Delilah stood in the Council Chamber of the Library of Solitude, taking it all in.
The Library of Solitude was constructed as a series of concentric rings around a central tower. Delilah had been in the central tower before, on a lower floor where the Dream Forge was located. She had no idea that the top floor of the tower was a special chamber for the sole purpose of holding council among Paladins and Sub-Paladins.
It was a dome, the entire glass ceiling looking up at a vast, starry sky. Like the regular hub rooms throughout the Library, the Council Chamber had several shallow tiers working down toward the center, but unlike those hub rooms which were full of bookshelves and study areas, these tiers were wide open aside from the lowest center, where a huge circular table with one hundred chairs around it sat empty. More chairs sat on specialized shelves against the walls on the highest tiers, waiting to be needed.
“Hey, Mommy,” Isabelle said, tugging on Lady Kodoka’s dress. “Why is the sky so sparkly?”
Delilah thought the question strange at first, but taking another look up she realized it wasn’t. The sky over the Library of Solitude was like the sky over Hollow Island, like the sky over many Locations in the Enchanted Dominion that Delilah had visited — there were no stars. So why was the sky above this dome so similar to Earth’s starry sky?
“The glass is special,” Kodoka said, stroking Isabelle’s hair gently. “From the Council Chamber we actually look up at the entire universe. Each star represents either a star in the Earthly Universe, or a Location throughout the Enchanted Dominion. And do you know what the brightest stars represent?”
“The prettiest places?” Isabelle asked.
Kodoka laughed softly. “The brightest stars represent the Daylight Bastions,” she said.
“The stars…” Marcus said, staring up at the sky.
“What about them?” Maribelle asked.
“It isn’t as bright here as it once was,” Marcus said. “As if the stars are… going out.”
“They are,” Kodoka said, her gaze fierce as she stood, looking up at the sky. “The Endless Night is coming, and is heralded by the spread of Darkness. Unless it is stopped, one-by-one the stars will go out, until none are left.”
“And that’s why you’re calling all the Paladins here,” Alice said. “All hands on deck, right?”
“Correct,” Kodoka said. Ever since the argument in the Revue Palace when she’d reluctantly agreed to allow the pair to become Paladins, she’d avoided looking at Delilah or Alice. And whenever she did reply to them — sometimes she simply ignored them — she was always so brusque.
Well, even though she’s not happy about it, she’s still allowing it. I guess that’s enough to be grateful for.
Lady Kodoka was someone Delilah couldn’t wrap her head around. She could be so tender and gentle, especially with Isabelle, but more often than not she had a hard, angry look in her eyes, and walked with such perfect poise she ended up seeming more rigid than graceful. She was beautiful in an ethereal sort of way, but that only added to everything else about her to make her seem…
Distant. She seems so alien, even though she looks like her daughters, she looks like an Enchanted, not a strange being like Revue. Yet Revue somehow feels more… real.
Who is Lady Kodoka? She’s the Prime Paladin, the most important Paladin there is, in charge of the most important Bastion…
But who is she beneath the titles and responsibilities? What kind of person is she? I just can’t figure her out.
“This is where everyone will meet once they all arrive,” Marcus said, smiling warmly at Delilah and Alice. “Paladins take their seats around the table, while Sub-Paladins arrange chairs on higher tiers so they can watch and listen.”
“So we’ll get to sit at the table,” Alice said, a gleam in her white eyes.
“That’s right,” Marcus said. “But until the time for the Council comes, there’s still plenty of work for us to do, isn’t there?”
“Like training to become Paladins!” Alice said excitedly.
“Like cleaning up Revue Palace, right?” Delilah asked. She chuckled as Marcus gave her a nod and Alice groaned.
“I thought it was time to do cool stuff,” Alice said, pouting slightly.
“Oh, it might be more ‘cool’ than you think,” Marcus said. “I think we might be able to multitask.”
“Training while we clean?” Alice asked.
“That’s about the sum of it,” Marcus said.
“Can I help clean, too?” Isabelle asked, racing up to join the girls.
“You want to clean?” Alice asked, eyes flickering to black as she stared at Isabelle.
“Uh-huh,” Isabelle said, giggling. “I like being around Revue.”
