(A/n: Sooo Corvus keeps freaking hiding and brooding in a corner. I dragged him out by his ear.
You're welcome.
I beg of you to play this song. It's just soooo fitting for Corvus.)
🐏
One for sorrow,
Two for joy,
Three for a girl,
Four for a boy,
Five for silver,
Six for gold,
Seven for a secret,
Never to be told.
Eight for a wish,
Nine for a kiss,
Ten for a bird,
You must not miss.
-"One For Sorrow", a children's nursery rhyme about magpies.
🐏
Rain pounds on the asphalt around me like needles, piercing my skin through my thin nightclothes. I abandoned my robe a while back, unable to get the image of it covered in gore out of my mind.
I've run without stopping for so long my legs are quivering with fatigue and I'm in an unfamiliar part of town. It's further than I've ever gone before, in the more questionable part of Dreamsong. All around me are scattered derelict buildings with boarded up windows and bars on the doors. The few lights that come from them reflect on the rain coated street I'm running on.
I haven't been able to stop crying since I ran away from my home in flames and my dad who couldn't see me.
I run three more blocks when gunshots sound off in the distance. My feet stop on the asphalt. I hug Bah-dley tightly to my chest, burying my tear ridden face in his head. The gunshots aren't what stops me, they aren't any concern of mine tonight.
Fearing gunshots right now seems so silly in light of everything else that's happened.
A maddening fear has made itself at home in my chest, clenching around my heart like thorny vines. I can't handle this. I'm too scared.
I can handle the odd appearances of people that are probably not human. I can handle not knowing if they are real or a dream. It's all worth it, all of the confusion and doubt, simply because it makes me happy to have their company no matter how brief some of their visits have been.
What I can't handle are monsters trying to eat me who live under my bed. I can't handle dreams with emotionless entities who speak in riddles and brand me like cattle. I can't handle waking up to a living nightmare. I can't handle going through the mind games monsters like to play. I can't handle seeing things others for some reason can not. I can't handle being just as invisible as the creatures that are haunting me.
I just can't.
I'm terrified. I'm so afraid of what is happening and I don't understand any of it.
I pull away from Bah-dley's head to sob and fall to my knees. I fall down in the middle of the street, my knees on either side of the yellow lines. Rain falls in a brutal way, bouncing off the pavement like thousands of tiny rubber balls. My hair grows heavier and heavier until my bun falls. My dark hair, soaked and stringy, surrounds me. It sticks to my face, to my arms, to my cleavage.
My face scrunches up as the night catches up to me. I fall forward, holding Bah-dley between my chest and my legs, and wail loud enough to hear over the rain.
I'm so lost in my horrors and sorrows that I fail to notice the beast that lands in the street in front of me. It isn't until it steps towards me, the sound of puddles splashing with footsteps, that I look up.
Like a beautiful yet sad fallen angel, a giant black bird stares back at me. White spreads on its underbelly and on the edges of its wings. Although its size is abnormal enough, that's not all that's strange about the bird.
Its neck extends a bit longer than a bird's typically would. It has the face of a man. It's a very familiar face. I've felt like I've seen it before in passing, but the rain is falling too hard to see clearly. Where his hair should be, are instead thin silken black feathers that fall beautifully like hair past his chin.
I want to scream at first. All the nightmares I've gone through tonight come rushing to the surface and my body immediately turns to surviving. It's his eyes however that still my screams, that pause my tears.
Deep morose grey and watching me with notable curiosity.
The massive bird, larger than a truck, walks towards me. As it does the feathers begin to recede into his body. Slowly as he travels in the stormy weather, the bird becomes more and more man. From a bird with the head of a man, to a man with a feathered body and wings for arms.
When he's only yards away, the feathers on his body recede revealing human clothing beneath. Black slacks, an unbuttoned black shirt that fully displays his chest and sticks to his human body, and bare feet. The feathers molt off, trickling to the street where they disintegrate.
By the time he stands directly in front of me only a few avian traits remain. Namely his arms as much smaller wings that drag on the ground behind him and thin sliver like feathers that are scattered in his very human hair.
