-1-  

The black night was  silent as my carriage made it’s way through Eden. I was re-reading my notes by a shaky lamplight and it was proving very difficult. The carriage sauntered past the tribuary where the Soter and Mnemosyne rivers met and then it slowed down. 

It would only go so far. 

I was on my own from there. When the carriage finally stopped I quickly got out.

“Alright,” I said to myself.

The driver wasted no time  turning around and abandoning me in the night. When he was out of sight I opened the satchel I brought with me. I blindly secured the metal  knee high covers over my boots. I protected my wrist with the metal cuffs. A bronze choker went around my neck and a breastplate beneath my dress. I had all of the bleed out points covered—it was the only body protection I was offering myself.

  I held the staff in my hands and stepped into the woods.

I walked through the woods until sunset—nearly 5 hours.  I had reached the Olympus Mountain range. One of the many things separating us from Elysia was the expansive  mountain range. 

Using the staff, I hiked as far up the mountain range as I could. After an hour the landscape was becoming too jagged to hike.

I breathed to my self  and hopped up on the nearest ledge. When I was steady I reached my arms behind me and slowly unlaced the back of my dress.  When the ribbons fell I pulled my fingers through the  strings on my corset and finally undid the back brace. My bare back was met with the cool mountain air.

Taking a deep breath I arched back, braced myself as the white incandescent wings expanded and stretched from my back. It was a feeling of absolute bliss as the wings continued to shake themselves out and adjust to being unbraced.

After I gained my composure back, I moved the wings through my body and adjusted to the  new feeling in my spine.  I steadied myself and then   carried my body upwards. I movd eastward and headed across the mountains. I soared higher and higher above the mountains and let my body guide me into the morning.

I had never flown much before. Nothing beyond the usual private lessons. To an Angel, their wings are very sacred ,very much unlike the Demons.

We do not like to separate ourselves from the human angels.  They never have wings and never will so  we see no reason to show off ours. And of course  there is no reason to use wings. It is only right keep them hidden beneath undergarments.

To an Angel baring your wings is like being naked. A very private activity or moment one rarely engages in. I  never  told Seraphim we Angels have wings. The time was never right and it is just not something one discusses in public.

I cascaded into an even pace and mentally went over what I had read in the ride over. As liberating as flying was, I didn’t feel free. I felt fearful for my life, this was all business.

The informant had given the location of the cult's headquarters in landmarks. The notes said if I wasn’t careful I could fly to far and end up in Elysia-- which was very close by. If that happened I can only imagine the uproar it might cause. An Angel cannot just go to Elysia uninvited.

I slowed down and looked around until I saw a large ‘C’ shaped rock hanging near a cliff. That was landmark number one.  I flew down to it and saw the opening of a valley.  The valley was a considerable distance down, I was beginning to think it was a crevasse when I finally saw yellow and green grass. Landmark two.

I was going to touch down to the ground when I saw the house in the distance. It was a rather large house, made of black stone with a  stone fence around it.   I stayed in the air and looked down at it from  a distance.

A gold coin was welded into the fence.

A pile of chopped wood in the backyard.

One unbridled white horse in the backyard.

All of the markers were there. This was the home of the Sole Heir and likely the last place my brother ever saw.

 

I could not act to fast. I went to the cliff nearest the house and hid behind a rock. I watched the house for any signs of movement. I watched for an hour and  there was no movement in or out.

There had to be someone in there. The informant told us there was nowhere else for them to run.

 I was told  the Heir's chambers were in the top window  facing the sun.  Tired of waiting, I quietly descended until I was on top of the roof. Crouching down I peered into the window to see  a horrific sight. The window looked into a room that looked like some kind of weapon making or torture room.

In the middle of the room were the carcasses of 2 sheep. My skin crawled  at the sight, the poor animals.  Their white skin was tinged with red and their bodies just left on display.

 The rest of the room was piled with saws, knives, wood and large sheets of metal.  The animal blood looked fresh  so, I went back to my clifftop to continue my watch.

I could wait a while longer if I had to.

Night began to fall and still not a sound.  I had been up for nearly 2 days,I was feeling tired and contemplating calling it a night when I felt the pain of an arrow go through my left wings. Wings are  sensitive appendages and I screamed  as the arrow went through.

I looked to see a group of  6  people with bows and arrows positioned up at me. I immediately swooped down.  These must be the ones who  were guarding The Heir, the other cult members. The informant had told us the other cult members are no real threat. They only have crude knowledge of how to use weapons and  are not real fighters.

  I took the white tissue out of my pocket as I came closer. I was only here to kill one, not to fight these people unless I had to.  

