Adelaide thought that the Nightengale's Nest, the...establishment her parents owned, lived in a strange middle ground. 

By day, it was a café like any other in the city of Stormspring. The family rode gathered into the cart as the sun rose, clattered down the road, and unloaded at the family business to deal with the morning and midday crowds that came to drink and converse and maybe have a little lunch. While the sun shone through its glass walls, it was the image of social ideal.

"Adelaide, sweetheart, can you get two bottles of that wine from Adhaku from the cellar downstairs?" A light voice called, unseen from the direction of the bar.

"Yes, mother!"

"One of the good bottles of whisky as well!" The voice of her father followed.

"Of course!"

By night, however, it made the leap from cafe to barroom. Its location was just right to appeal to the crowds of lower-end socialites and college students and high-end laborers with a bit more money to spend. Foremen and others like them.

"Hello, Amphora." She said in a slightly singsong voice, only getting a small 'eep!' from her youngest sister as she tried to hide deeper behind the corner of a shelf, like a startled rabbit. Everyone knew she was down here, yet Amphora insisted on hiding away to read her books. "Don't worry, I'm not here to rat you out, I just need a couple of bottles. Just don't get your skirts dirty, or you will give a reason for mother to come down here and put your reading to an end."

Her sister still didn't respond but stopped attempting to pull herself deeper into the shadows when Adelaide approached. As she reached for a bottle on top she heard the sound of a hand quickly trying to brush off fabric.

At least that idea of the Nightengale's Nest was what her father had told her. The fact that she and her sisters weren't allowed to work the nighttime crowd, and her father keeping a local boxer on retainer once the sun went down, made her skeptical. Not to mention her brothers coming home with bruises and split lips on occasion.

She put it out of her mind as she came up from the cellar, the necks of two bottles being gripped in between the fingers of one hand, and the third bottle gripped in the other. As she exited the back room into the area behind the bar so she could put the bottles in place, she could see her parents finishing up the tasks they had given themselves.

Her father was a man who you could see his handsomeness of days gone by woven into his very being. His hair held more silver and grey than it's original blond, but his shoulders remained broad and jaw square. 

Her mother was the same and wore her age like the finest of silks. The wrinkles at the edge of her eyes simply accentuated her natural beauty instead of detracting from it. Her blonde had avoided grey for another year, though maybe that was because it was losing it's golden hue all at once.

"Thank you, dear." 

"Of course, mother." 

"How's Amphora?" Her father asked as he reached to place the whisky bottle on the top shelf.

"Content, it seems. Her stack of completed books has grown quite large." 

"We'll have to take her with us to the market soon if she keeps up the pace." Her mother said as she transferred the wine from one bottle into a decanter.

"You and I both know that she's only getting faster." Her father responded with a wry smile. 

"Can we get more books?" Adelaide asked, curious for both her sister's and her own sake. Her father made a thoughtful sound as he took a rag to the bartop.

"I don't see why not." 

"Yes!" Both her and her mother exclaimed.

"But-" He said quickly. "You have to limit yourselves this time, it's not in the budget to buy out Mrs. Lee's bookstore again." 

Her mother quirked an eyebrow and smiled. 

"But dear-" she said. "I have no idea what you mean."

"Oh no, I know that look." Her father said, suddenly worried.

"What look?" Her mother replied.

"The look that says-"

While her parents argued in their good-natured way, she looked past the bar and at everyone that was in the Nightengale. At this stage in the morning, it wasn't terribly busy. The madams Moshara, a pair of old sisters that seemed to spend more time within the walls of the Nightengale than their homes sat in their usual spot by the door. The only other person at the moment was a man who hadn't said much but paid for his drink before he sat, then raised the morning's newspaper and hadn't taken his eyes off it since.

With nothing left to occupy her as her parents left the bar, their joking squabble fading as they entered the back room, Adelaide started to think up the titles that had caught her eye the last time she had been in Mrs. Lee's store.

She had already lept past what she thought her father's limit was when the small bell on the inside of the front door jingled lightly in rapid succession. 

"Welcome, how can we-" Surprised by the three figures in front of her, her usual greeting hitched in her mouth. It wasn't common for soldiers to come into her parent's cafe when Adelaide was around. They weren't often socialites and wanted something more akin to what she knew the place actually was like at night. The ones in front of Adelaide now seemed to fit the officer crowd, if she had to guess. More silver braids and a larger rank insignia than the usual rank and file she saw occasionally. Not to mention the fact that all three seemed to be gods.

