by M. D. Laird
“What’s happened?” she asked. He ignored her. “Where are you taking me?” she shouted. “Let me go.” The man said nothing. “I know what you are. Has an alchemist made a deal with you? Eternal rest in exchange for capturing my soul. He is deceiving you, you know. He can’t save you.” The man still said nothing. “You can only have a true death if you are returned to your body and your body has been dead for more than two thousand years.” Something flickered on the man’s face but still, he said nothing.
Eve could hear crashes behind them and felt the angels and demons pursuing them. How could she feel that? She had never felt them. Eve guessed that was because she had never been just her soul before. The man stopped when they arrived at a clearing. More people stood around, but one seemed to have more colour, more substance than the others. He looked ancient and carried a staff made from white ash. The staff had some kind of blue Anaxagorean crystal on the top of it, it moved fluidly and pulsed gently. He was an alchemist.
“Well done,” said the alchemist, grinning. “You are one step closer to peace.”
“He’s lying to you all,” Eve said. “You can’t find peace. Your bodies are dead—he is using you.”
“Quiet!” shouted the alchemist, his voice booming around her. A shield formed around her, and she was trapped.
“Her life force is too weak. She’s too far away, and something is blocking her,” the fae sorcerer said. “I can’t reach her.”
“Channel someone,” said Calab, “another sorcerer, me, anyone!”
“I can’t channel another’s magic. Nature won’t allow us such an increase of power.”
“So channel me,” Calab yelled. “Use my energy.”
“That could kill you.”
“Just do it,” he shouted. “Save her!” The sorcerer placed a hand over Calab’s heart. The fae’s hand felt hot against his skin as the heat left his body and passed to the sorcerer, Calab felt his body grow icy cold. His consciousness faltered, his eyes closed and he dropped towards the ground.
Eve felt pain ripple through her as something tore at her, pulling her towards the walls of the shield. She bit her lip to save from screaming—she would not show them she was afraid. The alchemist stood in front of her.
“I have waited so long for this moment,” said the alchemist, “but as much as the thought of you suffering for all eternity brings me happiness, I am not a cruel man. I will make you a deal, surrender the Crown to me and I will let you go back to your body. You can live your life, and when you die, you can go to Heaven. Refuse, and you will be banished to limbo—my friends here can tell you what that is like.”
“What did you promise them?” she asked, grimacing through the pain that was tearing through her head. “Did you promise them eternal rest? You know you can’t give them that. It’s the year 2013, their bodies died. They were burned or rotted a long time ago. You’re deceiving them.”
“Don’t listen to her,” the alchemist told the men who were beginning to shuffle restlessly. “She has no idea what I am capable of.”
Eve began to freeze. An icy cold—colder than she had ever known—tore through her body. The temperature of the cabin was a day on the beach in comparison. She smoothed her face as best she could and held her head. She would not let him know she was suffering. “I know you’re capable of deception.” She snarled through her chattering teeth. “You will stop at nothing to get the Crown. You used the custodian of the Crown and intended to kill him when he was of no further use. You wanted the other alchemists executed so you could have the Crown for yourself. You used the Elion to help you, and you promised you would give them the Crown, but that was another lie.”
“Ignore her,” said the alchemist. “These are lies.”
“Look at my clothes,” she said, indicating to the jeans and hooded top she had been given by Thalia that morning—she was glad that her soul appeared clothed. “Do they look like they belong in your time? Your bodies have been long dead. He cannot return you to them, and he cannot give you peace. He intends to banish you once he has the Crown.”
The men began to circle the alchemist who laughed maniacally. The crystal on the top of the alchemist’s staff began to glow a brighter blue—the men disappeared.
“Foolish girl,” said the alchemist, laughing. “They have already served their purpose.”
The pain was becoming excruciating and Eve felt herself being ripped apart against the shield. “You’ll never have the Crown,” she screamed.
“I will,” he said. “I can make you suffer unimaginable horrors. You’ll be begging me to take it from you. Give me the Crown.”
“Never!”
The alchemist’s staff began to glow once more. Eve felt like every nerve was on fire. She dropped to the ground as the fire burned through her and slammed her against the shield with such force that she felt everything was broken.
I am just my soul. I’m not in my body—he can’t break me.
That did nothing to make the pain any less real. Her mind filled with panic and she tried to imagine how long she could hold out.
“Had enough?” said the alchemist. “I’m only tickling you. I haven’t even started yet. Give me the Crown.”
“No!” Eve felt her soul warp and contort as the pain of a hundred shattered bones splintered through her. She could not hold back her scream that time.
“She should be right here,” said Captain Leliel of the Queen’s Guard. “I can sense her.”
The captain’s angel and demon brothers searched high and low, but could not find the queen’s soul. Terror filled him when he heard her scream.
“Where is she?” he shouted.
A black shape appeared from the trees and charged towards him and then through him, as though he was not even there.
“You can stop this, Your Majesty,” said the alchemist. “It’s just two little words: I surrender. It’s not hard. You don’t have to worry about your people; I will take good care of them.”
