Lexi's heart was in her mouth as she opened her bedroom window as quietly as she possibly could. The old wooden frame squeaked in protest as she wrapped her fingers around the bottom of the window and gently pushed it upwards, biting her lip nervously.
She froze as the pane shuddered in its track as she forced it upwards, listening intently for any sound from the hallway that would indicate her mother had heard. After a moment of tension, she released the panicked breath that she had held, and slid the peg into place, holding the window open wide enough for her to slip through.
She sighed as she swung her leg over the window ledge and inched herself out slowly, reaching for the trellis that held the withered remains of the sweet-scented honeysuckle that clung to the sturdy frame during the summer months.
Her hands and feet moved deftly as she descended and in less than a minute her feet were firmly on the ground once more. Lexi pulled her hood over her head and took off running across the lawn and into the welcoming darkness of the forest, leaving a trail of footprints behind her in the frost-laden grass.
At one time, the darkness of the forest and the eerie noises of various animals in the trees, and the undergrowth around her would have terrified her. But not anymore. Not since her Uncle had offered to show her the wonders of the night and the fantastic beasts that roamed the darkness. The only thing was, their meetings had to be their own little secret.
If her Mama and Papa ever found out…
Lexi shuddered at the prospect as her eyes adjusted to the darkness and she pushed through the undergrowth to their regular meeting spot.
In minutes she had arrived at the clearing, the boulders that sat at the center illuminated by the beautiful moonlight, and the stocky figure of her uncle sat patiently waiting for her atop them.
"Uncle!" Lexi cried excitedly as she ran towards him and threw her arms around his waist.
"There you are my little Daemon." He chuckled, his rich baritone infusing her with genuine joy.
"I'm sorry I kept you waiting. Mama was upstairs for a little while and I didn't want to risk her hearing me moving about when I was supposed to be sleeping."
"You did well Lexi," He smiled down at her warmly, "After all, I would hate for them to find a way to put a stop to our little catch-ups. I enjoy my time with you immensely."
"I still don't understand why they're so mean." Lexi grumbled sulkily, "You and Papa are brothers. He should be pleased that I have an uncle who loves me so much."
The man chuckled as he ruffled her hair fondly.
"Adults are complicated Lexi, especially those who hold grudges long after the time for them has passed. Here, let's not talk about this anymore. I brought you a present."
"Really?! For me?!" Lexi's eyes lit up and she squealed with childish delight as her uncle gazed down at her with a deep love and affection in his eyes and nodded sincerely.
"Yes, just for you. Only, you can't take it home with you, not yet." He said as he reached behind him and brought forward a dark box, wrapped with a single red ribbon and gathered into a large bow on the top.
Lexi frowned as she reached for it, her little hands trembling with the cold as she took the box from him and took a seat next to him, looking up at him nervously.
"Open it Lexi" He encouraged.
That was all the encouragement she needed and she carefully pulled on the ribbon and it fell away elegantly. When she lifted the lid, she really wasn't prepared for what she found inside.
A tiny, reptilian-looking creature with scales as dark as midnight that glinted with a pearlescent sheen when the moonlight hit them, was curled up in the bottom of the box, atop a velvety cushion.
Lexi frowned as she looked up at her uncle and cocked her head curiously.
"You got me a lizard?" she questioned, her tone indicating that she was more than a little disappointed and very skeptical regarding his choice of gift.
"It's not a lizard Lexi, although it may look like one now, in the future, it will grow into a fearsome ally, loyal only to you." He explained patiently with the barest hint of amusement in his voice.
"But it's so tiny…" Lexi countered as she brushed her fingers along its back, the scales oddly smooth under her touch.
The creature's eyes opened slowly, blinking in confusion as it yawned, revealing two sets of little needle-sharp teeth that snapped shut suddenly as it turned its head towards her. Its beautiful crystal blue eyes stared up at her inquisitively and Lexi felt drawn to this tiny little thing as it chirruped lightly, similar to the noise that her mother's cats made when they were playing with each other boisterously.
A smile spread across her chubby little face as she plonked herself down on the floor happily and lifted the creature out of the box and into her lap, giggling happily as it sniffed her curiously and insistently pushed against her hands, demanding attention.
The man chuckled as he looked down at her fondly and allowed his eyes to roam their surroundings, ever cautious that their clandestine meetings were not sanctioned by her parents.
He froze slightly as his eyes caught the faint movement of something along the edge of the forest. He frowned slightly as the eyes of a dark figure shrouded in shadows locked with his own, the two of them staring fiercely at each other before he finally tore his gaze away and looked down at the little girl next to him.
"I think we will have to cut tonight's visit short, little one." The man said softly, the regret in his voice obvious even to a child as young as Lexi was.
"What? Why!" Lexi demanded fiercely, her eyes burning with fury.
"Something came up that I need to attend to, sweet child. Don't worry, I'll come again soon and you can play some more with your new little friend."
"You always promise soon and then leave it months before you call for me again." She pouted as she allowed the creature to explore the warmth inside her hood and settle across her shoulders.
"I will try to come sooner next time Lexi, I promise."
"Can I at least keep her with me?" She asked hopefully but her uncle shook his head sadly.
"I'm sorry. You know your parents would ask where you got such a creature and she requires a lot of work to take care of properly."
"I could hide her…" she replied sullenly as her uncle laughed at her attitude.
"I'm sorry Lexi, you know as well as I do that won't work. I'll take care of her for a little while longer, at least until you're a little older. Besides, it's cold out here, I don't want you to end up ill just because you wanted to spend a little time with your uncle."
"It's not fair…" she mumbled as she sighed heavily, allowing him to remove the creature from around her shoulders.
"Did you at least think of a name for her? I don't want her answering to 'hatchling' for the rest of her life." he said smiling gently.
Lexi thought for a moment before nodding
"Bella. I think it suits her." she nodded seriously as she reached out and ran her fingers over her one last time.
"Bella it is then, little one." Her uncle said softly as he opened his arms and Lexi rushed in for a final hug, wrapping her arms tightly around him as he patted her back gently, "Run home now Lexi, and be careful."
As he watched her disappear into the darkness of the forest he heard the figure that had watched from the shadows emerge from the undergrowth.
"I thought I told you to never visit her again, Eromaug. You are not welcome here." Lord Brarthroroz growled dangerously as his brother turned to face him with a mocking grin.
"When have I ever listened to you, dear brother? I'm not here for your benefit, or your wife's…"
The words were torn from his mouth as Brarthroroz flew across the clearing, grabbing him by the neck and slamming him back into a tree with such force that a crack appeared on the thick trunk of the centuries-old tree.
"This is the last time that I will warn you without doing serious damage to you, do you understand? If you so much as step a single foot anywhere in the proximity of my wife or my child again, I will rip you apart and bury the pieces of your corpse across a thousand different realms. " He snarled furiously as his eyes burned with a rage that was terrible to behold.
Yet, Eromaug laughed as his brother's fury grew and he pushed him aside with little effort. He was fully aware that Brarthroroz could decimate him if he chose to, but that had always been his brother's problem. He was too soft.
"You cannot keep us apart brother, she will always find her way back to me." Eromaug hissed, "I will have her to myself if it's the last thing that I do."
He reached a hand up to gently stroke the little hatchling that was still tightly curled around his neck and trembling in fear, and it nudged eagerly at his hand, snuffing worriedly.
"You'll see your mistress again soon Bella. I'll make sure of it." He murmured as he disappeared from the clearing in a split second, leaving Brarthroroz staring at the spot where he had stood with his fists clenched furiously at his side.