by L. L Hunter
“No, I’m fine how I am.”
“Hun, you’re only wearing a shirt.”
“I know, but I like this shirt.”
“That’s because its Dyston’s shirt, and its filthy.”
“Fine, but I’m still keeping it.”
“Fine.” Emer produced some shopping bags and placed them on the bed.
“What are they?”
“Del and Kat went shopping for us. The rest of the Blackbell girls went too since we lost all our clothes in the fire.”
“Where’d you get the money?”
“Insurance.”
“But-”
“Relax, Beth said we could. Now gimme that shirt, or do I need to pry it from your dead fingers?”
“Fine, I’m undressing.”
~
After showering and washing away the black ash that seemed to cling to every crevice of her body, with the vanilla body scrub that Dyston had obviously left for her, Scarlett dressed in the clothes that Emer had laid out. Red skinny jeans, a black and white striped top and paten black Doc Martens. And new underwear of course, which Scarlett was going to strangle Emer for, because they were black and lacy and very small. She joined Emer in the hall, and the girls went to see what they boys were up to.
They found Joshua and Thomas in the dining room, it was much smaller than then one at Blackbell had been. There were eight rows of rectangular wooden tables, each seating six students. Josh and Thomas were at one near the window, which spread across the back wall and looked out over a small stony courtyard. They were playing cards quite competitively. As Emer and Scarlett made their way towards the boys, Gabriel’s students stared at them warily; some even had their mouths open in awe.
“What are they staring at?” whispered Scarlett.
“You,” replied Emer. When Scarlett didn’t say anything she added, “They know you’re the Legend and that you’ve come to save them.”
“But I don’t know how to do that.”
“That’s what Dyston and Jacob are trying to find out.” They sat at the next table down from Thomas and Joshua, and Scarlett looked back at the other students. Each of them wore a different piece of pine green clothing—their school colour. She tried to give them an encouraging smile, but failed. Would that mean she would also fail in her task of being their role model and their saviour? Whatever she did, Scarlett had to stay brave, even if it was a facade.
Their peaceful solace was soon broken when shouting could be heard from outside. The doors burst open and Delilah ran in, tears streaming down her face.
“Come quick,” she sobbed.
“Del? What’s wrong?” asked Thomas, standing up.
“Its Kat, she surrendered.”
Everyone followed Delilah to the foyer, but they all stopped before the doors that led outside. Scarlett peered out, and fair enough, there stood Kat, surrounded by Lucifite Warriors and their deadly angelic weapons, which Scarlett had a hand in creating. Kat stepped forward.
“Kat don’t do this,” pleaded Jacob, who stood a few paces behind her.
“I surrender,” she said in a clear strong voice.
“We don’t want you Katherine, we want your red-headed friend,” said Abraham.
“That’s why I’m here, to negotiate a trade. Me, for the freedom of my friends.”
“No!” Cried Scarlett. She ran forward and stood beside her friend, “You don’t have to do this.”
“Yes, I do, Scarlett.”
“You can have me! Take me!” Scarlett offered, stepping in front of Kat, towards the Lucifite Army. If she could cry she would have, but Scarlett no longer had any tears, they had stolen them. And now they were about to steal something else dear to her.
“Unfortunately, it doesn’t work that way, we don’t negotiate.”
It all happened in the space of a second, Dyston grabbed onto Scarlett and pushed her out of the way, and Kat stepped forward into the line of fire. Someone released the first Tear Tip. Scarlett looked for the shooter and saw nothing but ice blue eyes. But Lakyn hadn’t pulled the bowstring. As the crowd receded, she heard him utter three words.
“Good job Simon,” he said, patting the new man on the shoulder. Scarlett quickly recognised him as Simon Frost, a Nephilim who had been missing for several weeks, and now he had just shot the arrowhead coated in her tears, straight into Kat’s heart. The battle had begun.
