The Empty World | The Empty World Sequence [complete | rewriting]

Fifteen

There was no spell that Morpheus recognized, but the arrangement of the room definitely had the look of ceremonial preparation. Tristopher sometimes used the eight-point star, but the five-point star was the one Lucifer used. It curiously made it seem Angel was to take the role of Venus, more than that of a sleeping prophetess. The room didn't feel like a prison to Morpheus, more a shrine.

"Mirror," said Mother. Morpheus took a mirrored compact from his pocket. Mother gave him a nod, so he called to his father.

Sleep appeared in one of the small, round mirrors. "Father, Opium thinks we've found the sleeping beauty, look." Morpheus turned the mirror to pan the room.

"Once more, slowly," Sleep asked, yawning.

Morpheus moved the compact, again, then, finally, flipped it so that he saw his father's face. "Good Work. Keep it up," Sleep said. His image was replaced by Morpheus' own refection.

"Opium, why don't we just tell Shade about the prophecies?"

"You never tell a person prophesies like that! They always try to avoid them, and whatever they do it only makes the prophesy come true."

"I have that feeling, like a word is on the tip of my tongue."

"About Metro's prophesy?"

"Maybe. Now that Steven's here, it seems like Amadeo Jewel could be the 'Jewel of the east', but...." Morpheus didn't understand how events were connected. "Even looking across time, it's imprecise."

Mother stepped close and tried to make herself felt. Morpheus could feel the presence of her soul in close proximity, but he barely felt her touch on his arm. "Morpheus, your assignment is only to watch and report. You are not a Regent. It's their job to keep balance. We just help."

Morpheus tried to be at ease. He knew he should have felt ecstatic to be able to sit on the same couch as Julien and watch a movie, but he was always aware that, even having been invited into their home, it was also on Sleep's order.

A few days after Spider was accepted into the household, two others arrived. They arrived while it was still afternoon, and Shio invited them in with ritual offer of hospitality, then asked them to wait in the hall as she went to wake someone to speak with them. Morpheus first saw them there, in the grande hall, as he was sitting upon the second floor gallery railing, with Spider and Laudanum: a tall, black-haired woman and a brown-haired, teenaged boy, both with Vampyric pallor.

The boy looked up at them from his seat on a couch and flashed a fanged smile. "They look Azyurian," Spider said, "but I don't know them."

Athen came down the third floor west wing stairs, with Shio. He looked at the two new Vampyres, then glanced at the Halfangels lounging in the palace gallery, before announcing he'd wake Shade for this." He went back up the stairs at Vampyre speed, and returned a while later with Shade.

"I know them. I don't think they'll be trouble," Shade said. He spoke as if to Athen, as he watched the two in the hall. "Tell your brood I'll introduce them at dinner." Athen looked sorta peeved, as Shade descended the stairs.

They did not have formal dinners at the Palace Shade on every night, but there was often an informal congregation in the kitchen that coincided with sunset and the servants' shift change, when east wing members of the household ate supper, and west wing residents came to break their fast with bottled blood.

Morpheus opened his compact to call his mother. They had an informal agreement to split shifts of watching. Morpheus worked days, while Steven, Shio and various Halfangel residents were often awake, and had some amount of leisure in the nights, to sleep or hang-out with Julien or Joy. Mother was officially on watch during nights, which she usually did from Joy's side. "Two new Vampyres are here. Shade means to introduce them at dinner."