Vespers (Fields of the Nephilim: Interlude)

Chapter 17

It was almost dawn when we ended up on the same rooftop where we first landed. He was lying on his back against the hard cement while looking up the bright moon. He was silent while blowing the smoke of his cigarette again.

“What were you doing in the desert when I woke up?” I asked him afterwards. He didn’t look at me.

“I was watching you watch her, you could say that. Well I didn’t really expect you to take your slumber in that place”

“I see. So it is true, you have something to do with her, with the necklace she was wearing-----“

“I gave it to her. It was obvious; I just don’t understand why they are making such a ruckus, pretending not to know when everything is plainly obvious. They know I was the one who killed the ferryman and yet they wanted proof or an actual accusation before they’d actually believe it. Isn’t that dumb?” when he said those words, it was as if I am seeing the old Lune whom I saw and heard speak in the chamber long ago, and not the playful imp that he is now. I was only nodding to what he was saying. I wanted to show him how long I have waited to listen to what he is about to say and I wouldn’t want him to go back to his impish mode again.

“When they spoke with you, I didn’t see that coming. I believe they have given you a proposition?”

“Not likely. I trust them no better than you. I wouldn’t decide on anything yet, they want your head I believe and still I want to understand. Your hands are full of blood from the ones I loved and yet I don’t know why I am still here talking to you like we were friends” I said with a slight bitterness. I don’t want to think again of all my dead ones but I couldn’t help it. I heard him gave a soft laugh like what I just said was crazy.

“You need me, and once you don’t then that’ll be the time you’d kill me” he said lightly. It was then my turn to laugh.

“You are really cunning aren’t you? And I wonder how I’d do that then if you always read my thoughts. Well I wish I could read yours too but then of course that wouldn’t be fun at all for I will never have rest knowing what’s inside your dirty mind” I said. He only smiled at this.

“Kahel would have been proud of you, do you know that?”

“And what do you know of him?”

“Well, quite a lot you know. You might as well thank me for leading him to you back then” he said matter of fact. I mused on this and so it was, the reason why he knew my name and about me when I was brought into their cell.

“I see. So what else should I thank you for?” I asked him almost sarcastically.

“Nothing much. Look, let’s end this bullshit. I need your help” with this, he sat up and looked me in the eye. I curved my lips into a sarcastic smile.

“So everybody needs my help huh? So you are trying to get me into this famous rebellion of yours”

“You seem to know quite a lot, impressive”

“But again, not what’s truly inside your mind. But tell me, what do you want?”

“I want Gehenna for my own” he said without any second thought and there is a determination in his face which had given me quite a surprise.

“You are serious aren’t you? Yes of course you are. Why hadn’t I seen this coming? You started it by taking the oar of the ferryman”

“Oh, but that is a different story. If I hadn’t done that then you wouldn’t be here right now”

“And what if I hadn’t been here right now?”

“Then I wouldn’t have someone to bargain with, isn’t that right?” the grin was back on his face and again I admitted that he was truly cunning.

“You are mad to think that I’d help you!” I blurted out. The moon was already gone and there was a speck of blue and gray in the horizon.

“Yes I believe I am mad enough to seek your help. But of course, I didn’t really let you live in the first place for nothing. There were already countless times when you could’ve died if not because of me!” there was almost a glint of anger in his words as he spitted those words on my face.

“Yes, I remembered what Ariz told me back then. I knew what you did at the arena and that was for your own benefit, how’s that?” I asked almost sincerely. He turned his back on me as he faced the upcoming dawn.

“I needed everyone alive if I could only keep them. It was for Mina. She needed company so she could get out of that place. What happened to Lotuz, Shayne, and Cerise, I couldn’t keep it from happening and you know that. I was only able to keep you. It was for Mina” he said and I could feel his sincerity especially the way he spoke of Mina’s name. This had somehow softened me a bit and I couldn’t find the right words to say. Probably he was right when he told me I was falling in love with her.

“Hey Lune tell me, is she a part of your plan?” I softly asked. He was once again smiling when he faced me as if I was finally defeated.

“Will it make you feel better if I told you that she is?”

“No. I want you to leave her out of this” I said and yes perhaps I was defeated. His smile just turned into a grin.

The horizon had already turned into a blaze and the city was finally awakening. The two of us just stood there as if time had actually stopped and we were cherishing it. Lune was ecstatic but I could still read it in his face, he wouldn’t really trust me and he knew I wouldn’t trust him either.

The sun was up when we were finally back in our suite and decided to take a full day rest after our meal. It was hard for me to sleep thinking I might not be able to wake up this time, but upon seeing Lune with his eyes closed, I was contented. It would be safe for a while.