Reflections of Light

Teabreak

"... Who actually is Alysha?"

"A parasite!"

Luci flinched slightly at Lilith's vicious tone. "Okay... I was only asking..."

"She finds something to latch onto and worms her way in, draining it for all it's worth. An insect, a cockroach, one that no matter how much I step on it, won't die!"

"And she's, what... Threatening you?"

"She's not threatening me, she's got nothing to threaten me with!" With a pause, Lilith seemed to stable herself. "She's just a stupid girl who meddels with things she doesn't understand, and then doesn't realise she has to pay the same price as everyone else!"

"... Right then..." Luci said tentatively, patiently waiting for Lilith to yell herself out, so that she could have an opening.

"Mummy, Mummy, Mummy!" Billy came up behind her, yanking at her sleeve. "Come see something!"

"Not now, William. Mummy's busy."

Billy huffed loudly, stomping his foot before wandering off sulkily.

"But, like... What's the deal with the caves?" Luci pressed gently, praying she didn't incite anything by asking the wrong question.

Lilith laughed dryly. "The deal. That's the question though, isn't it?" Slowly, she straightened up, turning to Luci, her demeanour shifting to appear more relaxed. "It's nothing to worry about, Lucia. Just old wounds."

"O-kay..." Luci shrugged, taking a swallow of her tea and putting it down on the worktop. "I just thought, maybe if she is going to be an issue, I should be, you know, aware of what she can do."

"Outside the mirror world? Very little that you couldn't handle. Just don't let her get to you."

Luci nodded, taking note of Lilith's words, even as Billy bounded back into the room and began driving his matchbox car up her arm.

"Brrrummm, brrrummm!"

"Not now, Sweetie."

"The... other one is harmless." Lilith continued, ignoring the interruption. "Whatever she can do, she doesn't know how to."

Luci nodded, taking another drink. Billy hopped up on the worktop besides her, driving his little car back and forth over the top and slowly sneaking it up her arm, making quiet car noises.

"... So, Alysha's the one between us and Nyx, right? And Nyx is our only sure-fire way to find Jonathan... So we're in a dilemma.
William, don't do that. It'll only end badly."

Billy frowned, pausing in the wheelies he was doing with the car around the rim of her mug.

"Is there some way we can... Distract Alysha? I mean, I doubt she can be in multiple places at once...
And then we can either lure Nyx out or set a trap there... William, do not do  that! You will burn yourself, I'm not joking!"

Billy frustratedly crossed his arms, drawing his finger away from where he was about to dip it in her drink. " 's not even that hot."

Luci shot him a 'Don't question, just do it' look, before turning back to Lilith.

Soon as she turned back, Billy quickly dipped his finger in the liquid, before sticking it in his mouth and licking it off.

He paused, waiting for Luci's reaction. She didn't notice.

Deciding to up the ante, he reached for the mug, carefully picking it up and taking a drink, grinning cheekily and smacking his lips noisily before tipping it back again and draining the cup, putting it down again with a chink!

"Mmm, yummy tea." He commented over-exaggeratedly, giggling and patting his tummy.

"Oh, William!" Luci said exasperatedly. "That was mine!"

"Finderths keeperths, loserths weeperths!" The small boy crowed, hopping of the table and running off excitedly.