My neck cranes up from my keeled over position, face still scrunched as if I'm going to cry. Up this close I can finally see him clearly and I remember why he's so familiar. Dark grey eyes stare at me like I'm a curiosity and churn with deep sorrow that seems to be a fixed feature of them. That sorrow has been there for a very long time, always in the background.
His feather littered hair is as I remember it a few weeks ago when I last saw him. His black hair clings to the tops of his collarbones and his face, a watered white streak in his bangs resembles a line of paint.
I don't care if they aren't real. I don't. I'm just so happy to see one of them again. I sob out," Corvus."
His eyes glint with something unknown when I say his name. It's hard to tell with his face remaining so stagnant.
His feathered arm slowly lifts towards me. The train of feathers dragging on the ground follow. The wing touches my cheek gently.
"Let's go home." He says in an incredibly soft voice.
It's not the voice I expected to leave his lips. It's soft and laced with heavy burdens, as if life has been a troublesome fiend that's mocked him to no end. It's almost hushed and very hard to hear. He's so soft spoken and dismal in tongue.
I nod my head once and begin to sob again. That sounds like a dream come true. Feathered arms drift around me as he kneels, and soon I'm engulfed in his embrace. I cry softly, this time in relief. I don't know Corvus like I do some of the others, but he symbolizes everything I need and desire right now. He's taking me back to that cottage that's bright and cheerful and safe. The place where odd creatures lay their heads.
Corvus doesn't say anything else. He merely rests the side of his nose to my wet hair and pulls me in as close as he physically can. It's when the heat of his body sinks in that I finally feel the chill from the rain. Shivers rack my body and my teeth start to chatter.
That's where my eyes close. In the pouring rain half laid in the middle of a street. A man with winged arms nestling me in his hold while I cry and cling to his chest like a child. My face burrowing into his bare chest, rubbing my cheek against it like a puppy. My one free hand clings desperately to the lapel of his shirt while I let my ear that rests over his heart listens like an addict to the soothing beat inside.
Corvus seems to wrap around me more and more the longer I cling to him like this, until black feathers overcome my sight.
🐏
"Bloody hell, Corvus!" A voice exclaims. Things are tossed down by different people all around the room, banging and clattering on the floor and nearby surfaces. The room almost rattles with the stampede of feet hurrying over the stone floors.
"What happened?" A voice barks.
Gentle hands cradle my face as the barking voice converses with the bird. The one holding my face with the soothsayer's voice calls out," Fakir! Grab some towels and the blow dryer!"
"On it!" Is said. Running steps follow.
"I do not know. When I returned, her house was on fire and a creature of the shadows stood in my way." Corvus says softly, pausing longer than necessary between sentences like he was trying not to daydream while he spoke.
"What do you mean you don't know?" The other voice growls. This man is frightening. His voice is ancient and deep, laced with anger and malice.
Corvus shifts me in his arms as the soothsayer prods at me," There was something of interest that caught my eye. I left my post to get it."
Heavy exasperated sighs fill the space as someone runs back in the room," Here!"
The ancient voice growls out," We'll discuss this later."
Arms much warmer than the chilling ones holding me, wisk me away. It feels like I'm gliding as he dashes me towards the couch where he lays me down. During all of this I felt too heavy to even twitch an eye no matter how much I want to see them. Exhaustion weighs me down more than I can ever remember and like a movie the nightmare plays over and over behind my closed eyelids.
Two sets of hands start to dry me with the towels. Their movements are so manic that it's a little roughly done.
Feeling much like I did during my fever a few weeks ago, I groan out a single name in a plea," Judas."
The soothsayer leans down until I can feel his cool breathe on my lips," What was that, sweetheart?"
I whimper out his name again," Where's Judas?"
I'm happy to be back. I truly am. The familiar scents and homey air is already starting to calm me. I just can't help but replay the nightmare over and over, the entire time I clung to one thought. I begged and pleaded, aloud and in silence, for my dear friend to appear.
My Judas. Where were you?
"He's out at the moment. Indigo sent him on an errand this morning." The soothsayer soothes me in a soft voice while petting my hair.
