Syndrome of Mortality

by Eden R. Souther

  There it was again: mortality. Michelle’s immortality could cause Xinalist’s own life to end. “But you could keep her in line. You’re powerful enough to do that.”

  “Ravin, there’s no guarantee that changing her would fix her.” There it was: Ravin’s biggest fear. Xinalist didn’t stop there. “It’s a gamble, but if it doesn’t work, if she’s still sick, she would become a monster. Michelle would seek out blood, more and more of it to constantly heal her failing body until she left a trail of bodies into the sunset. She wouldn’t be able to stop herself, and she wouldn’t even know she was doing it. Her Id would be too powerful. All she would know is the need to survive.” Xina paused, his eyes scouring Ravin’s face.

  “Then, when that happens, I would be pulled before the Queen, and she would have both of our heads.” Xinalist laced his fingers together. “I want to help you Ravin, but I have my own concerns.” His vivid eyes darted to Ari’s room beside his. “I have to watch over Ari. It’s something that I swore to do. He’s gotten better in the past few decades, but he needs me. I can’t have two unpredictable charges under my wing.”

  “What the Hell are you talking about?” Ravin pressed, “What’s wrong with Ari?”

  A serious look flickered over Xina’s face. “I’m not at liberty to talk about that.” There was something so… militant about his deflection, it put Ravin on edge. “Plus,” Xina sighed, and returned to his laid-back expression, “it’s not my story to tell. But don’t expect to get it out of him either.”

  Ravin let out a frustrated sigh. “Fine. I get it. Thanks.” He ground his teeth. “I’ll just look elsewhere.”

  “I’m sorry.” Xina shook his head. “I wish I could help you.”

  “It’s fine,” Ravin responded. No. It wasn’t fine. He didn’t know what he was going to do now. Did he really have to listen to Sin? Was his only option to spend time with her? He would anyway, but… “I’m going to go watch over her.”

  Xina gave a sympathetic smile. “See you later”

  “See you.” Ravin stalked out of the room.

  He spied Ari on the couch. There was sadness in his periwinkle gaze, but he didn’t say anything.

  Ravin didn’t know what, but there was loss deeply ingrained in Ari. He also wasn’t sure why Xinalist had to keep his eye on Ari. Something told him that the two were related somehow. He didn’t take the time to ask. More than anything, he wanted to go back to Michelle.

  It only took a thought to return to Michelle’s dorm. He unlocked the door and took a step inside. The whole space was so warm, it was stifling.

  There wasn’t enough room in Michelle’s bed to join her comfortably so he fell onto the couch. His idea hadn’t panned out, but there had to be other options out there. He wouldn’t give up until Michelle was safe from the disease that haunted her.

  “So now you know,” a voice said from the opposite wall. Loviel stood, leaning against the surface. There was a clouded look in his honey-colored eyes.

  Ravin sat up and watched Loviel carefully. “I do.” His gaze sharpened to a razor’s edge. “Whose idea was it to lie to me?”

  “Hers, of course.” The angel looked over to the sleeping girl. He let out a long breath. “She made me swear not to tell anyone. Believe me, I wanted to.”

  Ravin shook his head and rested it on the back of the couch. “Of course it was…” He shook his head. “So, what are we supposed to do? We can’t let her die. I’m down for just about anything. Vampire won’t happen though, I already tried that.”

  Loviel crossed the room and sat beside Ravin. His face was impassive, though his eyes betrayed his deep emotions. He had been struggling with the silence for months. It was a relief that Ravin now knew. He hoped now something could be done, where he had been immobilized on his own.

  “I don’t know,” he admitted. “But with your assistance, we will find an answer.” At least, that was what he hoped.

  Ravin raked a hand through his hair. “We have to.” He wouldn’t allow Michelle’s mortality claim her. She had a whole lot of life ahead of her, and he wanted to ensure that she could experience everything. “We can’t lose her.”

  He felt a kinship with Loviel. They both had the same goal in mind, and together, they represented the combined forces of Heaven and Hell. Nothing could stop them.

