The Paradise Gate

Ch.6 All Sincere Votaries of Wrath

A/N: Don't worry! There's not actually any math involved in the reading of this story 😋 Should you wish, however, to see what Dalli's notes might look like, see above. (Quantum harmonic oscillator)

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Inside the manor, Lycinder looked around curiously. A staircase twenty feet from the front door climbed to a brief second floor balcony before making a turn to ascend to the third story, and the marble flooring of the foyer continued down a hallway to the right of the stairs toward the back of the house.

Parlours full of sheet-covered furniture sat to either side of the entryway, and through a doorway across the room on his left was what looked to be an empty ballroom. This, he assumed, was where the sets of double glass doors with their ornate, brass-accented scrollwork he'd seen from the outside must lead.

Dalli paused on her way toward the stairs and looked back at Lycinder. "Oh," she said. "I hadn't planned for..." her eyes trailed up and down his form. "You'll need a room."

"Actually, mistress, I don't need to sleep," Lycinder replied.

Dalli's brows climbed. That was interesting; she'd seen her father's daemon sleep- unless Nyx had just been copying the behavior? She hadn't known they could do without. Still, while she drilled it into her mind yet again that Lycinder wasn't, in fact, human, it felt too strange to expect him to just... what? Wander around all night?

"Nevertheless, you should have a room," Dalli pronounced. "Maryana?" she called down the hallway toward where a chuckling Gem had escorted his flabbergasted cousin to the kitchen.

A curly, dark head popped into view down the hall.

"My lady?" Maryana replied as her entire self came 'round the bend and she made her way toward them.

To Lycinder's obvious amusement and Dalli's strained patience, Maryana clung to the doorframe, seeming to want to keep a wall between herself and her lady's new daemon.

"Oh, he won't bite," said Dalli.

Lycinder smiled at Maryana, which had the odd consequence of making her blush while she also shrank in fear.

Summoning her inner strength to keep her eyes from tracing circles on the ceiling, Dalli ploughed ahead. "He's going to need a bedroom, Maryana. Would you be so kind as to prepare one for him? Get Gem to help you if necessary; I don't know what state they're in as of yet."

"Yes, milady," Maryana replied with a dipped curtsy. "Er... but, Lady Dalliance, where are we to put him? In the servants' quarters, or...?" She glanced upstairs, cheeks flushing again at having to suggest putting a male- because, daemon or not, what Her Ladyship had brought home was definitely male- near her unmarried mistress' own bedchamber without any sort of chaperone. "Begging your pardon!" she squeaked in a hurry at the end.

Dalli sighed. "Don't be absurd. Of course, he'll be upstairs. Unless you'd rather...?" she trailed off, looking back over her shoulder at Lycinder, who shrugged.

"I certainly don't care," he said.

"Yes, well... I'd rather have you closer," said Dalli, turning away so he wouldn't catch her eyes as she admitted this.

"A-alright, then, milady," Maryana stuttered, dipping another quick curtsy and whirling to practically run back to the kitchen to retrieve Gem.