Mina opens the door to her room to find Fin standing there, proudly holding a small box in front of him. He grins and shoves the box into her hands, which she fumbles, still startled to see him there.
“Happy birthday,” he says.
Mina gets a firmer grasp on the box and raises an eyebrow at her brother.
“How long have you been standing there?”
Fin scowls.
“Too long. Why does it take you so long to brush your hair?”
“I wasn’t brushing my-”
Mina huffs. Boys.
“It’s called makeup, Fin.”
“You didn’t use to wear that. You trying to impress someone?”
Mina glares at Fin.
“I’m not a kid anymore, I can wear makeup if I want.”
Fin bends his knees so their faces are level and tilts his head, looking at her face like some kind of appraiser.
“Hmm…”
Then he shakes his head sadly.
“Well, it doesn’t seem to be working. Maybe you should try a little more,” he says.
Mina shoves him away and starts to walk past him.
“I hate you,” she says.
Fin chuckles and follows after her like a puppy at her heels.
“Are you going to open your gift or not?” he says.
Mina pauses and looks down at the little square box. He wrapped it the same way every year, just a plain brown box with a turquoise ribbon on top, the same color as her eyes. That was probably intentional. It was Fin, after all. She gives him a mischievous smile.
“But I already know what it is. I don’t even need to open it at this point.”
Fin pouts. He really does look like a puppy when he does that. Gods, he’s such an embarrassment sometimes. It’s hard to remember that he’s technically a lord now, and that people actually respect him. Mina wonders if that would change if they saw him like this, the way he acts at home. Father seems to think so. Mina sighs. Okay. The puppy-dog eyes are working.
Mina pulls off the ribbon and dumps the gift out of the box into her hand. She was right, it was the same gift as last year, and the year before that: a puzzle box.
She turns it around in her hand, a small smile on her lips. Each puzzle was different, and somehow he managed to get her ones that increased in difficulty every year. He must have had them custom made. She wonders if he designed the puzzle aspect himself. She's almost tempted to snoop in his room and see if she can find blueprints, but then that would spoil the puzzle. This one will probably keep her occupied for hours.
“Thanks. I’ll add it to my shelf,” she says.
She’s trying to be nonchalant, but she really does love his gifts. This would be the eighth puzzle box, one for each of her birthdays since his adoption. She’s going to have quite a collection someday.
Fin snorts.
“You used to play with them the moment you opened the box,” he says, a hint of irritation at the edges of his tone.
“And I will!” she says defensively. “Later. After whatever celebrations father has in mind.”
If he has any…
Things hadn’t been right between Mina and her father since their discussion last year. Well, discussion is a nice word for it. Argument. Whatever. They barely speak anymore. Mina is perfectly happy to keep it that way. Fin picks a fuzzy off his shirt and flicks it away.
“Don’t make too many plans,” he says.
“Why?”
Fin gives her a devious smile and wraps an arm around her shoulders.
“Because you’re eighteen now, Mina!”
Mina frowns.
“And?”
Fin looks down at her fondly.
“That means you’re finally old enough to go drinking with me!”
“It’s still dawn, Fin.”
“Exactly. Have your birthday celebrations here. When you’re done, come find me and we’ll have a real party. Anyway, I have someone I want you to meet.”
Mina can’t deny the excitement she feels bubbling up inside her at the prospect. She’d always wanted to join Fin on his jaunts around Auroris, but he was always telling her she was too young. She honestly hasn’t been expecting any kind of invitation from him, she had started to think he didn’t want her there. Apparently she was wrong. …Wait, did he say he wants her to meet someone?
“Are you talking about your Moon Level friend?” she asks.
“I don’t think he’d appreciate being referred to that way, but yes.”
“Father doesn’t like him.”
Fin rolls his eyes.
“Father doesn’t like anyone from the Moon Level. Except me, and even then, that’s hit or miss. Trust me. You’ll like him.”
The curiosity is eating her up. Mina smiles.
“I’ll be there.”
