Duty and Deceit

Chapter 13

Kaia

When Kaia had decided to follow Roxas onto the ship, she had expected to live the next two months of her life moving from room to room, sleeping on a blanket under a bridge, or sharing space with a miserable couple. She was prepared to face the worst.

What she hadn't expected was a cabin standing amidst the trees in a more secluded part of the city.

The stone walls were moss-ridden, and like all vegetation in the area, the moss looked more grey than green because of the pollution. The windows were cracked in places, the panels on the verge of falling out.

Kaia could almost imagine the face that would stare at her through the flimsy window at night.

"If you want to leave, Nuwas, tell me now. I'll get you on the first ship back," Roxas spoke with hints of amusement in his confusing accent. He had an unnatural pronunciation when speaking in Rehi, the mixed accents polluting his mother tongue. He spoke the common language just fine, so perhaps it was just Rehi he'd forgotten to speak.

Kaia steeled her jaw, turning to him with a tight smile. "No, I quite like such haunted cabins. What do I have to fear when I have the spirit of Ilm Amargil as my guardian angel?"

His smile drained away, leaving only his intense violet eyes that glared at her. He shook his head, muttering something about being stuck with a deranged woman as he carried their trunks inside.

Kaia gulped down her fear, picking up her screaming cat's carrier before she followed after him. The wooden planks creaked under her weight as she stepped up the stairs, the wooden so soggy she wondered how her foot hadn't passed right through, halting at the entrance. The inside wasn't any better than she had hoped. The Amargil's- save for Mrs Amargil- were messy people, she knew that having lived with them for the past few years. But this was a whole another kind of messy.

Wooden figurines of men and women cluttered the desks, teapoys and tables. Books and papers were shoved into the shelves that lined one side of the hall, crates filled with crumpled files littered the floor, leaving minimal place for walking. A sofa sat opposite the shelf, its lace torn and shredded in places. Candle holders were overflowing with melted wax. Washed plates and dishes were stacked over each other with no regard to their size, a thick layer of dust settled on them. The floor looked like it hadn't been swept in decades.

Roxas pushed a few crates away with his feet before he placed their trunks on the floor, rising with his hands on his hips as he looked around. "It's all a bit dusty since I haven't stepped foot here in over two months. But other than that, it's not a bad place to live, don't you think?"

Breathing in this place felt like a health hazard.

He walked between the mess to close the door behind her. Kaia set Coal's carrier down, opening it so Coal could explore the place alongside her. The cabin had a hall with an adjoining kitchen and a separate toilet. She staked claim to the bedroom when she saw how much cleaner it was than the rest of the house. Roxas hadn't argued, more than happy to sleep on the sofa as long as she didn't bother him.

Kaia postponed the unpacking until she tackled the cleaning. She changed the bedsheets as Roxas cleared up space for her clothes in his cupboard, she washed the dust off the plates and utensils as he started the fire.

Kaia had taken it upon herself to make the hall at least walkable. Roxas had nearly lost his mind when Kaia started carrying all the crates into the loft, telling her that someday he would need it.

From what she could make out, all the crates contained were old newspapers, if it was completely up to her, she would've thrown it out.

Eventually, he gave up with a sigh, watching her just work for a few minutes, before joining her. She'd expected him to yell at her for touching and replacing his things and changing the house's layout and furniture. But he didn't. He even helped her with it, carrying furniture to wherever she saw fit, picking up all the mess she couldn't help but point out.