  Or, so Ravin hoped.

  “I really fucked up today,” Ravin whispered. “I pushed her on this, so she lashed out about the fact that I almost ended her life. I was in such a state of shock I left her there… I came back, to make up for my mistake. But, I really fucked up.”

  “She seems to have forgiven you.” Loviel eyed Ravin. His bigger concern was the fact Michelle hadn’t called for his assistance. He had felt her emotions swirling, but she had made him promise not to stick his nose into her date.

  Loviel was beginning to regret accepting such promises. Due to his nature, he was unable to break his word. Especially not with Michelle.

  Ravin shook his head. “She was too embarrassed. She didn’t want you to know that things had gone poorly,” he admitted. “I thought you had a right to know, since we’re sharing everything now.”

  “Sharing is caring, or so I have heard.” Loviel nodded. “I’m glad it seems you two have made up. You bring her happiness.”

  “You’re a good friend Loviel.” Ravin flashed a forced grin. He took back every negative thing he’d thought of the angel in his rage. Well, most of them. He would withhold those until they’d achieved their goal. “She’s lucky to have an angel like you. I’m glad you’re here.” It felt like a lucky break to have an ally on his side.

  Loviel stood up and stretched his wings out. “I swear that I will stop at nothing to heal her. My word is unbroken.”

  Chapter 6

  When Michelle woke up the next morning, she found herself as stiff and sore as ever. The previous night had not done anything good for her bones. Standing around in the night’s chill was something she would put on her “do-not-do-again” list. She would probably circle it a few times and add a frowny face for emphasis.

  It hurt to stand up, but she knew she had to. Relief in the form of a pill called out to her. When her will power finally forced her out of bed, she became acutely aware of the smell of fresh donuts and coffee.

  Suddenly the perks of having a boyfriend were outweighing the cons. She could get used to waking up with breakfast waiting for her.

  “Look at you.” Michelle shuffled to the breakfast nook and took a seat. She grabbed her blue plastic medication organizer and popped open the little tab labeled, “Su”. The little orange pill went down with ease. With any luck, it would combat the immediate pain sooner rather than later.

  Once her medicine was ingested, she reached for the box of donuts. Her favorite waited within. Mind readers: they were handy on occasion.

  Raspberry oozed into her mouth. The fruit was perfectly partnered with the donut’s glaze. She licked her lips clean and looked around for Ravin, but he wasn’t in sight. The clock was flashing 11:42. She had slept in a bit. She couldn’t blame him for being bored and leaving.

  With a sip of the coffee, she realized that he had been there recently. It was still warm and fresh. The nutty aroma wafted up her nose. Hazelnut. Again, her favorite. Ravin was two for two. A content smile pulled across her face.

  As she finished breakfast, she could feel the pill taking effect. The throbbing turned into a dull pulse. That, on top of her sweet surprise, was shaping the morning into being a decent one. A part of her wished there was someone around to spend it with, but it was fine.

  Her to-do list for today was short, so, it was going to be a relaxing Sunday, like the Lord demanded.

  ‘Thanks for the donuts and coffee,” she messaged Ravin, then shoved her phone back into her baggy pockets.

  “You seem chipper this morning.” Loviel appeared in the seat beside her.

  If Michelle hadn’t been used to teleporting, she would have jumped out of her skin. With a polite smile,
she replied, “I am.”

  “So you are feeling okay?” Loviel returned the kind look. He especially liked it when Michelle was in a good mood. Due to their connection, the angel had a direct line to her emotions and feelings, as she did to his.

  Her legs were hurting; those were generally the worst from the pressures of standing. It had been suggested she use a wheelchair to offset the strain, but Michelle wouldn’t do it. Loviel had tried to talk her into it, but she had refused fervently. He had received quite a stern lecture to the suggestion. Michelle had said she wouldn’t be caught dead in an “infernal pity device.”

  There was a reason pride was a sin.

  “Yeah, I’m fine.” Michelle took another swig of the coffee. Warmth tickled through her belly. “Do you know where Ravin is?”