Mina breathes in the cool, winter air and watches the snowflakes fall from the twilight, purple-streaked sky. She always liked the snow, the way it would catch the sun and moonlight interchangeably, glittering like magic. Fin doesn’t seem as pleased with the way the snow dusts his black hair. He leads the two of them quickly through the Sun Level until they arrive outside a cozy-looking bar. It seems pretty tame compared to some of the places Fin had told Mina about. Maybe he’s worried something more rambunctious will put her off the idea of going out with him again.
Fat chance.
She likes this stuff. But maybe that was something he’d have to realize on his own over time. She imagines the protective older brother instinct is a hard thing to shake.
Mina looks around, seeing no one outside the bar.
“Where’s your friend?” she asks.
Fin shakes the snowflakes out of his hair.
“Probably already inside, he’s not too fond of hanging out in the Sun Level for very long,” he says.
“You know, we could have met in the Moon Level,” she says.
Fin pauses, his hand on the door, considering.
“Another time maybe,” he says smoothly as he pulls the door open.
Fin makes a sweeping gesture, ushering Mina inside.
“After you,” he says.
Mina steps inside the bar. It’s mostly empty, and the place itself is already quite small. There’s a clockwork automaton behind the counter, which nods to them when they open the door. In the corner of the room, there’s someone sitting at a table with their arms over their head, evidently taking a nap. Mina leans over to Fin conspiratorially.
“Looks like someone might have already had too much to drink…” she says.
Fin smirks.
“Watch this,” he says.
Mina watches curiously as Fin cautiously steps behind the napping man, then suddenly grips his shoulders.
“Boo.”
Mina flinches when the man suddenly springs upright, hand to Fin’s throat. Then the man blinks as recognition dawns on his face.
“Fin.”
He blows out a breath and lowers his arm. Mina could have sworn she saw something glistening in his hand. Was that a knife?
“You startled me,” he says.
Fin doesn’t seem at all phased by the situation, smiling patiently like he expected that reaction.
“You probably shouldn’t be napping in public then,” Fin says.
“So I’ve been told…” the man replies dryly.
Apparently, this is Fin’s friend. He looks Moon Level, anyway. And exhausted. Mina can understand why he had fallen asleep if he was that tired. He glances over at Mina suddenly, and she’s not quite sure what to do with herself against those dark gray eyes.
“Who’s that?” he says.
Fin skirts around him and moves over to Mina, nudging her forward.
“This,” Fin says, “is my sister, Mina. Mina, meet Lucian.”
Mina is about to offer her own greeting, but she’s cut off by Lucian, who gives Fin a slow glare.
“You didn’t tell me anyone else was going to be here,” he says.
Fin crosses his arms.
“That’s because I know you wouldn’t have come if I had,” Fin says.
“You’re right, I wouldn’t have,” Lucian replies coldly.
Mina suddenly feels very awkward to be sharing the same air as these two, frigid as it is. The snow would feel warmer. She takes a hesitant step backward.
“I can go…” she says.
Fin grabs her arm and plops her in one of the chairs at Lucian’s table.
“Nonsense!” he says. “Lucian just needs a little lesson in manners is all.”
Lucian fixes Fin with a deadpan stare.
“No.”
Lucian grabs his coat to leave, but Fin catches his arm. Fin lowers his voice, but Mina can still hear what he says.
“Just stay with us for a little while. It’s her birthday, and she doesn’t get out much. I promise we’ll talk later.”
Mina can feel heat rising to her cheeks at the mention of her not getting out much. She’s starting to get an inkling of what Fin is trying to do here, and she doesn’t much like it. She’s going to kill him when they get home.
Lucian releases a slow sigh.
“Fine,” he says. “You’re paying though.”
Fin startles at that.
“What? But you don’t-”
Lucian ignores Fin’s protest and sits down again, opposite from Mina, tossing his coat over the back of his chair. He gives her a onceover, not the creepy kind that she sometimes gets from older men, but the assessing kind, like he’s trying to figure out what kind of person he’s dealing with. She doesn’t even realize that she gives him the exact same look.
