DARK FAÏZ Book 3: Dawn never keeps its promises

by Sandra L. Kiss

  "Then we both flew. So, do you remember?"

  Georgia opened her eyes with a pretty little smile and nodded shyly.

  "Thank you for taking good care of my wings, princess."

  The little girl went in her uncle's arms to curl up against him.

  "Condor always said they fit you perfectly," she confided in a whisper. "It's true, you look very handsome in them."

  Moved, he held her in his arms, thanking heaven that she was still alive. He then blew gently on her face and Georgia's eyelids closed gently to plunge into a sleep made, this time, of sweet and beautiful dreams. Although his magical powers were still awkward, Elijah was amazed at how quickly he regained his powers.

  "What do we do now?" asked Lexy, anxious.

  "Now that Georgia has been found, we absolutely must get Zoe and Faïz out of this hell," replied Asarys, looking at the ruined house in the distance.

  "We can't just leave Georgia here alone."

  "She's not alone," Masha replied, nodding at the car. "Agent Martinez is inside."

  Lexy sighed and turned her head towards Masha with a funny look on her face.

  "Are you mad or what?" she got carried away.

  "Lexy, stop!" Asarys interjected.

  "Where does that chick come from? Nobody knows this guy. We're not going to let her with him. You want Faïz to kill us when he gets out of here?"

  "Lexy!" grunted Asarys, grabbing her by the elbow to make her shut up.

  "Condor will stay with her," Elijah intervened before Masha had time to respond to her rival's attacks.

  Lexy raised her arms to the sky.

  "Better and better!" she exclaimed. "An invisible guy, well, come on. What's your idea, Asarys? To find the one-legged squirrel of the neighborhood?"

  Her friend whistled scornfully before adding:

  "Don't start, Lexy. You are..."

  "Stop!" Elijah shouted. "You are unmanageable. I've put up with you all these years, but that's over. We don't have time for this."

  The man looked up and began to call out to his friend with all his might.

  After a few seconds that seemed like an eternity, the small group saw a dazzling light floating over their heads before it came down near them. Elijah sighed:

  "Condor, will you please stop your ridiculous show!"

  Suddenly, a slim silhouette took shape before it was finally visible to everyone. A man, with silver hair and angelic features, presented himself to them with the most charismatic smile. This being, with an unreal appearance and a very personal charm, was dressed in a dress that glowed like a torch in the middle of the night.

  "I like to take care of my entrances," said the piercing Anhel.

  The girls, both taken aback and subjugated by the man in front of them, were unable to utter a single word.

  “What have you done with the ghosts?" Elijah asked, frowning.

  Condor bowed his head. Lexy squinted.

  "Oh, I like it when he does that," whispered the latter in Asarys's ear, who replied with a slight nudge.

  "I ate them, what a question!" answered Condor.

  Lexy mimed a gag of disgust.

  "You know how our people love these cravings."

  "Indeed, I had forgotten that," his friend replied.

  "Don't worry about it. You'll soon make it up to me. Our people will celebrate your return with this feast."

  Elijah put one hand behind his neck with some discomfort before continuing.

  "We need help, Condor. The Anhels must come and fight alongside the Sylphs."

  The angel with the too perfect features raised his shoulders. His joyful mood was gone. Upset, he twisted his mouth:

  "We are far superior to the Sylphs. We don't mix with this Earth-dwelling species."

  "That's not the point!"

  "Eli, under no circumstances can we interact with free will. We hunt ghosts for food and look after the balance between these two worlds. You, on the other hand, are still free to make your own choices. You have little time to intervene, but enough time to save your two friends still inside."

  "And how?!"

  Condor thought for a moment, then looked at the house.

  "Evil hasn't yet won this war, quite the contrary. Help yourself with the energy of all these prayers. They are often neglected here on earth and yet they are capable of performing many miracles."

  The young man turned his face to the sky and closed his eyes, as if to revel in the smell of a pleasant perfume. There was a brief silence before he added:

  "Come on, Eli. Focus. Let them get in your head."