They were all brothers, that much was obvious. Each of them shared the same chestnut hair, facial structure, and a similar grin that ranged from warm to wolfish. The tallest one, a young man so broad she wasn't sure that he could have made it through the door without shuffling in sideways, had what looked like little diamond shapes of polished silver embedded in his skin. Or they were his skin, it was hard to tell as he stood at the back of the trio, by a table.

She wanted to describe the second one, the one who smiled like a fox, as thin at first, but immediately knew that wasn't quite right. Trim was more accurate, only appearing thin in comparison to the other two. The only outward sign of his divinity being the rose gold colored eyes that he and the big one shared.

The one directly in front of her, who removed his hat respectfully and gave the room a cursory glance, had eyes that seemed to be filled with the night sky.

She did her best to recover. They didn't seem to notice her pause.

"-be of service?"

"Hopefully with a light drink and a bit of conversation." The lead figure responded with a warm, rich voice. He hadn't looked directly at her since the conversation started, annoying Adelaide slightly as he seemed to be appraising the room for some unknown metric, but she had his attention as soon as he sat on a barstool. Something about her seemed to give him pause which he covered up quickly. Sort of. "If not, the atmosphere in here is pleasant enough."

The starry expanse contained within his gaze held her for a second before she shook herself out of it.

"Of- Of course!" She said. It felt like her thoughts were melting like wax, and she hoped her parents would step in soon. There wasn't any sign of them. "What can I get for you?"

"Just a small cup of coffee for each of us. Not too picky on the kind." 

"Anything in it?"

"Heavy on the cream, if you can."

"Of course. For you two?"

"Long, please." From the broad one.

"Sugar." The trim one responded.

"Coming right up." 

As she gathered up three cups and their saucers and placed them beneath the glass container that held a brew made from a bean that grew in the jungles of Ochec. It was pretty mild the way her sister brewed it, great for someone just trying to enjoy a slow morning. 

"So... how is it working in a place like this?" The one in front of her asked, reminding her that she had left him in silence. Looking at him, he looked more sheepish to have asked the question.

"It's pretty good. My parents own the place, and it's sort of a family tradition to work here until you find what you want to do with your life."

"That must be nice." He said, cocking his head to the side a fraction. "Must run a brisk business here, then."  

"Oh, you know, we do well. A pretty constant crowd due to our area, I think." 

"And what about you, have you figured out what you want to do?"

"I was thinking about becoming a schoolteacher."

"Oh? Any subject in mind?"

"I'm not quite sure... something with books. Literary history, perhaps."

"Truly?" He asked with genuine interest coloring his voice and he sat up a little taller. "Do you have -" 

Suddenly the trim one got up from the table he was sitting at and came over to the bar, waving a hand in front of himself.

"No, sorry Clay, we don't have time for this."

"Jack, please, hold on."

"No sir, we have questions to ask and places to be. No flirting."

Clay looked at Adelaide, his eyes slightly wide and jaw working soundlessly. 

"What? I- well, I wasn't flirting-" He said, his cheeks in full crimson now. "I just wanted to see if she had any recommendation-"

"No, you and I both know if I let that topic run on we'll be here all day, and I'd rather not spend another day for another dead end."

Clay didn't look like he wanted to listen to his brother. An inner battle played across his face and he looked back to Adelaide.

With a disappointed frown, he relented. 

"Fine, Jack, but we're talking about this later." 

"Questions? Are you part of some sort of investigation?" Adelaide asked, suddenly worried. Now she really wanted her parents to come back. 

"We are. I'm sorry, but I can't really say why right now." The look on his face held a kind of apology all it's own. "On the off chance, has there been anyone or anything particularly strange around here? In the shop or around it?" 

"Mm, no, I can't say there has been." She thought for a second as she retrieved the pitcher of water to pour into the coffee of the large one. "Honestly, the most stand out thing in the last month is the three gods that walked in 10 minutes ago. Perhaps my family isn't the best one to ask, though. We actually live outside of the city."

Despite his friendly demeanor, she could feel his eyes and the multitude of stars within them appraise her. For a single moment, the stars within grew cold and it felt like she might be sucked into the expanse. Then their warmth snapped back into place. 

