Chapter 25: A Queen's Duty

                                    

                                          
Theo was chilling in his bedroom, still trying to put the finishing touches on the final verse of his composed song.....when all of a sudden, just like with Agnes earlier, he heard a knocking sound at his bedroom window, followed by the sound of it sliding upward. Turning his head to it, he saw that Lily had just climbed into his bedroom without any warning.
She dusted herself off, then looked at him. "Hey," she said casually. "I need you all to let me crash here tonight. Or.....in the daytime, technically." 
"Wait.....Lily?! Is that you?"
"Yep, it's me!"
"You look so.....different! Like, in a good way! Did you do something with your hair?"
"Yes, I did! And thank you!" she chirped as she repositioned her newly-formed single braid over her shoulder again. "This was how my mother used to style hers. I did it as a small, little way of preserving her memory."
"Ahhh, I get it! That's actually really sweet of you to do that. But I thought you insisted that you weren't squatting here."
"It's complicated. I thought I would go back to my own house eventually, but I just feel like I know you all very well.....at least through Mavis. So, how about it?"
"Umm.....sure. The couch in the corner is actually a futon bed; feel free to flip it outward if you want to." 
Lily nodded and went to extract the mattress from the futon while Theo turned his attention back to his work. This caught the flute-playing vampire's attention. "What are you working on?" she asked him. 
"A song for when we win," Theo replied. "I was thinking that since I play the electric guitar, you play the flute, and Mavis sings on occasion, that we could all perform it together."
"Didn't Mavis tell us that Garson had a secret fascination for the drums, too? Maybe we can recruit him once everything's calmed down!" 
"For sure. So, uhhh.....have you been doing anything to help my little sis? You haven't been with her for most of the night....."
Lily's face somehow became even paler than the other vampires. Should she tell Theo about how she had grown impatient with Mavis and chosen a path of violence as a result, despite the warnings of so many others? About how she had already taken out two of the Dark Stake's major members while also having plans to eliminate more? And if so, how would he react?
"I've just, uhhh.....been doing some 'spy work' in Cluj-Napoca," Lily lied. "Secretly visiting the capital and scouting things out so I can report to Mavis later. You know how it is."
".....And you need a silenced pistol for that?"
"Self-defense. Also, it makes it harder for them to deduce that it was a vampire."
"Oh, yeah. Why didn't I think of that reason? Smart....." 
Lily jumped onto the futon mattress and comfortably leaned back, placing her arms and hands behind her head. "Need my help with the song?"
"No, I think I got it. I'll give you the flute sheet music once I've written it so you can practice."
"Oooh! That reminds me.....I haven't had time to practice at all lately. After the Enclave attack, everything's been kind of a blur." She unsheathed her flute, held the opening to her mouth, and played a beautiful rendition of the lullaby she used to perform for her mother. Though there were no lyrics, Theo had a great ear for music, and he could tell that she was playing every single note to perfection.