Hearing Indigo's name pulls me out of my stupor. A being of shadow, his name alone led me back from the dark despair. My eyes flutter open. Christian is leaning over me, his blue violet eyes softened with concern.
I give him a small smile," Christian."
His face scrunches up as if he wants to cry. He leans down and kisses my forehead," You silly girl."
My smile widens as I stare into his still very concerned eyes. I'm so happy to be back here.
That concern disappears though the moment he takes in my eyes. They widen, first in shock then in horror. "Indigo!" He bellows in a panic.
His hands cup my face, fingers digging in desperately as his eyes bounce back and forth between my eyes like they're about to pop right out of my skull. "Indigo!" He bellows again in a higher pitch.
The swooping of a long cloak precedes hastened steps. I look past Christian's head to the horned creature standing directly behind him. A black cloak envelops him, the hood somehow covering his head but letting his black horns through. Indigo's skeletal head jerks back minutely when he sees my eyes.
He puts a hand on Christian's shoulder. Christian looks back at him. His lips are quivering as he looks up. "Let me." Indigo murmurs.
Christian nods and moves out of the way. Indigo steps forward and crouches down beside me. His hand cups my head as his skull lowers. "Delilah." His voice rasps in a whisper. "What happened?"
I try to smile at him, but I can feel the exhaustion catching up now that I know I'm safe. "I had a dream." I whisper.
Indigo leans in closed until his snout nearly grazes my lips," What kind of dream?"
I try to answer him, but my eyes close. I feel like I'm sinking into the couch. I'm on the precipice of sleep when when I'm severely shaken. My eyes open with a gasp.
"Stay with me. Don't close your eyes." Indigo almost shouts.
Immediately he follows with," Tell me about your dream. This is of the upmost importance. Tell me."
My heart softens at his pleading voice. Indigo is kinder than I think most believe he is. He's frightening to meet in the flesh, but once you get past all of that he's really not that bad. I feel sorry for him. He's so alone.
"There was a man." They all still as I say this. Fakir isn't trying to find a plug in close to me for the hair dryer. Christian isn't fiddling with the fireplace. Corvus still stands where we left him at the door.
"A man?" He asks in a hushed whisper. I nod at Indigo," Yes. He called himself The Briar King."
Sharp intakes of breathe come from all but Corvus who is now staring at a pretty little candy bowl on the table with rapt attention. "Are you sure? Are you sure that's what he called himself?"
I nod, trying to keep my eyes open. Christian reappears behind Indigo's shoulder, his blue violet eyes peering down at me as if lost and a little afraid," What did he want with you? He never meddles with humans."
I shrug as best I can," He said there is something that wants to hurt me, that I'm too weak as I am, and that he needed to keep the balance."
This peaks both their interest. Indigo cradles my face with the hand that's been on top of my head," Did he say anything else?"
I nod, eyes half open," He said a lot of things I don't understand. Something about how lucky is was that the Hawthornes chose me as their bride and how he needed to amplify something I've always had."
I blink up at them curiously when Indigo and Christian share a serious look. My hand trembles as it reaches up for Indigo's cloak. He startles a bit when my fingers clench at his sleeve. Unable to help it, I pout up at him," What does he mean Indigo? I don't understand what's happening anymore. There's this monster under my bed that keeps trying to eat me and dad couldn't see me anymore. I'm scared, Indigo."
I must've began crying again, because Indigo swoops in to comfort me. He places my head on his arm like a pillow so that when he leans in closely, I'm surrounded by him alone. His free hand nearly engulfed one side of my head in its grasp. It cradles me to his chest. His snout presses against the cheek not against his chest where it rubs back and forth gently in a gesture of comfort.
I discover in this moment that nothing is more relieving and comforting than Indigo's embrace. In the arms of a monster I feel safer than I ever have. Perhaps it's because he's a monster that I feel so safe. Who better to scare away the scary things than a creature just as frightening?
He's like a security blanket.
"You have no reason to fear, Delilah. We'll keep you safe. For now you need to rest. We'll discuss this tomorrow, I promise." He murmurs to me.
