Seeing gold shimmer on his own skin took over his interest. Humans could be anything from ugly to beautiful, but the gems and metals their Earth was hiding? They were another matter altogether. Gold, silver, diamond, or ruby, each had unique qualities Magpie could fall in love with and spend hours in awe over. He could take them everywhere with him, and even a humble amethyst held wondrous symmetries to explore within its structure.
But their colors were the ultimate expression of their power, and Magpie could never get enough of admiring them. Though his human side simply loved their rarity as well. It felt satisfying to own things others only dreamed of.
Once he was covered in gold shimmer from his hair to his toes, he gestured for the boys to leave, and locked the door behind them.
Being among beautiful people was pleasant. Being around intelligent people was even more so, but only solitude offered him the kind of peace of mind he needed to unwind.
Once all the locks had been secured, Magpie walked out of the tiled room by unlocking the other door with one of his many rings. It led him down a corridor decorated with a collection of porcelain and crystal vases, all the way to chambers that held what Magpie considered most precious. The doors were marked with relevant colors, but, like almost every night, he went for red.
He let out a whimper that would have embarrassed him if he were with company, but here, with his most precious items, he could make whatever sounds he wished. One deep breath later, he opened the door and stepped in, hit by the delightful scent before his eyes were even able to take in all the glory he’d managed to collect.
Rubies blinked at him from every side, their glimmer intensifying when Magpie switched on the rotating lamp above. He exhaled, finally shedding the last of this day’s baggage. Once the door was locked, he let himself enjoy the precious items stolen from museums and private residencies. There were candle holders, jewelry, jars filled with stones of various shapes and sizes, and even a chandelier decorated with golden figurines of birds, which had coats colored with tiny rubies.
And then, there was the tub.
Magpie gasped with pleasure as he dipped his fingers into the ruby-filled bath. It was dry on his fingers, and yet just touching the gemstones, experiencing their glow, was therapeutic to both his body and soul.
Here, he was safe.
He stepped in with one foot first, pushing the rubies aside as gently as possible. The rubies gathered in the tub were most precious, the color of dreams made reality—pigeon’s blood. With enough of his power added to the equation, Magpie could even create new life around the ruby’s core, but he couldn’t afford to waste a single gem when Baal was counting the days until he could let his swarm out into the human world.
But while he couldn’t afford using their power for now, enjoying their company changed nothing, so he popped a sweet round ruby into his mouth, sliding his whole body under the stones.
Maybe even after Baal was out of the picture, Magpie could just keep them all for his own enjoyment? He picked one up and stared at the whole worlds of color inside it.
He kissed the ruby. “You are exquisite.”