He’s hard to get a read on, but that just makes her more curious about him. She tries going over in her head anything she remembers Fin saying about him in the past. He’s from the Moon Level, of course. He works for the Temple of the Moon. That’s interesting, he looks nothing like the priests they had at the Sun Temple. He and Fin have been friends since before Mina’s family had adopted Fin. And her father doesn’t like that Fin spends time with him, because he’s “Moon Level trash” that would “taint Fin’s reputation.” Luckily, Mina doesn’t have much of a reputation left to taint in her father’s eyes anyway, so having a little conversation with the handsome stranger doesn’t really matter.
Is he handsome? She tilts her head and looks at him with a smile. She likes his eyes. There’s a wit behind them, she can tell.
Fin is about to sit down with them, but Lucian suddenly turns to him and speaks.
“You know Fin, I think I’m suddenly very thirsty. You said you’d pay for drinks.”
“Ha ha. Very funny,” Fin says dryly.
Mina’s mischievous spark instantly catches onto what he’s doing.
“Me too, actually. Lucian, I’ve never been here before. What do you think is the most expensive thing on the menu?” she says.
Fin’s about to cut in, but Lucian talks over him instead.
“I heard the whiskey here is good, something about it being imported halfway across the world. Although if you really haven’t been here before, maybe you should try a bit of everything, just to figure out what you like.”
Mina snaps her fingers.
“That’s a good idea!” she says, “And they should probably be full glasses, in case I take a particular liking to one and want more. It is my birthday, after all.”
“Make it double, I haven’t tried much here either,” Lucian adds.
Fin scowls at him.
“You don’t even drink, Lucian,” he hisses.
“I do on her birthday,” Lucian says with a nod to Mina.
Fin stands and looks between them in disbelief, both the picture of innocence.
“You two-”
Then he growls and pulls out his wallet.
“Fine.”
As he starts to head over to the counter to speak to the automaton, Mina calls after him.
“Oh, and Fin. Get something for yourself too, yeah?”
Fin shoots her a glare.
Lucian leans back in his chair and crosses his arms with a smirk.
“That was satisfying,” he says.
Mina scoffs and picks at the table.
“Serves him right,” she mutters, “Setting us up on a-”
Mina’s not sure if she wants to finish that sentence. She doesn’t even know for sure if Lucian is getting the same impression that she is.
“A date,” Lucian finishes with a sideways glance at her.
Ah, so they are on the same page.
“He didn’t even ask,” Mina protests.
“I don’t even know you,” Lucian agrees.
“Why would you come to a bar if you don’t drink?”
Lucian’s caught off guard by Mina’s question. It was bothering her since Fin had said it. Clearly, it’s something they do often. It doesn’t make any sense, and she really hates when things don’t make sense.
Lucian considers the question for a moment, but Mina can’t tell if it’s because he’s planning to lie to her, or because he’s genuinely going to answer the question.
“I just like talking to him, and he’s always wanting to meet over a drink. Despite knowing that I can’t drink.”
“Can’t drink?”
Lucian freezes, then slowly rests his elbows on the table and cradles his chin in his hands, covering his mouth. It’s muffled, but she still hears him say it under his breath:
“Shit…”
Now that’s an odd reaction. Mina would have assumed that Lucian had simply used a different phrasing if he had played it off that way. Instead, he’s acting like he’s hiding something. So for him, abstaining from alcohol isn’t a choice, it’s something he physically can’t have. Why would he care if she knows that?
Lucian is starting to remind her more and more of one of her puzzle boxes. Is that why Fin was convinced that she’d like him?
A little shallow, brother, but I’ll bite. I could use a good puzzle.
Mina leans forward, propping her elbow on the table, and rests her chin on her hand, mirroring Lucian’s posture, but more open. She gives him a lazy smile.
“You’re not very good at poker, are you?” she says.
Lucian searches her eyes for a moment, wary. Trying to judge her intentions? Then he lowers one of his hands to the table and taps his fingers slowly.
“I don’t really like most games,” he says simply.
