As the library building came into view from beyond the veil of falling snow, Matin felt his muscles relax for the first time in almost two days. Every muscle in his body ached, and he was eager to rest. Both he and his mother quickened their pace, eager to be out of the biting cold and away from potential danger.

  The events following the incident in the guesthouse were a blur at best and simply non-existent at worst. For Matin, there was a lingering sense of pain and loss. They had become separated from Rosetta and Mitch in the chaos, or so his mother said. As to how they got out, his mother simply said that she had found a doorway leading outside and wouldn’t say anything more on the topic.

  The one silver lining was that his mother had actually found the kitchen on her way out. They had piled as much as they could carry into large sacks and had taken the food with them. While he was young and had undergone training in certain martial arts, lugging the food around in the snow had been difficult, even for him. He worried about how his mother was holding up.

  Marianne, for her part, seemed to be on edge ever since they left the guest house. She was also even more protective of him than usual, fussing over every little thing as they made their way back. He had lost count of the amount of times she had checked his temperature or brushed the snow off his hair and shoulders.

  To Matin’s relief, they soon reached the library, though the door seemed to be locked. Marianne growled and knocked loudly on the door.

  “Hey, open the door!”

  She knocked again, louder this time. Matin was about to ask her to stop since he could see cuts growing on her knuckles, but was interrupted by the sound of a lock opening. The door slowly creaked open, revealing a bemused-looking Morgan.

  “Look who’s managed to return from the dead. You’re not one of them ghouls by any chance?” he asked with a friendly smile.

  “I’m in no mood for your jokes, Kasanagh.” Marianne spat. “Are you simply going to stand there and watch a lady carry this huge sack? Get over here and help us!”

  Morgan’s smile deepened as he shrugged. Without verbal complaint, he approached Marianne and took the sack from her. With the sack now slung over his shoulder, he cast a quick glance over Marianne’s shoulder.

  “Where’s Mitch and the girl?” he asked.

  His almost ever-present grin didn’t fall from his face, but there was a sharp edge to his voice that caused Matin’s muscles to stiffen.

  “Obviously we were attacked, otherwise we would have been back yesterday. Can’t you figure that out for yourself?”

  “Well, I’ll be wanting details, of course. We need to know-”

  “Enough,” Marianne said, holding up her hands. “Dear Matin has been through enough. I won’t allow you to bother him with your insensitive questions, so we will speak about this later.”

  Morgan cast a glance at Matin that looked somewhere between amused disbelief and pity. Matin couldn’t help but feel that the man was mocking him. He wasn’t some piece of fragile glass. Whatever the story was with the guesthouse, he could handle it. He was sure he could. He hoped Mitch and Rosetta were ok, wherever they were.

  “As you say, my lady.” Morgan said, turning back towards the stairs.

  Matin moved to follow him, but Marianne put a hand on his shoulders, stopping him.

  “Morgan will take yours too, so you can leave it next to the stairs, dear.”

  Matin gripped the sack tighter.

  “It’s fine, I can handle it,” he protested.

  Marianne shook her head.

  “This is non-negotiable. Put the sack down.”

  The words were spoken in kindness, but there was a forceful undertone to them. Not to mention her eyes bore through him, causing his grip to slacken. Finally, he set the sack down and did his best to ignore Morgan’s annoyed glare.

  “Do you have something to say, Duke Kasanagh?” Marianne snarled.

  “Not at all, my lady.” Morgan said mockingly.

  Morgan was usually happy to assist women whenever possible with a smile, but Matin was certain he could hear the man muttering under his breath about harpies.

  They made their way up the stairs and onto the first-floor landing. A variety of shelves and other pieces of furniture had been stacked on top of each other, creating a makeshift barricade, cutting off the landing from the rest of the floor. They had to squeeze through some small gaps to get further in, something Morgan found very difficult with the sack on his back.

  Beyond a few bookshelves, in an area that had once been used for study space, sat Layota and the orphans. When Layota saw them, she let out a small cry and got to her feet as quickly as her old bones allowed.

  “Thank the Goddess you are both alive,” Layota said, embracing Matin in a hug. “I thought for sure you were all lost to us.”

  Matin allowed himself a small smile. Layota’s presence had always been comforting to him, ever since he first visited the monastery as a child. No matter who you were, she always treated you as if you were her own child.

  Layota eventually released him, and that’s when he saw his mother glaring at the elderly woman with her hand hovering close to her lythment. Layota gave Marianne a polite bow, and either failed to notice the glare or simply ignored it.

