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

Seven and a Half (Draft 3) "For a Change"

Morpheus saw Splendor as far as the door, and there stopped, conflicted about his next step. "I want to go with you." But. There was a but. Morpheus turned his head and looked at Pam sitting on the edge of their bed. He sighed.

"If I can, I'll let you know what happens," Splendor said.

Morpheus turned again to Splendor and met xir wide lavender eyes with his. "I would really appreciate it."

Splendor shook xir head.

"Did I....?"

"No! You didn't." Splendor peered up at Morpheus. "They're still gray. That was rude of me." Xe lowered xir voice further, "I could feel, before, how you waited and didn't press a connection."

"I've been too familiar."

"No." Splendor shook xir head again. "I don't want you to look at me and think I could have intentionally harmed one who makes you happy. I didn't know what would happen, but I also didn't do anything to stop it. I let my mother say those things."

There was a tightness in his throat as Morpheus tried to speak. "I don't blame you." And that was true, but his rasping voice couldn't have portrayed much confidence.

Psyche should have known. Morpheus didn't really know her, but he had some idea of the work she shared with his own mother. It should have been within her abilities to predict Julien's mental and emotional state.

And if it didn't seem likely her actions or their consequences were accidental, then she might have overstepped the bounds of her duty. Just the possibility that Psyche might have harmed their family as well as Julien caused a roiling heat inside him.

But he felt the sharpness of River's claws at his collar, and that grounded him. "You know?" Morpheus asked, voice barely stronger than before. "Someone told me once it gets better."

"When?"

Morpheus released a slow breath. "In time. I guess."

Splendor nodded. "I should go. I can feel Sid calling me. But, I will try to bring you news, though there are things I'm not supposed to share."

"I know how it goes."

They were both Children, but of different houses and Regions. Half Splendor's ancestry traced back to a Light Bringer, while Morpheus had multiple lines of descent through hereditary Children of Night.

"You like coffee?" Morpheus asked.

"I do." Splendor smiled.

"Maybe we could get coffee sometime."

"My traditional summons involves ritual sex, but it works nearly as well if you think on a time you were really happy."

"Good to know. Most of our house scries, but there is something." Morpheus stepped out into the hall and extended his wings. He plucked a single black feather from his right wing, and then holding it aloft willed it into the shape of a pager. "Here."

Splendor took the pager. "How does it work?"

"Spirit entanglement." Morpheus shrugged. "Just hold it when you need me, or check it for changes."

⁂

Morpheus absorbed the mass of his wings and went back inside the shoebox. Pam was unmoved from the bed, head bowed, but awake. Morpheus went to him and knelt at his feet.

"Pam."

"Do you have to leave? To work?"

Morpheus hesitated, drawing and releasing a breath. He was meant to watch Joy, but she'd been in Williamsburg for dinner the night before and he figured that if she was out shopping sales, she likely had gone along with her bandmates.