by Kyra Quinn
I knew better than to ask questions. A dull ache settled in my chest as I shuffled towards the door to fetch my shoes. For a split second, Remiel’s voice almost mirrored the tone Father had used to scold me about my studies or the importance of regular attendance to Temple. Any protest I raised would fall on deaf ears.
I wanted to ask Remiel if he resented me as well, if I might be better off on my own. I opened my mouth, but the words died in my throat. What would I do if he said yes? Where would I go with no money? I slipped my borrowed boots on without a word.
“Are you well?” he asked once we stepped out of our room and back into the hallway of the hostel. We scurried down the corridor and back out into the front lobby of the aged inn. Sunlight poured through the windows and softened the eerie mood of the interior. The hostel almost appeared welcoming.
“As much as I can be, I suppose. I don’t know what to make of what happened with Lady Gemma. Or how to explain any of what’s happened this week.”
Remiel gave an understanding nod. “Adjustments can be hard, especially when they are dramatic and unexpected. I am sorry things have been difficult for you. Viktor and I are doing all we can to help.”
A small sigh snuck past my lips as a surge of guilt seizing my chest. “I didn’t mean to sound ungrateful. I doubt I’d be alive without you and Viktor’s help. But I wish I didn’t need to rely on your kindness. This was not what I had in mind for my first year out on my own.”
Remiel chuckled. “You are not the first person to say that, though maybe the first in these unique circumstances. My point is, Viktor was right the other night. Life never turns out the way we expect it to. The sooner you learn to accept things, the sooner you won’t feel so distraught by the natural ebbs and flows of the world.”
I pursed my lips and chewed over his words as we stepped out of the hostel and into the morning sun. A gentle breeze brushed across my face as I ran a hand through my still-new haircut. The sun’s warmth tickled the back of my neck. As much as I wanted to hole up in the hostel and wait for Viktor to return, I swallowed back my complaints. After all, it was my back with a target on it.
The favorable weather seemed to draw half of Carramar into the streets. The closer we journeyed to the city’s center, the harder it became to move without bumping into someone. Conversations in foreign tongues filled the air like a harmonic melody. Unlike back home in Faomere, no one in Carramar moved with much urgency. Everyone around us appeared at ease with smiles as casual as their wardrobe. My stomach knotted. How could they be so pleased to live in contradiction to everything the gods demanded? Were none of them troubled by their inevitable eternal damnation?
“When we reach the library, I’ll require your help in tracking down another mage,” Remiel said without a glance my direction.
“How is a building full of books supposed to help us find a mage? I doubt they keep an encyclopedia of local witches on the front display.”
“Precisely why I brought you along. You will dig around and look for historical references of mages in the area. Predisposition to magic runs in families, even if it skips a few generations, so a name could help. In the meantime, I will ask the locals if they know of any witches in the area. We cannot take long inside, though. We are harder to track if we stay in motion.”
A groan of frustration escaped my lips before I could stop it. “Fine, but I see little point in any of this. We should be out there trying to stop these monsters before they kill anyone else.”
“Every war has its casualties.”
I’d heard that line before. I rooted my feet and locked eyes with him, my tone icy. “I never signed up for a war. Your angel buddies drafted me. Leave me alone. Find some other human to manipulate into fighting your battles.”
“Lili, wait. That isn’t fair—”
But I didn’t wait. I didn’t want to. I shoved Remiel out of my way and stormed down the cobbled street. Anger clouded my vision, my fists balled at my sides. To hell with the both of them. I could survive without their headaches. I’d have an easier time figuring things out on my own.
“Lili, stop!” Remiel’s voice yelled behind me.
I snickered. Of course he’d like me to stop. I could see it on his face when he found Viktor and I in the washroom together—he couldn’t stand not having control. I quickened my pace and pretended not to hear him. If I blocked out the pain I could keep walking until he gave up. He and Viktor had tired of me. They wouldn’t put much effort into dragging me back.