  “Where are Rose and Mitch?” Layota asked.

  Marianne sighed audibly. Ignoring the question, she walked past Layota, and took a seat on one of the fine reading chairs.

  “We were separated along the way.” Matin said sadly. “We-we were attacked. I don’t really know what happened, and I’m truly-”

  “Shhh, it’s alright, child.” Layota said as she looked up at him with sad eyes. “You don’t need to worry. As long as you’re safe and sound, that’s good news to me. Come, you need to rest.”

  Matin allowed himself to be led towards a sofa that was mostly vacant aside from a group of children that had gathered on its left side. He gladly nodded towards Layota as she gestured for him to sit.

  “Could any of you spare some kindness for a poor pack mule?” Morgan said as he slowly appeared from behind the bookshelves.

  “You brought food?” Layota asked in shock.

  Matin nodded with a smile, since his mother still seemed dead set on ignoring the old lady.

  “Oh, thank the Goddess,” Layota said, making a circular shape with her fingers.

  The relief must have been overwhelming, as she had to sit down on the sofa while wiping her eyes with a handkerchief.

  As soon as Morgan made his presence known, a sudden stillness spread through the gathered children. Morgan hesitated as all their eyes fell on him. Then, the moment Layota mentioned food, they had all started rushing towards the sack.

  “Hey wait you little urchins. Stay back, alright? Don’t you know it’s rude to approach a duke without bowing first? Hey watch where you stick those hands! Only a certain number of special ladies can touch me there, hey!”

  Matin laughed as he watched Morgan become swarmed by hungry children. He paused when he realised what he was doing. Laughing, and in a situation like this? Surely he shouldn’t be laughing. No, it was just a fleeting moment where he had forgotten himself, nothing more.

  Slowly, the crowd dispersed as children holding loaves of bread, apples, and pieces of cheese happily returned to their spots, leaving a rather disheveled-looking Morgan in their wake.

  With a small chuckle, Layota made her way over to the poor man.

  “We’ve been rationing for a while now, and they were starving. I believe you brightened their day. Thank you, Your Grace.”

  “Please, p-pay it no mind. It was… worth it to see your smile.” Morgan gasped.

  Layota slapped him on the back with a chuckle.

  “Ever the charmer! Your words bring warmth to this old lady’s heart!”

  Morgan nodded with a slightly awkward smile.

  “Well, if you excuse me. I have another sack to lug up here,” he said as he turned around and began walking back the way he came.

  “Won’t you have something to eat first?” Layota called out.

  “I will, once I get the next sack,” he called back.

  Layota turned back with a surprised look.

  “There’s more?”

  “Yes,” Matin replied with a smile.

  “Oh, that is excellent to hear. We may be able to survive for a couple of weeks with this amount. Both of you have saved our lives. I could never thank you enough.”

  Matin scratched the back of his head and gave her a polite smile while making deflecting comments about his lack of overall involvement. Even so, Layota’s gratitude made him feel a little better about himself.

  “Here. You should eat as well, young man.” Layota said, handing him a piece of brown bread with nuts and berries baked inside. “You deserve it.”

  Matin nodded his thanks and took a bite. While his mouth was full, Layota left an apple and some cheese next to him and walked away to sort out the children who had taken anything they pleased without thought of how they would actually eat it. One little girl was examining a wheel of cheese that was almost as big as she was.

  Matin looked at the food resting on his lap. It was quite a lot, and more than the orphans were getting by the looks of it. He bit his lip as a wave of guilt assaulted him. He didn’t deserve the extra rations. In fact, he wasn’t hungry at all. That fact surprised him. He didn’t remember eating anything all day, so why wasn’t he hungry? Thinking it would be a good idea to share some of his food with someone else, he suddenly remembered Dean. Dean had left with Layota and Morgan and should have been here with them.

  Matin scanned the room quickly as panic swelled within him. Shakily getting to his feet, he made his way over to Layota, who was scolding two children for fighting over a loaf of bread.

  “Where’s Dean?” Matin asked.

  Layota’s lecture was cut short by Matin’s question, She slowly stood up straight, her stern face softening into one of concern. Matin’s heart almost stopped when he saw that face.

  “Oh Matin dear, when I woke up this morning he was gone. I can’t be sure why, but I think he may have gone out looking for you.”

  “He-he went out looking for me?” Matin asked in a shaky voice.

