Lillian purposely yawned loudly as Kaeron repeated himself for what seemed like the fifteenth time.
He made a face at her that promised a slow and painful death, and she just smiled sweetly at him and wrapped her arm around Lex's. She had come to enjoy making him mad, not for any philosophical reason. Actually, she didn't really have a reason at all; she just liked doing it, but only if Lex was in the room, or he wouldn't hold back with the threats.
He scowled and continued, "I will be gone for two, maybe three hours, but no longer. Do not leave this room!"
"But what if the room is set on fire?" Lillian joked.
"Burn to death," Kaeron said blandly, "I'm more than confident that Lex will be smart enough to get out."
"I was joking." She mumbled.
"Now, any more dumb questions, or can I get going?"
When nobody said anything, he turned from them and strode to the door only to be intercepted by Lex, who hugged him, and buried her head into his back.
"Be careful."
"Always Lex." He said in the softest tone Lillian had ever heard from him.
Lex shook her head against his back, slowly let go, and gave him a sad smile. He turned around, smiled down at her, and then kissed her on the forehead. "Don't leave this room." He said, the roughness returning to his voice as he opened the door and left.
"The two of you are so cute." Lillian teased.
"Shut up." Lex said playfully, pushing her. "You ready?"
Lillian had spent the night before psyching herself up for this excursion; not because she wasn't excited. No, she was plenty excited. It was more because she couldn't get to sleep thanks to somebody (who sounded suspiciously like the witch doctor who owned the motel they had stayed in) screaming their head off all night in sexual ecstasy.
"Let's do it."
******
"You mean the boy with the cartoon girl on his shirt over there?" Lillian asked, pointing towards the boy whom Lex was also pointing at. "He probably smells like sweat, and poo, I think that I'll pass."
Lex giggled. "I don't know, I think he looks cute in a boyish kind of way."
Lillian rolled her eyes and pulled Lex forward.
They had made sure Kaeron was gone before leaving, and decided to walk to the mall because it was only a five minute trek, and Lex wanted to leer at the sights, and shops, and of course the men, and Lillian was happy to oblige.
This was the first time Lillian had ever been in a big city without being under the supervision of Talion's lackies, and she wanted to enjoy herself.
The sun was blocked out by very big, very ominous black clouds, and Lillian prayed that it didn't rain. She was having fun, and they hadn't even stepped inside the mall yet.
There was a spell that gave the mall the illusion of being surrounded by a forest so realistic, the sounds and sights of animals Lillian had never heard of and ones she had, danced all around it.
She was practically jumping out her skin at how interesting it all was, but she didn't show that to Lex because she'd just make fun of her as an awkward way to avoid the fact.
A witch landed near them, and Lillian tensed as the witch dismounted her broom and began running up the six flights of bronze stairs.
You're okay. She doesn't want to sell you off like some kind of horse. You're okay.
"Lilli?" Lex was looking at her concerned.
Lillian let out the breath she was apparently holding in and looked at Lex.
Lillian had been feeling daring today with her choice of attire, but even wearing the coffee brown high tube boots, the tight black leather skirt, the plain white t shirt that hugged her chest, and the brown overcoat, all of which Lillian had picked out from Lex's collection of clothes. She still felt outshined by Lex. She was so mature, and Lillian couldn't help but be jealous.
She was wearing a long flowing double slit red dress that showed off her (frustratingly) perfect legs, some long red dress gloves, and eggshell white stilettos. She had curled her normally long, fiery red hair, and she had gone with a gorgeous glossy orange lipstick.
Lillian forced a smile. "I'm fine, let's do this."
She pulled on Lex's arm, but Lex hesitated for a moment before finally letting herself be led up the stairs, smiling and giggling, her infectious energy putting a genuine smile on Lillian's face and Lillian even found herself returning Lex's giddiness.
The inside of the mall felt perfect, as if it were set to the exact temperature she preferred, and thanks to Talion, she knew it was a spell that...
She shook her head. No, not today, I will not think about Tal... That man today.
The buzz inside the mall felt as if it would swallow her whole. It wasn't even the fact that there was a bunch of people, because there weren't that many, but there was something in the air; something was going on.
Lex seemed to have read the interest on her face because she turned to the closest person and asked. "What's the big thing happening here today?"
A petite half fae woman looked at her as if she had spoken in the lost language of the ancient Giants.
"The Beauty Boa's are going to be putting on a show here in like twenty minutes." The lady said, checking her watch.
"Uck! The Beauty Boa's, no thank you." Lex said, turning to Lillian. "Come on, Lilli, let's go check the stores."
"Oh, you're one of those." The lady said, rolling her eyes.
"What does that mean!?" Lex said, stepping up to the woman.
Lex would easily win, Lillian thought. She had seen Lex spar with Kaeron a few times now, and she was a freak of nature. She was really quick on her feet, strong to; she was tall and had a ton of heart. While her opponent was as tall as Lillian, older than both of them, and clearly not trained in any fighting style.
So Lillian decided to defuse... whatever this was before somebody (somebody as in Lex's opponent) got hurt. She put herself in between Lex and the lady.
"Lex chill out."
Lex stuck her tongue out at the lady turned and took a few steps towards a nearby store, but turned around before getting too far away and said, "I hope Naomi can stop eating so much, she's been looking a little fat lately."
Lillian didn't know if she should say damn because it felt like she should, but... fuck it why not. "Damn!"
"Fuck you." The woman said flipping them the finger.
"What, you mean unlike your husband does to you, because you have the fashion sense of a walrus?" Lex said, flipping the lady both middle fingers and finally returned to walking away.