Chapter Seventeen
Martyr
“No!” Jacob ran to her and caught her right before she hit the ground. He met Lakyn’s eyes; he had stayed watching like a sadistic serial killer coming back to the scene of his crime.
“Why?” he asked.
“She wanted this, she wanted to be the martyr,” said Lakyn. Then he turned and began walking towards his men, but Jacob’s voice kept him near.
“You can redeem yourself, you can heal her,” Jacob pleaded. Dyston put his hand on Scarlett’s shoulder. He stood behind her where she was kneeling in the dirt. She refused to take her eyes off her friend, who lay dying.
“What’s done is done,” said Lakyn, “Put down your weapons,” he instructed, his soldiers obeyed.
“This is not over,” sobbed Jacob.
“No its not,” Lakyn smirked, and then took to the sky.
Kat moaned. It was the worst sound Scarlett had ever heard. She wanted to do something but she couldn’t move, it was all her fault.
“Ssh don’t move, it’ll be over soon.” Jacob stroked her hair, his tears blended with her blood.
“Ja-cob,” she choked.
“Don’t speak.” Jacob kissed her head, and then lifted her and carried her inside.
“Bring her this way,” said Professor Anna. Father Luke led Jacob and the rest of the students down a corridor and into an open white room that smelled of bleach and other chemicals.
“Can you heal her?” Jacob asked.
“Tear Tip injuries are quite serious, I will do my best,” Father Luke told them. Scarlett had managed to follow but she was still in shock. She felt a familiar touch against her hand.
“I don’t know what I’ll do if she dies.”
“Her soul will go back to The Realm of Fire, you know that.”
“I know but…”
“Can I please have some space to work on this young Nephilim?” asked Father Luke.
“Come on,” said Dyston, tugging lightly on Scarlett’s hand.
“No I can’t leave her.”
“Jacob will be with her.” Scarlett reluctantly let Dyston take her away from the horrible scene in front of them, leaving Jacob and Father Luke to stay with Kat.
~
“Its not your fault,” said Dyston once they were back in the corridor.
“It is, its all my fault.”
“Please don’t burden yourself with this, it’s a heavy weight to bear.”
“What do you know about burdens?” She snapped, and soon regretted it, “Sorry.”
“Its okay. I know, because I’ve lived with one all my life,” he told her. She met his eyes. Scarlett knew that Dyston struggled with his decision every day, he had rebelled and fallen for her, and in return his wings were made black. he’d been made a reject of The Realms ever since. But that was only the tip of the iceberg. There was still a lot more that Scarlett didn’t know about him. She was so consumed in her thoughts, she hadn’t realised that Dyston had led her back to her dorm. He opened the door, and locked it once they were inside.
“What are we doing?” she asked curiously.
“We haven’t been alone since… well a while.” He took off his black trench coat and hung it over the back of a chair. Scarlett never wore a jacket because her temperature ran hotter than everyone else’s. She fumbled with the gold locket around her neck, the only thing that she had left from Blackbell. Dyston walked forward and grabbed her hands and placed them on his chest.
“It is not your fault.”
“You don’t understand, what they did to me, it is my fault.”
“Wha
t do you mean, what they did to you?”
“When I was taken to the Realm, they…” She swallowed the lump that had formed in her throat.
“You can tell me,” he said, stroking her hair.
“They drained me of my blood, they tried to kill me.”
“I know, but who did this?”
“A demon, she was working for Lakyn.” Dyston clenched and unclenched his jaw; she could tell he was holding back his anger for her.
“Did they say what they wanted it for?”
“No, just that my blood has unique properties.” She could still feel that he was tense. She reached out to put a hand on his face, but he flinched from her touch. “Dyston?”
“I’m going to stop them, I’ll get your blood back,” he said.
“You can’t get my blood back, don’t worry, I have more.”
“No, you don’t understand. They’re going to exploit you, poke you and prod you like a lab rat.”
“They’ve already done that Dyston.”
“Well I’m going to put an end to it.”