“Then it’s settled!” Maribelle said, joining them. “We’ll all head back to Revue Palace and give our very best.”
“Mommy, are you coming?” Isabelle asked.
Kodoka stood staring at the sky, and shook her head slightly. “No,” she said, with an absent sort of tone. “I have things of my own to attend to.”
“Okay…” Isabelle said slowly, shoulders slumping. But she came along with the others as they left.
On the way out, Delilah passed by an entrance to the Outer Gardens and stopped, staring.
“Shias?” she asked, racing outside.
“Delilah?” Shias asked, turning and looking at her with surprise. “When did you get here?”
“I’ve been here for a while!” Delilah said, giving her brother a hug. “I saw Shana and the others. She didn’t say you were here. But… well, we did have a lot to talk about.” She pulled away, staring up at Shias. “But why aren’t you with her for her trial in Dreamworld?”
“While she handles that, Ben and I are training out here,” Shias said, nodding to Ben. “We’re all focusing on what we can do to be our best as part of the team.”
Delilah smiled. She could understand that. That had been so much — was still so much — of her training with her Felines. Everyone had their own abilities, their own ways that they could best serve the team’s common purpose.
“Well, I’ll be in and out of here for a while, I think,” Delilah said. “If you need anything or just want to chat, let me know.”
“I will,” Shias said. He’d seemed a little troubled at first, but now smiled. He never had the big, exuberant smiles of Shana, but it was his smaller, gentler smiles that Delilah recognized as most genuine for Shias — and it was one of those smiles that he wore now.
“You didn’t introduce me,” Alice said as they walked away.
“Sorry!” Delilah said, turning to head back. “I can still —”
“It’s fine, it’s fine,” Alice said, laughing. Her eyes flicked to white. “Come on, we’ve got work to do, you know?”
“Yeah, tons of work!” Isabelle said. “And fun, too!”
“Fun?” Alice asked. “Who said there was gonna be any fun?”
“Mari said so!” Isabelle said, pointing at her sister. “Plus, it’s a theater! The biggest theater in all the universe! There’s nothing but fun there! Sets and lights and props and costumes… it’s the best!”
“Costumes, huh…?” Alice asked, trailing off thoughtfully.
In Revue Palace, Delilah understood what Alice had been thinking about. “Hey, Revue!” Alice said, hopping up onto the main stage and waving to the mask-faced woman. “Where do you keep all of your costumes? I wanna see if there’s a new outfit I can go for, you know?” She gestured at herself. “I feel like I’ve outlived this style.”
“All of the costumes are backstage, of course, love,” Revue said, her mask warping into a smile. She gestured with long, ring-bearing fingers to the door in the center of the main stage.
“But there are a bunch of different backstage rooms, aren’t there?” Delilah asked. “When we were against the Sons of Night —”
“That’s only for performances, love,” Revue said. “Outside of performances, the entire backstage is one gigantic area. It’s dreadfully, horrifically disorganized right now, but if you’re going back there, now’s a perfect time to work on getting it in order, isn’t it?”
Alice groaned, earning an angry masked face as Revue bent down to stare at her up close. “Are you complaining, love?” Revue asked.
“Oh no, me?” Alice asked with a smirk. “I would never.”
Revue laughed dramatically, shaking her head. “Ah, of course you wouldn’t. Well, go on in! I look forward to seeing what you decide to wear.”
In they went, Delilah, Alice, Isabelle, Marcus, and Maribelle all together. Despite all the work Teddy and Rabanastre had been doing backstage to clear out cobwebs and battle giant spiders, to sweep up dust and generally make the place manageable, they hadn’t gotten anywhere close to handling the insanely jumbled mass of clutter everywhere. Sets were knocked over on top of each other, clothing racks were on their sides, desks and mirrors were askew, and backstage was just so big. It just kept going, and Delilah gaped as more and more lights snapped on, going back and back and back. It was a space she could easily wander in for days.
“Oh boy,” Alice said, raising an eyebrow. Rabanastre appeared at her side, and she looked up at him, flashing a sheepish grin. “You’re still up for helping, right, big guy?”
