With the heart throbbing in my throat, I patiently wait for the greatest reveal of my life as the cloth falls away one strip at a time. Andrew is being extremely delicate with what he is holding because he knows the knowledge those pieces of paper hold is irreplaceable.
" Your mother was researching gods of the old," He supplies as the last strip of cloth falls away uncovering weathered yellowed almost brownish paper with charred edges, indicating that has survived extreme heat- most likely a fire- and challenged the ages that have passed since its creation. It is a beautiful paradigm, something so fragile that, withstood something catastrophic. There is poetry in that, not even my sceptical self can't deny the beauty of all of it.
" It took me a while but eventually I have found, the tale of the vagrant god. The one that it is said that has descended from the heavens to admire and explore our world. Sadly the language has been lost, so there is very little that you can discern from it," He takes a deep breath, while I take a step closer, clutching the book I have pilfered while he wasn't paying attention.
Indeed the language is long lost. It hasn't been spoken for millenia and precedes ankeshi by a few a few thousand years.
With a deep sigh, I pull back to look at Andrew. He seems to have good intentions, so I relax a little bit, thinking over what I should really ask.
" Has Anika found anything in the library while she visited?" I decide that is best that I slowly work my way to the real question, I don't need to arouse suspicions.
" Very little, " He rolls his lips behind his teeth, seemingly thinking, " Last I saw her she was researching an old spell book. Ever the hopeful. Your mother was an incurable optimist, not in a delusional way. Within the bounds of realism, of course," He says firmly, but it feels more like he is trying to convince himself.
" Of course," I whisper mirroring his tone, it almost sounds mocking to my ears but he doesn't seem to notice, or take notice for that matter.
Clearing my throat, I jump to the next question, " Have you ever met Hector?" I ask, while his eyes widen just a fraction at my question. That is a strange reaction.
My father was a High J'aar, surely he would have supplied my mother with all the knowledge he held unless he didn't.
Andrew shakes his head, a curl slowly dropping from the mass of hair on his head, gently swaying with the motion of his head. He is a handsome man in the most unconventional way possible. And all of a sudden I wonder if there was more going on between him and my mother.
" No. Anika always came alone. She never spoke about Hector, not until six years ago, " Interesting. Not long before they died. Why would she keep my father out of their conversations, he was a pivotal part of our lives.
" Were you lovers?" The question slips out before I can catch myself, in spite of the humid cold all around us, I feel the blood rising to my cheeks, and I already know I'm beet red. Beyond embarrassed, also none of my beeswax what they did.
Mouth agape, he looks at me with a touch of horror, and also nostalgia, " We were, " He replies, " She was and still is the most beautiful woman I have ever met. You bear an uncanny resemblance to her, but not quite there," I know that, now that I've grown into myself, the resemblance is more obvious than ever, " There are slight differences between you two that nobody would notice unless they would pay close attention to. Your eyes are a darker shade than hers, and so is your skin, you're taller than Anika, have fuller lips, and your hair is a shade lighter than hers. Small details, but important ones, nonetheless," I'm slightly stunned, the lighting provided in the ballroom isn't great. It would be impossible for him to see all of those differences unless he took some time to observe me.
" I watched you the entire night," He adds into the silence, while I take a moment to gather my thoughts.
" You're right. There are subtle differences, that not many people notice. Did you know she had a daughter," I carry on with the prodding, because time is short, and I have no idea if Andrew and I will cross paths ever again.
" No. At first, I thought you were her when you arrived," The disappointment in his expression is evident, and his tone of voice drops to almost a whisper when he speaks next," Imagine my surprise when I realised that you were nothing more than her carbon copy. Sadly, I was very fond of the original," Ugh. Way to dish out an insult, Andrew.
" That is not a very nice thing to say to a lady," We both startle at the sound of Mason's velvety voice echoing in the cavernous chamber.
" My apologies. It was not my intention to offend. Merely stating my truth," Andrew dips his head towards me in support of his statement. It doesn't make me feel any better though.
Mason dryly chuckles, " Intentions," He hums pensively, " Human nature is often duplicitous. We can't help ourselves. More often than not, we only serve ourselves, at the expense of others," A bit vague, not entirely true but not entirely untrue either. A convoluted perception of how our nature at its very core is about self-preservation.
Andrew blanches for a brief moment but quickly regains his composure, " It is very true. Not the case in this instance," He says confidently, pinching the edges of his lapels, tipping his chin up in defiance.
Mason chuckles as he steps off the ledge and sidles next to me, while Andrew busies himself wrapping the book in the protective shroud.
" When you speak of her, your expression lacks longing, there is no sorrow, regret, or any other indicators of someone who has lost a loved one would show. Your description of Anika resembles that of a student reciting the periodic table, not that of a lover who has lost something dear to his heart. So, with that being said, it would be nice if we could skip pretences and get straight to the point. What did she take from you?" First thought, I'm such a fool. How did I not see this coming? He was right there in front of me, while he spoke about my mother. How did I miss the cues? Another learning curve, but still it doesn't help this feeling in the pit of my stomach that tells me that I should be more careful, now more than ever. Now, when we are getting so close to finding the truth. An invisible noose tightens around my neck threatening to suffocate me, as Andrew's expression morphs into something else entirely.