by K R Leikvoll
"What is this?" I asked in amazement, staring at my hands. My veins looked like ink lines, too. The same fiery aura danced above my skin as his. Where they met, they weaved together like a spider’s web. It was beautiful, but clearly demonic. Was that what everyone else was seeing around us? Is that how they knew?
Kirin took my hands into his. A black, crescent shaped shadow was implanted in his chest that I hadn't noticed before. "Demonic sight. Don't make it obvious, please. I'd rather not sleep in a cell," he said seriously.
He let go of me abruptly and took a step back. The marble doors were thrown open. The silver-haired Evyan Sylvia glided in. I discreetly wiped the blood off my lips and tucked the handkerchief in my robes.
"The dress didn't fit," I said before Sylvia could remark on my outfit. She gave me a small nod as if she never expected me to wear it in the first place and turned her attention to Kirin. I was mesmerized by the pale pink lines on her skin where her veins were. It was a masterpiece.
"You have the scroll, I presume. Time to visit with Alvir. He's expecting you," she said to us both. "Also, we have a special place reserved for you and your men, King Maundrell. I'm sure you will find it to your liking."
"They will have to enjoy it without me. I'm not leaving her side," he said calmly. "If you need her to cooperate, this is the best way." Part of me wanted to get angry and tell him I wasn't a child, but I was too distracted by the beauty in everything around me.
"Inappropriate, though we have never seen a Nephilim before," she said, starting to walk into the parlor. "Let's go see Alvir. He's wanted to meet you for a very long time."
Chapter Twenty-Five
Kirin had to forcibly drag me up the spiral staircase. I was absorbed in the city. Every single person had a glow radiating from their chest; I could see thousands of them. The glowing went through walls, doors, deep in the earth hidden from regular sight. It was beautiful, but incredibly intense. If I focused hard enough, I could even hear the thunder of their hearts beating. It was like soft drums calling to me in the background.
Alvir wasn't staying in the silver geode. Apparently, that was only for the upper class (damn bureaucrats, I didn't want to be a part of the 1%), and Alvir spent too much money on artifacts and books to be rich. I liked that guy already. We started down the slanted road that spun alongside the rim.
People were starting to notice us. First, they would stop and nod their head to Sylvia, then they would get spooked by Kirin. After they got over that, they'd see me and drop to their knees. I'm not really sure how they knew I was the Divinus since the ring was concealed by long sleeves. I had to assume that word had finally spread about my arrival. I wasn't sure whether I should say thank you or something, but Sylvia and Kirin were moving so fast all I could do was wave.
Sylvia led us downward all the way to the bottom of the cove. People appeared poorer in that part of the city, but everyone had a home. Everyone had a job and food. We passed a large bar toward the end where a bunch of people were gathered singing songs in another language. They were all also clearly smashed and smoking a sweet-smelling herb. It seemed like my kind of place, but Sylvia led us away from that, too.
We reached Alvir's house, the last one before the end. The houses were small pockets carved into the stone. The only thing that made them seem like houses on the outside were the cute wooden doors and open windows. Some people had gone as far as decorating their doors, but Alvir hadn't. Sylvia knocked. Well, it was more like a soft tap since she didn't seem capable of any more force than that. His door creaked open on its own.
The inside of his house was actually bigger than it appeared on the outside. It was entirely littered with all sorts of odds and ends. Most of it was large tomes, weapons, glass beakers and decanters, what I could only assume were potions, and crystals.
When I saw the old Evyan man with snow white hair sitting on his floor near some candles, I knew I had seen him before. It was the man from the vision I had during the time spent with Lazarus when I learned to heal myself. He was scratching his head with one hand and chewing on a strange quill with the other. His frail body was hovering over a scroll with paper so wide he was sitting on half of it. Alvir had a beautiful aura of white that cascaded around his form. When his eyes broke away from his task, I was startled to see that they had changed entirely white as well. They glowed in the candlelight as bright as mine. Instead of standing, he bowed on his knees to me with a smile on his face.