Rabanastre always looked so angry to Delilah, yet he set to work right away without complaint. Isabelle tossed Teddy from her backpack, and he grew large and went to work as well, and Delilah called forth all of her Felines to join the tasks. While Felix, Nekoma, and Redmond helped with righting knocked-over sets and shelves, Reginald, ever the butler, set about dusting, sweeping, and polishing everything in sight.
“Now, let’s see if we can start organizing this,” Delilah said, rolling up her sleeves. She pulled out a large pink scrunchie, tying her wild blonde curls back into the best ponytail she could manage, putting the most effort into getting her hair out of her face so she could stay focused. She smacked her hands lightly against her face to psyche herself up, surveying the tasks before her with a determined gaze. “Here we go.”
They started off by sectioning areas, with set pieces and large props being immediately moved back as far as they could, to be dealt with and organized later. They’d focus first on categorizing and organizing costumes and smaller props and accessories. Isabelle had chalk in her backpack that came in handy, drawing long lines on the floor to mark out specific areas and always keep their tasks within a manageable, reasonably-sized space. Maribelle was the one who came up with categories, and together everyone worked to sort through clothing, accessories, and props, and put them into piles based on category. When they started to get a sense of how large each pile would be and how many racks and shelves they had to work with, Delilah picked out racks and marked them for specified categories, and then started hanging and shelving items according to their category. When the piles were nearly complete, Alice joined her, and then Maribelle, and eventually all of them were working to turn their messy piles into properly ordered racks and shelves, finding proper places for them in this first section of backstage.
It was here in this first section that they landed on a system to use, coming up with shorthand and settling on categories that weren’t too broad, nor too tightly specific. Every article of clothing would need to be washed — even the cleaner ones had at least a fine layer of dust — but everything was hung and sorted except for cases that were deemed “high-priority wash” and piled up near the entrance. Once they had everything sorted like that, Reginald deftly carried the priority-wash items out to find the right facilities for getting clothes clean once more.
“Trust a butler-cat to get the costumes the cleanest they’ve ever been,” Alice said with a grin. Isabelle followed after Reginald to help, so enamored was she with his smaller size compared to the other Felines and his prim and proper “butlery” mannerisms.
They were halfway through sorting the second section into piles by category when Reginald and Isabelle returned, swapping out freshly-washed costumes for everything else that was a lower priority for cleaning, then left again to wash those. By the time the second section was ready with a high-priority wash pile, all of the first section’s clothes were clean, and Reginald and Isabelle left with the latest pile.
Delilah heaved a sigh as she sat at a dressing table, catching a glimpse of her sweaty, dusty face in the mirror. She wiped off her face before taking a long series of gulps from her water bottle. All around, everyone took a break, Isabelle joining them when she returned from the latest wash. Only Teddy and the Summons kept working, ever tireless, though Delilah kept a close connection with her Felines to make sure.
They never do seem to tire unless I overdo it myself. And even when I’m exhausted, they’re still ready to leap to my defense, to stand strong and tall against any foe.
I can feel any wounds they sustain, I can feel their exertions…
But they’re never tired. I’m not sure how that works.
Thinking back to their origin as Will Wisps, maybe that was all there was to it. The Wisps found their joy, their purpose, in their Summoner. And they didn’t need to eat, didn’t need to sleep, didn’t need to drink…
Perhaps they sustained themselves on joy in their purpose, a joy that would never run out.
Delilah smiled as Reginald returned from another wash, and called him over, wrapping him in a hug. She relished in his soft warmth, but more than anything, she made sure to thank him profusely.
“You’re the most wonderful butler-cat in the whole universe,” she said. “Thank you so much for everything you do.”
After a bit of a break, everyone got back to work on the third section, and then the fourth, completing both before breaking for lunch. They ate out on the main stage, Revue joining them even though she didn’t eat anything herself. It was an interesting place to eat — no tables, no chairs, so they just sprawled out on the floor. It felt so relaxed, so casual, so carefree, and Delilah loved it.
It makes this place feel like home. And in a way…
That’s what it’s going to be, isn’t it? When Alice and I are proper Paladins, this will be our home more than anywhere else.
Even though there was so much space around her, even though so many of the lights were off and the seats were empty, the grand theater didn’t feel lonely or haunted.
