“We need to talk.” Lith said as soon as the door’s lock activated a Hush array that would ensure their privacy.
‘Nailed it in one.’ Kamila inwardly sighed.
“The others can wait until tomorrow, but you deserve to know the truth and to make your choice without feeling the pressure of my entire family weighing on you.” Lith spoke slowly, trying to find the best way to share his real nature with her without giving her a stroke.
“When did it happen?” Kamila asked with a pained expression.
“Yesterday. I didn’t call you because I couldn’t lie to your face and tell you that everything was alright. I wanted to speak to you in person and give you the opportunity to kick my ass if you think I’m worth your time.” Lith said.
‘Wait a minute. How can she possibly know? Did Tyris warn her or is this some kind of uncanny woman intuition?’ He actually thought, blaming his brain for moving slower than his mouth.
“Well, with all that happened in Kolga, I can sort of understand your circumstances. You were deep undercover and surrounded by enemies, yet it doesn’t make it less painful. How far did you get?” Kamila’s face was calm, but she needed to dig her nails into her flesh to keep her emotions in check.
“Almost to the Guardian level, but that’s not the problem. Scarlett was right, I-”
“Wait a minute, who is Scarlett, and what does it mean, almost to the Guardian level? Did you cheat on me with Tyris? I could understand if something happened between you and Phloria since she’s your ex, but Tyris? Did she force herself on you?”
Kamila suddenly had no idea what they were talking about and so did Lith.
“I never cheated on you with anyone. How can you even think I would do something like that?” Lith didn’t know whether to laugh or cry.
“Well, you came back with a guilty look on your face, you gave me the cold shoulder, and then you said all those things about kicking your ass. What was I supposed to think?” She sighed in relief as her worries faded away.
‘I told you countless times that you suck with opening lines.’ Solus had a hard time not laughing her ass off. ‘I hope you are not going to tell her about me because I’m not ready for that. I can leave if you two have couple issues to iron out.’
‘I’m not ready either, but it will probably not be necessary. Please stay, Solus. I want you to hear my story as well.’ Lith replied.
He made Kamila sit down on a chair while he projected with Light Mastery the scene of his fight outside the tower and then of his meeting with Mogar, keeping both Solus and Carl out of the story.
At first, Kamila stared in awe at the image of the planet’s manifestation. Even though it was just a hologram, Lith’s feelings and his mastery over magic gave the Elina-Mogar the imposing presence of a Queen.
The more she listened the more shocked Kamila was. By the end of the projection, after seeing Lith’s proto-Guardian form and his Demons of the Flames, she had to pick up her jaw from the floor.
“Good gods. That’s why you have Death Vision and why you can conjure those creepy things. You are a living nexus with the afterlife, a psychopomp.” She looked around the room, almost expecting to see ghosts lurking in the room.
“Yes, but that’s not the point. Did you miss the part where Mogar said that I’m an Abomination? Some sort of undead spirit?” Lith couldn’t believe her reaction.
“No, but I don’t find it that much shocking compared with the rest.” Kamila said, receiving a nod of approval from Solus.
“Are you listening to yourself? How can you dismiss it that easily?” Lith asked.
“It’s not easy at all, but I had one year to think about it so I have taken my decision for a long while.” She replied.
“What do you mean, one year? I learned about it yesterday!” Lith was flabbergasted.
“You told me about your hybrid nature and your Abomination side on our first anniversary. After discovering that you are an Awakened and learning how Abominations are born on our second anniversary, it was kind of obvious.
“Especially since Elina repeated me the story about the miracle of your birth until my ears bled.” Kamila shrugged.
‘Well, yeah. It’s not like we didn’t have this conversation a lot in the past. I’m more surprised by the fact that you felt the need to hide it from me.’ Solus said, making Lith feel like a moron.
“Are you saying that it doesn’t change anything? That you’re okay with this?” Lith shapeshifted into his hybrid form, discovering that he could now make his scales disappear and replace them with the smooth black slate of the Abomination.
“Not really.” Kamila shook her head. “The hybrid form is hot, double entendre intended, whereas this thing is creepy, cold, and it doesn’t have a mouth.” She said while taking his face between her hands and exploring it with her fingers.
There was no fear in her eyes and the kind warmth of Kamila’s touch broke down the darkness into scales again.
“Seriously? I’ve been worrying about your reaction ever since I learned being more Abomination than human and you don’t even care.” Lith’s shock didn’t stop him from instinctively rub his cheek against her palm before kissing it.
“Why would I? Are you going to treat me any different because of it? Do you plan of keeping me as an emergency stash of food rather than as your girlfriend?” She asked with a serious tone.
“Of course not, but-”
“Then no. I don’t care.” Kamila cut Lith short before he could start another of what she considered self-despise trips.
“I’ll be honest. After you date a pervert-beast-Abomination hybrid capable of spewing fire for a while, it takes more than a small change in the recipe of his life forces to impress you.” She pulled him down by the collar of his shirt, giving him a kiss that somehow forced him back into his human form.
“How crazy are you on a scale from one to ten?” Lith looked at his body as if it had betrayed him. He had no idea how it had turned into a living shadow nor how did Kamila pull him back.
“Not enough to not be upset about you seeing Mogar with your mother’s appearance instead of mine.” She poked at his chest with fake anger.
“I’m glad that you’re not an egomaniac like Nalrond who sees the planet as himself, but even Morok saw it as Quylla and they are not even dating. Did I pick the wrong Ranger?”
“He did what? That’s not romantic, it’s creepy as fuck!” Lith blurted out in surprise.
“Agreed.” Kamila stopped pulling his leg and gave Lith one of her dazzling smiles that could light a whole city. “Is there anything else you have to tell me?”
‘Solus?’ Lith asked.
‘Not now. After all the shit we lived in Kolga, we both deserve some happiness. Yet this doesn’t mean I’m going to play the third wheel. I’m going to Tista’s room. Goodnight.’ She stealthily slipped off his finger and Warped away.
