Ancient Monsters (Chasing Titania #3)

The Remnants

I have found nothing.

After searching through the entirety of Medowlark for a little over a year, I decided to backtrack to Zannikar. It seems to be occupying most of my time. Zannikar is more extensive than I thought. With most towns being small villages, I thought this would take me the least amount of time. However, there are many open fields, gaps in settlements, and vast jungles that make it difficult. I have been here for over a year and a half. I still have only searched half of it.

The humid weather, while great for growing crops, has been detrimental to my healing. I can see my eye in the mirror before me. It's getting infected again. I summon what little magic I can muster to rewind time to when the wound was fresh. Before the infection set in.

I gather everything I have. It's not much. I have the black messenger back that my friends Charleze and Laurent gifted me before I left Zannikar. I have the watch Tiang had given me, my constant reminder that this is my chosen path.

Some days, I have regrets about that.

I miss Lexington more than I miss life itself. I didn't want ever to lose him. I think I've been punished enough. I want him back. 

I left the village I was in for the last week. I used the dirt path between the towns to reach the next one. 

A faint magical sense hits my head. It has been eons since I caught a hit this big. I run the rest of the way into the next village. Sitting at the edge of the village is a small hut. Everything here reeks of Lexington's god magic. I could collapse. He was here.

"Who are you?" A woman asks. 

I turn to see a few of the villagers. This woman holds a child in her arms. Behind her, a few more women wait. I see a man with a large belly and a fancy-patterned hat. He must be in charge around here.

"I'm looking for Orpheus," I managed to say.

The one woman splits from the crowd. She approaches me before slipping out a knife made of bone from her shirt. The woman held the knife towards me. Her hands shook. I noticed the resentment in all the gazes in my direction.

"What do you want from Orpheus?" She growled.

I was a threat. They thought I was trying to hunt him down for malicious purposes.

I caved. "I just want to talk with him."

"He's not here anymore. Hasn't been for at least two years," the girl behind her spoke up.

"Where did he go?"

"You stay away from him!" The woman with the knife shouted.

"Back to Medowlark," the girl responded.

Lexington couldn't have gone back to Medowlark. I had searched everywhere. I wouldn't have missed him. I knew Lexington wasn't there. Where had he gone?

"Thank you," I bowed my head.

"If you dare to kill him-" the woman started.

"I'm Arn," I asserted. "The God of Passage. I'm looking for him so I can say I'm sorry."

I turned away. It was impossible. Lexington couldn't have gone back to Medowlark. I looked for him everywhere. I never felt his presence. But this little house here, it burned with him. I couldn't leave this behind. 

"May..." I glanced back at the angry and confused faces. "May I please go in here?"

The girl rushed forward. The woman with the knife started to argue with her, but she produced a key and allowed me inside. 

I could feel it the moment the door opened. He had been here. I wanted to collapse and cry.

"What happened?" The girl asked me.

"I lost him," I intruded further. "I said stupid things, and Lexington ran from me."

"Who is Lexington?"

I shook my head. "That was Orpheus' fae-given name. Orpheus ran from me."

"From Medowlark?"

"Yes," I turned towards this girl. She couldn't have been older than seventeen. "He left me on Medowlark."

"He landed here from Medowlark. He said he had to go back for his boyfriend. I guess that's you."

I covered my mouth, looking away so she couldn't see the tears that sprouted. "Yes, that's me."

"I'm Mannuela," the girl finally introduced herself. "I'm sorry for my mom brandishing a knife at you. She took care of Orpheus while he was here. She's only trying to protect him."

"I understand. Fae tend to be scared of me based off my appearance."

"You look a little scary," Mannuela shrugged. "Orpheus saved our village. He healed our long-standing rivalry with another village. He then left when his magic was healed up."

"I'm glad he helped," I felt my heart sink. "I realized he saved me too."

"Here," Mannuela pushed into the bedroom. She brought a painting down from the wall.

I sat down on the bed to calm my quaking body. I knew this painting. Lexington had a cuff of this painting gifted to him from Titania.

Tears dropped down my cheek. His magic was buzzing around me, creating a whirlwind in my head. He was here. He had been here. He healed everything.

I needed him to heal me next.

"Can I stay here?" I asked quietly.

"I'll go ask," Mannuela stepped out.

I brought a pillow to me. If I thought hard enough, it smelled of him. I broke down. I couldn't believe I let Lexington get away from me. I should have listened to Beth and gone home. Then maybe I could have healed and gone with my parents to find Lexington, wherever he was. 

"They said it would be okay," Mannuela returned, her mother behind her.

"Nuru," her mother shifted. "I'm sorry for threatening you. Orpheus was such a sweet boy. I don't want him to get hurt."

"I get it," I wiped my face. "I am trying to make amends with him."

"Hopefully, you can join us for dinner," Mannuela offered.

"I will," I stared down at the artwork. 

"I'll come to retrieve you then," Nuru exited, Mannuela not far behind her.

I held the art close to my chest. Tears and blood floated down my face, staining my chest and everything around me. 

I thought back to what they had said. Orpheus left here for Medowlark. Where could he have gone if he didn't land on Medowlark? I thought it over, only confusing myself more. Maybe his planet-hopping took him back to Medowlark, and we never crossed paths. Maybe his jump took him to Caliope. I didn't know.

My head grew dizzy with the loss of blood from shaking my head too many times. 

I lay down in the bed. Maybe it wasn't what I should do, this sick and dizzy. It would take longer to kill me than an average fae with this wound.

I closed my eyes and allowed myself to fall asleep.