"Oh gods, I need to sit down." Despite Solus's best efforts, Selia could feel her knees buckling. The golden hair, the luminous body, and the majestic aura that surrounded Solus made her look like someone out of a fairy tale.
"Oh gods, where does this thing come from?" Selia flinched when a comfortable armchair appeared out of thin air.
"It's good to finally meet you in person, Solus." Ryman offered her his hand, but she hugged him instead.
Protector wasn't just a business partner, he was their oldest friend.
"Same here. What do you think?" She said after taking a few steps back and turning around to let him see her full figure.
"You're a lovely young woman." Ryman nodded.
"Yeah, how old are you?" Selia asked.
"Centuries-old, but since I've forgotten almost everything about my past life, my mental age is around twenty." Solus said.
Lith had them move to the living room before starting to explain things properly.
"Let me get this straight." Selia said after the question and answer session was over. "You found her when you were four, but she didn't get a body until last year, correct?"
"Yes." Lith nodded.
"Are you cheating on Kamila, young man? Because I like that girl and if after everything you went through together you hurt her, Awakened or not I'm going to kick your ass." Selia said.
"I've never cheated on anyone in my life." Lith was outraged by her accusation. "Solus and I work and live together, but we have separate rooms."
"Why don't you explain to us in your own words how you feel about each other, then? Selia crossed her arms and legs, clearly unconvinced.
Lith opened his mouth and raised his forefinger, yet no word came out.
'If I say she's my moral compass, I'll sound like a madman. Saying that she's my better half or the fairy on my shoulder would be even worse.' He thought.
'My life companion? My other half? My most beloved person? By my maker, why do only expressions that make it sound like we're married come to my mind?' Solus thought.
"It's complicated." They replied in unison.
"I can see that." Selia said. "If you don't mind, I'd like to talk to Solus alone."
Lith and Protector left the living room, moving to the upper floor. Lith wanted to show him the Mirror Hall and take a look at the Trawn woods.
"I won't mess with your personal life because it's not my place. Yet from what I understand, your only friends are Nyka, Tista, Ryman, and Kalla. Correct?" Selia asked, receiving a nod in reply.
"No offense, but I think that a newborn vampire, a young woman with no life experience, an oaf that told his wife about being an Emperor Beast only after their first child was born, and a wannabe Lich don't have much wisdom to offer you.
"I don't know how much of what I experienced in our relationship so far was really Lith and how much it was actually you, but I'm willing to find out. We both don't have many friends and we could use some company.
"If you ever need to talk about how it feels to be lonely, in love, or even just human, feel free to contact me." Selia shared with Solus her communication rune.
"Thank you very much." Solus's smile was gleaming, and not only that. "We have a month's leave and I don't hang out with Lith while he stays with his girlfriend. I would love to spend some time together.
"You have no idea how many questions I've got." Solus stared at the little bundle that was Fenrir, resting between Selia's arms.
The huntress couldn't bear the thought of being separated from her daughter, not after coming so close to losing her. Selia could entrust Lilia and Leran to Nalrond but not Fenrir.
It was the same feeling that Elina still had for Lith after all those years.
"Do you want to hold her?" Selia asked, noticing Solus's gaze.
"Yes, but actually no. I'm stronger than I look and quite clumsy." Solus replied.
"Don't worry. Babies are stronger than they look, too. Especially hybrids." Selia stood up and slowly moved around the table, passing the child to Solus who froze in panic.
She treated the sleeping baby as if it was a ticking bomb wrapped around a priceless piece of art.
"Oh, gods. She's so small and beautiful." Solus said once she recovered from the shock. "I can't believe Lith considers all children ugly and never hesitates to kill them."
"Lith what?" Selia instinctively moved her hand to the knife hidden inside her boot.
"Oh, sorry. It's not like you think. We rarely kill human younglings. Most of the time it's just monsters, undead, or Abominations." Solus tried to fix her blunder, only making things worse.
"Sister, you have problems, but we'll talk about this another moment. I better get back home, it's late." Selia retrieved the baby, making Solus worry she had managed to make and lose a friend in less than one day.
Then, she looked at the sun coming from one of the windows and she realized they had lost track of time.
"We're going to be late for lunch!" Solus blurted out.
"Yeah and I've yet got to prepare ours. Nalrond is a great babysitter, but a terrible cook. He's forbidden to use the stove except for warming non-explosive liquids." Selia's remark made Solus really curious, but there was no time for questions.
Solus used the Warp Mirror to return the Fastarrows home and then Lith flew home as fast as he could.
'Fuck Nalrond and his big mouth! I was supposed to check on Selia, talk with Faluel, and then spend the morning with Mom.' He thought.
'Well, I'm happy that you introduced me to Selia. Now I have a place to stay while you speak with Faluel. It didn't happen as you planned it but I think it could have been much worse. Did you ask Protector for help?' Solus asked.
'Yeah, he agreed to provide support for when I tell my family that I'm a hybrid and an Awakened. All I need is to set a date. I was thinking about my birthday.'
'Are you serious?' Solus was flabbergasted by the news.
'Yes. It's time to come clean about a few things. I don't need to hide in the shadows anymore neither from them nor Kamila.' Lith thought.
'Do you think I should invite Faluel as well? She has a weak spot for kids so knowing my little ones could make her reinforce her protection. Also, knowing her could smooth the transition for my family. Two birds with one stone.'
'I don't know. Your trump card is Selia and her kids. They know her quite well and she can provide them with all the support your parents might need. I'm afraid that crowding them with powerful creatures might backfire and scare them instead.' Solus said.
'Point taken.' Lith flew at breakneck speed, yet arrived home only one hour before noon.
Just like Kamila, Lith had learned to announce his presence to avoid being accidentally shot down because someone mistook him for an enemy. He slowed down the moment his house was in sight and landed far away enough for people to recognize him.
The farmhands were well trained and most of them had their alarm whistle pressed against the lips, to signal their masters the necessity to activate the numerous arrays that Lith had placed around the house.
