Growing Characters

"How fast did you pick this up? Learning to live in their world and magic?" Nadia asked Lillian as they were finishing using a pen knife that was dipped in some holy oil. Lillian had also shown her the symbols with the purified chalk. Just where had the three of them gone when she'd left them yesterday? Nadia glanced at the clock. It was two in the morning and she was feeling very tired.

"Fairly quick, I realized I had to believe or I was going to die." Lillian stated and looked around the window and nodded. That felt good, the barrier was there now. This room now needed permission to enter. Hotels were common areas. Nadia asked about her home, which now it kind of made obvious sense. The computer had given them the invitation to come in.

"Do we have enough to do a second room? I think I want to go down to the desk and get a room. I'd like to sleep." Lillian smiled at her.

"Of course. Lead the way. Oh and take one of those blades that Xyle has in the case. He used the oil on them earlier. So they are pure. Best to not be unarmed." Nadia raised her eyebrow at Lillian but did what she said. She figured she'd just tuck it in her waist band at the desk. She got her card and left the room with Lillian. Nadia had a lot on her mind, and figured Lillian was a good one to ask.

"So I know what I read and such. It's still a bit crazy for me to think about you all being words on a page. That you were living it somewhere else, and you weren't aware until coming here. Did you ever think you were just a story before though? You fell into their world." Nadia asked her. Lillian shrugged.

"No, I just thought magic. That was easier to swallow than someone writing me and purposefully giving me a horrible existence prior. However I've thought a lot about it too, living in Zyer's world I learned just how much we don't know. How dangerous magic, and science really are. One might try to discount the other, but they are really one and the same. It's all manipulation of what is there. So maybe we are all just one giant story and this was all going to happen this way no matter what." Nadia thought for a moment.

"I thought that, but it still seems hard to wrap your mind around." Nadia responded as they went down the elevator. Lillian looked at her.

"I don't know, it makes sense to me. Think about it Nadia, even in this world you share you still have no idea what is happening across the world. However, you go and read words on a screen, on a page. You call it news, you believe what is written because you are told it is here. However you will never see those people, so are they real or not? Aren't they just words on a page until they come into your area of existence?"

"You know Lillian your astute. Smart, quick in mind. I like that. Meeting you all, I really am starting to like you more than what I read. Laural didn't do a good job describing you I think." Lillian had a tight lipped expression.

"You mean weak, a timid creature that screamed and ran. Needed saving at every turn. I'd rather hide away than help." Lillian nearly growled it. Nadia touched Lillian's arm frowning.

"Don't let her words define you Lillian. Obviously you are your own person now." Lillian let out a rush of breath. They stopped for a second not far from the desk. Lillian met her eyes solidly.

"You don't get to see the parts that she wrote and then erased Nadia. There were whole parts that she had in her story, that while she took from her final drafts, still happened for us. To know that she was stripping me of those moments and keeping me from being more capable, I can not forgive. My mate fights hard, suffers to keep his people safe and now here too. I want to stand beside him and do that. I keep being denied this and I feel useless to him." Nadia frowned.

"What parts?" Nadia asked and Lillian had a darker look.

"A lot, there were so many times that I was the one that ran in to pick another up. Help one of the pack get back on their feet. Then she'd go back after writing and change who did it. The only thing that felt good knowing we were being written at times, was when the rest of the pack were allowed to remember those times. They gave me the respect Larual kept pulling from me. In our world Nadia, I think that writers are really just another type of being. Creatures with a different type of magic or ability. One that does not realize the power they have. The ability to play god with lives and not know it. The real question is would they care if they knew?" Nadia did not think of it that way. That was kind of terrifying, that you were living your life but at any point someone could take control of your fate. Horrifying. She didn't want to think about this or the computer upstairs.

"Well, now that I feel like a hard drink is in order…" She gave Lillian a smile. "How about we get my room, and then I'll see about getting Laural here to smack her in the face. A good smack sometimes feels damn good." Lillian actually smiled and gave a soft laugh this time.

"Yes, Xyle said you have a wicked slap." Nadia felt an odd smile and also kind of odd too.