“Have three words: GO TO HELL,” Eve screamed. She begged Heaven or Hell to take her. She could not take any more. She wanted death. She wanted it to be over. Even the joyless, painless, lightless limbo sounded appealing. All she had to do was give him the Crown, and it would be over.
No! I cannot let this monster rule. I have to hold on. He will give up eventually. He has to sleep sometime.
She took a breath, at least, she tried to take a breath and found she did not need to breathe.
He does not have my body—the alliance has it. They will keep me safe. They will find me peace.
She curled into a ball and braced herself for another wave of pain when she saw a black shape pound the alchemist. The shield dropped.
“You found me,” she said as her consciousness faltered and everything went dark.
Calab opened his eyes to find himself lying on a hot marble floor. The familiar scent of sulphur filled his nostrils. He raised his head, and his eyes met those of Prince Asmodeus of the Highest Order. He quickly raised himself to a kneeling position.
“Master, my Prince,” he said with his head bent low.
“This is most unusual,” said Asmodeus, his deep voice rumbled through Calab and filled him with terror.
“Am I dead, my Prince?” asked Calab, trying to keep his voice calm.
“There is no precedent for what you are,” came the reply. Calab said nothing and maintained his position. He had only encountered the high prince on two occasions. The first was during the rebellion and the second when he was assigned his position as prince of the first order. He had never come to conflict with Hell, but their power was legendary. Calab presumed he would now be chained in Hell for all eternity and if that was to be his fate, then he did not want to make his punishment worse by angering Asmodeus. The high prince snarled. “Have you nothing to say?”
“Master, I gave my life to save the queen’s. If that is wrong, I will accept the consequences.”
“Why woul
d a demon make such a sacrifice?”
“I felt it was my duty to save her,” said Calab.
“Do you think me foolish, boy?” Asmodeus growled.
“No, my Prince.”
“Then why do you not speak the truth? Do you think that I hear nothing about the world above, that I am ignorant to all that occurs?”
“No, my Prince”
“THEN SPEAK, BOY!”
“I wanted to save her because I love her, my Prince. I love her, but I have not acted on my feelings. I have tried to turn her feelings away from me.”
“How is this possible?” snapped the high prince.
“I do not know, my Prince. I know that my feelings are true. I feel the pain that they bring and it is like venom to my heart and poisons my soul.”
“And you gave your life to save hers?”
“Yes, my Prince. I know it is wrong for a demon to love a human, but I will not be sorry for my actions. I will accept whatever punishment is due. I shall take the chains and the fire if that is my fate.”
“Have you learned nothing, boy?”
“I don’t know what you mean, my Prince.”
“Have you learned nothing of Hell?” Asmodeus growled. “Do you think Hell is filled with those who fell in love and sacrificed their lives for the ones they love?”
“No, Master, but I am a demon, surely the rules are different.”
“You are no demon of mine,” said Asmodeus slyly. “As demons, we were relieved of the ability to ever feel love and yet here you are—not only falling in love but having that love returned. You no longer belong with us, and you do not belong within my Hell.”
“Master, forgive me, but I don’t understand what you’re saying.”
“I’m saying that we have no place for you—not in Hell nor in our ranks.”
“Are you saying I have to leave the guild?”
“And the penny drops.”
“Master, if I may speak freely?”
“I am no longer your master.”
“High Prince,” said Calab, his voice panicked. “The guild is my home. It has been my life for thousands of years. Please, I will let you take away my feelings. I can’t leave the guild.”
“I do not have the power to rid you of your feelings. We have our good friends in Heaven to thank for that mercy.”
“Please, let me stay in the guild.” Calab pleaded. “I have commanded your guild for a long time, I can’t do anything else.”
“That is not my concern.”
“Please, Master. I have served you faithfully for an eternity. That must mean something.”
“You are trying to appeal to my better nature, and I have none. I see before me someone who no longer fits the bill for the head of my guild, and he has to go. Do you think I have not noticed that you have barely completed a day’s work in the last year? You have grown weak, boy. You are too much at war with your…feelings to have the strength to run my guild.”
“Where will I live?”
“Again, that is not my concern.”
“Will I be an angel again?”
“No, you have been cast out permanently. You will be a demon in body and soul, but you will no longer have affiliations with Hell.”
“Could I have children?”
“Only if you wish me to drag you chained to the infernal pit. The rule still applies.”
“Could I ask Heaven to take away my feelings?”
“Do what you like.” Asmodeus snarled. “But my decision is final.”
“I’m begging you to reconsider.”
“Not another word. Now leave!”
Calab opened his eyes and found himself once again bitterly cold and lying beside the queen. He leapt up and ignored the dizzying sensation that hit him.
“Did it work?” he asked.
“Yes, she’s unconscious but stable,” said the fae. Some of his brethren had joined the sorcerer, and all appeared drained. “We’re exhausted. We can’t hold a shield much longer. Do you have the strength to take her?”