  “I cannot be sure, but he was adamant about going out to search for you last night. I’m terribly sorry, Matin dear, I thought we had convinced him not to do anything reckless but-”

  Matin shook his head and held out his hands.

  “No, no. It’s not your fault. Anyway, I’m sure he’ll be back soon.”

  He really should have known Dean wouldn’t sit still in this situation. No, it wasn’t Layota’s fault, or even Dean’s. The blame rested squarely on his own shoulders for not being able to get back in time and getting himself into trouble. Whenever he made a mistake or got into trouble, it was always someone else who had to get him out of it.

  After comforting Layota with a reassuring smile and a few placating words, he returned to the sofa. If he were anything like Dean, he’d go out and look for his friend without delay, but Matin knew better. He knew that if he selfishly stepped outside again, he’d only cause more trouble and make the situation even more confusing. No, best to stay put and wait for Dean to return. But was that really the right thing to do?

  To his surprise, a little girl had appeared on the sofa next to him, licking the last few crumbs of bred from her fingers. She was clearly determined to get each and every morsel into her mouth. Once she was done, she sighed and started playing with her messy red hair, a sullen expression on her face. Fuelle was her name, if he remembered correctly.

  The lack of flesh on her arms was immediately noticeable. She wasn’t starved or anything, but she clearly could have done with some more food.

  This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.

  “Here, take this,” Matin said as he held out the slice of cheese and apple that Layota had left him.

  Fuelle jumped slightly when he spoke before looking up at him with big green eyes. She then looked down at the food in his hand and slowly reached out, taking it in hers.

  “Thank you, mister,” she mumbled.

  Matin smiled, feeling much better about himself.

  “You’re welcome.”

  As he sat down next to her, he heard footsteps quickly approaching.

  “What are you doing?”

  Matin looked up to see his mother looking between him and the girl.

  “Matin dear, the girl already had her share. You need to eat too, or you’ll wind up becoming sick,” she said, her tone deeply concerned.

  Fuelle seemed to sink into the sofa as Marianne looked at her. Matin cursed himself for not being more discrete about handing out his food.

  “Mother, it’s fine. I’m not even hungry and she needs it more than I do.”

  Marianne’s face took on a difficult expression. He could tell that she wasn’t seriously considering taking the food away from the girl. He hoped his mother hadn’t fallen so far as to take food from a hungry orphan. Thankfully, perhaps because of the look he himself was giving her, Marianne sighed and took on a more passive stance, brushing aside the girl’s presence.

  “Matin dear, things have been very difficult for you. In these situations, being kind can put yourself and others in danger. A group is only as strong as its leader. Do you understand what I’m saying?” Marianne asked calmly. Though Matin thought he heard a shake in her voice for a moment as she glanced at the girl.

  He understood her words well, but he believed that while her words held truth to them, they were only situational at best. Matin tried to choose his next words carefully, but just before he spoke, a voice came from behind Marianne.

  “I think kindness in such times is a virtue for those in power, your ladyship.”

  Layota approached from the other side of the room and gave Matin a kindly smile.

  “Oho? And what, pray tell, makes you think you know what’s best for my son?” Marianne snapped, folding her arms.

  “Now, now, there’s no need for that. You should be proud to have raised such a nice boy,” Layota said, waving her right hand in a carefree fashion. “Goddess knows kindness is a rarity among the nobility. You ought to cherish and nurture it.”

  Marianne’s eyes narrowed as she turned to face the aging sister.

  “Matin is heir to House Evelyn. His education and baring are vital to the survival of our house. You know nothing of what is required of him. Keep your shortsightedness to yourself.”

  Matin winced at her sharp words, and he thought he heard Fuelle gasp quietly beside them. To his surprise, however, Layota didn’t back down.

  “A man can be both strong and kind, your highness. It may be more difficult than the path you follow, but I believe that it’s one worth following.” Layota said. “Though I wonder where he got such kindness from?”

  Layota’s words were evidently a slight against Marianne, and Matin had to repress the urge to look away lest he see his mother do something awful.

  “What do you know of it, you old crone? Nothing!” Marianne shouted. “You have no idea what Matin is going through at the moment, so drop this now or I’ll show you firsthand what happens when you interfere in our affairs!”

  “Your affairs.” Layota echoed, giving Marianne a knowing smile. “Perhaps, your ladyship, the reason the boy is going through such a difficult time, lies closer to home than you think. Perhaps what he needs is some space to be his own person?”