  Elijah closed his eyes too. With great effort he emptied his mind and cut off his breathing until he heard only the vibrations of the earth. Little by little, distant songs came to him, forgotten melodious songs. An energy slowly entered his veins. It filled him, it repaired him. He reopened his eyes and contemplated, subjugated, the Milky Way, still holding the little girl firmly in his arms.

  "Do you see that?" he murmured, dominated by emotion.

  Lexy, Asarys and Masha looked up, but saw nothing but a stormy and ominous sky. Lexy opened her mouth to say a word, but Asarys stopped her. Indeed, Elijah was far too focused watching the little golden bubbles of light that rose in the night to shade the red and orange sky above him.

  "I can't see anything, can you?" Masha whispered, squinting to try to catch a glimpse of something.

  "Nothing either," replied Lexy, who turned around, face up.

  "What is it?" Asarys asked Condor.

  "He's seeing the soul of mankind. The prayers of every person on Earth. There's no greater sight for an Anhel. Only angels and celestial beings can see them."

  "OK, but can he hurry up a bit?" Lexy got annoyed and kept whispering. "I don't think the Maestro inside is doing his nails waiting for Eli to finish his mystical adoration."

  The young man couldn't help but sketch out a little smirk that the girls found irresistible at that moment.

  "Condor?" called Elijah, who had taken his eyes off this beautiful scene. "I'm ready!"

  “Then go, my friend. The prayers are with you. I'll look after your princess and your friends."

  The man delicately kissed Georgia's forehead before handing her over as gently as possible to Condor who folded his wings over her to protect her from the cool air and the still blowing wind. Elijah deployed his glittering elytra, full of grace, and now more powerful.

  14

  Kneeling on the ground, my eyes closed, I waited, determined, for Pavel to deliver his last blow that would then force me to keep my eyelids closed forever. The fake jewelry hadn't served as a decoy for very long. Suddenly, a draught came and shook my hair, weighed down by the amount of blood I was losing from my skull. I thought at that moment that it was all over for me. The fear of not knowing what was going on in the room forced me to slowly open my eyes again. Moved, I glued a hand over my mouth to prevent me from screaming.

  "You came back," I stammered, my voice trembling. "Georgia?"

  Elijah, with his back turned and his wings spread, was placed between Pavel and me like an impassable fortress.

  "Safe!" replied my friend without turning around.

  A mighty roar escaped from the monster's throat in front of him. The Maestro had just lost a battle. That first defeat made him angry. His fury rose inside him, as high as lightning. The air I missed was slowly returning to my lungs. Relieved, I felt the pain in my skull and slowly straightened myself up to stand upright. My gaze immediately fell upon Faïz who was seriously wounded, half buried under rubble of stones and bricks. The wall hadn't withstood the shock when his body was propelled against it.

  "Get Faïz back on his feet. I'm going to need him!" Elijah ordered me while he was still blocking the path between Pavel and me.

  The Maestro's exclamation resounded like thunder in the room.

  Without wasting a minute, I tried to get Faïz out of the rubble. His piercing gaze turned to Elijah. He detailed the scene in disbelief before coming back to
stab his eyes into mine, worried.

  "She's saved," I whispered to him with half a smile, my eyes shining. "Georgia's fine."

  This news gave him the energy to finish pulling himself out of the rubble, all by himself. Weakened, he grabbed my face in his hands and kissed the top of my head as if he could heal me.

  "As long as you and my daughter are safe, then nothing can stop my world from spinning."

  The look I gave him back answered for me, shouting how much I loved him.

  "It's time to end this fight," he said.

  After we got up, he opened his hand. In the hollow of it, the ruby lit up, ready to send the Maestro to hell. To my great surprise, he handed me the stone.

  "Only come when I call you. Don't move from here until I tell you. We must absolutely make him swallow it."

  I nodded to his stern and penetrating gaze. Fierce determination filled his fiery eyes. Faïz advanced in the direction of his rival while smiling coldly.

  "Athanasius?" he roared as he uttered the name in disgust. "Don't forget to say hello to the master of darkness for me."

  Pavel made the simulacrum of a beastly smile appear on his lips, scorning the man from all his height.

