730 The Regular Troubles
Harry’s news of gloom, unsurprisingly enough, did not abate with his departure.
Kinda hard to just simply shrug off a matter especially when it’s come charging straight at you with a capital ‘J’.
With a little uneasy sway in the pit of my stomach, I closed the front door with my fingertips seemingly frozen stuck onto the timbered surface. It took quite a while for me to unstick myself from the door because doing so also meant stepping away from the problem, as undeniably stupid as that sense of logic was.
I don’t know, I suppose I was hoping for a less cryptic resolution to this problem… if it can even be considered a resolution at all.
“Ah, once more encumbered with a burden undeserved, my poor, poor Master,” Ash spoke from nearby, an endearing smile on her lips painted in the dazzling hues of decorative lights. “At times, I wonder if there will ever come a definite end to your troubles.”
“It’ll come,” I said, returning to the living room, feeling slightly heavy on my feet. “I’m sure the days of peace and relaxation are just right around the corner.”
“A close corner, I should hope,” She responded in kind. “But for the time being, I sense a growing unease stirring. Speak to me, Master. Allow me to lighten your burden any way I am able, won’t you?”
“Well, you heard Harry already,” I said, shrugging. “He’s hurting again, and Jay might just be the reason why.”
“A cause for concern, I’m inclined to agree. But have we not already anticipated this? For that wretched man to be still roaming free, unwatched and unobstructed, it is only wise to assume he would not stay silent for long.”
.....
“Yeah, but there’s something else too. I’ve been thinking about what you said just now.”
Ash cocked her head. “And just what might that be?”
“The part about sensing when Jay does something big,” I told her, my mind sifting through a blur of distant memories. “One of the last times I ever saw Jay was when he was completely run dry of magic. If Harry’s sensing him, it means he’s recovered. Jay might be planning on doing something big again.”
“Assuming that I am right,” Ash countered. “My assumption can be very easily disproven still. Bear in mind, you have vanquished a fragment of a being whilst it harbored within the essence of a still living soul. The ramifications of such a daunting feat still remains to be seen with time.”
She made a valid point there. My theory on Jay was only structurally sound provided that she was even right on the money. But what she said simply made too much sense to me for me to just brush away like it was nothing.
Besides, what if it wasn’t nothing?
“Yet to be quelled, I see,” with a step forward, Ash had closed our distances to zero. “Master, while I am flattered you hold my opinions in such high regard, preferably I hope for you to consider this instance as a sole exception. I implore you, assume nothing… not just yet at the very least.”
This close to the gentleness of her gaze, it was hard maintaining the urge to keep speaking to the contrary, especially when she was this insistent too.
“You really think I should just let this go for now?” I asked.
“I would not ask that of you,” She said, shaking her head. “I wish only to mitigate what you may have assumed to be a grander omen than what it may truly be in actuality.”
“So if it’s not a grave sign for things to come,” I said. “What do you think it might be then?”
Ash smiled again, and it was as if she knew exactly what I was thinking, hearing the question that I haven’t spoken.
“Nothing, Master,” She said. “And to that claim, I assure you, you may hold with the utmost significance.”
And with that, dismissing herself with a bow, Ash began clearing the coffee table of cups and barely-nibbled biscuits, striding away into the kitchen where the rushing splatter of running water promptly began to resound.
Maybe she was right, maybe I was jumping too early to conclusions with so little to go on… but that only means I need more information, more info, and well, following the trite and true proverbs… they do say mothers know best, don’t they?
“Will you not be going into work today, Master?” Ash suddenly inquired.
“Closed,” I simply said, marching myself to the foot of the staircase. “Which means plenty of time to relax. I’ll be in my room if you need me.”
“Of course, Master,” She replied, sounding a tone that somehow knew exactly what my intentions were. “And should you learn anything new, do let me know.”
I grunted in return, one hand gliding across the handrail clambering a step at a time, and I had just only made my way up to the landing, the second-floor hall just an upward glance away, when I heard Ash speak again.
“Present circumstances aside, I realize I’ve yet to inquire, but… yesterday, Master, last night… how, how was it?”
