The Kiss of Death

by Auryn Hadley

  "Were." He sighed and leaned back. "There aren't many left. Remember that thing you pulled from Luke earlier?"

  "The smoke?"

  "Aether," he corrected. "It's what your science has yet to discover. Aether is what makes life. You can have all the right parts put together in the right way, but without aether, there is nothing living. A dead body needs something intangible to live. Pond scum needed something else to become bacteria. That something is aether."

  "Which is why the robber died when you pulled it from him!" I sat up, looking into the other room, realizing I'd almost done the same to his roommate. "Can anyone do that?"

  "No, but don't get too far ahead. Aether is a very powerful substance, and a few dozen million years ago, we made weapons from it. A few million later, we made defenses. Now, we have them in the veils."

  "So, you made the veils?" My mind was spinning.

  "No, we just improved them. In order to cross into Daemin, you must be allowed entry, like a key. This keeps angels out and slowed down the war. Unfortunately, the veils were altered with aether from outside our world, and we need more to maintain it." He tucked a lock of hair behind his ear. "The angels did something similar. The difference is they, um, harvest aether."

  "What do you mean?"

  "What happens when a Catholic is on his deathbed? He calls a priest to give last rites." Nick shrugged. "When you die, the aether in your body is released and if someone is there, ready to catch it, then it can be harvested. They created religion to harvest your souls."

  "But we don't really have souls?" If that smoke was our souls, and it was what gave us life, did that mean there was nothing after death?

  Nick guessed where my mind was going. "I've never died, Sia. I can't. I don't know what happens after and what consciousness you'd retain, if any. I don't even know if there is a god. I just know that if you're left alone, the aether will disperse from your body into the world. Just like carbon or oxygen, it's recycled."

  "So what do y'all do with it?"

  "Put it in the corridor, heal people, create things."

  He stood and walked to a plant in the corner of the room. With a glance at me, Nick reached out and pulled at a leaf, his fingers drawing a greenish blue fog from it as the leaf withered. Before my eyes, it turned brown and died, leaving the rest of the plant healthy. Nick closed his hand around the fog and returned, lowering himself gently.

  "Plants tend to have less aether than animals. The more evolved the creature, the more intense the aether is." He opened his hand, showing me the mist that lay in his palm. "I have the ability to manipulate and use this, just like you can make paint become art."

  "So anyone can do it with training?" Anyone could learn to paint and draw if they studied enough.

  Nick tilted his head back and forth. "Somewhat. Any of us can learn to touch it, but few can master it." He lifted his hand, tossing the fog into the air between us. "Now watch."

  He left it there, suspended, and grabbed his beer before leaning back. By the third gulp, the substance seemed thinner, more translucent. I watched while it simply faded from sight, just like the smoke it resembled.

  "Where does it go?"

  "Everywhere." He smiled. "You're missing the most obvious question though."

  Confused, I shook my head, hoping he'd explain.

  "Why can you see it?"

  My brow wrinkled as I thought back over the times I'd watched him do that. I'd always assumed something he did allowed the substance to be seen, but that didn't seem to be the case.

  "So not everyone can see that?"

  "Not humans," Nick assured me. "Demons and angels see it as easily as you see water. If it's dense enough, it's obvious, but you don't see the vapor in the air, right?"

  "Ok? But humans couldn't see that?"

  "No."

  I swallowed. "Am I human?"

  "Yes." He leaned forward again, taking the last drink from his beer before setting the bottle on the table. "You're what we call a Muse. The rare exception to the rule, you can not only see aether – although most Muses can't – but also use it. Most often this comes as inspiring others, or manipulating the aether inside of them. Some call it charisma – but not all charisma is from being a Muse. Some call it artistic talent, or beauty, or so many other things."

  "Da Vinci?" I asked.

  He nodded. "A very strong Muse. Humans have tried to explain it away for centuries now. The Greeks worshiped their Muses as near gods. Ancient man called them shamans or wizards. Each society tends to manifest a style, probably because of culture. That's why the Classical Muses were all seen as goddesses of inspiration, but in other times they were wizards with destructive powers."