It felt so very strangely homely.
“Do you just eat when we’re not looking?” Alice asked, lying on her back and staring up at Revue.
“A diva does not eat in the presence of others,” Revue said, somewhat indignantly, but in a way that Delilah thought was kind of cute. “She must always maintain the presence befitting a star.”
“So stop being a diva,” Alice said. “Just hang out with us. It could be fun, you know.”
“Stop being a diva?” Revue asked, even more indignantly. But her following tirade just got laughs out of Alice, Delilah, and Isabelle.
When they returned backstage to start on the fifth section, Alice stopped, staring at Marcus with black eyes and pursed lips.
“What’s the matter?” Marcus asked.
“You said we would train while we cleaned,” Alice said.
“Ah, yes,” Marcus said, staring up at the ceiling. “I see…”
“You forgot,” Alice said.
“Oh, no, I never forget,” Marcus said, a twinkle in his eye as he smiled. “I was merely so engrossed in cleaning and working with the rest of you that it was far from my mind.”
“That’s the same as forgetting,” Alice said.
Delilah laughed, joining Maribelle in marking piles for each category and starting to sort clothes and props into their proper piles. “Come on, let’s get to work,” she said.
“Fine, fine,” Alice said. But she pointed at Marcus as she walked away. “Don’t you pick up a thing, gramps. You need to focus on training us.”
“ ‘Gramps’?” Isabelle asked, seeming torn between shock and laughter.
As they set to work, Marcus stood back, leaning slightly on his staff, watching them with his unflappable smile. “There are two very important distinctions between Paladins and Sub-Paladins,” he said. “It isn’t simply rank. Sub-Paladins do work under and follow orders from the Paladins they’re assigned to, but that’s not all there is. If it was, then the most obvious question would be ‘why aren’t they all just Paladins?’ And the two distinctions are the answer to that question.”
“Are you gonna start every topic with a long preamble?” Alice asked, chucking a dress over her shoulder. Even though she hadn’t looked where she’d thrown it, it landed neatly in the right pile. She did the same with a pair of high-heeled sandals.
“If it interests you that much, I likely will,” Marcus said with a soft chuckle. “The two important distinctions between Paladin and Sub-Paladin are that of responsibility and of right. On responsibility, Sub-Paladins come and go from their Bastion frequently, and often don’t live there permanently. Sub-Paladins are not called upon for Council meetings except in times of greatest crisis, like what we currently face with the oncoming Endless Night. And Sub-Paladins are not granted the same powers as Paladins, because there is not as much expected of them. Where much is asked, much is also given. To those who are most faithful, more is entrusted. Paladins are called upon to give their lives, if necessary, in defense of Bastion and all their Bastion protects. And Paladins are called upon to battle the Lieutenants of Darkness, whoever they may be. In this current age, the Sons of Night fill that role… as does Jormungand.”
“Who’s Jormungand to you, anyway?” Alice asked. “You guys have a huge beef with each other.”
“I’ll get to that,” Marcus said.
“So Paladins have more power, and more responsibilities,” Delilah said, “and the two are linked: power and responsibility.”
“That’s right,” Marcus said.
“You could’ve just said that,” Alice said.
“You could stop being rude,” Isabelle said. She and Alice suddenly engaged in an intense staring contest, which neither girl seemed prepared to back down from.
“So what’s the important distinction for us, personally?” Delilah asked. “You were going to have us become Sub-Paladins, but now Paladins. I know the promise to Revue is the biggest part of that, but it seems like there’s more going on. You also talked about ‘right’ as the other distinction. I remember reading about that on the Moon.”
“You’ve proven yourselves,” Maribelle said. “You stepped up to great responsibility, took this fight against Darkness upon yourselves and won major victories, despite being children.”
“She’s a child, too,” Alice said, pointing at Isabelle, who finally blinked, bursting out in a fit of laughter.
“Human children, I should have specified,” Maribelle said. “Your lifespans are so incredibly short, and as children they’ve been even shorter. Belle-Belle has already lived for a few dozen Human lifetimes.”
Alice’s jaw dropped. Delilah just laughed. She already knew that much, but it was funny seeing a very different reaction after all this time.