"He deserved it. Yelling at me about changing his fate, then he went and changed mine." She grumbled. Lillian was right, whoever was on the other side of their screen had control. She hoped they weren't an ass like Laural if they did have someone writing their story.

"I bet he did. Good for you, we need to keep those two in line. Think they run the freaking world." Lillian grumbled and Nadia felt a laugh. They approached the desk and Nadia got a room. While the clerk was putting in the info Nadia spoke.

"We have a room with two fulls or one king." The desk clerk asked. Nadia went to speak and Lillian beat her to it.

"One king." Nadia looked at her and Lillian raised her eyebrow. She had humor in her light gaze. The clerk looked between the two women.

"Let's be real Nadia, he is going to crawl into your bed no matter if there is another choice. Just in case you were thinking otherwise, best be comfortable and have comfortable space." Lillian gave her a bright smile and Nadia sighed.

"You know, I hate that you are right." Nadia got the one king and took the card. They then went up to it, luckily it was on Lillian's floor just a few doors down. They went in with their items and started securing the entry ways.

"Can I ask you Lillian." Naida started turning to look at her. Nadia felt kind of bad asking but she needed to know. "Do you love Zyer? Do you love him and not feel like you were manipulated too?" Lillian was silent a moment and finished her symbols.

"I do love him. I love him deeply, and regardless of if Laural wrote our story or not, she did not make us soul mates. That I believe was a power higher than her. She just was the one to write it out. Laural has never given us the words. Neither of us have said it to each other in the stories. She only wrote that I wanted to hear it, she kept taking it from Zyer when he would have said it." Nadia thought about that. She was right, she could not recall in the four stories the two of them having a moment to say the words and mean them. Just the thought about it, the need of the other and nothing more.

"It was the first thing he said to me when we were pulled here." Lillian actually looked like she was going to cry. "I'd wanted to hear it from him so bad. Through our connection he knew it too, but like my moments of standing up, she thought it would make him look weak. Less, so she allowed him to think it, but never share it. I only wish I'd been able to say it first. That is how I know. No one was writing that when we came here." You know, Nadia was really starting to feel like she might need to punch Laural. What an asshole thing to do, making the two of them run around and not once give them the moment to say it.

"Well I'm glad you got to say it here. Any advice on how to deal with a determined wolf?" Nadia asked her and Lillian gave a slight smile.

"Sorry, if I knew how to keep him at bay we wouldn't be mated. However I must admit I crave it just as much as he does. We are bonded, never thought anything could be as deep as this bond. Just think about giving it a chance Nadia, you might be surprised."

"Not the answer I was hoping for." She said with a slight smile and Lillian shrugged.

"Xyle is like a brother to me now. I can't find it in me to help you run completely. I find the frustration you seem to cause him funny though. I've never seen Xyle distracted before, he was while he was with us. I think it's cute." That really made Nadia laugh this time.

"Cute, not what I would pick to describe him." Lillian got a slight smirk on her face.

"How would you describe him Nadia? Do tell." Nadia looked at her pursing her lips for a moment. Lillian was teasing her.

"Oh come now Nadia, you don't think he's good looking? Sexy? Maybe a bit of hidden charm?" Nadia raised an eyebrow at her.

"I'm not telling you anything. You just said your loyalty is still more with Xyle. You'll report back to him, we will need to work on this friend thing first." Nadia told her crossing her arms. Lillian really laughed.

"I like you Nadia. That sentence alone tells me a lot. It'll grow harder you know, pretending like you don't care. Resisting the temptation to touch or let him. Trust me I know." Lillian moved toward the door as the barriers were up now.

"Suppose you would know best." Nadia commented.

"I do." Lillian told her and opened the door. Nadia moved and held it open. She watched Lillian make it to her room and go in before she let her door shut. With a heavy sigh Nadia sat down on the large bed.

Nadia rubbed her forehead. Then moved to lay down, the clock read nearly four am. She was suddenly feeling very tired and laid down. No she was not ready to just let this change in her life own her yet. Nadia just laid there thinking about what she was or wasn't ready to accept. Everything seemed to be be getting more and more twisted as time went. She just tried to clear her head and get some sleep. She had a feeling that things might spiral fast. She was going to need the energy for it.