  “He wanted me to tell you that you are lazy and he had errands to run,” the angel responded with a matter-of-fact nod. Of course, he wouldn’t elaborate on what the errands where. Michelle wouldn’t like to know that he was going against her request to ‘just drop it’.

  Michelle chuckled before starting on her second donut. “Sounds like him,” she said through bites.

  She reached back into her pocket and fished out her holophone and flipped its screen on. There was a happy little envelope with the title “Ravin<3” above it. She felt a blush creep over her face. Jo must have messed with her phone before her date.

  The message flipped open and read. “Any time! I also forgive you for being a lazy bum ;P You deserved it today.”

  Another smile appeared on her face. She felt a stupid giggle escape before she could catch it. It had been years since she had had a partner of any kind. Now, it was someone that she had spent time with, someone she knew well. Ravin was only second in best-friend status to Jo.

  Now, he had his own special title. It was weird, surreal, a little gross, but amazing at the same time.

  “Yeah I do,” she replied, standing and giving her angel a half hug. Loviel kissed the top of her head, as he always did and gave her a warm golden grin.

  There was a pause before another message came through. “We could hang later, or something if you’d like?”

  “I would like that.” She moved back to her bed and sat on the edge. She reached to her side shelf and pulled out her holo-comp. There was one piece of business she had left to take care of before it was naps ahoy.

  She pressed her hand on the solid slab of the comp. A light switched on around her fingers and the machine made a happy chime. The screen loaded up in an instant. Michelle poked at an icon of a little camera being surrounded by a rainbow.

  A contact list appeared. There weren’t too many in the list, but the one she wanted to see was illuminated in green.

  Collin Neilson: Online.

  She clicked his name and the comp made a happy chime. A dial tone sounded, then a ring. Once. Twice. Click.

  An older man appeared on the screen. He had dark hair pulled back into a loose ponytail. A salt-and-pepper beard grew full on his face. Kind chocolate-colored eyes smiled back at her.

  “Michelle!” he greeted her happily. He then turned to face away from his camera. “Marie! Michelle is on!” In the background, there was a distant yell.

  “Hey Dad!” Michelle laughed and blew him a kiss. When she was young, she spent a lot of time with her father. He was home more often than her mother. That was due to the fact that he was a writer, so he had his office downstairs. It had been nice having a stay-at-home dad.

  From the stairs appeared a robust woman with strong motherly curves. She had chin-length wild auburn hair and bright blue eyes that would put oceans to shame. With her forefinger she pushed up the glasses on her nose. “Baby girl! What a surprise! Normally it’s Lia who calls us!”

  Michelle settled against her warm blanket. “Well, I have news.”

  “Oh lordy. Don’t tell me I’m a grandmother. I’m too young for that!” Marie gasped and placed her hand to her mouth. Amusement like the sun in her eyes.

  “No mom, I’m not pregnant.” Michelle could only roll her eyes. They knew very well that wasn’t the case. Her parents had a nasty habit of trying to embarrass her. It was all in good fun. Over the years, she had become mostly accustomed to it. She was just glad that Ravin wasn’t here to make it worse.

  He would love to partake in their mischief

  “What is it, honey?” her dad questioned. He was the more level-headed of the two.

  “Well.” Michelle needed to brace herself. She was giving ammunition to a pair of cannons. The moment they knew about her and Ravin, they would have a million questions. Most of them would have the power to turn her redder than the hottest of peppers. There was no way to prepare herself completely, so she decided to just spit it out. “I have a boyfriend.”

  Their cries of joy were immediate. Loud. Happy. “Hallelujah!”

  “Oh congratulations, sweetie,” Collin praised warmly.

  “It’s about time.” Marie on the other hand, complained. “I didn’t give you these hips so you can keep them to yourself.”

  “What’s his name?” her dad asked.

  “Is he cute?” her mother added.

  The questions were rapid-fire. Michelle could barely think of an answer before the next one arrived. Her mind must have been spinning because Loviel even peeked his head around the corner to make sure that she was okay.

  “Guys.” Michelle held up her hands. “One at a time. Please.”

