Chapter 153: Episode 152: Manor Tour

Zale was the exact opposite of his brooding brother.

Onyx’s heavy footsteps echoed down the stone hall. They faded into the dark shadows of the manor. Rue let out a long breath. She dropped her tense shoulders. The angry, heavy feeling in the room finally broke. Drax kept his jaw tight, but he didn’t chase the wolf. He just squeezed her hand.

Zale stepped right into her line of sight. He brought the sunshine back into the gloomy space. The merman moved with a fluid grace. He had strong legs on land, but he walked like water flowing over smooth rocks. His loose white shirt fluttered as he moved. He didn’t walk with heavy, thudding boots. He glided across the stone floor with a quiet, bouncy energy.

He offered her a warm, bubbly smile. He bowed from his waist, extending a pale hand toward her.

"Please forgive my brother," Zale said. His voice sounded melodic, just like a rushing river. "He forgets his manners. He spends too much time chasing shadows in the woods. Welcome to our home, Rue."

Rue took his hand. His skin felt cool and nice. It reminded her of Caius, but Zale didn’t carry that freezing, dangerous bite. He just felt like a fresh ocean breeze. She smiled back at him. She liked him right away. He treated her like a queen, not a burden or a piece of property. He didn’t stare at her like she was a shiny prize to claim. He just looked happy to meet a new friend.

"Thank you, Zale," Rue said. "It’s very nice to meet you."

Zale gently tugged her hand. "Come on. I want to show you the best room in this old dusty place. You’ve been cooped up for a month. You need to see something pretty."

Drax walked right behind them. His heavy boots thumped on the stone. Zale led them up a wide spiral staircase. The stone steps curved tightly up the side of a tall tower. Rue felt her breath hitch a bit from the long climb. Her body was still healing from having Seika. Her soft legs felt a little shaky.

Zale noticed her slow pace right away. He didn’t push her to hurry. He slowed his own steps. He matched her speed perfectly.

"These stairs are awful," Zale complained with a bright laugh. "When I first got my legs, I fell down the whole flight. I tumbled like a sack of wet fish. Drax had to catch me at the bottom. I think I knocked him over too."

"I didn’t fall," Drax grumbled from behind them. "I stood my ground. You just bounced off my chest."

Rue laughed. The heavy, anxious feeling from the system warning faded away. She didn’t want to think about Onyx or magical bonds right now. She just wanted to enjoy her date. Zale’s bright energy made everything feel light and easy.

They reached a heavy wooden door at the very top of the tower. Zale pushed it open.

A flood of warm sunlight poured into the hallway. Rue stepped through the door and gasped.

It was a bright, beautiful art gallery.

The room sat high above the dark trees. Tall, clear glass windows lined the curved walls. The sunlight caught the dust motes floating in the air, making them look like tiny gold coins. The room smelled like oil paint, crushed berries, and old canvas.

Canvases leaned against the stone walls. Some hung from wooden frames in the center of the room. Small wooden tables held dozens of tiny clay pots. The pots were filled with bright pigments, long brushes, and pieces of charcoal.

"Wow," Rue breathed out. She let go of Drax’s hand. She walked further into the room, her eyes wide. "Did you paint all of this?"

"Every single one," Zale beamed. He stood with his hands on his hips, looking very proud. "The ocean is my true home, but painting is my favorite thing to do on land. It passes the time. It keeps my hands busy."

Rue walked up to a large canvas near the window.

Zale painted the ocean. He painted deep blue water, swirling waves, and bright coral reefs. He captured the light shining through the water so perfectly it almost looked wet. She saw paintings of giant sea creatures swimming through dark trenches. She saw bright yellow fish hiding in green kelp forests.

Back in New York, she used to look at art online when she couldn’t leave her hospital bed. She looked at famous paintings on a small screen while machines beeped around her. Seeing real, hand-painted canvases up close felt like a rare gift. She could see the thick brushstrokes. She could see the places where the paint dripped down the canvas. It felt raw and real.

"These are beautiful, Zale," Rue said honestly. She traced her finger through the air, following the curve of a painted wave. "You’re so talented. The colors are so bright."

"I make the paint myself," Zale explained. He walked over to a small table. He picked up a tiny clay pot and held it out to her. "I mix crushed shells for the white paint. I use deep sea kelp for the green. I grind up shiny river rocks for the silver. Drax brings me rare flowers from the mountains to make the reds and yellows."

Rue looked at the dragon standing near the door. Drax leaned against the stone frame, watching her with a soft expression. She loved knowing the terrifying Dragon King spent his time picking flowers just so his brother could paint. It showed a soft, hidden side of his wild family.

Zale pulled a padded wooden stool from the corner. He set it right in the sunlight.

"Sit," Zale ordered gently. "You’re looking a little pale. You shouldn’t stand for too long after climbing those awful stairs."

Rue didn’t argue. She sat down on the soft cushion. The sunlight warmed her back. She let out a soft sigh, resting her hands on her lap. She felt a deep sense of peace in this room.

Zale poured her a cup of fresh water from a glass pitcher. He handed it to her. She took a slow sip. It tasted clean and cold.

"Do you paint?" Zale asked, leaning against a tall wooden easel.

"No," Rue shook her head. "I can’t draw a straight line. I like to write stories. I just make things up in my head."

"That’s just painting with words," Zale smiled. He picked up a long brush and twirled it between his fingers. "Art is just putting your feelings on the outside so other people can see them. It doesn’t matter if you use paint or words. It’s all the same."

Rue liked that thought. She took another sip of water.

"Drax tried to paint once," Zale laughed. He pointed the brush at his older brother. "He grabbed the canvas too hard. His hands were too hot. He set the whole painting on fire. We had to throw it out the window before the tower burned down."

Drax crossed his arms. "It was an accident. The wood was too dry."

"You sneezed fire on it," Zale corrected him, grinning widely.

Rue giggled. She pictured the giant, scary dragon accidentally burning a tiny picture of a flower. She loved this. She loved sitting here in the sun, listening to them bicker like normal siblings. She didn’t feel like a stranger. She felt like a welcome guest.

Zale walked toward the back of the circular room. He stood in front of a very large canvas covered by a heavy gray cloth.

"I have something special to show you," Zale said. His voice lost its teasing tone. He sounded very sincere. "I painted this a few weeks ago. Tanith came to visit us. She told us all about you. She told us Drax found his mate. She told us you were soft and brave. She said you were pregnant."

Rue set her water cup on the table. She felt a small flutter of nerves.

"I couldn’t stop thinking about it," Zale continued. He rested his hand on the top corner of the gray cloth. "Our family is so old. We’ve lived in the dark for so long. We fight, we bleed, and we stay hidden. But Tanith said you brought a new light to the South. She said you changed them. So, I painted what I imagined."

Zale pulled the cloth away. The gray fabric fell to the floor in a soft heap.

Rue stared at the painting.

It didn’t look like the ocean. It was a portrait. It showed a girl standing in a thick, dark forest. The trees looked scary and twisted, but a single, bright beam of sunlight pierced through the branches. The light fell right on the girl. She had long, messy silver hair and bright pink eyes. She held a tiny bundle wrapped in blankets against her chest.

It was her. Zale painted her without ever seeing her face. He painted the exact shade of her hair. He captured the soft, tired look in her eyes. The girl in the painting looked fragile, but she stood tall against the dark woods.

Rue felt a cold chill run down her arms. It was beautiful, but it felt heavy. It felt like a massive expectation pressed down on her small shoulders.

Zale smiled at her painting. "You look just like the savior my sister promised us."