  "And now?"

  His black eyes bore into mine, seriousness written across his face. "I haven't seen a Muse in almost two hundred years."

  My heart paused when the reality of his words hit me. "So what do I do?"

  "Let me teach you?"

  I looked around the room, hoping for something to give me the right answer. "Why you?"

  My eyes found Luke leaning casually against the door frame behind us. I had no idea how long he'd been there, but it looked as if he'd been listening.

  "He's the best there is. That's why he's the Angel of Death," a smile split Luke's lips, "even if he isn't an angel."

  "How old are you?" I looked at Luke, but the question was for both of them.

  Luke shrugged and turned back to the hall. "Dinner's ready."

  When he was out of sight, I looked back to Nick. "You haven't seen a Muse in two hundred years. How old are you?"

  "I don't know." He didn't move. Those dark eyes watched me cautiously. "We've always been, and we never thought to count. I used to come to Earth to look at the flowers, though, before the animals got so large."

  "You saw dinosaurs?"

  "Yes, and other things. We thought they were like dragons, but in a few million years, things have changed a lot." He stood and tilted his head to the hall. "Dinner? Sam loves to describe the extinct species."

  "So Sam's a demon, too?" I asked, just wanting to hear it.

  Nick dipped his head in acknowledgment. "Yeah."

  I pulled myself up, feeling slightly disconnected from reality, and followed him through the house, passing two other rooms before turning into the very large and very formal dining area. The table was laid out perfectly, but all four plates were set in the center to keep the conversation easy. When I entered, both Sam and Luke stood, waiting until I found a chair before returning to their seats. Their manners were impeccable if archaic.

  "No one does that anymore," I said.

  Sam grinned and reached for a dish. "We know, but it doesn't mean they shouldn't. Respect for women has pretty much vanished in the last hundred years."

  "We did ask for equality," I pointed out.

  Luke chuckled. "I don't really know how one affects the other." He passed a basket of bread and I tried not to flinch away, but he noticed. "I assume you don't discriminate for age, and yet you'd let an elderly woman go first in line, right?"

  "Yeah?" I passed the bread to Nick, who'd claimed the chair beside me, then took the next thing Luke handed over. It was easier this time.

  "It's called respect." He grabbed one more platter, offering it to me first. "Remember, women are still something of an intrigue to us."

  I chose a piece of chicken and passed it along. "Why are you hanging out with demons? Aren't you supposed to be mortal enemies?"

  Sam held up his hand and wagged his finger. "We save serious talk for after the meal. No sense ruining your appetite." He took a bite. "Delicious, Luke."

  The angel grinned. "Yeah, I put in some effort. Trying to make a good impression."

  While the food was handed out, the conversation lagged. I had so many questions and not nearly enough answers. Taking a bite of my meal, I paused. It really was good! Much better than anything I'd experienced before. Luke saw my expression and nodded to himself, but I had to take another bi
te. Could the stories about eating fairy food have any bearing on my current situation?

  Nick glanced at me quickly, then looked over at Sam. "So, she seemed very interested to hear about dinosaurs."

  Sam's eyes lit up. "My god, Sienna, they were huge. Some were bigger than dragons." He grinned. "Quite a few of them were brilliantly colored. Some had feathers, although they're just starting to figure that part out."

  Luke nodded knowingly. "At first, they were insane colors, closer to fish. Of course, that's back when they were little things."

  "Red and yellow lasted a while," Sam added, getting into the subject. "Eventually, they started changing to blend with the environment, but the world was evolving so fast. It was like every time I came back a new species would just crop up. And the flowers!"

  "Massive things," Nick said. "The first flowers weren't like what you have now, but more like clusters of leaves with pigment."

  "Like a poinsettia?" They'd completely distracted me.

  "Close." Nick glanced over to me. "White was common, and a lot were pale colors like yellow or pink."

  "The sunsets were amazing," Sam said, leaning closer. "That crap about pollution making better sunsets is so much shit."

  Nick chuckled. "Vesdar still has the best."