Wham! My body collided with what felt like a brick wall. I flew back onto the ground, tiny rocks scraping my hands. I groaned as I squinted to see what I’d run into. A pair of glowing red eyes stared back with a predatory grin. I opened my mouth and screamed as something tackled me to the ground.
Remiel knelt over me, the deepest scowl I’d ever seen glued to his mouth. “I told you to stop,” he growled as he rolled off me.
I apologized, but the words froze in my throat. At least six demons encircled us, indifferent to the broad daylight and witnesses. Sharpened horns sat on top of their heads as they stomped their hooves in unison. Their claws reached for us as they snarled. Red eyes surrounded us on every side. The closest monster grinned, his fangs a sharp crystal white.
“Imagine finding you here.” The beast chuckled. “I thought they captured you in Mulgrave.”
“They tried.” I rose to my feet and dusted myself off. “But as you can see, here I am.”
“Here you are,” he agreed. “That was your first mistake.”
I shot a glance at Remiel, but he remained motionless on the ground behind me. I nudged him with my foot and mumbled, “Now might be a good time for the whole fire sword trick, friend.”
“I would agree, if I had the sword.”
“Please tell me that’s your idea of a joke.”
The monsters continued to advance around us. My heart pounded so hard I thought it might burst. Sweat poured down my face in sheets as I tried to calculate a Plan B.
Remiel avoided my eyes as he stood, his mouth a thin line. “We had only planned to go to the library and back. I thought Viktor would be more likely to run into trouble, so I sent the sword with him.”
“Missssstake number twoooo,” he sang, now only a few feet away. “If you guess the third correctly, we might let you live, angel.”
“Leave him alone. Your issue is with me.”
The demon cackled. “That’s true. And it’s very generous of you to offer yourself in his place. But I think we’ll take both.”
Adrenaline rushed through me like a drug as I positioned myself between the leader of the pack and Remiel. The dark energy blossomed within me once more as I locked eyes on my target. I couldn’t take them all, not by myself. My eyes darted towards Remiel, but he appeared about as useful as a broken limb without his weapon. I cracked my neck and waited for the demon to pounce, feet locked into the ground beneath me. There was no chance I would win, but I refused to go down without a fight. If I had to die, that demon’s ugly smirk was coming with me.
A sharp scarlet light exploded through the sky like fireworks. The demons froze as if time had stopped moving. My breath caught in my throat. A cloaked figure moved through the dirt like a ghost.
“You only have one chance to run,” a soft, feminine voice said. A thick crimson cloak covered her body, the hood obscuring her features in shadows.
The beast snarled. “This is none of your concern.”
“You’re in my turf. That makes it my business.” The girl reached into her cloak and pulled out some sort of extravagant wooden stick. She had carved the top into the shape of a wolf’s open mouth, a ruby clutched between his jaws. She held the stave out in front of her body and locked her legs. “I warned you I wouldn’t ask twice.”
The demon didn’t have a chance to snark back. The girl pressed the tip of the ruby into her palm until the skin broke. She slammed the end of the stick into the ground in front of her. The dirt beneath our feet vibrated as if she’
d shaken the world itself. A neon light erupted from the ruby. The monsters shrieked in pain, but it was too late. Seconds later each of them exploded into puddles of black tar, burnt flesh perfuming the air.
With the demons reduced to a pile of goo, the girl placed the stave back into its hiding place. My hands shook as I reached for Remiel and dug my nails into his arm. How had she killed half a dozen demons in three seconds with a stick? And what did she want with me and Remiel?
“I trust you two can handle it from here?” she asked, her face still shrouded. Her voice sounded breathy, as if she’d killed them all by hand.
“Who are you?” Remiel asked. “What sort of magic did you use?”
“What a curious way to say thank you.”
“We appreciate you saving us,” I interrupted, unwilling to let Remiel’s pride ruin the opportunity for the both of us. Whatever she was, I wanted to know more. “I don’t think we could’ve survived that on our own.”
