Chapter 36.1
- Post author:Illise Montoya
- Post published:January 26, 2013
- Post category:CHAPTER 36/ELMIRYN/HAKEEM/NYX/PART 3: BLACKWOOD/QUINCY
- Post comments:0 Comments
NYX___________________________
The desire to shout Elmiryn down was there, for all of us, I thinkâbut inevitably we found ourselves more concerned with the task before us. Hard to ignore the chance of finally facing down the one who had put us all through hell, after all. My only concern was in how well the warrior could function. I wanted to ask her to give me the gourd, but I could already foresee the clash of wills that would be, and I needed all of that energy for the task before us. It was easy, being brave and saying I wouldnât let anything happen to Elle back in the blackwood. It was a wee bit harder at the actual threshold of the keep. After allâŠ
If there was one thing the Other Place had proven to me, it was that it had no exhaustible amount of terrible surprises to sling at us. Iâm not sure I could ever shake away some of the sights Iâd seen here, and I suspected I had many rough nights of sleep in the future. Would this challenge really be the last Iâd see? My fears seemed to stack up sometimes, swaying in the cold winds, and I was always stuck in the shadow of them, gulping down my courageâbecause things always tended to go wrong whenever I tried to doâŠanything. My lack of a family is probably my best example.
My confidence was like a rollercoaster. One moment Iâd be filled with purpose, the next Iâd be wringing my hands in doubt. I just wanted to do the right thing, and in such a dark and twisted halfway dimension, that became more and more distortedâŠespecially when we were all walking such fine lines between salvation and destruction. And the horrible part? Half the time that misfortune was wrought by our own hands. Elmirynâs drinking. My self-made monster.
Standing shoulder to shoulder, we came to the arched entrance of the castle keep. The looming structure, with its worn and mossy stone, its dark crenellations, and its many gazed windows seemed to bare down on us. The large double-door entrance was painted red, and had a smaller inset door to the right. We stopped before this, and exchanged looks.
In a weak attempt to bolster my courage, I tried to be blithe. âD-Do you suppose we knock?â At the looks I received, I resolved never to do that again. Ever.
Hakeem tried to pull it open by the handle. It didnât budge. âWe will have to break it down unless we can find another way in,â he remarked.
âFuck that,â Elmiryn snapped. The drink was clearly working for her. Maybe I needed to have some.
She stepped up to the door as she took another swig of drink. Her other hand twirled her sword. Quincy crossed her arms and said in the dryest voice possible, âWhat are you going to do? Belch at it?â
The warrior turned and squinted one eye. âUhâŠNo. I was going to bust it down.â She turned back, shaking her head. ââBelch at itââŠwhat a boob!â
Quincyâs face grew red. âI was being sarcaââ
âShh!â I hissed. âSweet Aelurus, weâre in a very dangerous place right now! Can we save this nonsense for later!?â
Elmiryn spoke, and as she did so, she raised her foot to kick the door. âThen letâs quit stalling and justââ
Before she could kick out, the door swung open with a faint creak. My mouth dropped and I took a step back. Elmiryn didnât move, her foot still in the air.
âOrrrâŠthat could happen,â she said insipidly.
I took another step back as my body trembled. âThis could be a trap!â
Quincy shook her head at me. âYou just ran through a field of evil spirits, but you canât walk through a door?â
My hackles rose. âSyria could be on the other side of it with some diabolical plan to turn our minds inside out! Sheâs done things like that before!â
âWell it isnât going to be very productive to just sit out here, now is it?â Elmiryn said. She had a jocular smile on her face, but I could see the way her head swayed ever so slightly on her neck as she turned to face the door. If she kept at that gourd, sheâd be slurring her words any minute now.
Just as she started to cross the threshold, I jumped forward and ripped the gourd from her hands. She was quick to try and take it back, like I knew she would be, and maybe if she were sober, she would have succeeded, but she wasnât. It only made me more certain that my bold move was in the right. Elmiryn had made the argument that she needed to keep drinking to stay functional. True, that her hands were looking steady now, but the warrior wouldnât be able to stop herself from going too far. I had to do something, and that wasnât going to be talking things out.
âNyx what the hell!?â she cried.
I didnât even stop to try and defend my actions. With a look that begged for understanding, I turned and fled through the door. I heard the others follow me, and was glad too, because the antechamber made my skin go cold.
The ceiling swirled in colors, bright and dark, cool and warm. As I stood beneath it, the yellow color on my skin began to rise up like liquid into the air. It floated up to join the colors on the ceiling. I shook my head slowly.