"That's good to hear. See, Jack? I told you we didn't need to ask questions at every place we entered. Sometimes you can simply read it off the walls." Clay said with a smile.

"Hey, you're the one that wanted to be as thorough as possible. It's why we've been at it for a week now." Jack said, turning his chair towards the bar and leaning it back against the table. 

Adelaide realised that she had not stopped pouring water and had effectively washed the coffee from the cup completely. Shaking the stupor from herself, she grabbed a rag to dry the cup and poured the coffee again. 

Once each brother had been served, they sat around for a bit chatting with her and each other. They were a jovial sort, and if they didn't wear their divinity on their flesh and in their eyes, she'd never had guessed they were gods. At several points she found the other two brothers entering into their own conversation as she and Clay started talking about some topic or another.

Perhaps an hour had passed by the time the big one, who's name she hadn't caught, drank down the last of his second cup of coffee. Clay stood, pulling a rectangular leather wallet from inside his uniform coat. Opening it, he pulled several notes out and placed them on the counter. 

"Oh, no sir, that's far too much-"

"Consider it an investment." 

"How do you mean?"

"I never got those recommendations from you, and now when I come back, you can have expanded the list." The stars in his eyes turning a warm gold color. "If it's not too much trouble, of course." 

She was taken aback for a moment, but smiled to herself.

"I think I can find the time." 

Behind Clay, Jack rolled his eyes at his brother but gave her that wolfish grin again. 

"Well, miss, we have some more places to to visit, I hope you have a pleasant day." With that, he planted his hat back on his head and stepped towards the door. The other two stood, each tipping their brims to her before they followed. 

Her eyes lingered on the door long after it closed. 

"Adi?" The voice of her father startled Adelaide our of her thoughts. "Are you okay?"

"What? Oh, I'm fine pa." 

"You looked like you were missing- Where did you get that?" He interrupted himself midsentence, pointing to her hand which held the cash that had been tipped to her. He was clearly surprised, but a half smile pulled at his lips. 

"It was a tip from a customer!" 

"Truly? Who was this generous customer? What did they like?"

"He, uh, said the atmosphere was really nice." Her eyes wondered to the door again. 

"Good to know..." Her father said, trailing off. Out of the corner of her eye she saw him give her a strange look.

"Do you want me to put it with the cash register?" She asked, taking a step towards the bar.

"No, no, keep it. It's yours." 

Rolling up the unexpected windfall, she placed it within the apron tied around her waist, and resolved herself to work the rest of the day without thinking of the charcoal clad gods, or a list of novels that she enjoyed. 

"Did he even ask for my name?"

For the rest of the morning, Adelaide found her mind wandering off. Jumping between the first gods she ever spoke to directly and Mrs. Lees store. She didn't even notice Amphora tugging at her dress when the little one needed a book off a high-up shelf.

At about the third time her mother said something and she didn't respond, deep in thought as she was, she told Adelaide to:

"Take a break, roam around town for a bit." 

"Oh, it's alright, I'm sure I just need to-"

"It's fine, Adelaide. A trio of gods walking in is quite enough excitement in one day for anyone." Her mother gave a knowing smile. "And you're not doing a whole lot right now, anyway."

"Can't spend all of your young-womanhood in here, in any case." Her father said with a benevolent smile and a confident nod that he didn't get to complete before her mother slapped his arm.

With a sheepish smile, Adelaide ran upstairs to a room that held a set of small beds, two dressers, a table with two chairs, and a small wood-burning stove that sat a kettle on top as its only eclectic furnishings. Her parents maintained it to give the family an area to take a break or rest on particularly long work days or nights. It was a blessing to have when festivals like the Jubilee and the Shandoalia come around where the partying can last for a week at a time. Thankfully, she kept a nicer pair of clothes in there just in case.

Changing her skirt out for a pair of trousers, her shirts for a nicer set, grabbing a hat her sister had left behind with a ribbon to match her outer shirt, and making sure that she transferred the roll of her windfall over to the pockets she now had, Adelaide left the Nightengale's Nest with a small wave to her parents. Being freed of responsibility for the day made her happy if a little anxious. It felt like she was getting out of responsibility at the expense of her parents, even if they were the ones that had told her to go. Putting it out of her mind as best she could, she continued down the street. 

