Azazel walked in. And it was only with his appearance that Kalego began to calm down.
"That's enough, you three!" Henri ordered. "I allowed you in first because Styx River is under your watch. However, if this is how you handle victims of a crime, then your efforts will get you nowhere," he said before the three could protest.
Henri then approached Kalego and gave him a light bow. "I apologize. Both for how my agents acted and for leaving so abruptly last time," he said before raising his head. "I'll understand if you refuse, but we truly need Lilithein's statement."
Kalego gave Henri a thoughtful look, glanced at Lilithein, then brought a hand to his chin. After a few moments, the professor spoke. "You will be the one asking the questions?"
"I will."
"The peanut gallery will leave?"
"They will stay, but they won't say a word."
"And if this proves too much for her?"
Henri gave Kalego a light smile. "Then the interview will end," he said.
Several moments passed without Kalego giving an actual answer, having turned his head to see Lilithein, his hand still on his chin.
"Lilithein," Kalego called, not speaking until she made eye contact with him. "If you're truly not up for this, I'll make them leave. I won't force you to talk about it," he told her.
The girl didn't answer immediately, instead taking in a long, quivering breath through her nose. She was biting her lip and clenching the bed sheets, and remained silent for several seconds. Then, in a hushed tone she said: "If...if it'll help find Mom then I...I wanna try."
Kalego and Narina both exchanged knowing glances before Kalego gave his permission with a curt nod.
The demons situated themselves before the interview started. The three Styx River agents stood around their boss, notepads at the ready. Henri took a seat facing Lilithein's bed that, due to his height, made him eye level with the girl. Kalego stood as close to his niece as he could while Narina took a seat by her bedside. Lilithein herself spent the few moments catching her breath before looking up at Lord Henri, her ash-complexion already appearing pale. Something the red-head took instant note of.
Better take this slow, he thought, making sure to maintain his composure. Cases like this made him imagine his own daughter in the shoes of the victim, so he had to keep himself in check.
"Let's start from the beginning," Henri began, his eyes softening. "I understand that you and your mother were expecting company that night. Who was coming over? What was the occasion?" He asked her.
The girl let out a heavy sigh, her breath coming out more even and her expression calming slightly. She nodded at Henri and said: "Yes, Sir. Mom had invited Uncle Kalego, Professor Balam and Master Opera. She hadn't seen them since graduation, so she set up a reunion dinner."
Henri nodded, pausing for a second before continuing. "I see. Do you know why your mother was planning this?" He asked her.
Lilithein hesitated for a moment, biting the inside of her lip and glancing at Kalego before looking down at her lap. "It's because I got accepted into Babyls. I wanted to meet Uncle Kalego as my uncle before he became my teacher. She figured the best way to get him to come over was to invite the others as well," she said.
Henri smiled, not waiting for the agents to finish scribbling their notes before raising a brow and asking: "Why do you think you haven't met your uncle until now?"
She looked up at him and said: "She told me she got into a really big fight with Uncle Kalego when she last saw him. I think she was afraid he'd be angry at me for it." The girl looked at her guardian then, giving him a nervous smile. Kalego responded by putting a hand on her shoulder and giving it a light squeeze. He removed his hand once Lilithein's expression calmed, furrowing his brows at how tired she was already looking.
Henri gave the girl a moment more but then continued. "I see. And how was your mother feeling that night? Was she excited? Nervous?"
"Try both," Lilithein said without hesitation, her voice more firm. "She was acting all excited about the reunion. And to be honest, I believe she was. But whenever she thought about Uncle Kalego for too long, she started panicking a little."
"How so?"
"She would go over everything with a fine-toothed comb multiple times over," Lilithein said, her shoulder sagging at the thought. "I had to force her upstairs so she could get herself ready. She was so afraid that the food we made wouldn't be up to Uncle Kalego's taste or his standards."
"I see," Henri said, nodding a few times. He paused again, waiting for the agents to finish writing their notes before asking his next question. "And around what time did you force her to go upstairs?"
"Ten of six," she said. "I know because that's the time I pulled the roast out of the oven. I was going to put the finishing touches on dessert next, but she kept getting in the way. It was really annoying," the girl said, putting her hand over her eyes.
Kalego probably would have been holding in laughter if not for one thing he couldn't ignore. "Wait. Are you saying you were the one cooking the meal?" He couldn't help but ask.
Lilithein looked up at him and nodded. "Yeah. Mom's guard dog duties left her out most of the night, so dad ended up making most of our meals, and he taught me how to cook from when I was little. Plus, even if she weren't busy, Mom's always been kind of clueless outside of a few dishes. She helped with the prep work, but that was it."
A few dishes? Well, that's an improvement, Kalego thought, a brief look of surprise gracing his features.
Henri cleared his throat, getting the two dogs to face him. "Before the attack, did your mother act differently? Like she may have feared you were being targeted?"
Lilithein shook her head. "And you?" Henri asked her. "Has anything seemed out of the ordinary recently?"
"Everything's been out of the ordinary since Dad died," Lilithein said, looking down at her sheets and frowning again. "Mom made him a charm to keep him safe, and somehow it wasn't enough. She's so meticulous, and she would never underestimate anything that came our way. She always overcompensated for everything," she added, scrunching her bed sheets in her clawed hands.
The brothers exchanged knowing glances, then they each placed one of their hands on hers. Naberius Kai's death could indeed have been the result of not having enough protection. However, his death would have to be re-examined in a more thorough investigation before either of them would believe it.
Narina shook his head at the memory, then messaged his temples. He stole a glance at his brother again. He had recomposed himself, sitting up straight, his hands in his lap and his eyes closed. Most likely trying to think about how to proceed once they got to the house. Kalego had been living by himself for years, and even when he was living with their uncle, he didn't like the company. In spite of himself, Narina smiled at the thought.
"What are you smiling at, Uncle Narina?" Lilithein asked, her voice wavering slightly.
The older demon turned his attention forward. Her expression was the same as before, but she was now looking directly at him. Kalego had also turned to look at him, giving his older brother a raised brow.
Narina paused for only a moment, before saying: "I was just remembering Kalego when he was your age. He moved in with our uncle, who was also the guard dog of Babyls at the time."
Kalego froze at the explanation, but instead, Lilithein leaned forward and asked: "Isn't that the one Mom called: Uncle Random?"
Narina nodded at her, but before they could speak any more, the carriage pulled up to a dark, looming house.
Hope you enjoyed. We'll be picking this up again another time. Hope you enjoyed!
~ K. Fang-sama