  "Yeah. But Jurassic Earth was a close competitor."

  They were either playing the best joke, or they had really been there. The way they spoke, in half sentences and incomplete descriptions made it feel like nothing more than pleasant memories.

  "What about early man?"

  Nick took a drink before answering, his eyes distant. "At first, we thought they were like a pet. Similar to a dog, I suppose. They were smart but very bestial. Nothing like people now."

  "Ok?" I wanted more than that.

  Sam took another bite, speaking around his full mouth without being disgusting. "There were a lot of types, you know? Dark ones, light ones, big ones and little ones. I mean, we could tell they were all some type of primate, but because all the realms were changing, we didn't know they'd eventually become our equal."

  "Equal?" I looked at each of them, unsure I'd heard right.

  "Close enough," Luke muttered.

  Nick sighed. "Equals, Sia. Different, but one is not better than the other. We've just had the chance to learn more."

  "And the fairies and satyrs learned faster than humans?"

  They all nodded, but Sam's eyes were excited. "Satyrs aren't fauns. That got all messed up somewhere. They have horns – but we do too – and we all have normal feet, not hooves. They do tend to have more body hair, but fairies have those fragile little wings. Not quite like the insect knockoffs they show now, but more like feathers made of transparent panels. They live for centuries so tend to have a more advanced culture, even if the species isn't as perfected."

  "Long life versus short generations," Luke explained. "Evolution happens quickly when you keep advancing. Think of watching bacteria evolve as compared to elephants."

  That made sense, but Sam's comment made me wonder about one thing. "What do you mean about the horns?" I gestured at each of them. "Where do they go?"

  Beside me, Nick ducked his head, but Sam didn't notice. "We stopped showing them here hundreds of years ago after the angels turned people against us."

  "Angels did that?" I looked at Luke, hoping he'd explain.

  Nick answered, his voice emotionless. "Angels started a propaganda war, but humans feared us before then. We're monsters, Sia, so we use aether to build a skin. A way to change our appearance to look more like you. Something easier to accept. Centuries ago, we didn't bother, but now? It's easier to fit in, so we alter our bodies in each realm."

  "If we're there enough," Sam added.

  Nick nodded slowly. "Death was my first attempt, and it only works in the corridors beside Earth. I wanted to make something less terrifying to humans so I could ease their suffering at the end, but I had no idea how complicated it would be. I only got the job half right."

  Sam grinned. "He lost a few bits but didn't change much else. That's why he uses a robe. The rest of us make an effort to put one on when we can, but we also don't reap quite as much. It also didn't take long before Angels figured out their own way of altering their appearance. Different technique, same end result."

  That was a little more than I could process right now, so I focused on what I could handle. "Where does the robe go when you aren't there?" I asked, keeping my eyes on Nick.

  "Same place aether goes." He shrugged. "It's just a framework that reorganizes the molecules. Some of it's from our own bodies, and the rest is taken from the environment around us."

  "Beam me up, Scotty," Luke teased. "Same idea, different method."

  "And I can do that?"

  Luke shook his head. "Not yet. Building skins is one of the most complex tasks any outworlder can do. Making bodies is easier for an aethersmith, making alterations to one is easier for an aetherweaver."

  "Aethersmith? Aetherweaver?"

  "Mage," Nick supplied. "Demon or angel. It's a lot less hocus pocus and a lot more physics and chemistry, but close enough from your perspective."

  "It's still an art form," Sam muttered. "I suck at it, Sienna. I have enough aethercraft to cross the veils, but I'm no magician."

  I turned to Luke. "What about you?"

  He winked. "Angel. Only demons do aethersmithing. We get different tricks."

  "You want to explain that?" His attitude annoyed me.

  Luke tapped at the side of his eye. "I can manipulate the aether inside a body, but not outside. It's called aetherweaving. In other words, I can give you mental suggestions, usually formed as a deal so your mind can accept it without losing its hold on sanity. That's how I got the reputation for corrupting souls."

  "Too soon," Nick muttered, glaring at Luke.