Passing over the river and following the broad streets, it took her nearly an hour to reach the row of shops that she sought, not wanting to hire a taxi and siphon away from her prize before she even got where she was going. Making her way to Willow Avenue to traverse its footpaths through the heart of the city, before stepping out of the crowds she had been weaving her way in between out of her restrained excitement. 

The street she was walking through then was lined with many cafes, though none as large as her parent's place. Most of their seating was outdoor, and the rich aromas filled the air she walked. Certainly pleasant, despite her familiarity. She almost didn't notice a voice calling her name. 

"Adi!" An excited voice, feminine in structure and with an accent that was pleasant to the ear, implored her to turn. Adelaide couldn't see the source anywhere as it called again. "Adelaide!"

She knew who was yelling from the voice and the extra, admittedly faint, 'uh' sound at the end of her name it included. Adelaide had almost started turning in circles when a petite, redheaded woman burst from between two suited men right in front of her, sending them stumbling backward, and nearly bowling into her with enough force to knock her to the ground.

"Adí, what are you doing here peti bourdon? Are you not usually working in your family's establishment at this time of day?"

Sabalina-Anne aalon du Sartre. She accepted no other introduction, but her friends could call her Sablina, or Sable for short. Everything about Adelaide's best friend seemed as bright as the noonday sun high above them. The slight shimmer of her silk skirt and blouse, the smile spread across her freckled face that caused a narrowing of her eyes, and even the inflection of her voice as she spoke. 

"Usually, you'd be right Sable." 

"Then how have you found yourself out here on the street?"

"My parent's thought I was distracted, I suppose, and decided to let me out early."

"Oh? What may have distracted you so, peti bourdon?

"Well, we had three gods come in to the Nightengale this morning-"

"Three gods!? Yet you didn't invite me over to meet them? You know mon papa is always looking for new talent-" Sable interrupted herself with a small gasp. "Unless they were untoward?"

"It's fine, Sable, I promise. They were nothing but polite." Adelaide patted the pocket containing her money. "And one of them gave me quite the amount of cash as a tip!"

"Oh? See, I told you that had a charm all you own." 

Adelaide gave her a small smile.

"It would be rude to argue the point now, so I will refrain. Why don't you accompany me to Miss Lee's bookstore?" She asked. "Unless I'm interrupting an outting, of course." 

Sable beemed all the harder at the invitation.

"You, Adi, are not capable of intterupting anything I do."

Adelaide continued down the street with Sable close at her side, who opened up a parasol to keep the sun off her fair skin. Sable's family came here from Loyso, a nation across the sea, which is where her accent came from. Her skin tone came from her mother though, and was not what Adelaide had read was common in her homeland.

It still took the pair another twenty minutes to travel the rest of the way to Mrs. Lee's store, but when they finally arrived they found it as quiet as it usually was. One person, a young boy who sat in the corner reading a penny novel, was the only other patron besides Adelaide and Sable. Mrs. Lee, a grandmotherly woman who seemed to adopt everyone who came into her store, sat in her usual spot behind the counter with a faint smile.

Stepping in and receiving a friendly 'Hello dears!' from Mrs. Lee and a few minutes of gossip, Adelaide started to comb her way through the many shelves while Sable continued to chat with Mrs. Lee. As much as she liked the woman, she was thankful that Sable liked to feed her habit of talking with anyone who would listen, so Adelaide could simply browse with her thoughts. 

One book about a race of modern dragons and how they'd fit into society. Another about a world without gods and the struggles that were brought about from an author she was rather fond of for the construction of her pros. One that seemed to be a modern retelling of a myth from Æthaøl involving a sort of ring that allowed the wearer to cut even mundane stones into the most fantastical gems.

She could hear the conversation at the front of the store as she went, only half paying attention as she read the inner cover of another book. 

"Oh, I heard that one of those Coffee brothers fought out at the old fishery the other night and-" Mrs. Lee said in her paper-thin voice.

"Truly? How Passienont! What were they doing out there?" 

"I heard-"

Moving behind another shelf Adelaide stepped out of earshot. A few minutes and a handful of browsed books later she moved a rolling ladder over to the end of the shelf, stepped up to the book that had caught her eye, and while looking it over the thread of conversation came back to her ear just as the bell on the door  

"No, no, I don't need any proselytizers in my store." The voice of Mrs. Lee came first again, the paper quality gone and replaced with surprising steel. It was clear that she had missed the start to whatever was going on by its intensity.