  Matin looked up at Layota for a moment, thoughts of shying away forgotten. Those last words had stirred something in him and he felt his mouth open slightly, wanting to speak up. He quickly shut it again, however, as he saw his mother’s mouth twist in a terrifying fashion.

  It was happening again. His mother was about to do something that couldn’t be taken back. Why was Layota being so aggressive towards her in the first place? Couldn’t she see how dangerous it was? With Marianne, it was always best to just go along with whatever she suggested and try to find as much space as you could within her wishes. What Layota was doing was only going to make things worse. Matin felt his legs shake and muscles tighten as his mother opened her mouth, a look of pure rage in her eyes.

  “Stop it!” He shouted as loud as he could.

  Everyone present in the library immediately stopped what they were doing and turned to look towards Matin. Even his mother and Layota forgot their squabble and turned to look at him. Matin felt heat rise to his face as he noticed all those eyes looking at him, but he swallowed deeply and continued.

  “Please, can we not fight right now?” He asked, looking between the two women. “It’s not n-necessary and you’re scaring the children.”

  Layota looked quickly towards the children and back to Matin, seeming to realise that she was causing a scene. Strangely, she smiled at him and nodded. Marianne, on the other hand, shook her head.

  “Matin dear, I’m only looking our for your-”

  “I know, mother, I know. Just please. Can we stop this for now? You’re making me feel stressed”

  He looked into his mother’s eyes, silently begging her to let it go. The moment he mentioned stress, a brief flash of pure horror appeared in her eyes, but it quickly vanished under a wall of calm control.

  “Yes, you are quite right. That was rather unbecoming of me, wasn’t it?” She said with a small laugh. “So much as happened and I… I’m sorry, dear. Please, take this and eat it at the very least. For me, alright?” she said, handing him an apple she had been carrying before walking away.

  A prolonged silence filled the room. Layota walked around, whispering quietly to some of the more startled children while Marianne leaned against a bookshelf some distance away with her arms folded. She may have been sulking, though Matin wasn’t exactly going to accuse her of that verbally. He wished there was something he could do. The tension was thick enough that it could be cut with a knife.

  Dean and the others had never picked up on this kind of atmosphere when it appeared, but Matin was always highly sensitive to it. It made him want nothing more than to get some fresh air, to be away from this stifling place. He wished something, anything, would happen that would dispel this air.

  “Everyone, your duke-turned pack mule has returned!”

  The sudden voice almost made Matin jump. He looked over to see Morgan hauling yet another sack towards the center of the study area. Matin had honestly forgotten about the man. Surely it shouldn’t have taken him that long to fetch the food?

  If Morgan noticed the stiff atmosphere, he gave no sign of it as he loudly dragged the sack across the ground. It took Matin a moment, but he realised that Morgan had probably made himself scarce during the argument. He had clearly taken much longer than a trip downstairs would have required.

  “Well, what are you doing over there, Marianne? Are you sulking again?” He asked as a grin formed on his sweating face.

  Oh Goddess, he said it. Everyone had just calmed down, and the man had to go and say something like that. Matin sunk further into the sofa, doing his best to drown out the noise of Marianne stomping over Morgan and the loud slapping sound that followed.

  Everything might have been alright if things ended there, but when you have a large group of people trapped in a small space for an extended period, then small sparks often erupted into full-blown conflict. That was doubly true when one of those people was Marianne Evelyn.

  At some point, Matin found himself sitting close to Layota, who was carefully knitting a child’s torn sweater. Remembering what she had said earlier, he thanked her and apologised for his mother’s behavior.

  “Oh, don’t worry yourself, dear. I’ve known Marianne since she was half your age. I seriously doubt she would do anything to me at this point. She’s just a little on edge from recent events, not that I blame her in the slightest.” Layota responded with her usual carefree smile.

  Matin didn’t know if he could agree with her or not. Marianne had been a different person ever since his father had died and he had taken the entrance exams. Now, he wasn’t sure what she was capable of. It bothered him a little that Layota couldn’t see that. She always treated others with kindness and expected the same treatment in return. That made her a poor match for his mother.

  “Why is all this even happening?” Matin asked. It was more of a rhetorical question, a way to release some stress, but Layota answered anyway.

  “I have had some thoughts on that myself.” Layota said, her voice unusually serious and quiet. “I cannot help but wonder if this is the result of Oscar’s rebellion and all those reforms he made.”

