Loving Merritt Forever

Loving Merritt After 37

Merritt and Xi talked all night long. Both had been hungry for someone to talk to. Merritt was fascinated to hear about the entire civilization under the ground. A brutal nightmare fairy tale. Xi could have walked off a story book page. Telling her everything as he ate bowl after bowl of the stew.

An entire people, forced underground where they were certainly supposed to just die, but instead made a thriving, if unusually violent society. One where the women were in control, and wielded that power to brutal and selfish ends. Families constantly scheming and fighting to have the most wealth, the most power, the most influence.

Xi was telling a story about when he had still been in the training grounds. Not a place he had thrived. Merritt had been listening in rapt attention. His voice was soft, his movements slow, thoughtful. It was wonderful to watch his body grow healthier as Merritt's blood repaired all that had been ruined. Until she had to interrupt. "So wait, your vision is different?" Merritt asked Xi when he had absently mindedly added that it was his infrared vision that allowed him grow to adulthood instead of being sacrificed to power a spell or curse.

"Well, of course? I was a failure at fighting, I'm not large or strong enough to have been much use in the hard labour divisions. I was born male which of course made me unfit for any position of worth. But being able to see in the dark just as well as in light was my only value, and the best way to harness that value was the breeding stables. So the next generation could also have the gift in perhaps more fitting body." Xi had told her as though she should have seen how obvious it all was.

"You should sleep in the bed tonight, your body is still healing." Merritt announced. Xi made a face, Merritt wasn't able to read his expressions. His life was so different from anything she had ever imagined.

"I do not think I could rise even if I wished to take the bed." Merritt reverted back to being a nurse. Slipping so easily back into that mindset.

Merritt moved at full speed, easily slipping her arms under Xi, lifting his weight with strength to spare. "Vampire, not human. You need to rest, and I am going to make sure you get it. I wont have you turn on my blood." Merritt told him firmly as she tucked him into the bed.

His voice a lazy, sleepy whisper, "You make blue the warmest color." Xi was exhausted from a night of talking and healing. Merritt was certain he was snoring before she left the room. Cleaning up the last of the stew, washing the pot, taking the time to try and scrub the blood stains from the fabric of the chair. After an hour, she had a feeling it would be impossible with the tools and soaps she had on hand.Merritt grabbed a blanket and went up to the library to take her rest.

She would look like a corpse if Xi woke up and saw her at rest. She wanted to make sure his movements would wake her before he would see her. She did not want to scare him. He needed to be taken care of until Merritt could be certain he would not turn. He made her feel useful, gave her a purpose. A place to focus her attention.

At sunset Marisol was the first one to stir in the apartment. Not seeing Merritt in the bed, surprised to see the dark elf there instead of Merritt. Marisol could smell smoke and ash in the air and hoped that Merritt hadn't ended herself.

Marisol screaming when Merritt appeared from nowhere behind her. A single creak coming from the stairs to the library the only thing that indicated Merritt had indeed moved along the floor. "There was a war. The one that wiped out the dark elves. I want to know what happened." Merritt told Marisol. Demanding to be told, not asking.

There was the sound of a door opening on hinges that needed to be oiled. "I too would like to know the fate of my people." Looking at the two women he was speaking to, before looking at the floor. A gesture that Merritt noticed now, and that made so much sense.

"Xi deserves to know too." Merritt said to Marisol. Firmly. Merritt was done being less than she was. Done with settling. With not standing up for herself.

Marisol nodded. "Drink your meal Merritt and I will tell you what I can." Marisol said. Never lying, but knowing she would not be perfectly honest with Merritt. Marisol was loyal to her mistress Laurel first. It was enough truth, and was the accepted history of the war in Fae.

Marisol watched Merritt drink down a blood bag, scowling the entire time. Marisol summoned a meal from the ether. And offered the Persian kebab plate to Xi, as he was apparently calling himself. Or how Merritt had named him. "Supreme Matron Malice had made deals with Erebus, was working in coordination with Pestilence and Erebus to give the God of nothing and the end form to destroy everything. I was part of the team that set the explosion to blow up the matrons and magic users of the Dark Elves, once they were dead, all those they had cursed died with them. That is the only reason you were spared." Marisol told of a hydra attack from the sea, the dragons and demons attacking from the sky. The king of hell joining the battle. Explaining how the battle had seemed lost.

Laurel's best plan hadn't been enough. They were going to lose. Then goddesses of Light and Love were reborn, and turned the tides of the battle. Darkness was turned back, and those with righteous hearts prevailed. The dark elves were thought to be extinct now. The Fae royal family, dragon council and countless other lives were lost. Merritt could not imagine such a battle. It seemed impossible that something of such a scale could have happened just a few months ago and she had no idea.

"The Matrons, they had cursed everyone but those in the temple? The entire city? The children?" Xi spoke, his words growing quieter and quieter with every question.

Marisol nodded, "Hundreds died in battle, but once the Matrons were dead, all those cursed died with them. Those too young to walk were sacrificed one and all for the spells needed. Matron Malice was intent on success. Failure was not an option.

"I need a moment. Excuse me." Xi went outside, sitting near the outdoor fireplace Merritt guessed as she counted his steps.

"He didn't know. He didn't know anything. The Matron's sent him, and four other men deep into the earth, the reserve breeding stock." Merritt shuddered. "He is telling the truth? The dark elves were as bad as he makes it sound?" She asked Marisol. Who nodded.

"Worse probably, he seems like he was a believer in their version of history and their Goddess." Marisol saw more lines of fate starting to circle around Merritt. She was making her own path in the pattern of existence. Much to Marisol's relief. The more Merritt worked herself into the current pattern, the less likely she could cause something that would be apocalyptic.

Marisol had never once before appreciated her gift with Aura's as she did right now, she was learning more being near Merritt than she had in centuries. It was not often there came someone who could change the world. Laurel had been one thing, her fate was set in stone, destined to follow a path set for her. Merritt was the opposite. Removed from where she had been placed in the pattern. Finding her own way. It was exciting novel, and terrifying.

Merritt didn't know near enough about the world she was part of. Her ignorance was not going to be the reason she got herself in trouble again."I want books on Fae history, and earth history, and just history. The real history. Can you do that? Is that allowed?" It wasn't Marisol's fault, Merritt knew that in the part of her mind that was able to be logical. Merritt did not think she was going to become friends with the succubus. Too many cranky thoughts and bad memories now attached to her face inside Merritt's mind.

"I will bring what I can tomorrow. Take care Merritt, we will need you soon to find the demon and get rid of it.". Then Marisol was gone. Leaving Merritt and Xi alone. Needs met, a picnic basket for later when Xi was hungry again. He had already decided that the semi darkness of night better suited his vision abilities. He knew that was the opposite for most that lived on the surface. Xi was glad he had decided to save Merritt instead of letting her burn. He had known her to be a demon, only no demon ever performed a funeral like Merritt had done. She was different from anything he had ever known.