"It is the highest honor to finally meet you, Nephilim. I have waited a hundred lifetimes for this day," he said as if he was trying his hardest to sound humble and not like a fangirl. It was kind of endearing in a way.
"We've brought the scroll for you to help her translate. She will be reading it for the first time in front of everyone," Sylvia said to Alvir. He nodded and made the shoo motion with his hand. Sylvia looked slightly annoyed in response, but ushered Kirin out with herself like he requested. The wooden door shut and we were alone. Well, almost. I could see their hearts getting further away.
"I've seen you before, in a vision I had of Eve," I said, sitting on my knees across from him.
He beamed. "Yes! I would have hoped so. And possibly your father mentioned me as well," he said excitedly as he started to roll up his scroll.
My heart dropped. "My father…" I started, nearly choking on the words. Not my father—more like my mother's rapist.
"Do not fret, my dear. Your secret is safe with me," Alvir replied. "Though I must disclose that it is entirely possible everyone already knows. His face is more well-known than Eve's in these parts of Kaeda, and you look just like him."
"Don't say that. I despise him," I replied, unable to hide the disgusted expression on my face.
He chuckled. "Who does not despise him? I do not, though I am one of the only ones," he said as he slowly climbed to his feet. "I take it your companion does not know? Why do you fear telling him? You are the Nephilim! The universe compels you to balance it. You have no time to fear anyone or any situation." I was surprised that he was able to tell Kirin didn't know, but he was pretty old. I guess that meant he was wise.
"I'm not sure how he doesn't know since Vince is so popular. I feel like Kirin might think I'm evil or something. Maybe he won't... care about me as much if he knew I'm the spawn of actual Satan," I admitted.
Alvir nodded understandingly. He began to rummage through his various bottles of liquid potions making loud clinking sounds that nearly drowned out the sound of his heartbeat.
"Ah, yes, well Maundrell has only seen Vince perhaps a couple of times. He spent the last hundred years back on Naadea. That is the only thing I could think of that would explain his ignorance. I can assure you, though, he could never hate the one he is bonded to. It is not in the nature of the bond for him to leave," Alvir explained, procuring a tiny vial less than an inch tall. It had bluish black sludge in it. Interesting.
"You don't think he'd leave?" I asked, standing back up.
"No, he is not capable of it. Now to important matters: the scroll. We will have you read it in front of the city. The last thing we need is a mishap that kills innocents again," he said, starting toward the door. "Tomorrow you will stop by so we can chat some more. You need some rest after that trip across the galaxy."
"Galaxy? Like the Milky Way?" I trailed behind him.
"That is what you call it on Earth, yes?"
"You know about Earth, too?"
"Yes... I would have loved to visit, but I could never pay the price Vince wanted for such a thing," he replied. We started to trek back up the outer rim slowly. He definitely moved like he was eons old. I didn't mind.
"What was that price?"
"Just my soul. I did not want to bind myself too far from home. What use would the trip be if I could not bring home my discoveries?"
I wanted to laugh thinking about that mystical old man on Earth. If he managed to make it somewhere without getting hit by a car, what would he bring home? Radios and cellphones? Kraft dinne
r? He'd be detained in a second. They'd probably throw his ass in Area 51. My thoughts grew darker as I remembered what I really had wanted to ask him this whole time. "So you don't know how to get back to Earth then?" I asked, afraid of the answer.
He shot me a look over his shoulder that said a hundred things. One of which was shut up. Another was let's talk about it later. I caught his hint and let it go.
Everyone that saw us moved out of our way and followed behind us. Before too long, there was a mass of people following, eerily silent. It was pretty awkward for me, but I held it in. I let myself get distracted by their heartbeats instead of focusing on the mass. What if the scroll said something terrible and I had to read it without knowing?
When we reached the top, Alvir led me back down the crystal bridge to the geode. The council was waiting on the other side to receive us; Kirin, Mortos and Ronen were included in that bunch. Every single one of them, even the giant crowd behind me, had the same expression. It was fear masked by emotionlessness. It made my anxiety worse. They were probably all thinking the worst, too.
