He's a Mess of a Man

Book One ~ Chapter Eleven

Late morning sunshine poured through the windows of the palace salon. The moment Leviathan returned to the palace after a night's rest, he found that Countess Nadia had ushered everyone in to catch her up on what had happened in the Magical Realms. Leviathan sat back in his chair, letting Asra do most of the talking, "...and that's everything. We came straight back after we freed my parents' familiars. The Magical Realms are wondrous, but we were all more than ready to come home."

"I am glad this trip went more smoothly than your previous ones," the Countess smiled graciously at Asra's parents, offering them a tray of delicately sculpted cookies.

"Are those almond biscuits?" Salim asked, "Ohh, I can't remember the last time I had sweets!"

"Thank you for the hospitality, Countess," said Aisha with a warm smile.

Lucio watched them enviously over Leviathan's shoulder, "I want a cookie..."

"Hm," mumbled Asra.

"Hm?" asked Leviathan.

"I can hear him now. Perfectly clear." Asra waved a cookie at Lucio who eyed it hungrily. "I think Lucio spent long enough in the Magical Realms to absorb some power. He's more corporeal now. Maybe... enough to eat a cookie?" he dropped the cookie into Lucio's waiting palm. It hung, trembling in midair, then crumbled to the carpet in a shower of sugar.

"Ugh. What's the point of absorbing power if I can't have cookies?" Lucio sat next to Leviathan in a huff, folding his arms and legs.

Meanwhile, Morga paced before the fireplace, "Montag Morgasson." She leveled her spear at a portrait on the wall. If one were to squint, you could say it vaguely resembled her. "What the hell is this?"

"Obviously it's you, mother! Having portraits of the family was all the rage–" Before Lucio could finish his sentence, Morga wrenched the painting loose, unceremoniously hurling it into the fireplace. "MOTHER!!" Lucio gasped, "That was expensive!"

Erik smiled softly, "Good riddance. That painting barely looked like her. Glad you didn't commission one of me."

"I never liked that portrait myself." Countess Nadia turned to Leviathan with a smile, looking more relaxed than he'd ever seen her. "When I first asked you for help, I never dreamed you would uncover so many hidden secrets. But now, Lucio and Asra's parents are free of The Devil's prison, Doctor Devorak's name is cleared. All is well, I presume?"

Leviathan was about to say yes before he noticed Lucio squirming next to him. "There's one problem. Lucio's still a ghost."

Countess Nadia sighed lightly, "Ah, yes. That little issue."

"It's a pretty big issue to me!" yelled Lucio.

"Indeed. But with so many magicians about, I am sure someone could devise a solution. Aside from Lucio being a ghost, it is my hope that plans for the masquerade may proceed as uninterrupted."

"Uh... Well, there might be—that's to say..." Lucio muttered. Countess Nadia folded her hands in her lap, her expression still and cold as stone. Lucio visibly gulped, pinned under everyone's expectant gazes. "I... erm..." he shuffled his ghostly feet in the plush rug and mumbled something inaudible.

"Out with it, boy," groaned Morga.

"I'm, uh, worried about the masquerade."

"I assure you, I have the planning well in hand. Why, this year's celebration may be the best—"

"No, no, that's not what I'm talking about!" As Lucio interrupted Nadia, waves of distress radiated from him, washing over Leviathan through their connection. Lucio bounced his heels up and down, twisting his hands in his lap, "I, uh, made some oopsies back when I was Count. And they weren't just bad for me. They were bad for a lot of people." He glanced at Asra's parents, then hastily looked away.