“Your lifespans are what made Lady Kodoka hesitate,” Marcus said, “and what has kept us from allowing Humans to be Paladins or even Sub-Paladins for so long. It’s an unspoken, unwritten rule, and so not really a rule. I’m glad to be the one who could help keep that rule from being properly written.”
“But wait, what are you, then?” Alice asked, pointing at Marcus.
“Are you just gonna keep changing the subject?” Isabelle said with a sigh, only to topple over backwards as Alice hurled a dusty pair of pants at her face. She came up coughing and sputtering, but then was all smiles as Reginald came over to her and gently dusted her off.
“My people had a name, once,” Marcus said, a far-off look in his eyes. “But it was forgotten. And perhaps it’s unimportant, now. I am the last of my kind.”
“The last…?” Alice started, trailing off, lowering her head and busying herself with sorting clothes.
“I’ll tell you more in time,” Marcus said. “Now, back to the matter at hand. Delilah, Alice — you two shall become Paladins. Before your promise to Revue, there could have been room for you to choose to be Sub-Paladins, but with that promise you chose the highest of responsibilities.”
“We can take it,” Alice said.
“We understood what we were getting into,” Delilah said, though she added silently: As much as we could understand at the time.
“And if you were to take care of Revue Palace, you’d have to be Paladins,” Maribelle said. “A Sub-Paladin is one who forms a pact with a Paladin and directly serves beneath them. Sub-Paladins can’t be in charge of a Bastion. And right now, Revue Palace doesn’t have a Paladin.”
“No one to form a pact with,” Delilah said.
“So you were gonna have us be your Sub-Paladins,” Alice said, pointing at Marcus.
“That’s correct,” Marcus said. “The Moon needs help as well, but worry not. I’ll find Sub-Paladins one way or another. And if all else fails, I’m sure I can count on friends far and wide to aid me in a temporary fashion.”
“We’d be glad to help clean and repair the Moon’s Bastion,” Delilah said.
“But wait, hold on,” Alice said, raising her hand. “Marcus, you’re a Paladin, but what about Mari and Belle-Belle?”
“I’m a Sub-Paladin!” Isabelle said happily. “I formed a pact with Mommy.”
“And I’m a Paladin,” Maribelle said, though she looked away. “Even though…”
“You may have forsaken your duties for a time,” Marcus said gently, “but you were horribly deceived. You came back. That’s what matters most. You are most assuredly still a Paladin.”
“Thank you,” Maribelle said softly.
“Mari was a Sub-Paladin a long time ago,” Isabelle said. “But she was way too good, so she got promoted!”
“You certainly earned it,” Marcus said with a smile.
“Ooh, I wanna hear the story,” Alice said.
“Perhaps another time,” Maribelle said, smiling slightly.
“So this really is like Great Feline Adventures,” Delilah said dreamily.
“Like what?” Alice asked.
“The greatest television show in the whole wide universe,” Delilah said, giggling as Reginald came over and wiped her sweaty face with a clean cloth. “Felix Feline Felinosis, First Swordmeowster of the Twelfth Circle, is like a Paladin. And he had many other swordmeowsters under him as Lieutenants, or Sub-Paladins. Their oaths to him and the Twelfth Circle granted them special powers to fight against Chaos, but never on par with Felix, and only as long as they held true to their oaths. Like Garland Feline Grenwelt, who forsook his oath and turned against the Twelfth Circle, joining forces with Chaos. He lost all of the powers of Order he’d gained when he was part of the Twelfth Circle.”
“That’s a stunningly apt comparison,” Marcus said. “And a sobering one. I have known several Garlands in my time…”
“Indeed,” Maribelle said softly, bowing her head.
“I was gonna tease you more,” Alice said, “but now I kinda wanna watch it too.”
“Oh my gosh, we totally can!” Delilah said, scooting excitedly over to Alice until she was right in her face, their noses practically touching. Alice stared back at her with wide, surprised white eyes. “I can’t wait to introduce you to GFA! We’ll have so much fun!” Delilah sat back, squeezing the plushies on her Talisman keychain gently, letting out a dreamy sigh. “This is going to be the absolute best.”
