by JK Ensley
Jenevier stood up and slipped her new pink sunglasses back on. She felt a sharp pang of sadness. Pity gripped her heart as she looked into Valencia’s teary eyes.
Damn, she thought.
Leave it, Naga, Nilakanta said. This is best for everyone, for the whole universe. Things are as they should be.
“It’s not like I could do anything about it anyway,” she grumbled as she opened the door of that dark room, leaving Valencia alone in a bed of her own making. As it should be, she thought.
*****
“What should we do with this?” Jenevier handed a large metal container to her son.
“What is it?” Tenshi asked.
“A parting gift from Akio.” She lightly tapped on one of the side glass panels revealing the strange glowing liquid inside. “You now hold the weapon meant to destroy this whole realm. He called it a virus, said to be extremely careful with it.”
Tenshi’s eyes widened. “I will wing it to Gabriel, now.” He turned to Duhrias. “Can I trust you to see my mother safely home?”
“She could be in no more capable hands,” Duhrias said with a bow.
Tenshi looked at Jenevier. “Mama, promise me you will behave yourself, and that you will come home soon.”
“I promise to behave, and I promise to return to Jinn… when I am ready.”
“Very well. That will have to do for now.” He kissed her forehead. “I love you, Mama.”
“And I love you more, my son.”
When his sapphire wings had disappeared into the clouds, Duhrias bumped her with his shoulder.
“You did good by that one, Naga. You did real good.”
“Yeah.” She snorted out a laugh. “He turned out pretty well, despite my influence.”
“So… what’s the plan, Empress?”
Jenevier started walking away. He smiled and hurried to catch up with her.
“I want to check on Cherie.”
Duhrias chuckled. “She’s like… a hundred times your age. You know that, right?”
“Age does not factor into concern, sweet Knight. I wish only to say good-bye and spend a bit of time with the girl.” A smile twisted up one corner of her mouth. “I find her extraordinarily refreshing, Dimples. She is full of spunk and fire, that one.”
“When she needs to be, yes,” he grumbled.
They silently walked on for a while, casually. Neither one seemed to be in much of a hurry.
“Dimples?”
“Hmm?”
“How many people know about the cave?”
He glanced up from the pine needles and forest debris, somewhat distracted. “The cave?”
She plucked up a toadstool and broke off the stem. “Yes, the cave.” She ran her thumbnail around the soft underbelly of the large mushroom, pressing each little fin down as she went. “The one behind the waterfall. How many people go there?”
“People? None, I should say.”
He pitched a tiny leaf toward her curls. It stuck there, but she didn’t seem to notice. He smiled.
“I don’t suppose any people even know it’s there. If you are talking about Spirits, well, we all know. It doesn’t really matter, though. I am thousands of years old, and the first time I saw it glow was with you. We all know it’s there. But since we cannot use it, no one really seems to care. Why do you ask?”
“Curiosity.” She tossed the smashed-up toadstool over her shoulder, leaving a dark stain where it hit his chest. “Now, quit throwing rubbish in my curls.”
She squealed out a laughing scream when he snatched her around the waist and spun her in a circle.
“That was too much fun,” she gasped out through her giggles.
“Hey, let’s have a foot race.”
Her laughter stopped when his words pulled her thoughts back to Val Hal and her old friend Gráda.
“Nah,” she said, waving her hand dismissively. “I don’t feel like getting all sweaty.”
He wrapped his arm around her waist and lifted her off the ground, spinning her again.
“A dance then,” he said, not waiting for her answer.
Her giggles resumed. “How can you call it a dance if my feet aren’t even touching the ground?”
“Because we are holding each other.” His dimples deepened with his soft smile. “That’s the best part, anyway.”
He began to hum a tune she had never heard before as he swayed to and fro down the narrow path.
Jenevier rested her head on his shoulder, wholly comforted by the vibrations in his chest, lulled by his baritone hymn. She believed he had perhaps gone through two different tunes before he gently lowered her back to her feet.
