Mathieu (White Flame Trilogy) - By Paula Flumerfelt Page 0,57

his hair. It took some effort, but eventually his hair was back to its naturally smooth state, although it lacked quite a bit of shine.

It took two hours and three showers later for him to feel almost normal. His hair was back to its normal luster after being washed within an inch of its life, and his eyes were an unclouded purple again. It seemed as though the hot water washed away the worst of his guilt, helping him feel that he could make it through for a single day. Avian still clung to his mind, however, she was more like a pleasant memory than an accusing presence.

Looking around, he spotted a metal closet in the corner that he hadn’t seen before. Pulling it open, he snooped through it until he found something almost suitable: a baggy black shirt and jeans that were a bit too big for him. Fastening a belt around himself, he pulled the door open and found Kiev sitting there, leaned against the wall, dozing lightly.

Kiev was a slight female and it instinctively made him want to protect her, although it seemed she had something of the same feelings about him. As if sensing him there, her eyes slid open and a hand covered her mouth, hiding a yawn. “You look a lot better.”

“Thank you, Kiev…Is Nathan around?” Mathieu said, holding a hand out to help her out.

The blonde nodded. “He’s on the upper floor. I’ll take you there, yeah?”

The Tri-District Manor was something spectacular, now that he had a chance to look around. It was much larger than he had originally thought, more like a small inn that a home. The flooring for the lower level was a mixture of polished white wood and green marble set in a pattern that reminded Mathieu of a flower. The walls were thick, clear glass, with the exception of the bathrooms. He was somewhat relieved to see that they had managed to fix the front of the house from his little outburst.

There were plenty of bedrooms that they passed, each proudly displaying the contents of the owner to him. It seemed a bit odd to him that there was no measure of privacy within the house, but he guessed that they had their reasons. Mathieu also liked how many sitting rooms there were, each furnished in a different color. They had a variety of chairs, rugs, and small tables; some were made of plush materials, some nice solid woods. They had a variety of activities to do: play chess, read books, paint, and so on.

The upper floor was one giant room that seemed fit for all situations, a cot in one corner and something like a war table at its center; the table seemed to be of some sort of digital design. Nathan was sitting next to a bookcase, reading a book under a small wall mounted light. He looked up as they approached, taking a long sip from the bourbon next to him on a small end table. “Ah, Mathieu. Sit. Kiev, please excuse us.”

Kiev took the dismissal with a grain of salt, smiling cheerily at Nathan. “I’ll see you down there.” She took the stairs back down two at a time after a short wave.

Nathan waited for young lady to disappear down the stairs before fixing Mathieu with a look. The redhead’s jaw was stubbly and it made a soft scratching sound when the man ran his hand across his chin in a contemplative manner. “I see that you’ve joined our world again. We missed you on your temporary leave.” Nathan joked quietly.

Mathieu sat in a dark blue chair, tucking his feet under him. “I missed me, too. Listen, I need to know what happened. There are a few blanks that I need cleared up.” His face was set, every line serious. The man had been right; where he wanted to admit it or not, he had taken a vacation from reality, and now he needed to find his way back.

Nathan put his book aside and gave Mathieu his undivided attention. “I’m sure that you’re referencing the…demise of your Princess. I can and will assure you that he was not one of ours. Solomon had a…” the look that crossed the redhead’s face was purely evil, “talk with the man responsible and he volunteered some rather interesting information. He is…was an Unithian spy. It seems that there is much we didn’t know.” He sat back in his seat, running his thumb around the rim of his