  "I think you will meet him before me," he answered in his cavernous and icy voice.

  I then saw this monster throw himself on Faïz, his features deformed by rage. I couldn't help shaking with all my body, looking for a stone, the biggest one there is, in the middle of the rubble. The dull sound of my friend's flapping wings made me abandon my idea and I decided to stay here like Faïz asked me. Elijah moved with demented vivacity. His energy, his essence, filled all the space. He stood between the two men. With his wing, he shattered Pavel's jaw and, for the first time, our rival retreated, wounded. His gaze still defied Faïz and the Anhel, but with less assurance. My friend unfolded his elytra and rose gently into the air. A second later, Elijah was with the Maestro. He struck him with his elbow. We heard the bones of the monster's face crack, wrenching an abominable cry from him. Faïz ran up and hit Pavel in the stomach, cutting off his breathing. Athanasius had lost some of his greatness, on his knees, head down. Faïz, beside himself, continued to strike him, weakening a little more this demonic being who now looked like an almost ordinary man.

  "The stone!" Elijah cried.

  Pavel let out an evil little laugh.

  "And how do you intend to do it, warrior of the sky?" he asked breathlessly. "I'll leave this body before I've even swallowed your damn rock."

  "You don't control the situation anymore, Athanasius. Let Mankind, these mortals, decide of your fate. I'm only their messenger after all, and guess what? They have a message for you."

  Elijah, still in the air, raised his arms to the sky and began to speak a language that I didn't recognize. With his eyes closed, he concentrated. His halo above his head, with abstract contours until now, turned into a distinct halo that reflected a bright white light.

  "What's happening to me?" roared Pavel, who suddenly tried to move but couldn't.

  It was as if the Anhel was putting enormous pressure on him to stop him. The monster's features decayed on his abominable face when he realized that his defeat was near. He curled up on himself and whispered incantations. Elijah's halo changed color and spread a golden veil around Pavel.

  "No!" Pavel shouted in pain. "No!"

  "Do you hear the singing, Athanasius? The first songs of the world. These prayers come from souls who still had faith. As long as mankind believe in the good, no demon, no God, can reign in their place, on Earth. They have a power within them that surpasses ours, and we envy them for it. Deep down, we envy these mortals for being more powerful than we are."

  Pavel collapsed to the ground, holding his head with his hands to prevent himself from seeing the imperceptible. Neither Faïz nor I heard anything but the dreadful groans that escaped from his body. Lying on the ground, he seemed to be suffering martyrdom. Small lights, like burning embers, began to glow around him. They came and settled all over his body and face. My friend's halo continued to shine. His halo captured an energy that spread through his beautiful wings.

  "Zoe?" Faïz called me.

  Adrenaline started coursing through my veins. I forgot the pain in my head and started to run towards Elijah.

  The screams of rage from the monster on the ground tried to push me away. His suffering pierced his so black eyes. Too busy watching Pavel strike me with his eyes and silently promising me that it wasn't over, I didn't feel Faïz take the ruby from my hands. The dark brown haired man leaned over Athanasius and with a violent punch almost knocked out his rival.

  "This is for my daughter!"

  Then he effortlessly opened Pavel's jaw to make him swallow the stone. Faïz then blocked his nose and mouth to force him to swallow it. A final knee kick in the belly forced the Maestro to capitulate.

  Elijah's feet touched the asphalt as Pavel's skull hit the ground. The light from his halo gradually diminished. Frozen, I could no longer hear anything around me. I saw without seeing, Faïz chain the body of our enemy. The ruby in him, the Maestro could no longer leave this human envelope. He was a prisoner inside. It was over. Exhausted, I fell to my knees. Exhausted from this war against evil, exhausted from the last five years, exhausted from crying so much over William's passing and all those other tearless sobs...

  I ran non-stop through the underground, in a hurry to get to the outside so I could hug my daughter. My heartbeat was squeezing my chest.

  My feet were treading the grass. In the distance, dawn was beginning to break. I filled my lungs with air. The sound of a car door caught my attention, then a second later, Asarys and Lexy were walking towards me, Georgia in their arms. I suffocated as my eyes filled with tears. It was with a heavy and relieved heart that I rushed towards them. With open arms, they welcomed me, overwhelmed with emotion.