My eyes warily stare up into his black void eyes, hollow pits in his skull. Will we discuss it? Will I finally find out what's going on? Too tired to think too deeply on it, I nod.
"Okay?" He asks as he pulls his head back.
I smile as best I can," Okay."
Indigo pulls away and stands," Very well. Christian and Fakir will see to it you're dry and comfortable. Then I want you to go straight to bed." His voice is so different from before. He's gone from tender and gentle to almost abrupt and commanding.
I pout on purpose this time and even widen my eyes, hoping it'll score me some sympathy points," Can you stay with me tonight?"
After everything that's happened, without Judas there for company, and without knowing the others too well - I feel like Indigo will keep all the bad dreams away. I don't think I could bear sleeping alone tonight. No matter how exhausted I am, my subconscious will still keep me awake. For it knows the truth about what lives under our beds.
I'm not exactly sure why I feel such a close bond to Indigo so instantaneously. From the moment he first stepped out of the shadows and revealed his cursed appearance to me, I felt like I was meeting a fellow soul. Even though he's so tall and frightening, inside he's just a wounded animal wary of people.
Indigo hums to himself, almost as if he's amused. Fakir doesn't hide his laughter from us. He snickers just out of sight. My eyes seek out the only other person here that I can see. Christian meets me eyes and gives me a slight smile. His own eyes are still strained with tension though. He seems very worried. I'm worried too.
Indigo's hand reaches down and grazes the backs of his pointer and middle fingers across my cheek," If that is what you wish, then I shall make it so."
I smile really and truly this time. Nodding enthusiastically I say softly," Uhuh."
Indigo hums again, like a big panther watching its family in contentment. His fingers drag slowly along my cheek as he begins to pull away. He nods once his hands are back at his sides," Very well, then."
Indigo turns his head towards Christian who immediately gives him his full attention," Get her dry and find her some clothes. Come get me once our guest is settled in for the night."
Christian nods at him," Will do."
Christian watches Indigo walk off and I watch him. He's got this contemplative look in his eyes. He doesn't look away from where Indigo went until Fakir murmurs," I'm going to go find her something to wear while you dry her hair."
Christian shakes away his thoughts and smiles at Fakir," Sounds like a plan."
Christian turns his attention to me and his smile twitches. That cunning look glints briefly before he hides it away and smiles more broadly," Let's get you snug as a bug in a rug. Can't have our guest getting sick now can we?"
It doesn't escape my foggy mind how he pauses before he calls me a guest. He says it like it's a bad taste in his mouth though I don't know why.
It's uncomfortably silent as Christian stares at me but doesn't really see me. Faintly I can hear Fakir rummaging through drawers upstairs.
It's so silent that my heart races.
"Do you think he'd mind if I took this bowl?" A dull voice drolls out.
I manage to sit myself up just enough so I can see what Corvus is talking about. He's staring adamantly at the pretty candy dish on the table. He almost looks like an owl now, those grey eyes still emotionless yet honed in on his target. It makes him look younger and less mysterious.
Christian snaps out of it and narrows his eyes on Corvus. Like a mother would, he puts his hands on his hips and scolds," Yes, he would mind. Quit snatching things up and hiding them in your room!"
Corvus' wide emotionless eyes turn to look at Christian without blinking. They have a stare off before Corvus sighs," I'm going to my nest."
Christian refuses to take his eyes off of him, watching him sulk up the spiral wooden staircase in the living room we're in until the door upstairs shuts. Christian sighs, rubbing his hand through his hair," That damn hoarder, I swear."
I couldn't help it. I giggle, trying to hide it behind my hand. It doesn't do much. Christian turns to smirk at me. He grabs the hair dryer on his way over and sits behind me. I tense when his long slender fingers grip my waist and pull me back between his legs.
I'm suddenly bashful as he turns on the hair dryer and runs a brush through my hair simultaneously. His chest presses into my back making me all too aware of the firm cut muscles underneath. Christian is lean, but at a mere touch I can feel the coiled strength. I don't think I've ever truly been aware of guys like I am of them. All of my few crushes at school had been boys. These are all men. Men who may just be a figment of my imagination.
