The raw honesty in his voice touched something deep within Sarah. Without thinking, she reached out and took his hand. He stiffened at first, then relaxed, allowing the contact.
"You're not what you pretend to be," she said quietly.
"None of us are," he replied.
Inside the room, Aurora sat cross-legged on the bed, her eyes closed, her consciousness extended beyond her small form. Through the wood of the door, through the very air itself, she monitored the conversations.
"Clever daddy," she murmured to herself. "Using truth as your greatest deception."
Behind her, the twins exchanged worried glances. "Should we be letting her do this?" Lirien whispered.
"The chief trusts her," Lirielle replied with a shrug. "That's enough for me."
"But what is she?" Lirien pressed. "She's not human, that's for certain."
Aurora opened one eye and grinned at them. "I'm daddy's little girl. That's all you need to know." Her smile, though childish, sent a chill down both their spines.
Back in the room, Sarah had moved to sit beside Lucian on the bed. "The lanterns reveal our deepest emotions, not just surface feelings," she explained. "That's why they're so valued—and why many people are afraid to use them. They expose what we hide even from ourselves."
"And what did yours reveal?" Lucian asked, turning slightly toward her.
Sarah's heart quickened. "Affection. Fear. Excitement."
"Interesting combination," he noted.
"And yours? Six colors, all so intense. Grief and anger I understand, given what little I know. But pride? Mischief? Mystery? Calm? How do these fit together?"
Lucian sighed deeply. "My story isn't a simple one, Sarah. Parts of it would be hard for you to believe."
"Try me," she challenged.
He seemed to consider for a moment, then nodded. "Very well. But first, tell me—what is this place, really? This inn, this city? It's more than it appears, isn't it?"
Sarah tensed. "What makes you say that?"
"Too many powerful beings in one location. Too many coincidences. A centaur Arcanist working as a bartender. An inn that caters exclusively to awakeners. A city that maintains neutrality between three rival kingdoms..." He trailed off, letting his words hang in the air.
Sarah was silent for a long moment. Then, "You're more observant than most mortals."
"I've had to be," he replied simply. "Survival depends on it."
She took a deep breath. "This inn... it's a waypoint. A sanctuary of sorts. The Neutral City of Sarnis exists in a unique position—not just geographically, but metaphysically. It sits at a convergence point of ley lines, where the barriers between realms are thinner."
"Realms? You mean the demon realm and angel realm?"
"Those, yes, and others. The spirit realm. The elemental planes. The void." She shivered slightly at the last one. "My sister—the innkeeper—is more like the representative of our clan. She's more like a messenger who reports the current situation on the barrier of the realms to the council."
Lucian raised his eyebrow. This was all new to him. Learning all this would surely help, and he was wondering why he had never heard of the spirit realm and the elemental planes, even the void. It was all new, but he remained neutral, simply listening to her. After a while, he asked, "And you? What's your role in all this?"
"I... assist. Well, I don't really do much other than assist when it comes time for a meeting. Maybe something happened to the realm barrier. I lead them to the meeting room and also watch out for any suspicious activities in the city, so I'm more of a little watcher." Sarah paused, then added, "That's why your group caught my attention. Especially you. Your aura is... unusual."
"My aura?" Lucian asked, raising an eyebrow.
"It's fragmented. Like there are multiple presences layered within you. I was gifted with this ability since birth—that I could see people for who they truly are from the aura around them. So when I saw you, at first, I thought you might be possessed, but it's more complex than that."
Lucian's expression remained unchanged. He nodded before saying, "Perhaps it's a result of the experiments."
"Perhaps," Sarah agreed, though she didn't sound convinced. "But that doesn't explain the demon."
"What demon?" Lucian asked in a narrowed voice. He had already figured this out. If she had a gift to see through him, who has a voice that who knows how strong it is in him, then she would be able to tell the difference between other races and a demon quite well. So after hearing her reply earlier, he wasn't surprised. Then Sarah continued.
Sarah looked at him intently. "Your 'daughter,' Aurora. She's no human child, same with you. And I can't really tell what race you are because I have never come across a race like that. I've seen demons, so I can tell straight away you are not one. Your aura gives the druid vibe, but me not seeing the gem on your forehead makes me wonder, Lucian. Surely you know that."
Now it was Lucian's turn to be silent. He didn't reply to her last question. Instead, he asked what was on his mind. "What gave her away?" He was pretty sure just by the aura she couldn't be considered a demon, right?
Then she replied, "Besides the obvious? The way her aura flickers between forms. The fact that she only showed one emotion at the lantern garden—curiosity—when even the most disciplined monks show at least three. The subtle scent of brimstone that follows her." Sarah's eyes narrowed. "What is she to you, really? And don't say your daughter."
Then Lucian replied, "Honestly, I don't really know. For now, I want to see how things are going to turn out between us. So, does that mean you will report this to your sister?"
"There's no need for that since she's with you and not acting out of line. Even still, I know she's far stronger than my sister, so there's no need causing all that trouble. Just know you're playing with fire keeping her around," Sarah warned. "Demons are treacherous by nature."
"So I've been told," Lucian replied mildly. "But then, trust is a luxury I've never been able to afford. Not with demons, not with humans, not with anyone."
Sarah's expression softened. "Not even with me?"
He turned his blindfolded eyes toward her. "Should I trust you, Sarah? You, who entered my room uninvited last night? You, who serve powers I don't yet understand? You, who could crush me with a thought if you wished?"
His words stung, but Sarah couldn't deny their truth. "Fair points. But I haven't hurt you, have I? Despite having every opportunity."
"No," he conceded. "You haven't." He was quiet for a moment, then added, "In fact, you've been kinder than most."
Something in his tone—a vulnerability rarely glimpsed—made Sarah's heart ache. Without thinking, she leaned forward and kissed him gently on the lips. It was a brief kiss, soft and questioning.
When she pulled back, Lucian's face was a mask of surprise. "Why did you do that?" he asked.
"Because I wanted to," she replied simply. "Because your lantern showed grief and anger and pride, but mine showed affection. Because sometimes, kindness doesn't need a reason."
Lucian sat perfectly still for a long moment. Then, slowly, he reached up and touched her face, his fingers tracing the contours of her cheeks, her jawline, her lips. "You're beautiful," he said quietly. "At least, I imagine you are."
Sarah took his hand and pressed it more firmly against her face. "When will you tell me the truth, Lucian? All of it?"
"When I feel the desire to trust again," he answered.
Inside the other room, Aurora smiled to herself. The pieces were moving exactly as planned. The centaur was falling for her "daddy." Then she said to herself, "Using that affection masterfully, building trust, extracting information. What else will you show me, daddy? I want to see all of it."
ack at the room, Sarah's body was already heating up from his touch. The softness of his palm, the way they felt on her boobs last night, was making her mind go wild. As if on instinct, she guided his hands to her boobs, holding them firmly before asking what had been bothering her, "What do you think of my race as a centaur? I mean, not most races like to mix with us because of our half-horse part."
He looked at her before holding the hands which were holding his closer, feeling her breath on his face. He said, "I don't discriminate between races, nor do I judge what's good or bad. It doesn't apply to me. I do what I see fit and how I see fit. If you are worried about your appearance as a centaur, then you should be more worried about my unknown race."