“Okay, but not right this second, stay,” she whispered, and stepped closer to him. “You said we haven’t been alone, so lets just be alone.” Dyston leaned his forehead against hers and inhaled her scent. She smelled of incense, she was intoxicating. Scarlett stood on her tippy-toes and pressed her lips to his, and he relaxed. As each second ticked on their passion grew fiercer, she pushed him towards the bed.
“Do you really want this? Right now?” he asked
“Yes, I’ve never wanted anything more in my life.” She began unbuttoning his shirt.
“We should wait,” he said, in between kisses.
“For when? The world to burn or freeze over? I don’t want to wait, now is the perfect time,” she told him, pushing him down on the bed.
“You’re right, we don’t know which moment will be our last. And until then, I want to spend each and every one of those moments with you.” He took her in his arms and held her close so that he could feel her heat. His hands slid under her top and she let him remove it. They kicked off their shoes and rolled over. It was a small bed, a king-single, so Scarlett hit the wall when they rolled. She began laughing.
“Ouch.”
“Are you okay?”
“Yes, I wish the bed was bigger.”
“I think its fine, but tonight, I can push the other bed over so they’re together.”
“Tonight? You’re not staying.” She giggled as he kissed her neck, “You aren’t allowed.”
“Rules are only there to be broken.”
“Rebel,” she said against his lips, as he drew her up with him into a sitting position.
“That’s what I am, Rebel with a cause.” Scarlett gasped as Dyston’s fingers found her bra strap. At least he didn’t rip it like Lakyn… No! She would not compare one brother to the other. They were completely different.
“Black lace. Who’s the rebel now?” he asked, raising an eyebrow, he laid her back against the bed. Blood rushed to her face and she felt herself beginning to burn.
“Oh no.”
“What’s wrong?”
“It’s starting, I’m burning.”
“Not for long.” He ran his hands over her body and she immediately began to cool.
“Thanks.” She shivered as he tugged off her jeans, “I’m glad I have you, you know.”
“Yeah, you’d be dead if it weren’t for me.”
“Don’t get cocky, Dyston Blackbell.”
“Wouldn’t dream off it.” She kissed his lips to shut him up. And when their bodies connected they were one. In sync, like the perfect duet.
~
She pulled away the white sheet that had been constricting her. They had been tangled together in the white cotton vine, but now she could breathe. She kissed his chest and stroked the lines of his lean abdomen with her finger. He sighed at her feather-light touch.
“I’m curious,” she said, after a few minutes of just stroking and staring.
“You explored every inch of me and you’re still curious?” he chuckled.
“Not about your body silly, about your trait, and that song.”
“What song?”
“The one you were singing in your room when you thought no one was listening, right before we met, the one you called Flame.”
“Oh that one. It’s not actually a song, it’s just a melody.”
“I can’t get it out of my head.”
He smiled and kissed her again. “I wrote it for you.”
“I’ve never had someone write me a song before, I like it. Can you sing it to me?”
“Ah… I might need a bit more persuasion.”
“Okay.” She draped her leg over him and pulled herself up, so that she was sitting on him. “Is that enough persuasion for you?”
“Okay, that’s perfect,” he chuckled. Scarlett rolled off and lay back down beside him, her head resting in the crook of his elbow. He began humming.
With each note Scarlett grew even more in love with him, and this simple melody that he may or may not have composed, had become their song. They decided that, if ever one of them were lost or were separated, that they would only need to hum this song and they would find each other.
“So about your trait, when-” A knock at the door interrupted Scarlett’s question.
“Who is it? We’re kind of busy here,” Dyston told the knocker. Emer poked her head in.
“I said-”
“Oh sorry. Don’t worry, I wont tell,” she said, a grin the size of the Sydney Harbour Bridge appeared on her face, and then disappeared just as quick.
“What is it, Emer?” asked Scarlett.
“Kat’s funeral is about to begin.”
Chapter Eighteen
Fire
Funeral.
Kat was dead.
She had died and it was all her fault.
