He looked at it with a dimwitted look on his face before he slowly nodded. Raine surely was one that impressed easily, not that her situation hadn’t helped to take that into account. “I suppose so. I’d imagine due to the connection of our masters, you will be seeing me a lot more in the days to come.” He guessed he wasn’t too bothered by this, though her mood wasn’t one he was too accustomed too. He had seen remnants of it in Yelena, and especially Saffron and he wasn’t sure how the latter’s husband could stomach it as he was a polar opposite in just about every aspect from his wife’s.
“Sounds like a real charmer, your brother”, he spoke uncontestedly. Maalik could understand the logic of her brother- the world was a cruel place and many would find themselves dying far before their time. That said, he also knew that cowards were often the first to be preyed on. Trying to seclude from the rest of the world wasn’t healthy or beneficial to anyone other than those that took advantage of it. Those like his own master and like-minded ones. Raine probably couldn’t see the disadvantages set upon her, but he could, as clear as rain.
“Perhaps, perhaps not.” He gave a soft yawn and was able to catch it with his hand covering his mouth. “Gods forbid what would happen if your Lady should fall or if she was to pass into her own soul stream, however. If that happened, then Elysia will collapse like the other realms of fall deities and then what would he do? How will he provide a “stable” setting in a world of ordered chaos?” His tone was distant, but not cold at her. No, he spoke thoughtfully and blunt as always. “The world is dark, no doubt about it. There are also beauties that most take for granted and you have yet to see them.”
He was slightly taken back by her proposition but again, he took it all in stride. “If that’s what you wish, then we can be…friends.” He showed her around the realm and the manor where Nemesis resided, making certain to point out everything he could to sate Raine’s growing curiosity. She truly was a youngling in his eyes, of who lived several lifetimes. “Yes, Lord Nemesis can drink blood. He was a vampire for the longest time since I knew him. I was created by his mistress to serve him in another world and only the two of us made it through to Revaliir when that fated day came. Since then though, his lycan blood made it so that he can feed on food as if he was just another human, or more so, wolf. I was in the form of a raven up until he ascended and granted me this form and the surname for my loyalty.” It hadn’t dawned on him until they reached the gardens that she had him by the arm. He looked onto momentarily before letting it pass and continued onward.
Her reaction to the mead was to be expected, and the more she spoke of her brother’s habits, the more he was questioned how the hell did he serve Angela the way he was and the way the goddess often was. Then again, she and Nemesis were together and even he was stumbled on those inner workings. “Yes, it can if you drink it in excess. A glass or two won’t hurt you. Might be distasteful on the tongue at first, but it’s something mortals get used to, I suppose.”
He drank a little bit more of the mead, savoring it before he nearly spat it out. “A bird aviary?” If there was another connection between Raine and Angela was their ability to yearn for unneeded things at times. He certainly wasn’t one that played around- he was far too old for such a thing. But it seemed like she beat him to the punch, only to bounce back. It was a bit fascinating to see her teether between moods, that much was certain. “Do as you wish. Raine”, he shrugged before taking another sip. “I’m usually here these days anyway.”
There was an important lesson that she would learn eventually- that everything done in the dark would come to light. Her brother wouldn’t be fooled for too long and he doubted that he would approve of his sister’s company. Maalik himself, hardly cared whether he was approved or not.
