Syndrome of Mortality

by Eden R. Souther

  Ravin let out a sigh. “Yeah, I do, but I’m off the day after.” He let his fingers drift over her hair. “Maybe that’s when we can go into town. Plus, that gives you an extra day to try to recover.” He wanted to encourage her, so that things would go well.

  “I’m going to sleep all day tomorrow,” she informed him. “No force of heaven or hell could get me out of bed.”

  “I wouldn’t dream of trying. You need that rest.” He wanted his girlfriend to have the most relaxing day in the world…. After all, they might have an answer for her soon: a cure for the mortality that plagued her. “Did you pick a movie that you wanted to watch?”

  In response, she shrugged as best she could. “Something with explosions.” That would be a nice relaxing way to wind down her over-exciting day. The serenity of an action movie would surely lull her to sleep. “Maybe we could watch that one with the tank. The one that Kaz likes a lot.”

  So what if it was nonstop thriller action? So what if the critics had called it one big boom? So what if yelling obscenities outweighed any dialog? So what if the quietest the orchestra played was a triple forte? Babies had their lullabies, Mischa had her ‘splodeys.’

  “That sounds like a great idea.” Ravin flipped on the holoscreen, and set it to the movie she requested. It was violent, chaotic, and absolutely endless fun.

  He couldn’t help but smile when it lulled her right into a deep sleep. She was an absolute treasure, and he wouldn’t have traded her for anything. Ravin’s heart was so full of joy. To see her at peace was a gift, but it was a pity that it could only come in her slept. He wanted to see her as she had been when they first met… not fading away as she was, now.

  Ravin closed his eyes and did something that he had sworn that he would never do again. For the first time in ages, he prayed. He prayed for Loviel to have good luck in Heaven, and for himself to have the same with Sin.

  The only thing for sure was that it was out of their hands once again.

  Chapter 17

  A warm breath escaped him as he rested on the ground. With all of his senses branching out, he could feel the intricate stonework for miles and miles. How long had it been since he had seen his home? Despite the anticipation, he did not open his eyes. Instead, he listened. Soft songs lifted in the distance and he knew every word.

  The Haelic tune had been one that he had wrote himself several tens of thousands of years ago. The memories came back to him in a flash: laying atop the Temple roof and warming his wings while singing his songs. Music had always been in his mind, since the first day he could remember. This had come as no surprise to anyone. His mother was the Angel of Lullabies and his father was the first tenor of the Angel Choir.

  Loviel’s place as the caretaker of the Hall of Music was a natural one. Though, due to his profession, he was kept from the temples. There had been much work to do, but he was setting it all aside to be on Eartha with Michelle. Though he had been named the Director of Heaven’s choir, being with the girl felt like his rightful place.

  She needed him. Heaven could and would sing on without him. There was a certain happiness that accompanied being a linked angel. Sure, he could have uprooted Michelle from her life as many angels did, but he refused. She was happy and her joy fueled his own. That was the first reason he had accepted the demon. Ravin had made Michelle happy.

  Of course, their own friendship had blossomed. It was something that Loviel deeply cherished.

  A soft flick of energy appeared next to him, followed by the sweet smell of lilies. Loviel knew without looking who had come to greet him.

  “My dear boy.” The voice roused Loviel, and finally he opened his eyes.

  Before him was a woman of exceptionally intense beauty and softness. Her eyes were like fields of marigolds and her sandy hair curled in perfect doll ringlets. The woman’s voice was a song of great comfort as she welcomed him home.

  Loviel stretched his wings and found himself standing proud. He reached out and pulled the short woman into a warm embrace. “Hello, Mother. I have missed you greatly.”

  With the gentlest of hands, she reached up and ran her fingers through Loviel’s hair, then cupped his cheek. Her lips were softer than any flower as she placed a kiss on his forehead. Her son had not been to the temples in longer years than she dared count.

  “You have been on Earth?” she questioned.

  “Eartha, yes.” He could not help but smile. Her age was showing. Lueliel had been alive long before Equilibrium. Her time began when Eve gave birth to her first child outside of Eden. That was a time when the Archaic of Heaven was around more. Since His brother had been chained away, the Great One had kept His voice still.