âWhat sort of sorcery is this?â I breathed.
âIt could be a more focused form of energy sorcery,â I heard Quincy murmur behind me. âThough Iâve never seen it exercised on light beforeâŠbarring Tonatiuh of course.â
I turned to look and there she was with Hakeem, holding a hand out to keep Elmiryn from trying to take the gourd back. The warrior glared at me, her expression speaking of betrayal, and I ducked my gaze.
Gods, she must think I donât trust her to control herself! Why canât she see that it isnât HER I donât trust, itâs her fae side?
Isnât that the same thing? Kali responded quietly.
Quincy met my eyes, and leaving Hakeem to ensure Elmiryn didnât do anything rash, she approached me with her hand held out. âGive the gourd here. I can keep it in my pouch.â
Grateful the source of conflict was being removed, I handed it to her and watched as she quickly slipped it into her magic pouch.
âJust how much can you hold in there?â I asked, my curiosity getting the better of me.
Quincy thought for a moment, then answered. âI think about as much as a two-floor mansion can, from floor to ceiling.â
My eyes went wide. Meanwhile, Elmiryn had stormed off to fume by herself, and Hakeem let her go. The antechamber wasnât that big, so she didnât go far.
âGods, how can it hold so much?â I exclaimed.
âWell, actually, thereâs a catch. Wizardry always has a catch. In the case of this pouch, I can only put in items that can fit through the four-inch wide opening. NextâŠthings tend to get lost in there. So itâs best to keep the stock low. The pouch may be able to hold as much as a mansion, but I can only get as much as my arm can reachâŠâ
Uncertain of what to say about all of this, I just nodded slowly. Wizardry was an odd professionâI knew this from my readingâand I couldnât help but wonder how anyone could find themselves practicing such an art. I mean, yes. I understand the appeal of having powers one would normally need to be born with. But wizards were a cutthroat lot, killing each other for their things, tomb raiding sacred sites, and battling magical beings on the off-chance that they may find some sort of treasure. Hakeem and Quincy both seemed very successful at it, given the number of artifacts they possessed. The average wizard only had one powerful artifact, and any number of common magicked items. In their case? From what I saw they were extraordinary, even for such an unusual practice.
We heard a door open and looked up to see Elmiryn pushing her way into the next room. I groaned and hurried after her, the wizards on my heels.
Wonderful. Sheâs mad, so now sheâs going to be reckless about this all.
The next room turned out to be a sort of sitting room, but it was flushed with papers and books. There was a sofa chair, an ornate rug, and some tables, but otherwise the room didnât have much else.
When we caught up to Elmiryn, I hissed, âElle, please donât rush off like that!â
âI heard something,â she replied in a steely tone.
I flinched and rubbed my arm. âElmiryn, listen. Iâm sorry, but I had to take the gourdââ
âShhhh!â She held a finger to my lips and I stopped. âDâyou hear that?â
I frowned, straining my ears. With my Twin back, my hearing had improved, but I heard nothing. I looked to the others and by their expressions they hadnât heard anything either.
My eyes returned to the woman, my forehead wrinkling. âElle, thereâs nothingââ
âThere!â She grabbed my shoulder, squeezing it painfully, and pointed at the empty chair.
Now my look was wary. âTheâŠchair?â
She didnât seem to hear me. Swaying a little bit, she walked to the chair, her boots clicking on the stone floor before they reached the carpet. With a graceless drop, the woman sat at the foot of the chair and gazed up, smiling.
My heart clenched.
Oh noâŠ
âE-Elmiryn?â I went to her side, and waved my hands in front of her face but she didnât look at me. She was fixated on something that only she could see.
When I looked to the wizards to ask them what we should do, I choked on my words.
Quincy had floated off to stare at a wall, muttering to herself, whilst Hakeem seemed to just fall asleep on his feet. I looked at them all in horror.
âThis was a trap!â
âNo. It wasnât.â
I screamed and turned to see Lethia Artaud standing in a doorway I hadnât noticed yet. From the way she stepped down to the floor, I assumed she came from a staircase. Clutching at my chest, I stared at her, robbed of words.
In a rush, memories came to meâlong and stretched from a route of time that didnât fit with my other memories. The one that stood out to me was the latest one. The one where I had stood and called Lethia a coward. How Iâd threatened to break her bones. The silence felt heavy. There had been many things in my head Iâd been keeping at bay, with Kaliâs help, so that we could survive the challenges before us. But this one broke forth like a flood, weakening me.