“A lovelier dancer there has never been,” he whispered.
She chuckled. “You are talking about yourself, aren’t you?”
“But of course.” He smiled. “Wouldn’t you agree, Milady?”
“Absolutely, Milord.” She placed the back of her hand to her forehead, pretending to sigh dreamily. “I fear I may swoon.”
They continued to smile as they quietly strolled hand in hand.
“So… are you going to tell me about this new bauble?”
He raised their clasped hands, shaking them gently, causing the shiny bracelet to sparkle in the sunlight.
Tears burned her eyes as she stared at it. A strange, uncomfortable numbness washed over her.
“Did that handsome soul-eater gift you this lovely treasure?”
She kept her watery gaze fixed on the brilliant purple stones. “It was not a gift. It is a shackle.”
“A shackle?” Duhrias snorted out a laugh. “Then it is the most astoundingly beautiful shackle I have ever seen. All the ladies will wish to be bound thusly.”
“Not I,” she whispered.
The charming River Spirit didn’t push the conversation further. The sadness in her magical eyes almost made him wish he had never even broached the subject.
She sighed softly, never taking her eyes from the unique bangle gracing her right wrist.
“Who would ever wish to be bound away from their desires?” She spoke aloud, but the words weren’t actually intended for any particular ears. “Love via pain, or pain via love… I’m not sure which.”
Duhrias didn’t speak. He just waited for her to continue.
She sat down on a nearby stone and absently fondled her new trinket as she gazed blindly into the distance.
“There was once a man—gentle and kind, glorious to behold.” She smiled softly. “He loved me, was my friend… in his own way. When I learned the truth about that man, about all of them… I was hurt. Everything I believed in was put to the test. And…” She snorted out a self-deprecating laugh. “…I failed that test. When I realized what I had done, when I realized that my ignorant actions would destroy the hearts of the people I had once loved, the ones who had once loved me… I snapped. Then… I set out to destroy the hearts of my new friends as well.”
She looked up at the quiet sell-sword, but he remained silent.
“That’s what I do, you know—lash out at the ones who care about me the most. When I leave this place, Dimples, when you look back upon our time together… if you can dredge up but one memory, let it be this. Love with your whole heart… every chance you get. Never hold back. Never be silent or scared. Lay your heart on the line and give thanks for the scars it may receive. Just… don’t look back and regret not loving. And even though there may come some unintentional pain, always remember… harm none. Not willingly.”
She looked into his lovely green eyes a moment longer before she stood and continued walking. He silently followed her. After a time, she continued speaking.
“This man, this exquisitely rare man… he came to me when I was all alone.” She chuckled softly, precious memories playing out before her. “At first look, I desired him. I desired him greatly.” She sighed. “But as time went on, I loved him—counted him as my only blood brother. And so the love grew. When at last the painful truth was mercilessly smashed in my face,
when I was carelessly hurled back into reality… his deception hurt me more than even the man I had bonded with. Vybius had become not only my family; he was my friend, my true friend.” She turned to face him then. “Have you ever had a true friend?”
He matched her intense gaze, but did not answer.
“If you have one…” A single tear trickled down her scarred cheek. “…always hold them as precious, as the most valuable thing in the world. Love can eventually be replaced—broken hearts mend in time. Alas, true friendship is an irreplaceable thing. Dimples, if you ever find yourself lucky enough to be in love with your friend…” She took his hand in hers and squeezed gently. “…forsake the whole universe to protect that rare bond. It is worth more than words can ever tell.”
“Will you do thus, Milady? Will you forsake us all for the soul-eater?”
Her countenance fell, as if a shadow had been cast over her. “I fear I would have.” Her sad pink eyes wavered. “Alas… I cannot. He has stolen my ability, and I am left absent choice.”
Duhrias furrowed his brow, tightening his grasp upon her tiny hand. “How is such a thing possible, Milady? If you desire Vybius this much, if you wish for nothing but his arms about your waist and his hand upon your heart, who can keep you from him?”