"Sister, I promise you that we're simply here to teach." A man's voice responded. Something about how it sounded made the edge of Adelaide's mind itch even though it sounded like he was simply being nice. The tone of Sable's response could have set the books near her on fire.

"Did you not hear the madam, she told you to remove yourself from the premises."

"Please, we do this for your own good, Sister. Does it really hurt to listen-?

"Get. Out." 

Adelaide leaned off the ladder, looking around the bookshelf, and saw the two women looking after a figure that she only caught the tail end of as the door closed behind it. She saw the young boy that was present when they first arrived come out from the corner and look at himself. 

"Is everything alright?" She asked, noticing that Mrs. Lee was hovering a hand beneath her counter. It took a moment for either to respond. Sable looked at her first. 

"Everything is fine, Adi, just some imbécile that thought he'd be welcome where he wasn't." 

"What did he want?" Adelaide asked as she climbed down, putting the book on her already impressive stack. Mrs. Lee looked at her now.

"One of those church boys with the armbands." 

"Armbands?" 

"They haven't made it to your part of the city yet? That's good to hear..." She answered, genuinely relieved. "They started coming around a couple months back, all but harassing the owners and customers of the shops around here. I heard from Sarah Armond, the school teacher, that some of her students were saying that they've been coming to people's houses! Can you believe that?"

Adelaide didn't know the school teacher Mrs. Lee brought up, but the kindly woman clearly thought her reliable.

"Really? Has anyone tried to contact the police?" 

"A few have but each time they get told that they can't do anything since those folks just leave if you're firm enough. It certainly doesn't help that some people seem to have liked what the church louts have been telling them."

"What do you mean?" Sable asked, leaning in. Adelaide looked closer to Mrs. Lee as she formulated her answer. Taking in her features one at a time, it simply looked like she was deep in thought. As Adelaide took them all in at the same time, however, it looked more like fear.

"A couple of the shopkeepers have... converted. The first one to go was Old Rogers at the other end of the street. He closed up shop and hasn't left the house since those armbands came by his place. A friend of his came by and just heard him...praying, I suppose." Mrs. Lee swallowed. "After him, it feels like every other week someone else starts selling the paraphernalia of church and attending services. Folks that had found the situation just as bizarre as everyone else, now trying to do the same thing as those church boys... I can say for certain, I don't like it." 

Mrs. Lee fell silent with her statement and her eyes slid back to her front door. Adelaide and Sable looked at each other, not sure what to say before Mrs. Lee physically shook her silence off, and looked to the girls again. 

"Well, maybe that's just the way this nation is going... I think I'm going to close up for the day, dears. These old bones aren't what they used to be, you know. Let's get you rung up Adelaide, and on your way."

Sable tried to pay like she always did, but Adelaide fought her off and placed her new books a fabric sack that Mrs. Lee provided with the tacit implication that Adilade return it when she could. They don't grow on trees, after all. 

Sable lead the way out the door, and Adelaide followed. They argued for a moment as Sable tried to convince her to take the long way around, but found herself agreeing. The parks in Stormspring were lovely this time of year, and hard to pass up when she got the chance to wander around one.

The sun was starting to sink as they walked, having spent more time in the bookstore than Adelaide thought, but their pace was good enough to get them there before it sank beneath the horizon. Even now the park was relatively busy, with small groups wandering around the twin ponds that made up the centerpiece of this park. They found a bench on the bank of one pond, beneath a magnolia tree, to sit for a bit. Adelaide was thankful for it, as her arms were getting tired from carrying her haul of tomes. On the far side of the lake from Adelaide and Sable a group of college students, Adelaide recognized the uniform they were all wearing, were getting ready to howl at the moon. One of them was handing a flask around that the others took big swigs from. 

"You got quite the library today." Sable piped up as Adelaide had been quiet for a minute. "Anything I'd like?"

"Well, you might like this one I got about an ancient goddess of beauty trying to make her way in the world," Adelaide said after a moment's thought. "But I don't have anything about this season's colors or cuts." 

"I thought not, but I figured I'd try. One day, I'll get you to the seasonal galas."

