Sovereign of Wrath Ch237: Minor Details

“You have no roof.”

Out of all the things Lillith could have said first, I hadn’t expected those particular words. The Sovereign of lust appeared like a dull comet out of the blur of a late-night snowstorm, and the firelight cast her face and wings in deep shadow. She was half-covered in snow and ice, looking honestly miserable.

“It’s a work in progress,” I replied with a shrug. “And you’re a little late for the angel fight.”

“Yet too early for a table and chairs.” She surprised me by plopping down, cross-legged, in front of the fire. “Do you usually build the fireplace first?”

“I don’t usually build anything at all. Really, I’m better at tearing down.” I stepped away from the wall where I’d been trying to figure out a window and sat down next to Lillith. I didn’t need her to tell me to turn up the heat a little, so I did, enjoying the hissing sound of snow sublimating above us. “Would you rather we have no fire?”

Some color came back to her cheeks and she relaxed, shaking ice off tired wings. “Oh, I’m not complaining dear.” She tittered. “Well, I suppose I am, but it’s all good-natured I assure you. Now, I got the story from your townsfolk, but I’d like to hear a firsthand account.”

“They’re not my townsfolk anymore.”

“Really now? They seem to think otherwise, or some of them do.”

I shrugged. “I’m still going to see about protecting them since I dragged them into this.”

“Mmh. Sounds a lot like your people.” She stared into the fire, then up at the mantle. “I love that little touch.”

I glanced at where we’d carved our names into the stone, like teenage lovers into trees. “We’re commissioning a painting of when we made our vow. Well, at some point. It’ll go right there.” I pointed. “And I’d like to have it in time for the formal wedding.”

“You’re going to host it on top of this mountain, aren’t you?”

“We’re building a road!”

“Mhm. You’ll need a roof by then.”

“That’s the plan! So, Shyll’s message brought you here?”

She nodded. “I bring news of the war in Navanaea, and more besides. For instance, Daram’s recent invasion of Edath.”

My head snapped over to her. “What?”

“I’ll tell you everything I know, and I’m certain you’ll hear from Taava soon. But I’d rather not repeat myself.” She looked off into the snowstorm and frowned. “Where’s Seyari?”

“Out for a flight,” I replied. “She likes storms and can be her own heater now. I’d like to say she’ll be back soon, but frankly she might enjoy this weather.”

“And here I was looking forward to seeing those wings Shyll’s told me so much about. You’re wife’s a strange one, Zarenna.”

“Not as strange as me!”

Lillith tittered and looked around our humble hearth and floor. “I suppose I can’t argue. Would you appreciate some unsolicited architectural advice?”

“Would I?” I pulled two fists over my heart and leaned toward her. “Absolutely! We’ve been struck dumb trying to get the roof on, and Astrye’s been some help, but we’re doing something awfully complex and with unfamiliar materials.”

“I’ll ask Isidore then,” she chuckled. “But I can give a little advice right here and now. Though I do have something I’ll need in return.”

“Name it!”

Her smile vanished. “Zarenna, I consider you a friend, but you must be careful when dealing with our own kind.”

“Yeah, I know that, I just trust you.”

“You shouldn’t.”

“That’s what you think!”

“Why, yes it is. I do believe I understand myself after two millennia.”

“Or perhaps you can’t grasp your current self, Lillith.”

A smile once again creased the corners of her eyes. “You shouldn’t be using such trite wisdom at such a tender age.”

“Yeah, well who’s gonna stop me?”

She let out a long, labored sigh. “You know I sent my daughter here to reform her, right? I fear you might be making her worse.”

“Not worse, different!” I wrapped two arms around Lillith. “Now she gives lip just to be facetious, but she’ll do the right thing anyway.”

“I should have just hired a tutor.” Lillith sighed, but her eyes sparkled. Though a sudden shiver forced them closed. “And now about my request: Take us somewhere with a roof, please? I know you’re making it warm, but I can still feel the chill in my bones. Maybe I’m biased from living in a desert these past few decades, but even our coldest nights don’t have this sort of biting wind.”

I raised a hand and blocked the wind as well. “A gift from Sey, but you probably know that.”

Lilith relaxed, but continued. “Fine, I’ll say it directly. I would like a nice comfortable bed, and I was hoping to guilt you out of yours for the night. I had at least expected a roof and a mattress.”

“Oh, if that’s all, I’m sure the inn would love to have you.”

An eyebrow rose. “And not you?”

I shrugged. “It’s complicated. I’ve got a place to stay that’s not the castle. But if we leave here, I’ll need to leave a note for Seyari.”

“With what paper?” she asked as I stood up. “What I have to say would best be heard only by us and the wind. If Seyari will return here, then here I shall stay. If only you had a roof, or chairs, or a bed.”

“We have a cellar,” I offered.

“Oh dearie, I’m not interested in that. We’re both married women.”

I blinked at her and tilted my head. “What?”

She rolled her eyes. “You are too innocent. I forget how refreshing it can be. I don’t suppose this cellar has a fireplace or furniture?”

I shook my head.

“Then this plain floor and warm hearth will be enough.” She gestured to the trees barely visible in the snow like forlorn spirits. “The view is… thematic, I suppose.”

I sat back down and, out of habit, flopped my tail over our laps. Lillith stared at it for a moment, then laid her more whiplike tail atop mine. “How do you find trousers that fit this thing?”

“Is that an innuendo?”