Lillian followed after as the lady started shouting after Lex, but she just ignored her, Lillian close behind.
"What was that about? I thought you were going to lose it on that woman."
They had entered a store that had seemed to be selling bathing suits. Lex walked over to a rack and started thumbing through some of the more revealing pairs.
"I hate The Beauty Boa's. They're a bunch of untalented, and I'm sorry to say this, but they're ugly and have no place modeling," she shrugged, "sorry, not sorry, but somebody had to say it. I'm all about Young Forever; that's a group that knows what they're doing."
Lillian wasn't sure what to say. She didn't know anything about "The Beauty Babes" or whatever their names were. So she opted to stay silent.
Lex didn't even notice. "And did you see that fake Lorean Farwell jacket she was wearing? If you're broke, then just say that like for real." She laughed, moving to the next rack.
Lillian faked a laugh and walked to the closest rack with the most modest options.
"What are you a grandma?" Lex snorted.
"Shut up, I just don't like looking like a... like I'm easy."
"Ouch." Lex said, putting a hand on her heart.
Lillian rolled her eyes. "You know what I mean; it's just not my style."
"Yeah, well, I've never had a man come talk to me while looking like I live in an elderly home."
Lillian stopped her search, tears stinging behind her eyes, but she refused to lose that battle. "Fuck you fine, I'll demean myself and my family, for your amusement."
"See, was that to much to ask for." Lex mocked.
Lillian took a deep breath before stomping over to a rack with a pair of bathing suits, one of which had some kind of tree design, and was so small she couldn't believe that it hid anything in the chest area, but the nipples, and she felt exposed just looking at them.
She flipped through a few before Lex declared, "I'm gonna try these on," and floated over to an empty changing room.
She was left with the silence of the room and the bored presence of the employees when a sharp pain attacked her stomach.
It felt like three period cramps were striking simultaneously, or as if her insides were attempting to claw their way outside. She hunched over, making herself as small as she could, and tried but failed to stick her fist in her mouth to stop her tortured scream. What timing. A burning hot, golden light, bubbled up to her chest, and she used her free hand to block the light that would paint the entire room the same gold. The lights in the room blinked on and off, as electricity danced on her skin, asking, no more like begging, to sate her need for release, the light inside calling to her blood, singing a song of renewal, and destruction, she could feel herself slipping away...
"It's okay, Zyla. Love of my life, sun to my moon, land to my ocean."
Was she dreaming again? Those words were the same as they had always been and Lillian could swear she was seeing the woman again; the one that visited her dreams almost every night. Her mother.
The woman was facing Lillian, but she had no face, no face, no face, no face! Lillian tried to scream, tried to say something, but just like in her dreams, she couldn't speak.
"It's okay, Zyla, go back, it's not your time yet my sunshine."
Lillian blinked her eyes, and was struck with whiplash. It were as if none of it had even happened. The pain in her chest was no longer there, nor was the light, the electricity was no longer dancing on her skin but what really freaked her out was the fact that she was standing up right, hands to her side, and the employees were acting as if she hadn't just freaked out.
"What do you think?" Lex asked exiting the changing room in a green bikini.
"I, um, uh wait what," Lillian stuttered.
"I think you look good."
They turned and were met with a grinning male employee, who was looking Lex up and down.
Lillian rolled her eyes.
"Isn't there a rule or something against fraternizing with the customers?" Lex asked eyeing him.
He looked to be around Lex's age but Lillian wasn't sure. His work outfit was baggy on him, and his grin was full of mischief. He was bad news.
"I don't work here babe, my dad owns this place, I'm here helping out, you know, beautiful babes in bikini's, couldn't get better than that."
Lillian snorted, "Wow, you're so cool. Let's go Lex."
Lillian almost puked when she saw Lex playing with her hair. She couldn't actually like this moron. Sure he was good looking, but he was clearly an illiterate douche.
"Lex?"
"Hold on mom," Lex mocked taking a step towards the dude, "so if you don't work here what do you do?"
"I'm a trap rapper, have you ever heard of Dark Grimm?"
"No," she giggled like a starstruck little girl, "why do they call you that?"
They had been moving closer and closer to each other, and were now standing face to face. She was taller but for some reason she was making herself smaller than him.
"Because I'm packing sum dark in my pants."
"It's probably because nobody has changed your diaper." Lillian mumbled to herself.
"Aye bitch fuck is your problem!?" He said whipping his face in her direction.
"Excuse Me!?"
The employees were now paying them full attention.
"Don't call her a bitch, you clown ass loser." Lex spat.
He whipped his head back in Lex's direction. "Fuck you then slut, you're ugly anyways."
Lillian saw red, but before she could act, Lex slammed her fist into his nose so hard that he crumpled to the ground.
"Oh Shit!" Somebody gasped.
Lex picked up her discarded clothes, leaped over the man, ran over and took Lillian's hand, "We have to go now!"
Lillian didn't argue, and quickly fell in step behind her, and she must've lost her mind somewhere between seeing but not seeing her mother, and Lex getting hit on, because she was laughing.
"I know this wasn't the mall adventure you were looking forward to, but I'm having fun." Lillian said, taking the steps two at a time as they ran down them.
"You're crazy girl!" Lex laughed.
As soon as they were off of the steps, they booked it, dipping in and out of back alleys until they came upon a dead end and stopped.
They were breathing heavy and Lillian hunched over hands over her head, but they were both laughing.
"I think we're lost." Lex laughed.
Of course they were.