Moonlight Sonata

34. Echoes

While Kaage stitched up my arm, I explained everything over the last year to them. From being recaptured to breaking out, from encountering the Skull and Bones to losing Sergei. Thamyris clutched her hand over her lips to hold back tears at that last one, and Murmur pulled her into his side. It was just as heart wrenching the tenth time around as it was the first.

"Food's ready if anyone's hungry," Nolan stuck his head out of the kitchen to look at us, a few people getting up to go grab a plate. Lily came trotting back out with two extra plates and handed them to the pair while Nolan brought one out for me.

"So are you and Nolan...?" Thamyris began.

"Yeah, we are. That's why turning him back into Necro is a last resort option," I felt his arm wrap around me as I dug into my food, "so, what's it like having a solid body again?"

"Boy I'll tell you, I don't think I've ever eaten this much in my life," she laughed as she moved her head down to the plate, "what's on here? It smells absolutely delectable."

"Venison and homemade biscuits."

She dug in without a further word, the pleasure clear on her face. Murmur laughed as he watched her, looking back over at me with gratitude.

"Are your sure your shoulder will be okay by tomorrow?" He asked, his gravelly voice practically music to my ears.

"It'll be okay enough to use at least," I nodded, eating my food as quickly as possible, "we've seen you guys on the news a lot lately."

"Really?" Thamyris asked.

"Yeah, you were all over it the other day," Nolan laughed, "so, what's your ability? Are you like a banshee?"

"That's exactly what I am," she smiled, "my screams forewarn of death. In particular, whoever listens to it."

"And then we've just got a full blown demon over here," I pointed to Murmur, who waved as he hungrily tore into his venison, "you'll like him, his piano skills are just as good as yours."

"Well, being the demon of music, that doesn't surprise me," Nolan laughed, "we've got a piano up in my room if you want to fool around later."

"Oh, I haven't caressed the keys of the ivory goddess in months," he groaned, "once I'm done here, you should show me your talent. Agnes bragged about you quite often."

"Did she now?" He raised an eyebrow at me, and I shrunk away quietly.

"It's not my fault I missed you-" I cut myself off, "oh wait, it is."

A few muffled chuckles echoed in the room and I felt my cheeks burn with embarrassment. Nolan broke out into full on laughter and pulled me close to him, kissing my temple with gentle lips. I finished my dinner quickly and grabbed Murmurs empty plate when I got up, bringing it back into the kitchen to find Medusa doing the dishes. She had a cloth apron on and was humming along as she worked.

"They're both fine to look at," I told her, "Thamyris is dead and Murmur's a demon."

"Oh really? Thank goodness, I was worried I'd have to keep my guard up a little more," she laughed, "how's your arm?"

"It's better, I should have most of my mobility back by the time we leave tomorrow," I smiled, "I'm glad you're finding yourself so at home here. You've been such an amazing fighter and so helpful around the house, I don't know how we ever functioned without you."

"Really? You...mean that?" She whispered, her pebbly eyes filled with emotion I recognized.

"I do." I grinned. "I was in a really similar situation as you before I got taken by PASCI. No one appreciated me and I just wanted to live. And...someone I barely knew took advantage of me too. After that my life went to shambles, but not everything that came out of it was bad."