“He can,” she whispered.
The sell-sword shook his head. “Ohh, Milady. A heart’s denial can come upon a breeze… and change just as easily.”
“I know,” she said through a sad smile. “Which is why he bound insurance against such a thing.”
She glanced back down to the bracelet. Duhrias’s gaze followed hers.
“A shackle.” His whispered words revealed his understanding.
Jenevier slowly nodded her head as the painful memory played out once again…
“So, Vybius, you wish to bind me?”
The dark Angel looked upon her teasing grin. “Yes, I do.”
She giggled. “Will you still be gentle?”
He swallowed hard. Every cell of his being was screaming in protest, but every cell of his breaking heart knew what he had no choice but to do.
“No, my love,” he whispered against her lips. “I fear this will be torturously painful… for both of us.”
As the beautiful raven-winged Angel kissed her, Jenevier felt the cold metal lock around her wrist.
Vybius whispered softly against her ear. “These warding stones were fashioned for you, sweet Angel—forged in the fires of the pit, set within the magic of Sheol, and then carved with the unbreakable seal of heaven. The unimaginable love we would know… the unspeakable harm we would wrought. With this, I remove them both. Angelus, quis separabit?” He kissed her one last time. “Indicium difficile, Jenevier. Nescit cedere, my love. And since I cannot remove the temptation I will always carry in my heart for you, I will remove my ability to act upon it… always.” Vybius stood, tears streaming down his face. “Post tenebras lux.”
And with those final words, Jenevier felt the binding sensation encircle her wrist—a vibrating hum that never ceased.
“Spectemur Agendo,” he whispered, and then he was gone.
*****
A single tear dripped from her chin as she looked back up at Duhrias. “There is no creature in all of heaven or hell that could have separated us. The Archangels of God and the Prince of the fiery pits, they had all warned me against the soul-eater. They knew what would come of our union. So… when I quit fighting his pull, when I gave in to my deep desire for him, Vybius somehow found the strength to take the decision out of our hands. Since he knew he would never give up on me, he made it so he could never physically be near me. Now, if we ever find ourselves upon the same layer or within the same realm, the pain for him will be unbearable, render him nearly incapable of even moving.”
Duhrias turned her magically bound, exquisite shackle from side to side. “What did those words mean? The strange ones he whispered in your ear. What did he say?”
“Those are words of old, lost ages ago. I know not the whole of it, but basically he said… Angel, who will separate us? It is a difficult decision—for him to bind me thusly. Then he admitted that he does not know how to give up—on me. After he bound me, he sort of prayed a wish, I guess you could say. He said, Light after Darkness.”
“And what were his last words? The sad sounding ones he whispered at the end.”
She smiled. “Let us be judged by our acts. And… I truly hope those words find truth. I pray he is shown a glimmer of mercy for such selflessness.”
“So… because your love could destroy the universe, he had this made. He went completely against his own heart, against his very nature.” Duhrias shook his head. “Why would a creature such as him—a fallen dark Angel, soul-eater—why would he go to such lengths to avoid evil and destruction?”
She sort of snorted. “Because, Dimples… the old fool loves me too much.”
Duhrias just stared at her.
“My soul,” she continued, searching his face for comprehension. “The one thing within me he treasures above all, the one thing he can never have and holds most precious… my soul. Vybius knew what would happen to my soul if he allowed the madness of our forbidden union to continue. Like I said, the old fool loves me too much.”
“But… in the past… he has hurt you, has he not?”
“Yes, and in many devious ways, no less.”
“So… why did you cave so easily? Why did you finally give in to his advances? And… why does it hurt you so much now that you are free of him.”
She smiled softly. “Because I am weak and naïve and ridiculous.”
“I do not believe that. Not even for a moment.”