The cloak shook as she chuckled. “With the angel at half-power and your powers still unevolved? Not a chance.”
I blinked. “My powers?”
The girl reached for her hood and slid it down to her shoulders. A wicked smile lit her full lips. She wore her long hair braided down her back, strands of snow white and blue-black interwoven around each other. Thick, dark makeup encircled rich copper eyes. Only when she stepped closer did I realize how small she stood in stature.
“Don’t tell me you aren‘t aware of what you are,” she said, her voice laced with disbelief. “Or why those beasts want your head.”
My head felt light, my knees weak. Her words sent a wave of shock through my system. I stepped back, my stomach tight. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
The girl’s eyes darted around the open city streets. “Not here. There will be more where those knobs came from. Come, let’s talk somewhere safe.”
I held back from telling our new acquaintance there was no such thing as safe, at least not with me around. Remiel and I exchanged a look. Common sense told me it was a bad idea to follow a stranger to who-knows-where, but when her feet moved I followed. After all, I told myself, she’d risked her own life to save mine and Remiel’s. Why would she do that if she wanted me dead?
“Can we at least inquire your name?” Remiel followed behind me. I could tell from the tone of his voice he didn’t trust the situation, but I didn’t see a better alternative. Were it not for her magic stick the demons would have turned us into lunch.
“Aster,” she called over her shoulder. “Aster Morelli. And which fallen angel are you?”
“Cute.” Remiel scoffed. “Why is it every woman with combat training comes with a bad attitude built in?”
Before I knew what was happening, Aster whirled on Remiel in a flash. She stood on her tiptoes and pinned him to the side of a brick building, a small dagger released from her sleeve and pressed against his jugular. A coin-sized ruby adorned the handle, the tip sharp.
“Listen with care.” She dropped her voice low as she pushed the dagger into his flesh. “I don’t care if you’re a man, an angel, or a god. You will show me respect, or I will send you to join your demon pals in the void. Have I made myself clear?”
“Crystal.” Remiel hissed as if the word were poison on his tongue. “Now move the knife.”
The dagger disappeared back up Aster’s sleeve. The smile returned to her face. “I’m pleased we could reach an understanding. Let’s grab supper and converse. There’s a restaurant around the corner that makes the juiciest duck you’ve ever had in your life.”
I wrinkled my nose, grateful Aster couldn’t see me. Whatever powers she possessed were stronger than Remiel and I combined in our current conditions. The grimace etched into Remiel’s face told me he’d rather go back to the hostel, but I didn’t care. Whatever Aster was, she held the answers I’d been seeking since the day I turned eighteen.
Aster led us away from the more populated section of the city. The afternoon sun beat down on my scalp. We followed her through the narrow side streets, the noise of the marketplace fading the further we traveled. Fewer people walked along the roads, not a carriage in sight. Most of the brownstone buildings stood just as tall, but the weather damage to the exterior betrayed their older age.
“Right there.” Aster pointed to a three-story structure crammed between two smaller buildings. A trio of crows sat perched on top of the flat roof, the windows too murky to peer through. Exotic spices perfumed the air. My stomach grumbled as a whiff of garlic teased my nostrils.
Aster couldn’t pay me enough to eat in such a dump, but I followed her inside regardless. I paused and tried to remember the last time I’d sat down for a full meal. When the days added up, I shook my head and banished the thought. The human body coped with grief in incredible ways.
Aster led us to a square table in the back. She sank into the closest chair and snatched her menu from the table as Remiel and I joined her. Her slouched, relaxed posture was enough to make my blood boil. Even if she didn’t know everything Remiel and I did, how could she be so blasé after killing six demons with a stick?
“Stay away from the tea here,” she said. “Something about the leaves they use gives me jitters any time I drink it.”
“No offense, but neither of us give a damn about the tea,” Remiel said. “What do you know about Lilianna?”
Aster set her menu in front of her, her lips curled into a smirk. “In most ways, nothing. I didn’t even know her name until you said it. But what I know is more important than her name or birthday.”