My eyes filled with tears and I ducked my head in shame. âLethiaâŠâ
She didnât say anything for a long time, leaving the colorful ceiling to echo back Quincyâs dazed mutterings.
âItâs not your fault,â she finally said.
My face crumpled. âIt isâŠIt is, and Iâm sorry! Thereâs so many things I regret, Lethia, I canât evenââ My voice cut off as my expression cleared and I blinked away my tears. Something had occurred to me. âWh-What are you doing here? Whereâs Syria?â
Lethiaâs oval-shaped face twitched as she looked down at her shoes, then back at me. âYou donât have to worry about her.â
âWhat? IâI donât understand. Who cast the Manus Dei?â
Lethia wrung her hands, her shoulders coming up around her ears. With tight lips, she mumbled, âI did.â
My eyes went wide. âIt wasâŠyou?â
âThatâs what I said.â
âButââ
âI was trying to buy some time. To think.â Her voice had gone tight, and I wasnât sure if she was angry somehow, or simply fighting back tears.
As such I proceeded with caution. âLethia, why are you here?â
Her green eyes fastened onto mine, and my heart leapt into my throat. The enchantress had the power to steal peopleâs thoughts by meeting their gaze. I looked away, feeling a little bad for my reaction, but more afraid of having my head emptied. Then I blinked.
âWaitâŠâ
Slowly, my eyes returned to Lethiaâs. âElmiryn said Syria had lied to you about your eyes. Have youâŠcontrolled your power then?â
Lethia thought for a moment. Then she shook her head. âNoâŠnot really. I still have wandering amnesia. Any given moment there is something I canât remember. But for a long time I didnât have my full power, so it wasnât so debilitating.â
I frowned at the girlâs tone and took a slow step back. âBut your power hasâŠcome back?â
She nodded once, and her gaze turned glassy. âYes.â
The silence returned. I breathed hard through my nose, my heart rate going fast. Lethia just stood there, her hands and arms limp at her sides, her head lolled to the right, her face blank. There was something off about all of this, and I could feel Kali pacing inside me as I tried to figure out just what the danger was.
If the Other Place had taken her power, how did she even get it back? Syria clearly had been trying to keep Lethia controlled, and she wouldnât have made the mistake of arming the girl with the very power that would free her. Lethia had only wanted to get away from this nightmare.
I took notice of the bandages on her armâŠ
âThis isnât a trap,â Lethia repeated suddenly, making me jump a little.
I raised an eyebrow. âIâm sorry?â
âI said this isnât a trap.â She reached a hand up and brushed her wavy wheat blonde hair back over her shoulder. âThis isâŠa last chance.â
My back tightened. âLethia, what is going on? Where is Syria? Why did you cast the Manus Dei?â Then I gasped and took another step back as something finally occurred to me. âYouâre working with Syria, arenât you?â
Lethia shook her head, an almost disappointed smirk on her face. âNoâŠâ
Now my confusion had doubled. âThen please explain to me what is happening! Why are the others not responding?â
âI put them in dream states,â the girl said with a shrug. She started to walk forward, and my fists clenched. âI just wanted to talk to you in private.â
âAbout what? Be straightforward with me, Lethia! Please!â
âStraightforwardâŠthatâs what you want?â She stopped just a few steps from me and Elmiryn. Her eyes flickered to the warrior, still dreamily focused on whatever it was that Lethia had tricked her mind into seeing. âOkay. I can be straightforward.â
Her green eyes locked onto mine again, and I could see her lower lip quake. âYou have to help me decide. Either I choose your side, and risk the chance of Izma killing me, or I choose her side, and risk the chance of you and Elmiryn killing me. Give me your arguments.â
I didnât know how to react at first. I stood staring at her, waiting for her to explain herself further, but the girl said nothing more. Up close, I could see now that her aloofness was really just an act to contain her numbing fear. Lethia was terrified, and she was asking for my help.
âI canâtâŠâ I shook my head, my look twisting up in incredulity. âWhat kind ofâ?â I grabbed my hair and took yet another step back. âLethia, what is this!? Some sort of sick game?â
âIt isnât a game,â and for the first time since sheâd walked into the room, her voice cracked. âThis is important. Life or death. But I canât decide until I hear all the arguments! Iâve already heard Izmaâs and nowââ
âWho is Izma!?â I screamed.
In a flash of recall, I answered my own question.