“But it’s true. Couple those glorious qualities with a magical gift that cannot be explained, and you have the recipe for my current dilemma. Do I hate the man? Yes, and with a passion, no less. Do I love the man? In ways I cannot explain, and in ways you will never understand.”
Duhrias only stared into her eyes—befuddled, but mesmerized.
She sighed. “You may have taken my humanity, sweet Knight, left me as a celestial being… but that was only days ago. My feeble heart is still that of a woman, still full of memories.”
“Precious memories?”
“Some precious… some bitter.”
“And Vybius?”
“My memories of him are both, yes.” She tossed the pinecone aside she had been fiddling with. “But my final memories of him… they were precious only.”
She turned from the sell-sword then and continued down the path. And may he be judged by those noble acts. She echoed his final words within her own heart.
Chapter 26
Cherie
(CHAIR-ee)
“Why do you have to go now?” Cherie asked. “Can’t you stay just a few more days?”
“I would love nothing more,” Jenevier said with a sad smile. “Alas, my services may be needed elsewhere. And believe me… you do not want Daichi having to come seek me out. Especially here. Especially with him.” She jabbed her thumb back toward the handsome River Spirit who had sworn his loyalty to her.
“Why?” Cherie giggled as she looked over Jenevier’s shoulder at her blushing friend. “Is this Daichi person jealous?”
“That’s a rather gentle way of putting it. But, yes. Yes he is.”
Cherie narrowed her eyes mischievously. “And why is that? Is he your lover? Your husband?”
Jenevier bristled slightly. “No. Nothing of the sort.” She paused. “I mean… I guess perhaps that was his purpose… possibly… maybe. But, no. Daichi loves me, yes, but he is my healer only.”
“What do you mean? Why are you stammering so? And why do your cheeks look like rosebuds?” Cherie pointed as she giggled. “They’ll catch fire soon if you don’t cool them off.”
“That is enough, Cherie,” Duhrias whispered. “No point in needlessly pissing off a Death Angel.”
“That’s quite all right, dear friend.” Jenevier shook her head and chuckled l
ightly. “I am used to being teased. I can take it.” She yanked on a lock of the girl’s raven hair. “As long as she remembers… what comes around goes around. Continue to dish it out, little lady, just so long as you are certain you can take it.”
Cherie only laughed.
Jenevier glanced around at her two new Spirit friends. “I am yet unclear on a few things. I have been to Earth many times before this summons, even lived here for a few years. Yet never have I seen a place quite like this one. Never would I have been able to walk the streets as I now am… not without garnering much unwanted attention. Alas, this is my third trip to Gokula and not once has anyone acted as if my scars or my skin are unusual things. So, tell me. Which of you would be kind enough to fill in the gaps for me?”
Cherie opened her mouth to speak, but Duhrias cleared his throat before she could start.
“You know how I told you that the Spirit World, our world—Out World—it hovers over this part of the eighth layer, right?”
Jenevier nodded. “Yes.”
“Well, it has always been thus. The people of Gokula are accustomed to… oddities, you might say. A few marriages have even taken place between the Earthlings and the Out Worlders.”
“Yep.” Cherie smiled. “Which has made for even more oddities around here. The children from such unions often boast extremely rare magic.”
“Is that so?”
“It is.” Duhrias raised a single eyebrow. “There are a few places like Gokula upon this layer, masked with their own version of Out World. So despite the nasty rumors, magic still lives on Earth. Well, hovers about Earth.”
“It’s just muted, I guess you could say,” Cherie added.
Duhrias nodded his agreement. “So, just in case you were wondering. Yes, the two of us could marry and no one around here would bat a lash.”
Jenevier strangled on her tea while Cherie only giggled.
“He likes you, ya know.” Cherie jumped when her Spirit counterpart gave her a little kick under the table. “I knew he did, because I’ve never seen him jealous before. Not once. His water has flowed through my trees for thousands of years, and never have I known him to vow his sword to any creature. He may sell his might, but his unyielding loyalty can be bought with neither gold nor kisses.”