“I intend no harm. Just take me to your--to the half human,” I called as I came closer.

They paused for a second and turned to each other. They whispered for a few seconds and then  continued  shooting  the arrows at me.  I lifted myself up as high as I could go with one slightly damaged wing. When I was out of their arrow's reach I surveyed the entire scene and I saw two cloaked figures run out the back of the house and get on the white horse.

That must be him.

-2- 2 amty

I soared at  full speed towards the horse. When I was just over them, I descended quickly, using the force of gravity and my body to push the two figures from the horse. They both fell, the horse was spooked and kept running.  One figure rolled over and took off her hood to reveal she was an older woman.

“Please-,” she started but went into a coughing fit.

I left her alone, she was not my target either.

I walked over to the other person. He was clutching his side,  a protective shield over his face. He reached across his body for a sword at his side but, I knocked his hand away with my staff.

“Are you him ?,” I said,” Are you the half human half demon ? Be honest and I will spare you.”

It was a lie of course.

He shook his head yes.

Rage took over. I had him just where I wanted, just where he deserved to be. I  delievered a series of blows to the side of his helmet.

“On your knees,” I ordered.

He complied, I could hear the arrow men getting closer. I had to make this quick.

I speedily bound his hands behind his back putting him in a position of execution.

I struck his side with the staff and he fell over.  I pinned him to the ground with my foot and retracted the blade in staff. I ripped the button from the top of his shirt, thick dark blood from the head wound pooled around  his chest.

“You killed my brother,” I said,”Now, I must take your life.”

I held the blade over his beating heart, ready to impale him. Something wasn't right.

  I reached down to remove his protective face shield.

"You are a coward," I said, "Wearing a mask to hide your face."

 He would see who did this. I pushed the blade and  broke his skin when suddenly my own chest began to tighten and I felt on the verge of losing consciousness.  

His face.

It was soaked completely in blood, except the few spots where tears had washed it away.

Still, I could see. There was terror in his eyes.

“M-mm. . . me-em,” he whispered.

“What ?,” I yelled.

“Mercy,” he pleaded hoarsely, “Mercy.”

I suddenly had a swell of emotion in my chest, what was wrong with me ?

I took the staff away from his chest and stuck it into the ground

He laid on the ground in a fetal position clutching his side and looking off to the arrow bearers who were finally closing in on me.  I could not get my eyes of this Heir, off this man who was a stranger to me. In those seconds of  weakness, my arms were grabbed from behind and I was restrained by the group of arrow bearers. 

I instinctively fought them off, my arms flailing and wings flapping. 

I had failed--something had stopped me. As I was  taken inside the house  I no longer fought their hold on me. If I could not use force, I may have to use my mind to get out of this.

 The home was dark on the inside, instead of any decoration the walls had carvings and wall paintings. The woman who I had knocked off the horse to get to the Heir walked beside me.

Her clothes were now caked with dirt and she was dragging her ankle as she walked.

“Do you have any weapons ?,” she demanded

“No.” I lied.

They had taken my staff but, pistol was still  in my garter.  I began to  tuck my wings back but, the woman ordered me not to.

I was forced into a chair where I was blindfolded and bound with an odd kind of string. It was thin but, so strong it left me immobile as it dug into my skin. 

***

-2- 

I was left alone for hours. My exhaustion over took my adrenaline and I fell asleep for a while. I was awoken by the door opening and the sound of creaking floorboards.  I was still blindfolded but, I could sense someone had walked into the room.

“Untie that.” a male voice said. I recognized it as the man who had asked for mercy.

My blindfold was taken off and I saw the woman in front of me again. I sensed the man was behind me somewhere in the room. I had been tied up all night, the sun had come back out.

The woman stood infront of me and leaned down. She had pitch black eyes and straight dark hair pulled into a long ponytail.

“Why are you the second person who has come to harm my son ?,” she demanded.

So, she was the Demon who had started this. She was wearing a blouse with a low back and I saw the marks on her back where wings had been cut.

“You know why.” I spat at her.

She crossed her arms.

“A long time ago, a young foolish Demon girl  fell in love. A mistake. I have been punished by my own kind. I harm no one. Why are you  Angels so bent on  punishing us ?,”

“You killed my brother,” I said.

She looked uneasy and then suddenly grabbed her waist and  stumbled. She lifted her blouse and I saw a dark stain spreading over her stomach from where I had pushed her earlier.

A shocked sound left her mouth. She looked from the wound to me and then hobbled out of the room. When the door shut the room was quiet again. I could hear the breathing of the other person in the room.

I still wanted my answers

"I want to know who killed--," I began.