I paused in place, my foot hovering in the air, and my eyes immediately veering down to the empty space of the ground floor.
“You mean dinner, right?” I said to the silence of kitchen noises. “Not bad. Amanda’s parents were… interesting enough people. A little rough at the start, but I think they might have come around on me eventually.”
“Ah, that’s splendid. Splendid news to hear!” She called out, her voice reverberating loudly, yet sounding so vapid. “I… I would assume Lady Amanda is as well extremely delighted with the night’s outcome, yes?”
“She’s… Amanda’s happy enough with how things went, I suppose.”
“Happy?” Curiosity echoing. “D-Define happy, if you would, Master. Do you mean to say she’s satisfied with your… is she pleased with… umm, did she rest well last night?”
My God, what a nosy little Elf we got here.
“Actually, Master, never mind my words,” Ash hastily spoke aloud again. “Disregard everything.”
I cracked a smile, “What, another exception?”
“I misspoke,” She said stiffly, and in my mind’s eye, with ears fluttering wildly. “Please, pay no mind to my thoughtless rambles.”
“If you really wanna know Ash,” I said. “Let’s just say you slept a lot happier than Amanda did last night.”
A clatter of plates exploded out into the open.
“I see,” Ash quietly spoke after a while. “That is a relief to—no, I mean—it’s enlightening! Enlightening to know. ”
“I slept pretty well too in case you were wondering.”
“Oh? Oh, yes… yes, of course,” her voice returned back to its usual calmness. “I was indeed wondering that. I am glad to know that you are well-rested, very glad indeed.”
Yeah, you’re glad alright… if only for all the wrong reasons.
The familiar dimly-illuminated pathway to my bedroom lay just up ahead, past the closed door of the guestroom to which I assume Sera was holed up in after presumably a long night of nothing but staring mesmerized at Christmas lights.
When I swung open my door, I expected to be met with the usual sights. My empty desk on one end, my bulging closet on another, and the sheets of my messy bed laying just as crumpled as I had left it.
All of that was indeed present, all was just as expected… except, of course, for the heart-stopping void of deep misty white, swirling only inches away from my gaze as soon I stepped a single foot beneath the doorway.
My soul might have left my body, but I think that might have just been me briefly passing out for but a second. One thing was for certain though, I’ve never felt more alive than I have now… with my heart beating at the speed of stroke.
“You are going to kill me,” I said, heaving a breath and stepping back. “I am going to die one day and it’s going to be all your fault. Have fun with that on your conscience, alright?”
Adalia remained standing in place, blocking the entrance to my bedroom, dream-glazed eyes appearing to completely miss every single word I spoke. Instead, almost gliding across the floorboards, she drew even closer toward me, her blank face giving no indication of her intention.
“Two… days..” She whispered the words somberly, as if it were the only thing in the world that mattered. “Two more... days... ”
I blinked at her, taking a second for it all to click. “Oh, right. Two more days, right,” I nodded. “Christmas.”
“Two more… days…” She repeated in the same air of gravitas. “Are you… excited…?”
“Yeah, of course,” I replied immediately. “And you definitely sound like you are.”
Adalia slowly batted her eyes in response. Thus proving my remark not so convincingly, thanks.
“Not sure yet how we’ll spend it,” I continued. “But I’m sure we’ll think of something good. With you, anything’s bound to be interesting.”
“Interesting… any… thing…” She whispered. It sounded like she was pondering. “I want to… spend it… outside the house... with you…”
“Out?” I raised a brow. “In the sun? With all the noise? All day long?”
“Yes…”
“In the city?”
“Yes…”
“In your... condition?”
She paused.
“Yes...”
Well, I certainly wasn’t expecting that proposition. I figured it’d be more of an indoor celebration, considering… but hey, if she’s up for it, then, I suppose…
“Like I said, anything’s interesting,” I replied with a smile. “If you’re able then I don’t mind a snow day with you either.”
If she was happy to hear my approval, she certainly didn’t show it.
As always, gazing beyond any horizon rooted in reality, Adalia slowly strode past me, disappearing around the bend in the hall, but not before whispering again, repeating again, sounding a little livelier… and perhaps a little happier, after all.
“Two more… days…”
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