A Big Shiny Blue Marble Ch. 15

Selena shrugged, "Most have two," she said, "Some have three. I've seen one or two with only one. I don't know if there are any without horns, I mean, other than me, since It's been made clear to me that I'm half-demon myself."

"Permit me," he said apologetically as he reached to begin to feel her scalp under her hair. He smiled after a moment and he took her hand to guide it. "Do you feel the smallest of hard bumps in your hair?"

She knew what he was trying to get her to feel, "Those? Arrax, they've always, ..."

He nodded, "We have not even known each other for very long at all, but I can say that I know that they have always been there. You hide them in your hair, thinking them unsightly. To you, they must appear to anyone else as though you banged your head into a door and the goose egg remained."

She nodded, "So?"

"So," he smiled, "we are back to my question. How many horns do demons wear on their heads?"

"I told you," she said, I've seen one or two with three horns. Ny'Zeille showed me the signs to look for in a human who has demon in them. She said nothing - "

"Ny'Zeille was not looking for a crown," he grinned, "I do not even know if she knows of this."

He was looking away across the garden, "I have only felt one on you, but I can tell you exactly where the rest are. One in the middle of the forehead, high up where I touched. A slightly smaller one to either side of that. One just over each temple pointing outward, and one behind each ear. The last two would grow around past the ear to point to the front a little downward.

You have seven, Selena. Seven horns, though they do not show yet."

"Seven?" she gasped.

He nodded as he turned his head to look at her, "In the long history of Mer, there have been many crowned ones. In recent ages, they appear singly and change that world whenever they do. It is as though the universe knows that the Merren will always grow fat and corrupt if they are allowed to have their way. Some scholars believe -- as do I -- that the true purpose of a crowned one is to tear down their corruption, to force them to be more correct for a time. Whenever a crowned one has emerged, it marks the beginning of a time of flux for them. They do not wish to see another one, and so they would rather seek the one out and kill him or her first. They have always done this. It has never saved them. Another always comes.

To answer your question, each crowned one, whenever they have appeared, whether male or female have always carried the same number of horns on their heads. Seven. No other demon has that many."

She stared at him in horror, but he smiled, "I know what is in your mind. Do not fear. For one thing, what we have spoken of remains between us, so that you can now go on living your life with the hope that I am wrong. It is more important to you that no one learns of this for the Merren would kill you if they could. While you are like this, you have no defence. Tell no one, not even a lover

For another thing, though I do not know it for certain, everything that I have learned about the crowned ones is that in their true form, every one was beautiful beyond knowing."

He smiled with a soft chuckle, "And you are very nearly there anyway. I must go. We will speak again. In the meantime, guard what I have told you. I will seek ways that it may be brought out, though I do not think that there is any way other than time."

"Wait, "Selena said, "You've told me things in the last ten minutes that confuse me more than what I learned from Ny'Zeille. You just told me -- "

She reached for his arm, "I need to know something. What you have with Ny'Zeille -- "

"That is spoken of by her as some great love," he said, "with just the same voice as she used to tell you of what you are. That message was true, though you now know how deep her interest went. I know what I have, a female who makes much of loving with me and does it seldom. A headache, how much her duties strain her, now it is how upset she is over how her life is ruined once more. What began as a channel for our needs now causes me to want to sleep in my office, but that is my problem for the moment. I grow a little tired of being shown as a trophy as though she tamed me somehow and gains in the eyes of others. I am not her servant, I was only her friend but that wears thin too. I grow to enjoy my own company more.

As to what I said, ...

Xer have always been attracted to demons," he shrugged, "sometimes, it happens the other way as well and rarely. It is said that we have eyes to see what most cannot, and I can see even better." Arrax turned with a broad smile, "for all the good that it would do me."

"What does that mean?" Selena asked and she watched as Arrax smiled a little sadly.

"I cannot say much as yet, but it could easily happen that I am nowhere near you when this comes to you. If you have the chance of it, seek a Xer for yourself. The past four like you have taken Xer as mates, as though they wish nothing of the Merren. If you have that choice, choose that one wisely. We tend to like to bargain for power."

Selena nodded ,"It that what you would wish?"

"Me?" He laughed softly, shaking his head, "I have had years of commanding others. I am long tired of ordering everyone around. Why? Do you have thoughts of wanting me for your own? I am too old, Selena. I would think that you would want a younger male than I. But it is a nice thought and I thank you for it."

She watched as he walked away. She knew that her thoughts wouldn't do her any good either, but she found that she liked the way that he looked like this so much better. She wondered why they didn't always show this side of themselves. Maybe not all of them could, she thought as her aimless wandering took her to the kitchen.

Shaevre sat in the corner, a formidable bodyguard for Nahl'een. Selena liked Shaevre. She nodded and smiled as she said hello and was rewarded by the hellhound's nod and interested gaze. As Selena made herself a cup of tea, she wondered if Shaevre had this ability; to walk on two legs and speak to her. She doubted it and felt a little sad.