Most games, he says. Does that mean he likes this one? He’s still here, so Mina’s going to take that as a yes.
“Why can’t you drink, Lucian?”
“You ask a lot of questions.”
“It is a date.”
“Really? Because I feel like I’m being interrogated.”
“It only feels like an interrogation if you have something to hide.”
“That’s because I do.”
Him coming out and saying that startles Mina. How can someone be so honest and so secretive at the same time? Her surprise must show on her face, because there’s a little sparkle of humor in Lucian’s eyes. He knew that would throw her off guard. But she really can’t tell if that was an invitation to keep going, or a warning to back off.
The worst thing that happens is he leaves… That’s not such a big deal. Right?
Mina feels an unexpected pang of sadness at the idea of Lucian leaving early. She was just starting to enjoy this. Maybe she should phrase her words a little more carefully. But Lucian’s so direct, it’s hard for her not to match his energy. She hesitates to think of a response to that, but Lucian speaks instead.
“Fin’s told me that you’re hoping to become a detective with House Cassis someday.”
Mina blinks in surprise, both from the fact that apparently Fin was bragging about her to his friends, and also that apparently Lucian cared enough to remember that detail. It seems that while she was running over in her head everything she knew about him, he was doing the same thing about her. She hates the fact that coming to that realization makes her blush, just a bit. What else had Fin said about her?
Mina regains her composure and sits up straight.
“That’s the plan,” she says.
“I can see why.”
“I… Thank you?”
What’s he getting at?
“Don’t. It wasn’t a compliment.”
Whatever shreds of humor that were on Lucian’s face before seem to have disappeared now, replaced with the cold seriousness he’d directed toward Fin earlier. He isn’t angry, per say, but he’s guarded. Right. He’s Moon Level, born and raised.
“I take it you aren’t the biggest fan of House Cassis,” Mina says lightly.
“You could say that.”
Mina gives Lucian a tight smile.
“Well, then I guess it’s good that I’m from House Logos, not House Cassis,” she says.
Lucian blinks slowly at her, unimpressed.
“So I’m supposed to believe that you’re prying into my personal life because you just find me that interesting,” he says dryly.
Mina can’t help but laugh at that, and Lucian looks taken aback.
“Yes, actually,” she says with a grin.
Lucian opens his mouth to speak, then closes it again, at a loss for words. Mina leans forward and smiles sweetly.
“Is that so surprising?” She says.
Lucian narrows his eyes.
“Stop that,” he says.
“Stop what?”
“You’re trying to charm me,” he says.
Mina flutters her eyelashes innocently.
“Is it working?”
Lucian gives her a side-eye, but he doesn’t answer. Instead, he sits up straighter, suddenly alert. What…?
“Where the hell is Fin?” he asks abruptly.
Mina turns around to look, and sure enough, her brother is nowhere in sight. In fact it seems she, Lucian, and the automaton bartender are the only people in the room.
That bastard!
“He ditched us!” Mina protests.
Lucian groans and runs a hand through his hair. Mina notices a little glimmer of something silver hidden under his sleeve when he does the motion, and suddenly the pieces of the puzzle box click into place. She has her answer. Lucian stands up and throws on his coat.
“I’ll find him,” he mutters.
Oh no, she isn’t about to be abandoned in this stupid bar twice. On her birthday, no less. Mina hurries after Lucian as he slips out the door.
It’s still snowing outside, but it’s a light dusting now. Lucian stops for a moment, shielding his eyes from the sun with irritation.
“Snowblind?” Mina asks.
“I don’t know how you people stand it up here. How do you even get any sleep?”
The remark isn’t without its barbs, but there seems to be a genuine curiosity in his question, despite the tone. Mina doesn’t really think too much about the fact it’s always light in the Sun Level, it seems natural to her. It had always been that way. It’s stranger to think about being in the Moon Level, where you can never see the open sky. Maybe it’s the opposite for Lucian. She guesses they probably don’t get too much snow down there either. Mina throws her hands in her pockets and paces closer to Lucian.