  Matin turned to face her, feeling curious.

  “What do you mean?” he asked.

  Layota remained silent for a moment, her eyebrows furrowed in concentration. The sound of children laughing and shouting thankfully filled the silence, making Matin feel slightly less on edge.

  “Oscar, he-” Layota said, hesitating slightly. “He tore down almost everything the church had made and reduced it to disorganised mess. He only reinstated its powers when the people rose up against him in turn. Even so, the church is now a shadow of its former self and the Goddess must be suffering for it.”

  Matin couldn’t help but cast a quick glance around. If his mother or Morgan heard what she was saying, Layota wouldn’t be let off easy. What she was saying could easily be considered treason.

  “But he did bring back the church.” Matin whispered. “He even chose a new Priestess.”

  He wondered for a moment if Dean had had any luck in finding Addi. He really wanted to see those two again. Surely if the three of them worked together, they could survive.

  Layota made a complicated expression in response.

  “You’re right. However, therein lies the issue. He chose the Priestess. She wasn’t chosen by the previous priestess, and thus the securing chain that had lasted since the days of Itsuyana, the first ever Priestess, was broken. I believe what is happening now might have something to do with the betrayal of the previous priestess.”

  Matin took a moment to mull over Layota’s words. If Dean were here, he probably would have shaken his head in disbelief. He was never one to trust in religious dogma. For his part, Matin was torn. He wanted there to be a logical solution to this. Something tangible, but then he remembered the twisted hallways of the guest house, and all attempts at a logical solution seemed to evaporate. Perhaps there was something to Layota’s words.

  “Do you think something might have happened to Addi?” he asked quietly. “After all, Oscar put her in that position, and we haven’t seen her since all this began.”

  Layota remained silent for a moment.

  “I’m not sure, child.” She whispered. “I’ve done all I can to support her, but she was never truly meant for the role, and nobody knew that better than herself. All I can do it pray to the Goddess that she is safe.”

  Matin fell silent for a moment. He didn’t feel reassured in the slightest. Everything seemed to be falling apart, and all they could do was sit around and wait for the end to come. His distress must have been evident on his face as Layota placed a comforting hand on his shoulder.

  “Remain kind, Matin and remain faithful. I doubt the Goddess has abandoned us yet,” she said as she glanced out towards the children who were playing with dolls and blocks across the room.

  “Still whispering to my son, I see. What lies are you filling his head with now, I wonder?”

  Matin turned to see his mother standing behind the sofa. Why had she decided to approach them from behind, of all directions? He really didn’t like when people did that.

  “Your ladyship. We weren’t speaking of anything important, I assure you.” Layota said calmly.

  “Get away from him.” Marianne said quietly though through gritted teeth.

  Layota looked toward Matin. He nodded slightly, hoping that she would back off this time. Thankfully, she closed her eyes for a moment and nodded.

  “Very well, I shouldn’t keep a mother and son apart, I suppose.”

  Layota took her leave without argument, and Marianne watched her go with the eyes of a hawk.

  “You shouldn’t speak with her too much, dear. Her head’s been warped by decades of religious lies.”

  Matin nodded. Silently he wished the two would stop bickering. There were too few adults present as it was. They couldn’t afford to fight. Throughout the day, Marianne had been sending Layota cold looks and snapping at her at every chance. He wanted nothing more than for them to stop fighting.

  “Yes, Mother,” he whispered.

  The rest of the day passed painfully slowly. Layota continued to busy herself with looking after the children, ignoring the contemptuous stares she got from Marianne.

  Matin watched as she whispered encouraging words into the ears of each child and hugged the smaller ones when they were upset. She didn’t expect anything from them and gave her all to ensure they remained calm and happy. She had always been like that. Matin remembered that she treated Addi, Nicolas, Rosetta and Maria much the same way when they were orphans themselves. Her kindness had extended to him and Dean whenever they came to stay at the monastery. He couldn’t help but wonder how she managed to be a motherly figure to so many people.

  “A mother,” he whispered to himself.

  “She’s a bit old for you, isn’t she, lad?”

  Matin realised that he had been looking in Layota’s direction for some time. Something Morgan hadn’t failed to notice. He had been keeping watch over the front entrance of the library for some time now. Matin wondered if he was hoping for Dean to return or was simply preparing himself to defend against an attack.

  “I wasn’t-” Matin started.

  Morgan laughed out loud and patted him on the shoulder.

