The Neverseen's Last Resort

48

It hurt, knowing she was so close, and yet so, so far. And without Sophie, this would be permanent. 

"Thank you." Dex turned to see Della, hand on his shoulder and tears glistening in her eyes. It took a moment before Dex realized she was thanking him. 

"For- for what?" A broken smile crossed her face as she answered.

"For being here. For Biana. For Fitz." And, when Alden had his back turned, Della leaned into whisper, "And for checking up on her every night. Even if Alden is against it." Dex tensed. Had he not been as discrete as he'd hoped? 

"I'm a Vanisher," she reminded with a smug grin. Dex tensed. If Della was implying she'd seen him sneak in... His cheeks turned a bright pink.

"Don't worry," she assured him. "I didn't see anything last night." She gave his shoulder a quick pat before returning to her husband's side. Dex tensed, his eyes glancing back to Della. When they made eye contact, though, he whipped around to watch Biana. She was lying on the floor now, eyes forever glazed as she stared up at the ceiling chandelier. 

"We're going to go talk to Fitz," Della told Dex, squeezing Alden's hand. Alden gave a stiff nod, following his wife out of the room. But just before she shut the door, she looked back to Dex one last time and... winked. 

Dex's face went from pink to velvet as the door shut, and it became just him and Biana. Dex withheld an embarrassed groan as he seated himself beside Biana, making sure to keep a good distance between them-- lest Alden return. 

"--seen," Biana babbled, and Dex wondered if she had meant Neverseen. He raised an eyebrow, but she said nothing more, turning her attention back on the chandelier. 

"Fitz wants to be here," Dex assured her, sinking onto his back and looking up at the ceiling with her. "He's just... scared. We all are." He urged to glance at Biana, but thought better of it and kept his eyes glued to the chandelier, which glittered with colors of pink, blue, and gold as the crystals reflected the sunlight. 

They stayed like that, for a good while. Just the two of them, watching the crystals above them dance as the open window brought in gentle breezes. Them and the silence. Dex's eyes would occasionally stray back to Biana, and her empty, teal eyes. Sadness would overwhelm him, and he'd drop his gaze to her hand. Her pink nails were chipping off, almost gone thanks to all those days in the Neverseen's prison. 

Taking her hand, he examined them closer. Biana turned to look at him, and though she was staring directly into his eyes, it felt as though she weren't seeing him. 

"I'll see if Marella can redo them for you," he tried, dropping her hand and snapping his back to his side. "Maybe Stina, too. That'd be funny." He said it with a gentle chuckle, but it was forced. And if it were anyone else, they'd be able to see right through him. 

The door opened, saving him from further embarrassment as Linh entered. 

"I... I... thought this was the bathroom?" 

Sitting upright, Dex grinned. At least he wasn't the worst liar in the room. "Alden and Della left awhile ago. I'm actually surprised they haven't returned yet." 

Linh seemed to ease up, shutting the door behind her as she entered. "If anyone asks, I was looking for the bathroom." Dex nodded and Biana mimicked his movement, her head bobbing up and down, even after Dex had stopped. 

"How is she?" Linh asked, kneeling across from Dex. 

"I can't say," Dex sighed. "How do you diagnose someone's feelings if they don't even know the answer themselves?" 

"I guess that's true..." she trailed off, eyes wandering towards Biana's hands. "Her nails are chipped," she noted. 

Dex nodded. "Someone should do them," Linh continued. And again, Dex nodded, his brain to crowded with thoughts to process what she was implying. 

"Yeah," he agreed in a mumble. 

"Dex," Linh said, and Dex broke free from his thoughts. 

"Huh?" 

"We should do them." 

Dex raised an eyebrow. "Uhm, me?" 

"Yes," Linh said. "Biana would love it. And besides, we can always count on you to have the right stuff on the go." 

Dex frowned. Of course he'd picked this morning to bring splotch-making goo. The splotch coloring would work as nail polish, maybe even better thanks to its durability. Actually, why had he brought his splotch goo? His mind recapped the previous day, until he remembered Keefe talking about a prank on Councillor Alina. The prank could wait, he decided as he pulled the supply from his belt. 

"That's handy," Linh said, and Dex nodded. 

"It's helped me many times." And with that, they got to work. It took awhile to find the right tools for nail painting. Or polishing. Dex wasn't an expert on this type of stuff. 

Biana watched, intrigued, as they mixed colors, tried designs, and, because "sparkles make everything better", they even added some glitter they'd found lying around in her bedroom. Finally, they had finished. And the results were even better than Dex had expected. 

Biana's nails were a lavender, with a deep gold design made of glitter, different for each nail. This was even better than Dex had imagined when he'd said Marella and Stina could do it. This was definitely way more fun. Even if Dex might've messed up her left thumbnail. Linh had claimed she could fix it, and she had. 

Linh sighed, sitting back to admire their work. "I should get going. Tam is definitely looking for me." Dex nodded. 

"I'll go, too. I'm pretty sure I've overstayed my welcome at this point." He smiled, and with one last glance in Biana's direction-- who was busy admiring her nails with a dazed look-- he closed the door behind him.