“I’ve never seen Delilah so excited,” Isabelle said.
“But that explains her Summons,” Alice said with a smirk. “Everyone’s got something they’re passionate about.”
“Now then,” Marcus said. “Delilah, Alice, you two will gain access to brand new powers. But there are some that cannot be granted — they are yours, and they are unique. You’ve already discovered one, a power that no one else has, but some Paladins had before, a very long time ago.”
“The fire, right?” Delilah asked, holding up her bracelet.
“Oh, the bracelet-blaze thing!” Alice said, eyeing her bracelet excitedly. “So we’re the only ones who can do that?”
“That’s correct,” Marcus said. “I do not know what brought that power to life within you. It isn’t easily identifiable, but something deep, resonant, and powerful. A bond has been forged between you two, a bond that ties you to each other, your fates together, for the rest of your lives. Magic is awake within your very souls, irrevocably linking you together. Never forget — you two are infinitely stronger together than you will ever be apart.”
“Well, I could’ve told you that,” Alice said with a grin.
“We couldn’t seem to use it whenever we wanted, though,” Delilah said, staring at her bracelet. “It’s like… it activated in moments of need.”
“Not just need, though you’re onto something,” Marcus said. “There is magic like that, and yours may very well be one of them. But need is only one component.”
“Our shared focus,” Delilah said. “Or, maybe not focus… determination? We were in sync, driven towards the same goal, without distractions.”
“Now you’re getting it,” Marcus said, smiling. “In time, you may come to fully understand it and have command over it. It is your power, a power that I can help to guide you with, but cannot fully explain for you.”
“So what other powers do we get?” Alice asked.
“And what are our responsibilities?” Delilah asked, restraining herself from rolling her eyes at Alice jumping straight to the exciting side of things.
“Your powers will be revealed in time,” Marcus said, “and they may surprise you. Your responsibilities are much as you may have guessed. Revue Palace is your Bastion, now. You have a duty to fulfill your promise to Revue and ensure the Palace comes to life once more, filled with shows and audiences to enjoy them. You must keep the Daybreak Engine running at its best, and keep this place free from the encroachment of Darkness. And you must protect this place with all you have, even laying your lives on the line if necessary. You must also give all that you possibly can muster in the battle against the Darkness. Especially now, with the Endless Night approaching. Much will be asked of us all.”
“Okay, but backtracking a bit,” Alice said, never missing a beat with her tangents, “what’s Revue, then? We’ve got Humans, Enchanted, and ‘the last of his kind’ here, but Revue’s something different, right?”
Marcus smiled. “She is something very old, and very unique,” he said. “There are others like her, but they are few. Like the Dragons, they are beings none of us fully understand. Many of them have chosen to depart from the physical world over the millennia, but Revue, like a few others, has chosen to stay. Perhaps, being her Paladins, you will come to know her better than anyone else currently alive.”
“It’d be nice if we could categorize her like we’re categorizing the clothes,” Alice said, tossing a shirt into its proper pile.
“I don’t think so,” Delilah said. She carefully inspected a jacket, then walked around to deposit it in the right pile. “Even with Humans and Enchanted, we’re all so different. Putting us into piles doesn’t help, or at least I don’t think so. I’m me, you’re you, and trying to pile us in with everyone else who shares a label or two with us doesn’t really work.”
“Being unique does have its charms,” Alice said, grinning. “Okay, right! I like what you’re saying. Forget about the piles! People are people are people, Human or Enchanted or whatever else there is.”
“Revue is Revue,” Isabelle said.
“Like the girl says!” Alice said, high-fiving Isabelle.
“Just don’t forget the piles for clothing,” Maribelle said, depositing the last article of costume for this section, a silver leather belt, into its proper pile. “These do need to be categorized.”
They worked diligently for a bit, Marcus saying the first “lesson” was over, and the second would begin soon. Soon the fifth section was complete, clothes all washed and sorted, everything dusted and swept, and they moved on to a sixth. For a moment, Delilah looked back at all they’d accomplished so far. There was undeniably an absurd amount of space backstage left to work on, and yet…
We’ve done so much. Look at all these costumes, ready and waiting to be worn and put to use in a show. Look at all these dressing tables and mirrors, ready to be used by actors and actresses prepping for their next scene.