  Loviel held his mother close for a few moments before she moved away. A look of concern appeared on her face.

  “Loviel,” she said gently, “Why do I feel dark energy upon you? Is it true what they have said? Demia—”

  “Demias does not know the full story, Mother.” Loviel put his hands on her shoulders. He did not want to think of the rumors that must have been flying about. How could such a prestigious angel like himself be cavorting with a demon?

  While the Angels of Balance were the most accepting of the three heavenly sects, this did not mean they smiled fondly upon friendships with devil spawn. Loviel knew this, but still, he would not trade the friendship he had with Ravin for the approving eye of his peers.

  Lueliel tilted her head and held her son’s hand. “Then, what is the full story?”

  Beautiful warmth surrounded Loviel as he and his Mother walked hand in hand towards the center temples. Enthusiastically, he shared the tale of how he had come to walk on Eartha, and how he was now linked with a human girl who was as fierce as a lionheart.

  “They did say you stopped the rising of the Dark Angel.” Lueliel was very impressed. She was old enough to remember the Wars, though she had firmly disagreed with them. Most of the Balance Angels had. They felt rendering the Dark Angels extinct was the exact opposite of what her kind stood for.

  Alas, the war had been bloody and many lives had been lost. Not long after that, Loviel had been brought into the world. She stroked her son’s hair, causing him to lean on her. It was hard to be any less than proud of her boy, despite what the warriors of Demias said. Even though he was an adult by every standard, Loviel would always be her baby.

  “We stopped her from rising into evil hands,” Loviel corrected warmly. “Zier, Fenriel’s partner, wishes to free her.”

  “I know of whom you speak.” Lueliel inspected her son’s wings to ensure he had been caring for them properly. “Though, I knew him when he was much, much different.”

  “Before he Fell?” Loviel cocked his brow. While he knew that Zier at one point had been a Brother of the Sword, not much else was known to him about the fallen angel. Lovie felt that asking for details about Zier’s fall would not be a good idea. It was probably a sore subject. Loviel knew better than to prod the bear.

  Lueliel nodded. “Yes, dear. Though it is not my place to say.”

  The temples were beautiful this time of year. The clouds were swirling with thick pink stripes as the sky shimmered a rosy tint. The temperature was delightfully warm, yet a cool breeze offset any discomfort. Perfection is what many would call it. Loviel simply said ‘home’.

  He looked up and could see the central temple. It was where he would find Cleoph, the Exalted Mother. Only she could help Michelle.

  Since he was born an angel, Loviel knew only a small amount about the Exalt Academy. Humans were taken in from all over Eartha to begin their training from a very young age. There were many policies and rules to becoming an Exalt, and this fact worried him.

  In his mind’s eye, Loviel could imagine Michelle transcending into an Angel. She would have dark raven wings and enough strength to back up her wild personality. With her devotion and loyalty, he knew that Mischa would be able to be a great defender of Balance. Though any of sects could choose to take her into their ranks, Loviel would ma
ke sure she stayed close to home.

  He didn’t see her getting along well with Demias; maybe Bastion the Defender, but certainly not Demias. He was known for being strict as steel. Michelle’s wit would be her downfall. Cleoph on the other hand, would love Michelle. He knew that much.

  “You have great urgency in your heart, dear Lov. Is everything alright?” Lueliel asked in a delicate tone.

  At length, he shook his head. “The human girl I am linked with is unwell. She will die in very the near future if we cannot find how to save her.” Tears welled in the corner of his eyes. He was happier than he had ever been beside the girl. She filled a hole in him. To lose her would be by far the most devastating thing he had ever faced in his long, long life.

  A warm hand rested on his arm. “If anyone can help the girl, it will be Mother Cleoph.” Lueliel stopped walking and looked up at her son. “Go then and see her, but please, do not be a stranger. We miss you greatly.”

  Again, Loviel pulled his mother into a warm embrace. “I will see you soon. You should visit some time. I think you would love Eartha.”