  They claimed to be eternal. They claimed that myths, legends, and religion were based on fact. They spoke as if they'd actually lived through history. That meant two things. Either they'd perfected this little ruse, or I was sitting across from a pair of demons and a fallen angel.

  "Your name isn't Luke, is it?" I clenched my hands in my lap, terrified of the answer.

  "It is now," he assured me.

  "Has it always been?" Silence had fallen over the table. All three of them watched me intently.

  Luke smiled. "That's not polite conversation for dinner, now is it?" The twist of his lips did nothing to hide the deviousness on his face. "Your toy doesn't like me, Nick."

  "That's because you're being an ass," Nick shot back. "You want her to know, then you tell her."

  "Like you wanted her to know what you did for her?" Luke asked.

  "I had no idea she could slip across the veil." Nick slapped his hand on the table. "None of us did. We had no idea she was a damned Muse."

  "But you hoped." Luke's eyes narrowed. "Why else were you so adamant we had to be there?"

  Nick refused to blink. "To find out why the veils were bending. Then that kid got mind-fucked by an angel. Luke, she touches aether, and don't tell me you didn't think the same thing! Why else didn't you just stop at draining that Malakim? You made sure he couldn't say a damned thing."

  "What the hell are y'all talking about!" I jumped to my feet, making them all look at me. My teeth were clenched tightly. I was sick of being told I couldn't ask, then listening to them taunt me with things they all seemed to take for granted.

  Sam propped his elbow on the back of his chair, his body completely relaxed. "Sit down, girl, and don't ask questions that you don't want answered."

  "Or what?"

  He lifted his chin. "Or we'll answer them."

  "Nick?" I turned to him, refusing to sit back down like I was just some obedient bitch. My body begged me to run out of the room and not stop until I'd made it home, but my mind demanded to know more. "What are you talking about?"

  Slowly, he raised his eyes, looking away from Luke and right at me. "I'm talking about why I helped you in that ga
s station."

  "What do you mean, mind-fucked by an angel?" I'd heard that phrase the night of my car accident. My throat felt dry, but I would not back down now.

  "Ask Luke."

  "Sit down," Luke told me, looking more amused than concerned. "We make deals so your mind can accept it. Would you like a demonstration?"

  Yes, but not from him. "Would I even remember it?"

  He smiled, one eyebrow rising. "I can make sure of that." Leaning forward, he rested his elbows on the table. "Look at me, Muse. Look into my eyes."

  "He won't hurt you," Nick promised.

  It was all I needed to hear. For some reason, I knew Nick wouldn't let me be hurt, even if I had nothing to base that on. Mostly, it was just that he'd been so insistent that they needed my help, and I couldn't do much if I was a vegetable. That's why I looked into Luke's eyes, noticing the catlike colors and nothing else. He stayed silent for a long moment, until I was completely transfixed.

  "I'm going to make you a deal." His voice was deep and warm, almost sultry. "You will thank me three times for such a wonderful dinner, and mean it. If you can do that, I will never harm you intentionally. You will remember this offer, but you won't be able to stop yourself from saying the words. Do you understand me, Sienna?"

  "Yeah."

  He nodded and blinked, breaking the spell. "Then do you have anything to say?"

  I wanted to prove him wrong, to show I was stronger than some cheap attempt at hypnotism, yet my mouth had a will of its own. "Thank you for dinner, Luke, it was amazing. I mean it. Thank you so much. If I hadn't come here tonight, I probably would've been stuck with mac and cheese again." I tried to bite my tongue, to make the words stop, but nothing could. "Seriously. It was really nice of you." I took a breath, but the last phrase tumbled over my lips. "Thank you."

  "You're welcome." Luke lifted his glass. "I believe we have a deal."

  "It's not a deal if I have no say in it!"

  He shrugged. "Not exactly, but I'll still hold my end of the bargain. That, though, is what Nick means by a mind-fuck. It's how angels work. We call it weaving. I make the aether in your body resonate with the goal I want, and there's pretty much nothing a human can do to stop it."

  I looked at Nick. "The guy that robbed the gas station?"