“No, Zarenna, it’s too obvious.”

“Is it?”

She opened, then closed her mouth.

“Well I don’t fit my tail in trousers—that would be uncomfortable. Also, you can call me Renna; everyone else does.”

“Lilly then, I insist.”

“Alright, Lilly, so you have news that you don’t want to explain twice, could you give me the extra short version while we wait.”

“I suppose, but don’t you start asking questions.” She leaned forward, holding her arms out over my tail, hands toward the roaring fire. “There are two things: One, the Navanaean royalty—or Envy puppeting them—are planning something big.”

“Alright.” I nodded. “Bad news, but that makes sense. Is Aretan safe?”

“Yes, he’s with Mereneth right now.”

“What’s the second news?” 

“Two, Daram just invaded Edath in the west.”

“What!?” I coughed, spewing fire that Lilly dodged away from. “When? How much of a force? Why? Are they coming here?”

“A few days ago, I don’t know, I suspect Envy or Avarice’s meddling, I don’t know, and…” She reached over and flicked my forehead. “No more questions. Or I’ll spend an hour explaining all this again.”

“Fine.” I planted my lower hands onto the floor and leaned back, pulling my knees in with the others. Up above, snow whirled and hissed as it hit the edge of my magic. “So we’ll need to do something about both of those things, then. I can’t just stay here and let Navanaea fall. But I need to defend my homeland… not everyone’s rejected me.

“But I can’t do anything openly, can I? And both of these are happening at once. What’s next, Elnie fails to take power in Aloria, or that whole situation goes sideways? The Church invades Edath from the other side? More angels?

“I want to just build a house and spend time with my wife and daughter in peace.”

“Peace is a luxury,” Lilly’s voice was forlorn, old. “Not a lot of people understand that a peace purchased with blood does not last. Fewer still understand that no peace lasts, not with the nature of humans and demons.

“But I do not wish to be a wizened old cynic. What I ought to say is that to create the most enduring kind of peace, that which begets itself, one must prevent bloodshed. That is to say, you may not have this house today, and you cannot guarantee it tomorrow. That does not mean you should not try.”

I kept staring up into the clouds. “Sure. But try where? I’m one person, and even if I have a plan to defend Astrye without me here, it won’t stop that gnawing anxiety of abandoning my post.”

“Well, that’s what we need your wife here for. I want to know the chances of a Church invasion, and with more heads we can probably come up with a plan. I suppose it goes without saying that, as your ally, I’ll be joining you where I can.”

I bit down on my tongue and let out a long-held breath. “If that’s the case, you should know that I’ve made contact with Utraxia.”

Lilly stiffened, still staring into the fire. “I figured as much.”

“What happened between you two, if I may ask?”

“You may not.” Her reply was terse, cold despite the warmth of fire and magic.

“She is willing to help me despite knowledge that I am allied with you.”

Lilly took a sharp breath in. “Please, let’s talk about something else. If you wish to work with her, fine, but I will not and do not presume to change my mind on the matter. Perhaps we could discuss a roof, walls, or windows?”

No sense forcing the issue. “If you have any offhand advice for a roof in an area of heavy snow, I’d love to hear it.”

As we talked, Lilly relaxed again, and by the time Seyari landed with a soft flutter of wings, we’d started drawing designs out on the floor in charcoal. Warm red feathers wrapped me up and Seyari popped her head over my shoulder.

“You’re warm,” she said simply. “And you can’t draw a straight line to save your life.”

“Yes, well, I’m not exactly the straight and narrow sort of person, now am I?”

“You’ve made that joke before.”

“It’s a classic,” I agreed.

She turned her attention to “Sorry about the state of our soon-to-be-house, Lilith. But… it looks like you’re trying to help, so thanks.”

Lilly blinked. “Who are you and what have you done with Seyari?”

Sey just laughed. “I’m free now, that’s what. No more sulking and brooding and thinking about revenge. My shitstain father figure and by vile father are both dead by my hand! And I’m married to this lovely lump of warmth and affection.”

“Did you just make a pun?” I asked. “And you had a good flight?”

“Oh it was lovely. The wind in winter storms always gets my blood pumping!”

Lillith smirked. “Well I suppose that’s a bit more fitting of the Seyari I know.”

“Oh?” Sey smiled, showing sharp teeth. “You know the Angel of Wrath?”

“I do now, and I know few people so bubbly who would also gush about the euphoria of killing.”

“Killing people who deserve it,” Sey added.

“...Yes. Well, now that you’re both here, why don’t we have Renna get us some logs or rocks for seating. I’ve much to tell both of you.”

“If you were uncomfortable,” I protested, “why didn’t you have me go get a log earlier? We’ve got a couple good seating ones buried under tonight’s snow right over there” I pointed.

“Well,” Lilly replied, pointing down at the floor. “Right here is warm, next to you, free of snow, and my legs hadn’t cramped yet.”

“You can get leg cramps?”

“Perhaps I just thought of it. Could you please get us something to sit on?”

I held up all four hands. “Sorry! Honest. Didn’t mean to put up a fight over it. I’ve got no issues fetching a log.” It wasn’t hard to see Lillith saying something to Sey in private when I’d walked away, and I did wonder what she’d want to tell her and not me. But… it also wasn’t my business. I returned, dusted off the logs, and we sat down to talk through a plan for how to deal with Envy’s multi-pronged assault on the mortal world in our unfinished great room.