OooohâŠ. My little sum of somes is quite a something! Now my error is known. Come. Tell Izma what it was like to break the things she lovesâŠ
The memory came hard and fast, and a residual pain appeared deep inside in a place unreachableâlike my soul were being attackedâand I cringed, clutching my sides. When I caught my breath and managed to fight off the nightmare, my gaze crawled back to Lethia, who was staring at me wide-eyed now.
âYou know her, Nyx. You know her,â she whispered, and tears pooled into her gaze. âYou know she is chaos. You know she is powerful. And she has a hold on me, much as I try to resist it!â Her head tilted to the side and she smiled shakily. âBut I managed to convince herâŠthat I was not like Syria or Elmiryn. I am not a pet, or a toy. If I worked with her, it would have to be in my choosing. This gave me just enough time to decide whether to follow through or to try and fight herâŠbut youâve seen how powerful she is, Nyx!â The girl sobbed and shook her head. âIâm scared. If it were just a matter of dying, then I would gladly die, but it isnât so simple with her. Defying her and failingâŠI would suffer. Immensely. Y-You were right. I am a coward.â
Slowly I shook my head and with cautious steps I went to her. âNoâŠNo! Lethia, listen to me. You are not a coward!â
âDonât do thatâŠâ
âBut Lethiaââ
âNO!â The girl shoved me away, her gaze turning wild. âI have to decide, and I have to decide now. Will I fight her, or will I fight you? I need arguments for both sides. Pros and cons. IâŠâ She started wringing her hands again, her eyes trailing the room. âI canât do it myself.â
âBut why not!?â I cried. âYou know what Iâll say to you! Izma is evil! Sheâs an abomination and sheâs only going to use you for her own sick goals! And IâŠI thought we were friends? We fought together! Weâve confided in each other! Or do you really hate us that much??â
Lethia smiled at me brokenly. âI canât remember.â
My breathing hitched, and my look melted once more into shame. âIâŠoh noâŠof courseâŠâ
âI can remember that I liked you all, and I can remember certain recentâŠunpleasant things,â she whispered, her gaze going glassy again. âBut I donât rememberâŠus being together in our world. I donât know why I liked you, or even how deeply that feeling goes. For all I know, I couldâve just thought you were nice because you shared a piece of bread with me in passing.â
âBut even then, you could bring yourself to harm a stranger? The Lethia I knew wouldnât do that!â
âThe Lethia you knew is in the past.â She chuckled derisively. âSheâs forgotten. Literally. Izma is terrifying, yes. And she is just using me, I know. ButâŠshe has a plan, Nyx. To fix the world. To make it better.â
âAnd you believe her?â
âSyria did. Maybe I shouldâve trusted in her. I didnât have all the facts before. I didnâtâŠâ she trailed off, and I stared at her, wondering how these things could be coming out of Lethiaâs mouth.
Izma had a plan? In most cases, that would be referred to as world domination, if I wasnât mistaken. Why couldnât the girl see that? The Lethia I knew had a high moral code, and she not only expected others to behave honorably, but for herself to. The girl before me was almost alien in how she was rationalizingâ
âŠSweet AelurusâŠof course!
I didnât know why I didnât see it sooner. Lethia was hyper-rationalizing.
It was a common tactic by those placed under great distress to be able to compute what was happening around them. Iâd read it in some book, of course, so my knowledge was limited, but in extreme cases such thinking could lead to decisions that others would find reprehensible. The enchantress was possessed by a moral code, and I had mistakenly conflated that with someone who took things on faith. Lethia wasnât about blind faith. When she said she believed Syria was innocent of those murders in Albias, it was because the evidence hadnât added up to guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. As an enchanter, Lethia was also a scholar, and her mind functioned heavily on the process of scientific reason. If her amnesia was preventing her from remembering all of the possible arguments for why she should trust and work with us, then in her state of stress, Izmaâs arguments for âchanging the worldâ would seem much more appealing.
I had to change this, and I had a feeling I couldnât just put a vermagus spin on my Words and let the whole matter be done with. If I didnât want to fight Lethia, which was quickly turning out to be a very dangerous option, I was going to have to convince her it was better to fight Izma.
I rubbed at my face. âMy gods, I havenât debated like this since I was in erduk.â
Lethia took a breath, her shoulders shuddering. Glancing at me, she sidled past Elmiryn to sit in the sofa chair and crossed her legs. When she looked at me again, her expression was somber.
âIâm listening,â she murmured.