  The elevator doors opened as I remembered the scene of my friends, my daughter and I getting together two weeks ago. Faïz was filling two glasses of red wine on the living room table. A background music was floating in the air. Behind him, the rather low light over the city indicated the end of the afternoon. When he saw me, he greeted me with a stunning smile. His shirt was as usual, rolled up over his forearms, and he was wearing dark jeans, perfectly cut. A Greek God wouldn't have been able to get close to his level, because I thought he was so beautiful with his elegance and natural presence. As I dropped my things in the hall, I felt his eyes following me.

  "You look good," I said as I walked towards him.

  "I can't complain. I'm sorry I missed your discharge last week. It was crazy with Barthey and Trac-Word distributing vaccines all over the world."

  "And New York," I added.

  He sighed. His eyes pierced me to my soul.

  "Yeah, and... New York," he said almost embarrassed.

  Now I stood in front of him, tilted my head slightly and managed to support his gaze.

  "How's Rachelle?"

  "She's fine!" replied Faïz with restrained anger. "You know I have to get my divorce finalized. Why these questions?"

  "And? Is it over? Are you ruined?"

  Half a smile appeared at the corner of his lips. He was trying to restrain himself from laughing.

  "Being poor doesn't scare me. Losing you, on the other hand..."

  I walked the distance between us and placed my forehead against his chest. His scent intoxicated me. He kissed my hair before wrapping his arms around my waist.

  "Two weeks without seeing you," I whispered. "It's been so long. I've missed you."

  "I missed you and Georgia, too."

  He shrugged my shoulders to get a better look at me.

  "I called you early this afternoon. Did you get my calls?"

  Uncomfortable, I cleared my throat before replying:

  "Yeah, uh... I went to visit Stephen."

  Faïz's instinct for ownership was awakened at that moment.

  "And this Martinez, whom you like so much to call by his fir
st name, was he so close to death that you didn't bother to answer me?"

  I crossed my arms and stepped aside. My mouth opened in protest, but nothing came out. Faïz began to walk around me like a lion around its prey. His eyes reproached me a thousand times.

  "Look, I didn't come here to argue, even less about Stephen."

  "Martinez!" he replied in a voice so low it sounded like a threat. "Stop calling him that."

  My lower back was now leaning against the table. Faïz, in front of me, placed his hands on each side of my body so as to imprison me with his arms like a vice. This closeness between us awakened memories. Moments of carnal complicity in the darkness and intimacy of our last night together, just before the terrible events. The wrinkled lines on his forehead echoed a certain anger, even if I perceived in his eyes a completely different emotion.

  "I went to see Agent Martinez to make sure he was OK. The girls and David were with me."

  My eyes scanned the room.

  "Are you trying to escape?" asked Faïz with a sly little grin at the corners of his mouth.

  "If that was what I wanted, it would have been done a long time ago," I replied confidently, taunting him with a raised eyebrow.

  He challenged me with a singular smile. I turned around sharply and escaped his grip by climbing up on the table and crawling across it. Suddenly, I felt the tablecloth slipping from under my hands. I turned my head and saw Faïz holding a piece of the cloth between his fingers. A triumphant hilarity cut his face. I started to accelerate, but it was too late. With a sharp jerk, he pulled the cloth towards him, spilling the glasses of red wine on the floor. I had just enough time to turn around before crashing into his chest, facing him. Fortunately, he softened the shock by receiving me as gently as possible. His arms embraced me gently but firmly.

  "Excuse me, you were saying?" he whispered in my ear.

  I shuddered. Faïz then released one of his arms to make his hand run against my calf, then on my thigh, stopping at the folds of my skirt. He moved his face away from mine to observe me. I then lost myself in his eyes filled with desire. His eyes moved to the side of my head to find the heavy wound that could still be seen. Suddenly his face hardened, as if frozen in marble. No, no, no, I didn't want to lose him now. I didn't want the darkness to steal that moment from me. My heart was racing.