The council and the others led me to a high balcony that overlooked the giant city's western quarter. There were so many faces watching me. Waiting for me to read not only my own fate, but theirs as well.
The crowned Evyan pulled me to the front. "The light is among us once again," he said to everyone. His voice echoed down below. The shape of the city in the stone was a perfect amphitheater. I could hear murmurs of "Lux Eterna" all around me. "She has agreed to read the Scroll of Fates to us for her first time. The highest honor," he stated. Um, pretty sure I didn't have a choice.
Alvir took the glowing blue scroll from Kirin and approached me. The scroll looked different with demonic sight. I could see bolts of electricity emanating from it in its own private thunderstorm. "This is the last of this stuff. Please do not spill a single drop," Alvir instructed handing me both the scroll and the vial of black sludge. I was nervous about touching the scroll, but it filled me with warmth when I grasped it.
Unsure, I moved to the edge of the balcony. "No matter what this says, everything will be okay," I told everyone. I had to fight the knot in my throat. I had never spoken in front of that many people before. Their eyes were all glowering at me, waiting for me to prove it.
Alvir helped me spill the contents of the black liquid on the scroll after I had unrolled it. It dripped out like ink in three spots on the pale parchment. The chaotic twisting of the words stopped instantly. The strange, alien language rearranged itself into legible letters. My heart thumped in my chest as I realized it was in my own handwriting, as if I had scrawled the words myself in a hurry. I began to read it silently before I was violently tugged by someone behind me.
I cleared my throat and began.
Naazvaba
Nakarius, who plights the daughter of Asinea
Azmordius, who threatens all of Copernican
Valorius, who ruins the star of Imperium
And Baelarius, who pulls the strings from the center of the Void.
Cycle then, cycle now.
Destroyed each one; our death brings exodus. That is our sacred vow.
I read the broken sentences aloud once and then silently over and over. I could hear murmurs all around me followed by cheers. Many were yelling the phrase "destroyed each one" with relief written on their faces. I wasn't focused on that part. I read the line "our death brings exodus" so many times I thought my eyes would burn a hole in the parchment. It was hard to breathe. I was going to die? I didn’t understand.
My hands were shaking so badly I couldn't help dropping the scroll. The crowned Evyan and Alvir caught it before it fluttered off of the balcony.
I had to hide my face in my hands. Just breathe Val... you aren't really going to die. No way... I was just a silly twenty-year-old girl that wanted to explore, learn and fall in love—not kill four monsters and get put six feet under! What's it all for if I didn't get to see it? A few tears fell from my eyes before I felt a firm hand on my shoulder. I had to quickly wipe them away before anyone saw how distraught I was feeling.
It was Kirin. He was about to say something but was interrupted by Sylvia who forced her way between us.
"Wonderful news. I'm pleased to know that we won't be torn asunder by Nakarius' grasp on Praetis," she said, taking me by the wrist. "We are having a celebratory dinner in your honor. I can help you get dressed."
I ripped my arm away from her. "I don't want to go anywhere," I hissed barely above a whisper.
Kirin's hand grasped my shoulder tightly once more. "It'll be okay. Don't worry, like you said," he told me as reassuring as he could. All I could do was look at him with a troubled face. He smoothed my hair behind my ear and gave me a small, sad smile. It didn't make me feel better at all.
"Please, Divinus, we are truly grateful for everything you will do for us. Allow us to show our gratitude. You could use the food," Sylvia said with an imperative tone.
"I'll eat your damn food, but I'm not changing into another flashy dress. There is nothing about my clothes that prevents me from digesting," I snapped. I wanted to run back to the privacy of my own bedroom and cry. I needed to go home, take Kirin with me, and flee—no possibility of death by Void Lord.
Sylvia glanced back at me with a saddened expression but surrendered in defeat.