  “I’m sure I would.” She smiled before soaring away.

  Loviel heaved a warm breath. It had been nice to see his mother: she had always been his biggest supporter in life. At one point, so had his brother, but that had been long ago. Their opinions on right and wrong differed greatly. While Loviel believed that there was a grey area in morality, Dristan, on the other hand, was a firm believer in the black and white.

  There was a reason Dristan was of the Sword and no longer of Balance. It only made sense, saying Dristan was the Angel of War Songs. While Loviel’s older brother had a beautiful voice, his songs were not ones that settled well on Lovie’s heart.

  While they looked similar in appearance, there was a hardness about Dristan that Loviel did not match. Then again, Dristan had been just a boy through the Wars. He had seen things that Loviel couldn’t imagine.

  When Loviel was young, Dristan taught him much about the Way of the Voice. As he looked around the temples, memories came flooding back. He could remember sitting in the trees of the winding garden, learning to sing. Dristan had been warm to the young Loviel.

  A melodic chuckle escaped Loviel as he began to climb the stairs to the central temple. What would his brother say about his current situation? Probably nothing polite. While his mother was understanding of his friendship with Ravin, he knew Dristan would not be. He could almost see the disapproving iron-grey eyes.

  Before him was a great pavilion, the exedra of the central temple. It was an open building with beautiful mosaic stonework depicting the Psalms of Balance. Silks hung from the open entryways and flowed in the gentle breeze. As he entered, a feeling of harmony rested in the center of his being.

  That harmony was soon shaken.

  “You are too soft with them, Cleoph,” came a voice harder than obsidian. “They need a strict hand to know where their boundaries lie.” The speaker was a tall angel with pure white wings. His white hair was short save for a single braid that wound from the base of his skull. His skin was fair and his eyes a deep red. A single scar carved from the peak of his left shoulder down across his heart and into the depths of his pristine white robes.

  As he approached, Loviel placed his hand on his heart and bowed his head in respect. “Lord Demias.” He turned his attention to the woman. “Exalted Mother Cleoph.”

  Immediately he could feel the hard gaze of Demias raking over him. It was cold and calculating. Loviel knew this look well: he was being measured and judged. Any weakness was being exposed. The calculating scan made Loviel shiver.

  “Demias, you know the work of young Loviel.” Cleoph was Demias’s opposite. She had a warm, sun-kissed complexion. Her eyes were the color of ripe juniper berries; the depths of those dark blue eyes were full of love and care. Long pale-blonde curls cascaded down her form, the tips of which were dyed a myriad of bright exciting colors. Her soft grey wings were dappled with specks of a color Loviel could only call sunshine. Her figure was delicate with curves that could have inspired Peter Paul Ruben’s paintings. Cleoph was a ray of sunshine, where Demias was the cloudy day.

  “I have heard them.” Demias’ tone was unimpressed. The bridge of his nose wrinkled with disgust. “I have also heard about your current predicament.”

  Loviel knew that he wasn’t talking about Michelle. No, he was speaking about Ravin. If the rumors had reached Loviel’s mother, there was no doubt it would have reached Demias’ ear. Lueliel lived quietly away from the gossip and speakings of others. Demias listened for the whispers of defamation.

  “What predicament?” Cleoph mused, her tone full of bounce. “The one where he saved us all from a Demon who wished to raise Fenriel?” Though her words were laced with kindness, there was a hint of cunning. She was just as powerful as the Angel of Heaven’s Sword, though in a different manner.

  Demias didn’t reply.

  “He is a hero,” Cleoph continued, taking the silence as her cue to speak. “Not only that, but he has the most wonderful of voices.”

  “And what say you about his friendliness with the demon?” Demias’ voice was near snarling.

  A sudden flicker of fire filled Cleoph’s deep blue gaze: her tone was biting. “You cannot judge those whose stories you have not read, Demias. It is not your place. You are not the Father. The Demon, Ravin, stood by Loviel against the threat, more so than any of your angels. Do not look down your nose at my people because they show compassion to others. Demons were created by our failure.”