“Yes, thank you,” said Calab, sitting up. He was relieved to find he still had functioning wings. He lifted the girl from the ground and still weak from the spell, he slowly took to the sky.
Calab arrived at the cabin. The journey had taken twice as long as the last time as he felt exhausted from the sorcerer’s spell. He lay the girl down on the bed and covered her with the woollen blanket. She slept for hours, and he stayed by her side keeping her warm.
He drifted in and out of consciousness as he recovered his own strength. His heart was heavy with concern for the girl and for his future which had just spiralled away from him.
What happened?
How could he possibly exist in this world without the guild? What was he supposed to do? Where was he supposed to live? It was true that he had not found his role easy of late, but he could make himself do it. He would make himself do it to stay in the guild. The guild was his home, and he did not want to be anywhere else. He wanted to stay there surrounded by his books and his men and follow his decree. How had it all gone so wrong so quickly? He could not let himself think about it.
Some of the Queen’s Guard arrived at the cabin and told him that they had found the alchemist in the mountains. He had appeared right before them having been knocked down by the queen’s horse. There were no wraiths with the alchemist, but the fae were still struggling to take down the ones that they had been fighting. The wraiths had had their defences enhanced somehow, and the fae were weak from shielding the queen. The demons and angels could not touch the wraiths—it was all down to the fae. More fae were on their way from the realm to take over, and Calab was to keep the queen hidden until the wraiths were gone. The Queen’s Guard monitored the cabin whilst Calab tried to sleep.
Calab looked down at the sleeping girl. Her hair was tangled and in need of washing. The curls fell upon her cheek, and he reached to brush them aside and tuck them gently behind her ear. He gave a small smile. She was a lovely thing, even with her messy hair and her pallor pale from her ordeal. Calab was torn between wanting to kiss her and wanting to get as far away from her as he could.
The first day he had carried her to the cabin, he had held her close to him and breathed in the scent of her. It had taken all of his might not to embrace her. He had left to get away from her, to get her out of his head for a few hours. His plan had backfired on his return. He had not considered the temperature and finding her freezing, he had taken her in his arms once more. He had not slept that night as he had tried to prise his thoughts away from the fact that he was laid in bed with the girl and now he was with her once more.
She opened her eyes. They were glazed and unfocused, but they met his. His breath faltered a little. He had never noticed the colour before. They were the deepest, darkest bluest eyes he had ever seen. They were beautiful. “I’m thirsty,” she croaked. He retrieved water from the rainwater collection set she had set up a few days ago. There was not much, but she managed a couple of mouthfuls. “What happened? How did I get here? Where is the alchemist?”
“The wraiths took you from your body. A fae sorcerer channelled me to bring you back.”
“They took me to an alchemist, he held me inside a shield. He tortured me to get me to surrender the Crown, but I wouldn’t give in, and then Aethon saved me.” The thought of her being tortured sickened him. He wanted to hold her but refrained.
“Your Majesty, you should rest.”
“I'm all right,” she said. “He was there—Queene Orrla was right—he found me. He knocked the alchemist down, and the shield dropped.”
Calab smiled. “That probably allowed the fae to bring you back. He said something was blocking you—he channelled me to pull you through it.”
“Everything went black when the shield dropped and then you went somewhere,” the queen said. “I was with you.” Calab felt himself stiffen.
That’s impossible; she could not have been ther
e! Please, don’t let her have heard what I said.
“It was probably a dream,” he said calmly, smoothing his voice to remove the tremble of fear he felt.
“It was like a dream. It was like I was connected to you, but I know it was real.”
“Try to sleep.”
“I know it was real, I heard everything.”
Please, just let it be a dream.
And what did you hear?” He tried to sound nonchalant,
“Everything you said to the high prince—was he Asmodeus? I heard you say that you gave your life for mine, is that true?”
Oh no! She does know everything.
“The sorcerer needed to channel me to bring you back, and it took my life,” he said plainly, keeping his voice calm, relaxed and devoid of panic.
“You gave your life to save me?” she asked, He shrugged but did not answer. There seemed little point in trying to hide his intentions when she had heard everything. “Thank you for saving me.” She smiled at him. He shrugged again and looked away from her piercing eyes. “I heard Asmodeus say you weren’t a demon and you have been relieved of your position. What will you do?”
“I don’t know. Maybe I’ll retire to a cottage somewhere.”
“You’ll think of something.”
My life will be miserable now, I can’t stand the thought of it.
“I wish I’d been made mortal,” he said. “I can’t bear an eternity like this.”
“You need to find a new purpose.”
Humans! Everything is so easy when it is another person’s problem. They are always trying to make people feel better by muttering some cliché.
“Like what?” he asked. “I have lost my title, my home, my employment, my position in Arkazatinia, my position in the quorum. I am nobody now.”
“You’ll always be a prince to me,” she said and kissed his cheek. He stiffened again.
Why does she do this? Can she not see I hate it!
The girl pulled away from him and looked irritated.