“Are your neighbours gonna think it’s weird that I’m living here?” I muttered to him as he unlocked the front door, which was much taller than any human-made door.
He glanced over at me with a little frown. “Don’t see why they would. None of their fucking business anyway.”
I snorted, then hesitantly stepped over the threshold when the door swung open and Greid gestured for me to head in before picking up my other suitcase. Trying not to stare too openly, I took everything in. The hallway was long and narrow, with a winding staircase in one corner and several doors leading off from it. And there was stuff everywhere. Framed artwork lined the walls. Strange potted plants were tucked into shadowy recesses or displayed on cluttered console tables that also held dripping candles, alien-looking trinkets and ornaments, busts and miniature sculptures of demiurgus.
Greid cleared his throat from behind me, and I quickly shuffled to the side so he could actually get in and close the front door. “So, uh, yeah. This is it.”
“I really like it,” I told him, turning to give him a wide grin. I wasn’t just saying that to be polite—I did. It was busy and unusual, but not filthy like my dad’s place had been, and definitely not bare and washed out like the compound. The panelled walls were painted black, but the picture frames were burnished gold or deep copper. Lots of the little ornaments were made of brightly coloured glass.
It was a little gloomy, but enough light came in through the stained-glass panes on the front door to send splashes of pink and gold and green over the dark wood floors.
Greid dropped his keys in a shallow metal bowl, then leaned down to tug off his boots, revealing big feet in mismatched socks—one pink and one green. I pursed my lips to hide my smile as I slipped off my sandals and waited for him to take the lead.
“So… we can put your luggage in your room and then, uh, I can give you a tour. If you want.” Greid sounded awkward, like he didn’t know what to do. Wanting to put him at ease—this was his own home, for fuck’s sake—I gave him a winning smile.
“Sure. A tour sounds great. I already really like it. But after that, you can just relax while I unpack. I’ll stay in my room for a while. I don’t want you to—”
“No.” He shook his head, picking the suitcases back up and heading for the stairs. “You don’t have to just stay in your room, Beryl. Make yourself comfortable.”
I couldn’t help but smile at the back of him as he began leaping up the stairs two at a time, his long legs eating up the steps with ease. I followed him up to the third floor, staring at all the stained-glass wall sconces with dripping, unlit candles nestled in them.
“Do you only use candles for light?” I asked, feeling a little out of breath from trying to keep up with him on the long, twisting staircase.
“Um, yeah, I prefer it.” Greid glanced back as he made his way down the narrow, cluttered corridor toward a closed door. “But there are proper lights. There are lamps in your room. You don’t have to use candles.”
I remembered him saying that the hum of electronics was loud to him. “I don’t mind.”
Greid opened the door, placed the suitcases just inside, then stepped back to let me through. I wandered into the room—my new bedroom. My gut twisted with a hint of excitement.
It was a decent size but not as big as my room at the compound. It already felt much cosier and more comfortable than that had been. The bed was big and low to the ground, with a beautiful hand-carved, dark wooden headboard. I was beyond relieved to see soft-looking sheets in a dark green fabric and not shiny, silky sheets like the ones in the Greater Suite at the compound.
Thick, heavy drapes were pulled back from a gorgeous stained-glass window designed with leaves and crystals and weird-looking bugs. A big flat-screen TV was mounted above a polished chest of drawers that had some candles and ornaments displayed on it.
Stained-glass lamps sat on nightstands either side of the bed, so I went over to turn one on, grinning at the soft golden light that spilled out.
Greid cleared his throat. “Bathroom’s through there.”
I turned to see him hovering in the doorway and pointing at a closed door to my right. After nodding, I eyed him and said, “You can come in.”
He fidgeted, ears fluttering. “I don’t want to invade your private space. I came in here yesterday to make the bed and check it was all okay, but, um, I’ll leave you alone when you’re in here. There’s a lock on the door, by the way,” he added quickly. “So you can lock it at night and, you know, whenever you’re in here.”
“Okay, thanks.” It was comforting to know I could lock the door, but I didn’t think I’d feel the constant need to.
“And if you want to change anything, you can.” Greid gestured at the walls. “If you don’t like the… We can paint it or replace the furniture or whatever.”
I looked around again. I might want to buy myself a few extra bits of furniture, but I liked what was in here already. The armchair by the window looked cosy, and there was a stack of interestingly patterned blankets on the seat. The vanity on the other side of the window was mostly clear, just a few candles and trinkets, waiting for all my stuff to be displayed on it.
There was a half-filled bookcase tucked in the corner beside a floor lamp with another stained-glass shade. I liked the thought of filling the rest of its shelves with books I could buy myself—any books at all. We’d been discouraged from reading anything that wasn’t sanctioned history and information books on the demiurgus in the compound.
“I don’t think I want to change anything,” I told Greid with a smile. “I like it. It’s nice. Feels cosy.”
His face spikes flexed as he picked at the edge of the doorframe. “Oh. Okay. Good.” Taking a step back, he cleared his throat. “Okay, well, I’ll leave you to unpack—”
“What about the tour?”
“Oh.” He let out a squawk of nervous laughter, which kind of made me want to give him a hug. He seemed so tense. Shit, maybe he was already regretting this. “Sure, of course. You need to know where everything is, right?”
“We can do it later if you want,” I said cautiously, then gave him a tiny grin as I walked over. “Maybe you should go smoke a bit to chill out.”
He shot me a weak glare. “I’m chill. I’m totally chill.”
“Sure,” I said dryly, then swept my arm out in a grand gesture. “Well, lead the way, Greater.”
Chapter Eleven
Beryl
After another disgruntled look, Greid turned and ambled down the corridor. I couldn’t stop looking around as I followed. The ceilings and doors were really tall, which made sense given the demiurgus’ height. Where there wasn’t framed artwork crammed onto every available inch of wall space, strange-looking tapestries hung, depicting scenes of vast cave networks with ceilings that glittered like they were studded with crystals and demiurgus dancing around a blue-flamed fire.
When we reached the second floor, I caught a glimpse of another tapestry that seemed to show some humans, but we continued descending the stairs before I could get a proper look. Once we were back on ground-level, Greid led me down a narrow corridor with only one door at the end. After opening it, he felt around for a light switch and descended the stairs.