At their next break, Alice stepped out and called for everyone’s attention. “The time has come!” she declared. “Clothes are ready, right? I think I’m not the only one ready for a wardrobe change, either. So? Let’s all pick out brand new outfits to commemorate the work we’ve done and the Paladin stuff that’s about to begin! It’s like… you know… signifying the start of a new chapter in life or… something…”
“It got away from you at the end,” Isabelle said, giggling.
“Shut it, you,” Alice said, but she could only barely hold back a smile. “So? Come on, guys!”
“Right!” Delilah said, stepping out to join Alice. “Let’s all find brand new outfits, try them on, and meet back here.”
“That’s the spirit!” Alice said, grinning.
And then they scattered, scouring the six sections for brand new clothing. Despite being costumes designed for the stage, Delilah thought very few seemed too gaudy or ostentatious, and she had trouble deciding.
She also couldn’t stop smiling. Darkness was coming, yes, but she had a marvelous group of friends with her. And this strange place so far away from Grimoire…
It was really starting to feel like home.
——
“Welcome to my home. My name is Alexandra.”
Maxwell stared at the woman, stared at the handmaids flanking her, stared at this marvelous mansion, taking it all in.
“To be precise,” Tock said, holding up a finger, “your name is Alexandra Elise del Aria Relentes, correct?”
Alexandra smiled. She didn’t seem to stop smiling, but she had an incredible range of expressions without losing her smile. “You’ve been diligent in your preparations, I see,” she said.
“But it seems like you already knew that,” Maxwell said, finally finding his voice. “You said ‘this must be our first meeting, then.’ So then…” But he trailed off there, because the implications of that statement were, quite frankly, impossible to consider.
“Don’t be so frightened, Maxwell,” Alexandra said. “Yes, I have met you two before. But not really. Not ‘before,’ as you would put it. You see, I have…” She looked aside at the handmaid with glasses. “Adelaida, what is it called again?”
“Temporal displacement,” Adelaida said, her face ever impassive.
“That’s right!” Alexandra said, eyes bright. “Temporal displacement. Put quite simply, I don’t experience time as you do. So for me, a later encounter with you two has already happened — and better yet, I remember it! Saves you two the trouble of explaining, though judging from Maxwell’s expression, you probably should give the full explanation another go, Tock.”
“Oh!” Tock said, looking at Maxwell in surprise. “Right! I’m sorry.”
“Not to worry,” Alexandra said. “But do try to take your time. Oh! We can have tea. That would be lovely, and relaxing, and help curb your tendency to talk incredibly fast. Though I find your excitable nature charming, it does make you hard to keep up with for some.”
“You really know us, huh?” Tock asked.
“Well, from my point of view, we’ve already spent a great deal of time together,” Alexandra said. She turned to her other handmaid. “Andrea, could you set us up for tea in the solar? That’s my favorite room.” Andrea bowed slightly and turned on her heel, heading up the stairs and out of sight down a hall. “Now, then. I’m sorry I kept the two of you from properly introducing yourselves. I’ll bite my tongue for a bit, then, and allow you a chance to ask any questions you might have.”
“He has a lot of questions,” Tock said, pointing at Maxwell. “I’m just excited.”
“Temporal displacement?” Maxwell asked.
Alexandra nodded. “Put quite simply, I don’t exist in what you call the ‘present.’ I’m in flux, temporally speaking, experiencing all of time in a wild, nonlinear jumble. My brother tells me this is actually closer to the reality of time, but the reason mortals experience time in a linear, simplistic fashion is because, well… the full truth is simply too much for us to fully comprehend in this mortal coil.” She spread her arms, gesturing at the spacious entrance hall. “This home was specially constructed to help contain my condition. It’s become quite advanced since I was a child, and now I cannot leave this place, or I would be lost to Time itself. As dramatic as that sounds, I’m quite happy.” Her smile lent weight to her words. “Especially when I get visitors. And I’m about to have so many!”
“That’s right!” Tock said, but then she stopped herself. “Sorry, um… I’ll try to explain slowly when we sit down. From the beginning.” She smiled sheepishly at Maxwell. “Go ahead, if you have any other questions.”