 “We killed no one.” the man behind me said. " Your brother must be Gabriel. He did come here. We told him his error and he left.”

“ Error? What error ?,” I asked the voice.

I hated not being able to see who was talking to me.

“Gabriel was under the impression, we were staging some kind of coup here,” he explained. His tone was almost amused.

“Thought ? I'm sorry to say but, we have an informant.” I said,"He told us everything."

“ Gabriel spoke of your informant. His  name is Reginald and he is a Demon who lived with us for years. Then he decided he wanted  back into Elysia and the Dark King’s good graces. To do so, Reginald intended to kill me—the abomination."

So I was talking to the half-human.

" Reginald  just thought of a rather creative way to do it," he continued,  "He spread some lie about me to you Angels so you would try and kill me. Once I was dead, you would realize his lie but, by that time he would already be back in Elysia. Gabriel and I figured this all out. Did he not tell you?”

“No. Gabriel is dead.  Tell me why  is Gabriel dead ? ”

There was a long pause.

“He left here just fine,” the man said

“ I don’t believe you.”

I heard some creaking and the sound of the man’s breathe getting closer to me.  Soon,  he  was standing right behind me. He turned my chair around with a low grunt and I was facing a bare cot against the wall. He then walked back to the cot and  laid down on it, looking at me.

He wasn't much of a man but, resembled more of a boy.

The blood was gone from his face, he was shirtless with bloody bandages on his sides and head. My wings began to flutter uncontrollably and I felt restless. Like most Demons his eyes were amazing--his irises were large and an opulent light green. He didn't even seem to have whites in his eyes or pupils at all.

“Your brother is Gabriel de Tu—la-tu-um, -la-tu-la,” his voice was softer than I would have thought as he stumbled over my family name.

“Tool-e-air-lis,” I pronounced.

“Yes. You must be his sister, Rin. Gabriel and I talked. I promise you.  He told me of your palace, he stayed for a day as a guest here. This Sole Heir business is some  kind of conjecture by Reginald. He use to be a writer. Does this really look like the place of a tyrant ?”

It didn't. He was so young with an innocent face, he looked like he could barely lift a weapon.

“Who are you ,then ?,” I asked

“My name is Soul, um Soul Lyre” he said.

“Soul ?,” I said,”Your name is Soul ?,”

“Yes.” He said,” My mother knew that Angels value the human soul above anything else. She was hoping if the Angels ever did retaliate against me for being half human that hearing my name would remind you I have a soul. I am a person, not some headless abomination.

“I will tell you what I told your brother. Your 'informant' is really our traitor. My mother and everyone we live with has virtually nothing.  We live on the fringes. All we have is our workshop. My mother goes into town every week and is still taunted for  deeds she did so long ago. I don’t leave the house for fear of retaliation. I am no threat, I don’t want to take over anything. If I want anything it is to be accepted.”

My heart beat quickly at his words. I sensed a calm in him. My heart was aching for how I had hurt him. For some reasonI trusted this stranger. These were my feelings but, I had no idea how they came to be

“I believe you,” I said,” I do. There is a pistol in my garter.”

I admitted it as a sign of truce.

He weakly kneeled before me and I winced as his hands lifted my skirt. My wings began to flutter nonstop causing a sound like a hundred butterflies. His hands touched my thigh. After fumbling with the garter holding it in place, he quickly took the pistol  and dropped it to the ground.

“I’ve never touched a weapon until today,” he said.

“It shows,” I said.

"It does ?,"

"Yes, you reached across your body for the sword. No decent marksman would do that."

"Well, I hope that drives my point that I am not a threat."

"A little." I said

I jerked my leg causing my hem to go back down over my thigh.

“ I just realized how rude  that was of me,” he whispered

“Yes,” I agreed.

He was still kneeling in front of me. Any pain I felt was beginning to leave my body.

“You have to come back to Eden with me and explain this to my father. If you can identify the traitor, maybe we can charge him with Gabriel’s death.”

“I am still part Demon, I cannot go to Eden without an invitation, right ?”

I paused, surprised he hadn’t put it together.

“I am inviting you,” I said.

He seemed to be thinking it over.

Soul took my gun and placed it in my lap. Giving me the gun was an act of trust, but touching me again was another violation. A relieved expression crossed his face and I suddenly recognized him. 

His face was the one from my dreams. Only now it was complete.

"“I accept," he said "My mother and our friends want our peaceful life back. We will give anything to stop this madness."

He was still on his knees, probably to weak to stand back up. I could not look away from his green eyes, from his familiar face. I wanted to stare at him until I could somehow figure out everything about him.

I lowered my head and his lips fell on mine.

The madness was only beginning.