"You can try, but I don't think you could even if you were a god. not to mention your father would probably have a fit if he saw my wardrobe." 

"Oh, you know papa loves you as much as he does me." 

"I do, but he would not love my clothes, nor my social graces."

"Perhaps you're right...You're far too polite for high society."

They both laughed and were still laughing when they were interrupted.

"Excuse me, sisters, I hope I'm not interrupting." A voice said from behind. Sable stiffened and quickly stood up and Adelaide followed her lead, then they both turned around. A young man stood, a faint smile on his face and piercing eyes, underneath the tree whose limbs were spread out over their seat. 

"Encore vous?" Sable said with less steel than she had managed earlier. The look she had on her face bordered on fear. "Did you follow us here?"

"Good afternoon, sisters. I was hoping if you'd permit me the time to teach you the glory of our church not that Mrs. Lee is no longer interfering." He said without acknowledging Sable's question at all. Glancing down, Adelaide saw the armband made from white fabric on his arm, just like Mrs. Lee described.

"Well, we were just about to leave." She responded without hesitation. Even just the two sentences he had spoken felt like they were snares he was leaving behind. Every fiber of her being told Adelaide to get Sable and her out of there.

"I promise, it will only take a second." Again, the voice sounded like any other, yet it made her mind itch like it was rejecting the simple act of hearing the man speak. 

"No thank you, sir," Sable said as assertively as she could. Something about the guy was unsettling Sable more than it was Adelaide, and she wasn't sure she wanted to find out why. 

"Please, we only do these things to help you." 

They didn't answer, instead just getting up and walking away down the path. She wasn't sure where she was going, she didn't want to lead the frightening man home, but as long as it wasn't here was good enough for now.

"Adelaide," Sable said, keeping her voice down but looking intently across the lake. "There's more of them." 

At first, she couldn't see what Sable was talking about but saw Sable was right when she looked back to where the students had been gathered. Their earlier energy was gone and they stood much closer together. Back to back. Like spooked sheep against the wolves.  

The wolves circled them, more people; both men and women, wearing the white bands. Some simply stood like a guard over a prisoner, while two paced around them. At the same time, the pacing ones noticed them. Both broke away and stepped onto the path in front of Adelaide and Sable.

Adelaide looked around and saw other groups in the park being stopped by the white bands. Couples. Families with children. A group of young men Adelaide recognized liked to hang around in the alleys near the Nightengale. Even by where the wrought iron fence around the park ended, letting people in and out, more of the white bands were standing guard. 

There was nowhere to go. 

Sable kept walking, and in doing so urged Adelaide on, in vain as it was. The two white bands in front of them had not stopped staring at them nor stopped walking and it was only a few moments longer before they were directly in front of Adelaide and Sable. 

"I hope you aren't attempting to run from our brother's lesson, are you sisters?" They, one a wiry woman and the other a tall and thin man, said. 

It took a moment for Adelaide to realize that they both were talking, as they spoke in perfect unison. Were she not focused on other things, she'd notice their movements were also copied from one to the other.

"We're just looking to leave the park," Adelaide said as she looked for some gap in the white bands. "It's been a long say, after all. Lots of walking and these books are heavy." 

"Of course, of course. We understand. The secrets our brother can tell you, however, will make such exhaustion pale in comparison, we promise." They both said in unison.

There, at the fenceline, Adelaide could see a small gap between the bars of the fence. Small, but still large enough for her and Sable's relatively small frames to get through, as long as they got their first. 

"Your promises aren't very assuring when you're not giving us much of a choice." She said and wrapped her fingers around Sable's wrist. She gave it a light tug to see if Sable knew what was happening and would be ready. Adelaide didn't want to leave her behind, and the light pull she received back confirmed Sable was with her. 

From behind she heard the man from the bookstore casually making his way up the path behind them, his shoes scuffing on the cobblestones. If they were going to make a break for it, the time was now. 

"Sisters, there isn't a choice to make. You'll thank us." He said, raising his voice from behind. The thought that he still should be too far behind to hear barely registered in Adelaides mind as she twisted to run, Sables hand gripped in her own. 

She never got the chance. 

The last thing Adelaide saw was the one of the college students getting some sort of powder thrown in his face and then collapsing, before a curatin of dust flew in front of her face and stung her eyes while the world went dark.