“What is it?” Remiel demanded, his jaw tight. “We did not follow you here to play games.”
Aster’s eyes narrowed. “Let me remind you, I owe you nothing. I saved your life, not the other way around. You’re the one with the questions, and I’m the only one in this room with the answers. You’re in no position to have such a piss-poor demeanor.”
My chest tightened as Aster stood to leave. “Wait! Please, stay. Ignore him. There is so much I still want to ask you.”
Aster bit her lip. After a moment she nodded and slid back into her chair, her expression still dark. “All right. I have a few for you as well. Should I assume you’d like to go first?”
“If it’s okay. I’m confused what you meant back there about my powers. Last I heard, humans can’t use magic.”
“That’s only half true. I’m human, and you saw what I did to those demons back there.” A proud smirk split her face. “Besides, you aren’t human, so those rules don’t apply to you anyway.”
The world beneath my feet spun. Nausea gripped my stomach. Remiel asked a question next, but the pounding of my heart muffled the sound of his voice. I rose from my chair to flee, but I didn’t make it that far. The moment I stood, everything around me went dark.
*
I woke with my head in Aster’s lap. I blinked as the tiled ceiling above faded into view. Aster gazed down at me with concern, her forehead creased with worry. Her complexion smoothed as she let out a sigh of relief when our eyes met.
“Are you all right?” She brushed the hair away from my face. “Help her up, idiot.”
Remiel reached a hand down and pulled me to my feet. Only then did I notice the other patrons gawking at me from their tables. Heat rose from my neck to my face as I remembered where I was.
“I have to leave.” I shoved past Remiel and Aster and darted for the door, my head still groggy. Aster’s comments resounded through my mind, the impact of the floor not hard enough to erase them. Not human.
I paid no attention to the residents of Carramar as I tore down the road. Aster and Remiel flanked my sides within moments. Remiel’s expression was dark, Aster’s wrinkled with worry.
“Perhaps we should have eaten before our conversation. I didn’t think this all the way through.” Aster’s tone was as casual, as if we were discussing a late train instead of her bizarre revelation from moments before.
But I wasn’t in the spirit for quips
. “If I’m not human, what kind of monster am I?”
Her eyes flickered between me and Remiel. “Are you certain you want me to answer in his presence? I don’t know how he’ll react.”
A hollow laugh bubbled from my lips at the prospect of not trusting Remiel. As aloof and arrogant as he was, I couldn’t imagine a malicious bone in his body. Not after all we’d been through.
“Don’t fret about Remiel. He’s with me.” I tilted my chin. My voice sounded a thousand times more confident than I felt. I had to hope Aster couldn’t see the cracks in my armor.
“According to the laws of the universe, what you are is technically an abomination. Something forbidden by both the Gardens and the Shadowrealm. The lore says the last of your kind to set foot in Astryae all but demolished it.”
“Would you quit being vague?” I pleaded, no longer able to control my tongue. “What is wrong with me?”
But Remiel interrupted with a shudder. “That is preposterous. I knew her father. He was unremarkable. An average mortal.”
“Then I’d assume he wasn’t her true father.” Aster shrugged. “I’d be able to tell you more if I had my equipment. Anyone with the Sight can see her for what she is, though.”
“Which is what?” I stomped my foot into the dirt. My hand itched for a weapon of my own to brandish. Desperate for answers, my mind raced with ways to convince Aster to talk. Bribery? Threats? Begging? In the moment, nothing meant more than the truth of who—and what—I was.
“The technical classification is a camphelem.” Aster’s eyes locked on Remiel’s as she spoke. “In layman’s terms, you’re an angel/demon hybrid. With discipline, you may be one of the most formidable beings to ever set foot in Astryae.”
I sank to my knees on the ground. I gasped for air, my lungs suddenly inefficient. It couldn’t be true. It made little sense. I’d never aspired for power or conquest, just a simple life with the freedom to live how I chose. I’d have given damn near anything to remove my name from the endangered creatures list.
