Reflections Of Angels

The Witching Hour

The lobby of the small motel was very quiet and very empty this early in the morning. The witching hour, it was called, and very appropriately too. It was raining outside, which didn't help; originally only a light spring trickle but it was slowly building up into something bigger.
The receptionist was practically asleep behind her desk- soothed by the dim light, the drumming raindrops and the warm dinner she'd just eaten on her break- when the strange couple walked in.

They appeared to have been caught in the downpour; they seemed rather bedraggled. He was wearing a black jacket with the hood pulled up over his head and she was dressed in a thin t-shirt and jeans splattered in rain water, nothing to guard her from the weather at all. Two silver necklaces on long chains hung down her chest, one hanging above the other; a mirror pendant on the shorter and a large, ornate crucifix on the longer. Her dark curly hair was tangled from the weather, knotted into a wild halo behind her head.
In her arms she held a baby; a small bundle wrapped in a soft white blanket, snoozing peacefully in her arms as the woman bounced her absentmindedly.

Noticing her attention, the man walked over to the desk. "We need a room."
***
Gently, Nyx placed the baby down on the ratty old mattress of the borrowed crib. As she did so, the child opened her eyes; looking at her curiously with her dark irises. Nyx smiled at her weakly, before turning away.

He was sitting on the bed, just watching them. Tentatively, she crossed to him, perching next to him on the mattress. "What are you thinking about?"

"I'm thinking about the meaning of the word cleave." He said simply. "It's something Lilith said. You can cleave from something, but you can also cleave to something. 'Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife'." He quoted as an example.

Nyx chuckled lightly, tugging on his arm. "Come on, it's too early for profound thoughts. Sun's not even up yet. Go get a shower."

"Why?" He grinned roguishly, leaning forwards to peck her on the lips. "You're so desperate to get me out of my clothes already?"

"No, I don't think that would be appropriate." She said, drawing back from his grip. "Besides, you taste like blood."

"You didn't mind it before."

"I mind it now." She said. "Go on. I'm going to try and feed the baby." He smiled at that, slipping off the bed to saunter towards the bathroom.
There was definitely something wrong with him; he kept fluctuating, back and forth. She could see it in his eyes- or at least what little he'd let her glimpse. Half the time, it didn't seem like his mind was fully here, and with the situation at hand she just didn't know what to do. Whatever had happened had fully upset something in him.

He came out of the bathroom a while later, wet from the shower, wearing only his trousers; to find Nyx trying to encourage the grizzling baby to take a bottle. She was blatantly refusing, only opening her mouth to accept drops of milk off the tip of Nyx's finger but outright clamming up at the presence of the rubber teat.

Wandering over, he dropped down onto the bed behind her, resting his chin on her shoulder to watch. After a while, he raised a finger to her collarbone, hooking it under the chain of the long crucifix necklace. "Where did you get this?"

"Oh, I... picked it up at the Asylum." She said mildly.

"What, you stole it or something?" He teased.

"No." She chuckled. "I was allowed to have it."

"Was this before or after you brought down the building?"

"I didn't 'bring down the building'." Nyx laughed. "Not all of it, anyway." She sighed in relief as the baby finally caught on to the idea of the bottle, sucking the milk down eagerly. "There we go, Sweetie. Much better... Does she have a name?"

He thought about it for a second. "Grizelda."

"... Did you just pull that out of thin air?" Nyx asked, raising an eyebrow questioningly.
He flopped back on the bed, laying on top of the covers against the pillows and closed his eyes. "It suits her."

"Well then," Nyx said, expression sceptical as she moved to tuck the baby back into bed. "Grizelda it is, I guess."

Turning back, she climbed into bed besides him, climbing under the covers. Turning over, he tucked her in, smiling contentedly as he ran a hand gently over her cheek.
Blinking tiredly, Nyx swallowed and voiced the question pressing on her mind. "What are we going to do next? We can't just stay in hotels."

"I'll think of something." He reassured her. "Go to sleep."

So, book six! Never expected to get here! I know it's only chapter one, but what do you think so far?

Also, I realise I haven't updated The Birdcage in over a week now. I'm sorry about that, I had another project that needed my attention and next thing I knew a ton of time had passed XD
But don't worry, I plan to have a chapter up later this week, if not tomorrow even.