I unwillingly followed her and the crowd of snooty Evyan nobles into the geode. We wandered around one of the rooms until we ended up in some sort of grand dining room. Everything was made of glass, and what wasn't glass was gold, silver and white. The floor was decorated with the sigil of a giant golden leaf. Beyond that, I couldn't be bothered with my surroundings. I was preoccupied with my death sentence.
"It will be a little while before everyone is ready, but you can wait in here if you'd rather not change," she said, gesturing to the head of the table. It was a giant crystal throne. Every girl wanted to be a princess, but not me. I sat down uncomfortably. Who thought crystal chairs would be cozy? Kirin sat down next to me, but Sylvia made it apparent that he would have to sit at the other side of the table once people started coming in. I wanted to tell her to fuck off, but his intense stare was pleading me to keep my mouth shut. When she finally left, I rested my face against the table.
Kirin didn't speak; he just ran his fingers through my hair in an attempt to comfort me. He didn't really need to say anything. We were both thinking about the same thing; I could feel it. He probably thought I was going to die, too. That made the sensation of dread worse. When would it happen? How long did I have left? Days, weeks, years? It didn't matter. I had to breathe slowly and evenly to keep myself from having a total mental breakdown. The time passed way too quickly in the silence. Before I knew it, people were flooding in from doors on either side of the room.
Kirin lifted my hand to his lips as people approached the table. "I'll see you tonight, okay?" he whispered before leaving me. I didn't want him to abandon me with people I hardly knew. I watched him silently as he sat at the furthest possible place from me. He kept my gaze trying to appear as calm as possible to help me relax, but it did nothing for my nerves.
The crowned Evyan sat on my left and Alvir sat on my right. Sylvia showed up late and sat a couple of seats away. The other two council members found their way to the table as well. I didn't know the other thirty faces that joined us over the next few minutes. A brown-haired Evyan girl brought me a goblet filled to the absolute brim with medium blush-colored wine. Everyone waited for me to sip mine first before they'd touch theirs, like we were at a birthday party or something. More like a deathday party. It made me sick.
If I was going to die...
I guzzled the wine down as fast as I could. It was potent tasting, but whatever. I finished the entire thing and held it up, waiting for a refill. It was brought almost instantly—not in my best interest. I felt wasted by the time the food came. I didn't care about it. Food wasn't going to save me. Nothing was, huh? Stupid scroll telling me my fate...
"Do you think Nakarius will truly come into this plane?" the crowned Evyan asked while he ate his salad. It took me a few seconds to realize he was talking to me.
"What? I guess. I don't know. How would I know?" I responded in a very bitchy tone. I picked at the leaves they gave me without touching them.
"You seem very sad, Nephilim. Is this not good news? You kill Naazvaba! That's an incredible feat," Alvir said before swallowing a small amount of wine.
"It's great news," I grumbled, rolling my eyes. Those people were celebrating my death! How could I be happy about something like that?! I took another gulp of wine in my frustration. I wouldn't be able to kill Naazvaba if I drank myself to death.
Everyone continued focusing on their own conversations and problems. There were probably five plates of different food laid before me and I didn't touch any of it. I couldn't see Kirin anymore; there were too many people in the way. The murmuring of their bland, meaningless conversations was drowned out by their heartbeats. I closed my eyes. My head was pounding. I wanted to cry and go to sleep. When I peeked up, nobody was looking at me. Liquor compelling me, I pulled myself stealthily out of the crystal throne. A few guards were watching, but nobody important. Somehow, I made it to the door without anyone saying a word. Before party patrons could notice, I slipped out.
The tears were ready. I started crying the moment I got outside. I slowly made my way down to the bottom of the geode, barely able to see, blinded by my tears. I wasn't even sure how I made it there considering how much I was stumbling around. Luckily everyone that lived in the geode was at that stupid dinner thing. I didn't run into a single guard or occupant. When I reached my room, I moved the glass table and cushions against the marble doors to prevent anyone from entering. When I finally felt truly alone, I made my way to my bed.