  Loviel was stunned by her reaction. A part of him was relieved. Maybe there was hope after all. He had been worried that Ravin and Michelle’s relationship would have clouded Cleoph’s views, but clearly she was not overly biased.

  For a moment, Demias rested his hand on his sword. His eyes narrowed, and his muscles coiled. Tension filled the air between the two until he finally let out a breath. “Very well.” His stern gaze twisted to Loviel.

  A shiver rolled up Lovie’s spine. He had a feeling this wasn’t the last he would hear of this matter. Without another word, Demias vanished.

  “I hope I was not interrupting,” Loviel said gently. “I could have returned.”

  Cleoph shook her head and placed her hand on Lovie’s shoulder “Not at all, Zishna. I have not seen you in some time. I am sorry to hear about Michelle.”

  A smile came upon his face as she said the Haelic word for songbird. The air around them settled once again without the sharp presence of Demias. He let out a gentle sigh and together he and Cleoph began to walk. She led him down a set of spiral stairs that lead deeper into the cloud level. The air became quiet as they descended. The choir song softened in the distance until the only sound was that of the wind.

  “Is she why you have come?” Cleoph asked as they reached the bottom of the stairs. It was an open room with comfortable pillows scattered on the floor along with rugs. In the center was a Circle of Healing. It was a comfortable space.

  Loviel nodded. “She is. Due to her genetic condition, I am unable to heal her. Michelle gave up years of her life to ensure that peace continued. There is much she still has to live for, Exalted Mother. I believe her spirit can do much good.”

  “I know her soul well.” Cleoph sat in the circle and crossed her legs delicately. “This is not the first time I have seen it, and every time, it ends in pain.” Sadness clouded her gentle gaze as she looked up at Loviel.

  Carefully, he moved and sat in front of her. “I have read about Exalts. Michelle could be a wonderful angel. Would you please consider her amongst your ranks, Cleoph? I know it takes a lot of work and diligence, but she deserves it.”

  Cleoph was quiet as she thought. Loviel watched her and waited anxiously for her response. His wings flexed and his heart clenched. He felt like he was pleading for his own life. He would have given anything to ensure that his partner endured to see another day. After her screams of torture, he was desperate to make something work. Whether it wa
s being an Exalt or a Fellion, one had to be the answer.

  “And what does Ravin think about her becoming an Exalt?” Cleoph wondered aloud. “I have been keeping a close eye on the three of you after what happened last autumn. Surely, he has some issue to her becoming an Angel.”

  There was a look in Cleoph’s eye that Loviel couldn’t place. She knew more than she was saying, but about what, he did not know. There was a certain hint of grief, like rain clouds, in those dark blue eyes.

  “We are going to let her choose,” Loviel confessed. “He is speaking with an Archdemon to see about making her into a Fellion.” As much as he didn’t want to see Michelle turn into a Demon, if it kept her from the pain and suffering of Osteovitrum, he would do anything. Even if it severed their connection.

  Cleoph nodded slowly. “And how much do you know about Ravin?”

  The question came as a surprise to Loviel, though it was not unexpected. He gave a small shrug as he contemplated his words carefully. He had to appeal to her, make her know that the demon was good despite his race. “If I am to be honest,” he said tentatively, “I do not know much. His memories are long gone. What I do know is he has compassion. Ravin is a good man, and I would place my life on it.”

  “It makes me more glad than you can imagine to hear that.” Cleoph gave a sad smile. “I worry about my children.”

  “Michelle and I are safe with him,” Loviel insisted; his honey eyes rang strong with truth. He had a great amount of faith in Ravin. He had a big heart. Loviel would proudly admit that he and the demon were friends. He knew that there were seldom others who cared about humanity quite like Ravin did. He was a special man, one that Loviel believed in with his whole heart.

  Cleoph stood with a single flap of her beautiful wings. She turned and looked out into the horizon. For a few long moments, she was quiet with contemplation. At length, she sighed and nodded. “If it were my choice alone, Michelle would have a place amongst us. However, two of the three leaders must approve before an Exalt can be created.”