“Have you seen other meetings with us?” Maxwell asked. “Do you… you said you remembered a later meeting, or later for us, anyway. So does that mean there are things you’ve experienced but not remembered?”
“That’s correct,” Alexandra said. “Though Andrea and Adelaida make for marvelous support. They help keep me in the present, as best as anyone can. Despite how things are for me, they are not temporally displaced, you see. It’s such a help having such marvelous friends at my side.”
“I…” Maxwell started, racking his brain. He’d never heard of temporal displacement before. “I will likely have many more questions. But I’d like to hear the full explanation of our mission and what’s to come, first.”
“That’s where I come in!” Tock said, raising her hand.
“Indeed it is,” Alexandra said, laughing. “But Maxwell, don’t despair at your questions. Curiosity is a valuable trait. And you are not here by chance, but because you are absolutely vital in this mission as well. You will understand, in time. Come, then. Let us have tea, and speak of this great and daring mission.” She led the way up the stairs with Adelaida, and Tock and Maxwell followed.
“Sorry if I left you behind a bit before,” Tock said. “I didn’t realize I was talking so quickly.”
“No, it’s all right,” Maxwell said, waving his hands quickly. “Honestly, I was just… I was very startled by your arrival. I’m still surprised by it all. It’s been difficult to take it all in.”
“So you’re saying it’s not my fault?” Tock asked, hope brimming in her deep blue eyes.
“No, it isn’t,” Maxwell said, feeling relief at the sigh Tock let out.
I’m having trouble keeping up with everyone. It’s been… so very long since I’ve had visitors. Aside from Fae and the Star sisters… there’s been no one ever since I became Master of the Basin.
And now…
Well, it sounds like I’m going to be meeting all sorts of people, one after the other. I need to steel myself for it. Brave heart, Maxwell. You’re apparently vital to this mission, for some reason. Don’t go letting the whole universe down, now.
Remember your last great adventure. It isn’t as if you haven’t done this before. It’s just…
Been a very, very long time.
The solar was an upper room in Alexandra’s mansion, on the eighth floor, across a bridge to a second building — the mansion’s size was simply staggering, and Maxwell was constantly gaping everywhere he went. The solar itself was a perfect place to take tea, as well. With floor-to-ceiling windows on three walls, and a slanted ceiling above made of glass, the marvelous sunset of Sunset Square flooded the room, filling it with a warm, welcoming golden glow. The trio of Alexandra, Tock, and Maxwell sat around a small table set for tea for three, while Andrea stood by the door and Adelaida stood near Alexandra.
The tea was soothing, an herbal mixture that smelled of cinnamon and had a nostalgic taste, bringing Maxwell back so very far, to times spent with his two dearest friends.
Friends he hadn’t seen or spoken to in so very, very long.
“Now then,” Alexandra said, leaning forward, an excited conspiratorial look in her eyes. “Tock, dear. Tell us all about this mission, from the very start.”
“Well, I think I should start with why we’re here specifically,” Tock said, speaking slower than Maxwell had ever heard her speak. Even then, it was just a normal sort of talking speed, still a little excited and swift. The girl’s excitement never seemed to dim. But at least Maxwell had a better chance of processing what she had to say now. “Alexandra, your home is specially designed to help contain your temporal displacement, to keep you as grounded in our present as you possibly can. But it also has a very special, very meaningful side-effect.” She looked out the windows, her smile slightly fading. “Darkness hasn’t started to encroach on this city. But it will. Darkness is far and wide, spreading rapidly in earnest to bring on the Endless Night. If left to its own devices, it will swallow up the whole universe, snuffing out all light — all life. But it’s also difficult to fight, because as Darkness spreads, the Lord of Night’s vision grows. He can see so much, hear so much, so far. If we’re to succeed, we need a plan that eludes his attention. This house, this marvelous mansion… it’s the only place his senses will never be able to penetrate. All that we say and do here is hidden to him, no matter how bad things get.”
“Which means that my home…” Alexandra started, eyeing Tock expectantly.
“Your home,” Tock said, smiling, “is mission control, so to speak. This is our headquarters in our mission to save the universe.”