  “My lad’s right. You aren’t really one for jokes, are ye?”

  Matin could only give the man an uncomfortable smile as he gripped his shoulder a little too tightly.

  “Don’t take Layota lightly.” Morgan said eventually, letting go of Matin and taking a peek out of the arrow slit. “She’s been here longer than any of us, and that counts for somethin’.”

  Matin looked back at Layota and couldn’t help noticing his mother in the distance. While Layota hadn’t sat down since they arrived, Marianne had been sitting on her chair, sipping a cup of tea for at least twenty minutes, glancing at Matin when she thought he wasn’t looking.

  “She should know better than to antagonise mother,” Matin said.

  Morgan let out another boisterous laugh.

  “Don’t I know it, lad? I doubt those two could ever get along. Their views are just too damn different. Don’t let it get to ye, eh? This kinda thing is common in the adult world. you’ll soon see for yerself.”

  Matin gave a noncommittal nod, and the conversation fizzled out.

  As the evening gave way to night, he had to endure watching his mother attack the old lady verbally two more times. One for handing Matin some bread for supper and then when she tried to get him involved with the nighttime prayers. Matin was wondering how much longer he’d have to deal with this. Each and every moment, he could feel the urge to escape growing.

  By the time night came, Matin was more than happy to get under his blankets and forget about everything that had happened during the day. They had gathered cushions from around the library and were using torn pieces of carpet for blankets. It wasn’t much, but it was certainly better than nothing, considering the freezing temperatures outside.

  Marainne was set to take first watch. Morgan had volunteered himself or Matin, saying that men should take on most of the burden. Marianne’s anger only cooled after Matin reminded her of the children present. Layota’s desire to help with the watch was shot down immediately by both on the grounds of her age. At least, that’s what Marianne claimed, but Matin knew that Marianne couldn’t trust her. In the end, it was decided that Marianne, Morgan and Matin would take watch in that order, and Matin was finally allowed to rest.

  Sleep took Matin rather quickly, but even then, he wasn’t safe from his own psyche.

  “Two mothers, well aren’t you the lucky one?” came the voice of the hooded woman he recognised from the guesthouse.

  Matin’s mind was drifting. He didn’t know whether he was asleep or awake. They were in the library for sure, but there was no sign of the others. He was alone with Tatiana once again. As usual in his dreams, he found it difficult to speak and could only look at her in fear.

  “Is kindness more important than blood or shared history? How wonderful would it have been to grow up with such a saintly motherly figure? Why not turn away from that cruel woman and do things on your own terms?”

  Turn away? What reason was there to even choose in the first place? His mother would always be his mother, and Layota would always be the kind old lady who helped raise him and all his friends. He didn’t have to choose, did he? He managed to shake his head from side to side, prompting Tatiana to laugh.

  “Both of them are trying to control you in their own way. It must be stressful, no? Trying to please everyone. Wouldn’t it be better if one of them were to simply disappear? You can do that, you know.”

  No, I don’t…

  Tatiana smiled.

  “Poor Matin being pulled this way and that. And that’s not even mentioning Dean. He’s trying to push his own beliefs on you as well, isn’t he? Just what are you going to do, dear Matin?” Tatiana said, imitating the voice of his mother towards the end.

  “All you have to do is give in, and all that pressure that’s been resting on your shoulders will disappear. Just let it all out.” Tatiana whispered into his ear as she placed a bony hand on his shoulder.

  No, no, no!

  “No!” Matin shouted, bolting upright.

  “Hey kid, I know it’s rough going, but I’m tired, ya know?”

  Matin looked around in confusion and found a grinning Morgan staring down at him. That’s right, it must have been his turn to keep watch.

  “Sorry… nightmare.” He said breathlessly.

  “Yeah, well, hope it had nothing to do with that mother of yours. I’ve had one or two of those kinds of nightmares myself, and they’re never pleasant. I’ll be hitting the hay, so best of luck to ya,” Morgan said as he walked away.

  He still felt exhausted, but he pulled himself up and made his way towards the staircase leading down to the ground floor. The chair that had been placed on the landing was still there, allowing him to sit while keeping an eye on the entrance. Just as he was preparing for a long and dull vigil, a voice called out to him.

  “Hey, old friend. You look worse than I do, and that’s saying something.”

  To Matin’s utter shock, Dean appeared from the second floor of all places, smiling down at him as if they were meeting by chance while on a morning stroll.