He merely chuckles at my shyness and continues to dry my hair. All the while, I slowly relax at the feeling of someone playing with my hair. Before long I'm swaying with every brushstroke and my eyes flutter shut.
Christian unnerves me sometimes, to the point where I'm not really sure how to feel. However, he has the gentlest touch out of all of them, as if he's the most afraid.
🐏
I smile sleepily up at Fakir after he tucks me into the blankets in the guest room. He gives me a cheeky wink and takes the teacup off the nightstand. He'd made me more of his tea, this time with flavors that relaxed me. I feel so much less worried than before, like all my troubles were swept away with every sip I took from the teacup.
After Christian dried my hair, he carried me up to the room I'd been in last time. Fakir handed me the clothes and then they'd both left so I could change. I haven't seen Christian since, but Fakir came back to get me settled.
Fakir steps out of the door and murmurs something to the right of it. A deep rumbling voice murmurs back. As Fakir steps out of sight, Indigo enters the door.
I give him a sleepy smile. He stares at me from the doorway before humming like a pleased panther," I see Fakir's tea is a success. He's quite talented with herbs and the like."
I watch and listen to him as he ventures further into the room. His cloak is gone, leaving him in his black dress pants and a white ruffle sleeved button up tucked into the waistband. His footsteps drum heavily on the wooden floors until he settles into the ivory cushioned chair by my bed and the window. In his hands is an old mint green cloth bound book with calligraphic writing on the front in gold.
One of his hands rubs the front of the book in thought," It's not a common talent for his kind, but we've been fortunate to have one as gifted as him amongst our company. Take, for instance, your frazzled state earlier. Now you're completely content as you should be."
I think I might be too content. Instead of the thousands of questions I know I'd typically want to ask about what he's said, I'm perfectly happy at the moment to just lay here and listen to him talk for hours about absolutely nothing at all.
My lips twitch in a lazy smile as I watch him cough into a gloved fist," I found an old book of children's nursery rhymes I thought you might like. I apologize that I do not have more variety. I tend to prefer nonfiction and textbooks. Though forgive me if I'm mistaken and assumed incorrectly about your tastes. You just seem to be more whimsical in nature than I and more prone to fanciful daydreams. I'm sure I can find something to your..."
I giggle quietly and reach out to rest my hand on his that holds the book. His body tenses at my touch, but when he looks back up at me he relaxes. I smile up at him in a dreamy eyed state," I love nursery rhymes."
His shoulders relax fully at my words. I find it endearing that he's so worried about making me happy. He's so kind and thoughtful, thinking of reading to me like this when all I asked for was his company.
Indigo rests his other hand on top of mine and rubs the clothed thumb over my skin," Shall I start then?"
I nod, still smiling," I'd love that."
He crosses his ankle over over his knee. He then places my hand on his ankle where he engulfs it with one hand. His free hand opens the book onto his knee and turns the pages. In an old as time voice, low in tenor, he begins," There once was a cat who indeed was very fat..."
My eyes flutter as his voice pulls me further an further away into my safe haven. A place I never thought I'd ever want to return to again after tonight. With Indigo here though, it's hard to imagine anything would ever dare hurt me. He makes it okay to return to my magical worlds.
My eyes open as he reads me the nursery rhyme about the magpie," One for sorrow, two for joy. Three for a girl, four for a boy. Five for silver, six for gold. Seven for a secret, never to be told. Eight for a wish, nine for a kiss. Ten for a bird, you must not miss."
I smile sadly at him, my eyes half open and my mind half asleep. "I feel sorry for the first magpie." I murmur.
Indigo stops flipping the pages to look up at me. His massive hand squeezes mine reassuringly as he asks," And why is that?"
My eyes blink, but do not open again. In a sleepy slur I say," Because he's all alone."
I'm barely awake when the chair creaks. I can feel his heated breathe on my face. He places my hand that he'd been holding on my stomach with the other and uses his free hand to pet my hair. In a gentle murmur, he says," He's not anymore. He's exactly where he belongs."
His snout lowers and grazes against my cheek," Just as you are now."