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I stepped out of my second shower and towel dried my hair. I made sure not to wear one around my body as I stepped out and greeted Gabe who is leaning against my bookshelf. The light glow of his wings surrounded him as he stood in the dark.
“Big night?” he asked. I shrugged and looked at him lustfully.
“I wish something ‘bigger’ would find its way to me in the dark instead,” I said with a coy smile.
“You know the kill rate so far up to twenty-three,” he said with a distant tone. But I knew he was pulling away, trying to guard against me. Whatever we had between us was distracting for the both of us. But when I had him so close to me and my bed... well I didn’t want idle chit chat or talk about massacres.
“I don’t deal with the aftermath or politics. I was chasing after the Volv,” I said rubbing over my hair one more time before flinging it onto my bed. “What happened to Determee’?”
“Ask your Master,” he all but gritted. “I came to say goodbye.”
“How courteous of you,” I purred. “But I prefer saying goodbye through action and not words.” I prowled over to him. His eyes were distant as he stared at me and ground his teeth. The white of his knuckles grew tense as he physically held himself back from me.
“Just make sure you stay alive. If not, remember it will hurt me too,” he said tapping on his matching tattoo that linked our angel kiss. I considered him for some time still taking my not so cautious steps towards him. I looked up into the green of his eyes appreciating their majestic sharpness. His holiness crawled along my skin but it was no longer the bile that made me want to vomit. There was something alluring about him, perhaps the raw power that my own enjoyed to feed off. We would never see each other again. A part of me that I wanted to deny so fiercely, reacted poorly to that.
I studied the tattoos that were inked into his skin and saw the small one that linked him and me together. I was so curious as to hear the stories about the other ones.
“Why did you do it?” I asked. I didn’t care for sentiment. We were natural enemies. I felt as I asked him the question, I was asking myself why I jumped in front of him and took the fatal injury myself.
“I was indebted to you. A life for a life. My favor was returned,” he gritted out quickly which made it sound all too rehearsed. There was silence between us as I snaked my hand to trail against his forearm. He didn’t pull back from my touch and the push of his light and my darkness rubbing against one another was electrifying friction.
“But why did you really do it?” I asked locking my eyes with his again.
“I don’t know,” he admitted with hesitation. Suddenly the façade between us seemed very broken. The angel kiss ritual had pulled some shit stunt on us. It would constantly draw us in like this and I was glad to see it go. I wanted him to vanish so I wasn’t undermined by this uncomfortable pull.
“I’ll never be able to turn good,” I said to him without shame. We were on opposite sides of the spectrum. Our eyes might meet, and our bodies might react to one another but we could never fulfill one another. We were opposed in everything we did and stood for.
“It’s what I hate about you the most,” he admitted as he intertwined his fingers with my own. I looked down at our hands that shifted slightly within one another. Every movement was like tiny flecks of lightening on my skin.
“I hate how self-righteous you are,” I said with venom behind my words. He charmed a smile and a chuckle came out.
“Just don’t destroy the world. I hope that we don’t meet again, Vivian, but if we do, I dare say I’ll meet you in war,” he said seriously as he let go of my hand.
“Hopefully between each day we can sneak into one another’s camp and fuck. Slaughter and sex, you’ve just described my greatest fantasy.”
“But that would involve me taking you to bed. Which will never happen,” he said leaning in and kissing me on the forehead. The heat of his kiss seemed to sting and I twisted my face disgusted by the sweet moment.
He chuckled at my expression before stepping back.
“If you ever decide to, you know, hit the dark side and become badass, call me.” I said with a coy smile that only my succubus could produce. His eyes continued to linger on my own and dart over my body with an appraised smile as he turned and flew out of my room.
Hot and flustered once again. Fuck all of these men who wanted to have a bite but nothing more.
*
I walked into my wardrobe surprised to see an electronic box which needed to scan my finger to open. I sighed over the old text and leather-bound books. Although now gone and having tried to kill me, Alexa had left me one parting gift and in the form of text that I liked to read best from. She could’ve simply given me a chip to open in my computer but somehow this felt safer. I closed it again, assuring myself that I would soon read the information she had obtained for me after my request. This would help me piece together some information of the past for both Angel Boy and my master who I haven’t seen since he took his play toy to torture.
I walked over to my own safe slipping on my Trinity necklace. I transported to the place where I had been last standing in the sleek metallic and quiet city. This time I was not greeted by anyone but was given the luxury of walking in silence throughout the streets. It was obvious that housing began outwards and upwards. The buildings were impeccably tall, larger than those in Shabeah.
I made point to walk to the center. Behind it was a castle I was yet to explore. What grabbed my attention in the center that was empty and large was the slick egg like looking throne that was perched on stilts in front of me. I walked towards it assessing it. The open space in front of the throne might’ve been used for leisurely things. Dances, festivals, fights, offerings. Looking around I realized that there was not one speck of dust, no splatter of blood or remains of any life prints. The city was too clean. Curious to see if I might be able to dirty it, I walked over to one of the side shops and entered.
The door opened as a slick white screen for me. There were jars of liquid I have never seen before. Some were bright, others had creatures swimming in them. I took the one that looked closest to some kind of demon blood tapping it and watching gold flakes stir.
I walked back out to the center and looked at the clean floors. I held out the jar of blood and let it slip through my fingertips watching it smash on the ground. Blood splattered everywhere. As soon as the red began to dye the white, the floor beneath it liquefied and enveloped the blood, glass and remains of anything that tarnished the ground. In the blink of an eye nothing remained.
I looked around the city again, so that’s why it looked so clean. Despite it looking like war had found itself here. Somehow it automatically cleaned itself. As if the city had a mind of its own. I looked back to the throne that seemed to call out to me. Behind it was clear water that circulated in the air ornamentally with no vase. It simply rolled around, glittering a pale blue.
I walked up to the water tapping it. The water ruptured only for a moment before continuing its course. I looked back to my left to the throne that was stilted high. As soon as I got closer, one small platform rose in front of me. As I stepped on it, another appeared. White steps appeared in front of me as I reached the throne. I looked behind it at the castle.
I could explore that soon. But I was interested to see what the previous ruler might have watched from this very throne. There were only whispers of ghosts here and a barren land outside the wall. I was curious as to what demons had lived here. I twisted and sat on the throne surprised by its comfort. A shudder came over me as I grabbed both edges and rested my hands on the side.
I looked over the center square and further past the sleek buildings and a sun that glistened in the distance. There was nothing but barren land. And yet here, I could sense the power and life roll over me. Like something was whispering to me and something responded from inside.
I charmed a smile as I crossed one leg over the other. Somehow–this city felt like home.
Writing this made me not so scared.
