Moonways pt 9

Nothing. Blessed nothing, a warm, gentle place, a safe place... but the tide was rushing back in, and sensation returned to Solaris' body with the same jolt it always did. He cracked one eye open with difficulty as gummy sleep rimmed his lashes, and examined his surroundings resignedly. He had made it back to his apartment well enough, but obviously his bed had been too much effort, because he was on the floor. His back ached, and he permitted himself a small groan. Peeling his cheek from the floor, he rolled onto his back and let out a grunt of surprise. Niveus was sitting on his old, grubby couch, watching him with a small frown on her face. He glared at her balefully.

"What are you doing here?" His voice was thick with sleep and the sour taste of last night's whiskey. He sat up warily.
"I saw Dusk." It was a simple statement but it coursed through the room like electricity. Between them hung the unspoken fear, the memory of that terrible day...
"What was he doing?"
"He was with some human girl in the city. They got off a bus. That's all I saw."
"A human girl. How strange." He paused. "Is that all?"
Niveus arched her eyebrows, "You're not concerned about what he's doing here?"
Solaris gave no response, instead going into the bathroom and closing the door. He stared into the small, splotchy mirror, and shuddered. Whatever had brought Dusk back into the mortal realm only meant trouble for him. He washed his face and changed his shirt with another that hung on the back of the bathroom door, and went back out into the tiny, bare living room. Niveus was still there, absently plucking loose threads on the arm chair. She looked up at him, and her eyes were the cold silver he remembered. He looked away, scowling.
"What would you have me do, Niveus? What can he do to us that is worse than this?" His arm jerkily swept in the peeling wallpaper, the bare floorboards, the dank mould creeping in the cornices and the dirty morning light creeping in through the one stained window.
"You live like this of your own accord, Solaris. You know things could be better for you."
"I don't deserve better."
"We need to do something. We failed our kin before. Will you let it happen again?" Silence stretched out between them, thickening the air until the tension crackled. Finally, Solaris nodded.
"We won't fail them again. Bring the kin together."
As Niveus left, she cast one last look at her brother. He was leaning against the kitchen counter, his face obscured by his shaggy golden hair. His fingers curled and uncurled in small spasms, sending little flexes up the crow on his hand. She snorted softly under her breath and closed the door.

Once Niveus was gone, Solaris collapsed down onto his knees, breathing hard. What did the Keeper of Laws want with the human realms? And what was he doing with one in his company? He wasn't known for consorting with the cattle, so to speak. But then it had been a long time since he had seen or heard of either of the Keepers; maybe things had changed. It was odd, to think of the Keepers changing, though he supposed that was their nature; they were the ones who walked between the worlds, they were the ones who were supposed to dance with Time, to keep the Laws, to hold the Balance. It had never meant to be he and his kin who felt Time's embrace. And a cold embrace it is too, he thought bitterly.

He had wanted it though, once upon a time. He and his kind were born without Time, and in the Kingdom the Balance was perfect, as long as the Laws were kept. That was the duty of the Fey; they would forever watch over the earth's heart, its soul: the trees and the grass and the animals and the wind and sky, and verything in the mortal realm was linked by the Laws to the Kingdom. But then came Man, and the Balance had to change to accomodate His needs. Solaris supposed that he and his kin, so tied with the Balance were they, had changed too, and not for the better. It was the power of men to take and transform, to turn everything to their own ends. Solaris had only wanted to bring them back into the Balance, to stop them from spoiling everything...

But those thoughts were not helpful. He would pull himself together; he would redeem himself, and his family, just as Niveus said.