Scarlett felt numb and motionless; she sat there like a mannequin on the bed.
“Scar, come on.”
“She’s dead, Dyston, she’s dead and they didn’t tell me. I should’ve been there.”
“I know, but Jacob wanted to be alone.”
Jacob’s alone, were the words that flew around her brain, banging into the sides again and again, hurting her, accompanied by the words, all my fault.
“Come on, we have to go,” he told her, passing her a black lace dress. She didn’t know where it had come from, but she put it on anyway over her black underwear. Today was the day for black—black clothes, black soul. She might as well have black wings like Dyston, just to add to it. That was how guilty she felt.
~
Scarlett let Dyston drag her through the building down to the chapel, but no one was there. That’s weird, she thought, wasn’t there meant to be a funeral? She soon found out that the funeral was being held underground in the crypt. They stepped through a side door and made their way down some dingy steps, which smelt of mildew. Flickering candles were the only things that alerted Scarlett to the presence of others. They rounded a corner and entered a small sandstone room that was already crowded with Nephilim and one human priest. She saw her friends huddled together, some were crying, others were just standing sombrely. They formed a semi-circle around a stone table, and on it lay Kat, wrapped in white silk. Scarlett felt the sudden urge to run to Kat and pull her off, to swap places with her, but she stayed frozen. Jacob entered from a room opposite, and came to stand behind Kat’s head. Scarlett noticed that around his neck was a cord, and hanging from that cord, was a glass sphere. She glanced at Dyston.
“He’s going to collect her soul once everyone has gone,” he whispered. It made sense. Like everyone, an angel’s soul was precious, and needed to be carried to its resting place. She always thought souls went to the Realm of Light, but she didn’t like that place anymore. To Scarlett, The Realm of Light was a place of torture and she didn’t want Kat to go there. She wanted her soul to remain with Jacob, where she’d be safe for eternity.
The room fell to silence, and the only voice that could be heard was Father Luke’s.
“Katherine Cecilia James was named for her bravery at birth, and in death she remained brave. May your passage to the final resting place be a safe one, our Heavenly sister.”
“Amen,” replied the congregation. Then Father Luke peeled back the white cloth and anointed Kat’s forehead with some type of oil, before lowering the silk back over her face again. Kat looked peaceful, like she was sleeping. Scarlett wanted to think of it just like that, that she would be sleeping for a long time, like a princess in a fairy tale before her handsome prince came and woke her with a magical kiss. She hoped Jacob would be that prince.
After the ceremony everyone filtered out and only Scarlett, Dyston and Jacob remained with Kat.
“Jacob I…” Scarlett didn’t know what to say to him, she was lost for words. Should she apologise? She did feel guilty, but would Jacob accept it? Should she comfort him? Put her arms around him, and embrace him? Or would he shrug her off? She felt helpless.
“Its not your fault Scarlett, don’t blame yourself. Kat was too brave for her own good,” Jacob said, with a sniffle. She realised he had been crying. He lifted back the white silk and began stroking her hair. That was when Scarlett noticed that Kat was wearing red lipstick, the same one she had worn to the Blackbell Masquerade Ball. But instead of a red dress, she wore a long white lacy gown that really did make her look like that fairy-tale princess. She figured either Emer or Delilah had dressed her like that and done her makeup, which was kind of them, she thought.
“I should’ve been there for her when she took her last breath,” Scarlett said, giving Dyston an accusing look.
“No, Dyston did the right thing by taking you away, you wouldn’t have wanted to see it, she suffered greatly.”
Jacob had just made her feel so much worse. It was as if a Tear Tip had punctured her heart as well. Scarlett suddenly began to feel light-headed.
“Are you alright? Let’s get you some fresh air.” Dyston supported her arm and tried to lead her outside.
“No, I want to stay.”
“Go, I’ll be fine. Kat knew you were only trying to help her,” Jacob told her with a small smile. She felt better, but only a little. Dyston guided her back up the stairs, through the chapel and into the setting sunlight.