  Her parents turned and locked eyes. A silent conversation passed between them. They were so in sync sometimes that it scared Michelle.

  “Name first,” they decided as a unit.

  Michelle let out a sigh. She was still smiling. It was nice to see them both so excited and full of life. When they weren’t picking on her, they were concerned for her health. Honestly, she preferred the former. It was easier to deal with bouts of embarrassment over soul-crushing worry.

  “It’s Ravin.” Michelle ran her hand through her short dark hair. It still had a bit of gel stuck in it from the night before. She was going to need a shower before she spent time with her—her mind paused at the thought—boyfriend.

  “Like, the demon, Ravin?” her father questioned.

  “Like the mega-hottie, Ravin?” her mother reiterated.

  Of course, since they had been becoming close friends, Michelle had shown her parents pictures of him. They already loved him due to the fact he had won over Lian’s trust, which was an impossible task for his kind.

  Michelle showed her parents a picture of them from her phone. They let out another round of strange happy parental noises. They were mostly unintelligible.

  “He’s a really good guy.” Michelle put her phone back in her pocket. She wouldn’t bring up their fight from last night. That was just asking for trouble. If she could help it at all, she would get out of the conversation before they brought up… her disease.

  As if they could sense she didn’t want to talk about, her mother spoke up. “So what does he think about your Osteovitrum?”

  Michelle bit her lip. “I mean, he isn’t a fan of it but…”

  “You’ve told him about it haven’t you?” Marie pressed.

  “Yes Mom, he knows.” The dull aching in Michelle’s leg started to flare, reflecting her aggravation. That only fueled her frustrated fire. Why couldn’t her Mother just leave it alone? No, she wasn’t capable of it. “It’s not like it’s an STD.” She crossed her arms.

  The offence pouring off her Mother was palpable. Michelle swore if she tried, she could have reached out and grabbed it.

  Michelle shifted again in her bed, and almost let out a curse. Her ribs let out a flash of pain, causing her to wince and grit her teeth. She knew she hadn’t been able to hide her expression well enough. Her parents both gasped. Great. Now she was going to get it.

  “Mischa!” Marie was placing her hands on the screen. “Have you been taking your medicines and going in for regular checkups?”

  “Yes,” Michelle lied. The
medicine part, maybe, but not the appointments. Every month, she was supposed to go in to get a shot that supposedly helped her bones stay intact. There wasn’t even a guarantee that the shots worked and afterwards, she always felt like shit for days.

  There was a reason she always seemed to forget when her appointments were.

  “Michelle Alexandria Neilson!” her mother threatened in her best-practiced parental tone. “You’re going to kill yourself at this rate.”

  The worst part about the whole conversation was the look in their eyes. Michelle couldn’t stand to see the fear and pain rolled up into one agonizing nugget. One day, they would have to bury her. Michelle hated that more than anything: the pain she was going to cause when she one day kicked the bucket.

  “I’m fine Mom. Better than ever,” she argued, though it wasn’t true at all.

  Marie called her out on it with ease. “Don’t you lie to me, young lady.” Her expert eyes studied her daughter's form in a fraction of a second. She noticed many things, like the thinning of Michelle’s legs and hips. She noticed the way Michelle was propped up against the wall in the least stressful way possible. She noticed the shallow breaths Michelle was taking to avoid putting pressure on her ribs. She noticed the slight sinking of her daughter’s face.

  “Just drop it, Mom, I don’t want to talk about it.” Michelle looked away from the camera and locked eyes with Loviel. The angel gave a sympathetic look in return.

  “You don’t get to decide when the conversation is over Michelle.” Collin’s tone was more gentle. “We just want what’s best for you.”

  “If you want what’s best for me, why don’t you put a shotgun to my head and get it over with?” The words came out faster than she could stop them. Silence fell down as her parents stared at her in horror.

  “See, what you want is what’s best for you.” Once they started falling out, she couldn’t keep the words in. “That’s what everyone wants. The treatments are miserable. The pain everywhere is miserable. I just want to have fun before I have a life sentence in a bed.”