“Good curtains,” she says. “Though, you didn’t seem to have any trouble falling asleep earlier.”
Lucian starts moving forward, eyes fixed on the ground now.
“That’s different,” he says.
“Because you’re a demigod?”
Lucian freezes in his tracks, his shoulders suddenly tight. Mina slows to a stop a few paces behind him. The words hang in the air between them, and Mina starts to regret saying them. Most demis aren’t so open about their magic like Fin is, and even he is usually careful about who he shares that detail with. By saying it out loud, she’s just laid Lucian bare in the most humiliating way. Mina wrings her hands behind her back and opens her mouth to apologize, but then Lucian speaks without turning to look at her.
“Did Fin tell you that?”
He says it so softly, Mina almost doesn’t hear him. She takes a tentative step closer.
“No, I… Just put it together,” she says.
“And what exactly did you put together?” he asks lightly.
Mina’s cheeks are burning. She shouldn’t have said it. Her and her big mouth. She felt so clever when she figured it out, she thought it would feel good to reveal it, but she didn’t really think about the nature of his secret. How dangerous it can be for him if she just spreads it around. But now she owes him an explanation. Mina’s voice comes out small.
“A couple things… I was wondering about why you couldn’t drink, and there were a few ideas that came to mind…”
Mina closes the distance a bit more. It’s probably better if she isn’t saying this too loud out in the open.
“I thought maybe it was a religious thing, since you work for the Moon Temple, but I don’t remember anything about Luna prohibiting alcohol, or even drunkenness. So I figured it had to be a physical reason, not a choice. I’ve heard of a few health conditions that limit alcohol consumption, so I thought that was a possibility, but then I got a glimpse of your tattoo…”
Lucian subconsciously glances at his left arm, though it’s completely covered by his coat now. Mina steps up beside him, and she can see her own breath swirl in the cold air as she speaks.
“A cool metal. Putting that together with you falling asleep in public despite clearly being on edge and the dark circles under your eyes, I figured the metal in your tattoo was probably magnesium…”
Mina looks at Lucian’s face. The snowflakes are starting to catch on his eyelashes.
“Making you a child of Somnium. God of Sleep.”
Lucian kicks at the snow, still avoiding Mina’s eyes. His expression is carefully measured though, and she can’t read it.
“And the drinking part?” he asks.
Mina pauses before answering.
“The alcohol probably interacts poorly with your type of magic, meaning you can’t drink it without side effects.”
Lucian gives her a half smile and a sideways glance, but the smile doesn’t reach his eyes.
“The first time I tried drinking alcohol, I wound up in a coma for two weeks. So no, I’m not too keen on repeating the experience,” he says.
Mina swallows.
“I’m sorry…”
Lucian searches Mina’s face for a moment. She probably looks like a child who got caught with their hand in the cookie jar, all embarrassed regret. But what he says isn’t at all what she expects.
“You’re terrifying. You know that?”
Mina’s breath catches. What is she supposed to say to that? When she doesn’t respond, Lucian shakes his head and steps away.
“It was nice to meet you, Mina. I’m sure Fin will make sure we cross paths again,” he says wryly.
When he’s a few paces away, he looks over his shoulder and adds: “Oh, and… Happy birthday.”
Mina has to shake herself to bring herself out of the dumb-struck state Lucian had just left her in.
“Speaking of my brother, I don’t suppose you’ve, uh… Seen him?”
Lucian turns and gives her a genuine smile at that, the first one she’s seen on his face. He gives her a mocking bow.
“You should look up more often, detective.”
And before she knows it, Lucian’s gone, and her mind is left spinning in his wake.
Look up?
Mina lifts her eyes to the building directly in front of her, and sees Fin perched on the edge of the roof, his feet dangling down. He has a half-empty bottle in one hand, and gives her a little wave with the other. How the hell did he even get up there? And why? Fin lifts the bottle and calls down to her.
“Want some?”
Mina pinches the bridge of her nose and shakes her head. After talking to Lucian? Gods yes.
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