Dinner Invite

When evening came, Aisling was left in the house in the 13th Eastern Residential District alone. She had explored the main sights with Little Three while Little One and Two had picked up and delivered her luggage. After Little Three brought her to the house, they left her to settle in and rest early.

After all, she had gone through a tough ordeal the previous night.

The house was spacious and well-furnished. Moreover, the neighbourhood seemed perfectly pleasant. However, Aisling could not seem to settle down. She had unpacked most of her items and inspected every corner of the house.

But, there was a hint of unrest in her heart.

She assessed the house once again, but she did not see anything unusual. After thinking about it for a while, she considered the most probable cause of her discomfort.

Perhaps, the previous owner had left their breath in the home. Her teacher had told her about the problems that she might face living alone before she left the Carpathian Mountains and moved to California.

Her teacher always used to tell her that people would leave shadows of themselves when they stayed in one place for too long. The residues of such shadows were like a breath. It would be intangible but distinct. Those familiar with that breath would feel the comfort of their loved one.

However, sensitive people could sense a stranger's remaining breath in a house, and the feeling could be quite uncomfortable, especially if there was something strange about the former resident. She had not believed it before, but she could not deny the discomfiting greasiness in the air.

Aisling pulled out one of her two unpacked bags from the bottom space of the large closet and placed it on the bedroom floor. She knelt on the warm hardwood as she opened the bag filled with countless random things. She took out a smaller box from the bag along with a mortar and pestle.

She closed the bag and carried the items down the stairs and to the kitchen.

The box was filled with small labelled jars of dried herbs, roots and other strange ingredients. She picked out four of the small containers and put them aside. With smooth motions, she poured small portions of sage, cedar, frankincense and rosemary into the stone mortar.

Aisling used her pestle to crush the ingredients together with gentle circular motions until there was a homogenous powder in the bowl.

She smiled in satisfaction and picked up the stone mortar. She walked around the house while contemplating distances and directions. After falling into contemplation for a few moments, she went back up the flight of stairs. She placed the container on the floor at the top of the flight.

She stood in front of the bowl and waved her hands over the mortar. Her finger motions were like gentle waves that transformed into a beautiful dance. She was like a musical conductor, guiding nature itself in an orchestra.

A small whirlwind seemed to form within the mortar, and the powder rose with that strange force like a living ball. Aisling's finger waves changed into a different pattern. The ball started to sparkle as each particle burned in a flameless fire.

Aisling looked at the glowing ball with narrowed eyes before putting her palms together. The ball dispersed as soon as her hands came together. If one were to look closely, they would see the minute particles going around the house, chasing the ghosts of the past.

Aisling picked her mortar and went down the stairs.

Suddenly, the doorbell rang.

For the first time in forever, Aisling was startled. She was always at the door before anyone knocked or rang the doorbell.

She frowned as she placed the mortar on the kitchen counter.

She placed her index finger on the clover mark on her forehead in an attempt to amplify her powers as she had done in the hospital. She focussed her senses on the door, but there was nothing. No flashes of foresight and no whispers…

She decided to go ahead and open the door as normal people did.

The uncertainty in her heart overwhelmed her, even though she had a guess…

However, once she stood at the door, she could not open it immediately. She was both anxious and afraid, but her heart also beat with excitement.

When she was about to step forward after calming herself, the door swung open. Her pink lips opened in an o-shape as she looked at the person standing at the threshold.

It was just as she had guessed.

"Aren't you going to invite me in?" The deep voice was tinged with amusement.

Aisling looked at the tall man with a dazed look in her eyes. She did not know why she behaved in such an uncharacteristic manner. She just felt… arrested by his presence. She shook her head to dismiss her silly thoughts.

"Please come in." She stepped aside and ushered him in with pink cheeks.

Abaddon Rex had lived for countless years and had even forgotten the meaning of life. All he had was an existence that had lost colour. He had lost all the little things that made everyone so excited about life. He was only driven by the obligations and duties of his youth.

But seeing the guileless Aisling, he wanted to be a little more human.

He stepped into the house with unusually slow and measured steps.

A part of him knew why he had come in the evening, even though he could have waited until morning for their meeting. The truth was he wanted to be her first guest in Farallon.

"Something smells pleasant." He looked back at Aisling with his compelling eyes when he caught a unique herbal scent.

She looked up at him again as she closed the door.

"I was purifying the house." There was a little embarrassment in her because the cleansing ceremony could be considered to be an equivalent of a child asking their parent to chase away the monster under the bed or in the closet.

The ritual was effective for purification after moving to a new house, but the residue breath of the former resident was not exactly harmful. She was just sensitive and would feel like there was a ghost around her if she did not get rid of it.

Abaddon wanted to tell her that he did not mean the incense. The alluring fragrance was coming from her, tempting him to take a bite. However, he did not share his thoughts.

"I was hoping that you would invite me to dinner." He said in his deep, reverberating voice.

"I don't have any food. I just finished unpacking." She blurted out.

Rex wanted to laugh at the defensive reaction. But he could still not remember how or even if he had ever laughed before.

"In that case, I will invite you to dinner." He responded with a captivating smile.

Aisling felt like she had fallen into a trap without seeing it. But she was also quite pleased for some reason. Perhaps, it was because this man had felt it necessary to think of such a suave way to invite her for a meal.

She had received countless dinner invites in her life, but this was the first time she felt like the invitation was not a mere reaction. It was a well-thought-out intention. It made her think of a fairy tale with a unicorn-drawn carriage and a dance on a moonlit lake.

She nodded at him in response like an idiot.

Looking at the cute reaction, Rex had an urge to reach out the adorable face. However, he knew that it would not be appropriate. Something in him feared that she would be scared of him and run away.

After all, Abaddon was synonymous with destruction.

Instead, he looked at her with his scorching lava eyes. "Would you like to change before we leave?"

Aisling looked at her outfit. She had not been planning to do anything for the evening apart from sleeping, so she had put on pink silk shorts and a matching strappy top. She felt horrified about how she was standing there like she was wearing a glamourous evening gown.

"I will be right back." She laughed awkwardly.

She wanted to run away like an embarrassed child, but she felt like she needed to regain her dignity as a beautiful and elegant lady before the man. So, she forced herself to walk with her head in the air, trying to ignore the heat of his eyes on her.