QUINCY________________________
âIâm listening.â
Quincyâs eyes narrowed as she took in Lethia, sitting in the sofa chair with her legs crossed. Her gaze crawled back over her shoulder. Her husband was standing near the door, swaying on the spot. Elmiryn was sitting in front of Lethia, grinning and nodding her head like a little girl listening to story time. And Nyx? She was off to the side, leafing through the stacks of papers on the tables, her eyes glazed.
The woman looked back to Lethia as she crossed her arms. âSo you want arguments, hmm?â
ELMIRYN_______________________
âWhat the hell dâya want me ta say?â Elmiryn snapped. âIzma is bad news. Even Meznik is afraid oâ her. And you wanna jesâ settle on some crackpot plan to fix the worldâs boo-boos!? Câmon kid, I thought you were smarter than that!â
Lethia shook her head. âIt isnât that simple, Elmiryn, and you know it. Izma and Meznik are cut from the same cloth. Are you telling me that the things heâs told you hasnât appealed to you at all?â
Elmirynâs eyes widened. âThe hell? Whatâre you⊠No. No. You got into my headâŠsaw thingsâŠâ
The girl just laughed. âCome on, Elmiryn. Remember what happened last time? We both know thatââ
HAKEEM________________________
ââWouldnât work.â Lethia finished.
Hakeem nodded, his fists on his hips. He glanced at the others. Quincy murmuring at the wall. Nyx leafing through the papers. Elmiryn sitting on the floor like a little girl. He turned his eyes back on the enchantress.
âThen why talk to me at all, if you know this charade will not work?â
Lethia shrugged. âBecause. I may be playing mind games with the others, but youâreâŠtoo shrewd. Iâll get bored manipulating everything. Iâd like to have at least one unfiltered conversation.â
The man rubbed at his mouth, his eyes returning to his wife. âSheâll see through this, you know. Sheâs good at picking up lies.â
âThat pearl earring of hers doesnât hurt either,â Lethia said with a wry smile. âI know Quincy is smart. Nyx and Elmiryn will get caught up chasing their own tails trying to sort out the logic. But Quincy? Iâll have to make her believe. And trust me, sheâll want to. Your wife may be attentive, and she may be intelligent, but when you live in reality like she does, you become prey to belief. Like how she chose to believe that her father and uncle were dead. Like how she chose to believe using the Morettis as bait against Syria was the right thing to do. Like how she chose to believe that she needed Tonatiuh to be strong. Did you know? Reality just amounts to all we can touch, smell, see, and hear. The sad fact isâŠall those senses we rely on is less than one-millionth of reality. The rest is just faith. So you seeâŠI wonât trick Quincy into buying the lie. Sheâll do that all by herself.â
Hakeemâs fists tightened and his eyes searched the girlâs face. âAnd I suppose I donât have that problem?â
âYou donât live in belief. You know that life is far beyond anything we can comprehend, and so you adapt. Youâve adapted all your life. Like how you became one with the Lycans. Itâs just what you do. Perhaps the only reason you havenât moved on with your life is because of your wife. Because she canât let things go, and sheâs the only thing you canât let goââ
âShut up.â Hakeemâs armor flared with power as he stood to his feet. âI thought we werenât playing any mind gamesâŠâ
Lethia gazed at him for a long time before shaking her head sadly. âYouâre right. Even the truth canât be trusted.â
Hakeem glared at the floor, his muscles tense beneath his armor. Finally, he bit out, âWhat is this all for? Why donât you and your master just kill us all?â
The girl bit her lip and wrung her hands. âI wasnât lying Hakeem, when I said I cast the Manus Dei. But I borrowed that spell from Syria, and that knowledge is gone. Even with my raw power, I canât control it like she could. It was just enough to defeat her in a moment of weakness. But youâre all determined to go home. Your mindscapes areâŠvast. Complicated. I may have the power, but I donât have the skill to keep you all under and talk to you separately like this.â
âIzmaâŠsheâs augmenting your powerâŠâ Hakeem said, his eyes widening. âSheâs the one really in control, isnât she? But that still doesnât tell me why sheâs doing this! What is her plan, Lethia?â
Lethiaâs voice was raspy when she spoke. âShe wants to know more about you all. She wants to see if she can turn some of you. Part of it is out of spite. She wants to anger Lacertli by taking away his new champion. She also wants to steal Meznikâs toy. A power play. But in the case of you and QuincyâŠitâs curiosity. She recognizes your origins. The kind of triumphs youâve achieved. The disasters youâve survived. She thinks it might be useful.â She turned her face away. âAnd in the end, it all just amuses her. Your death or cooperation donât really mean anything to her.â
âAnd you? Do you think sheâll spare you somehow?â
ââŠNo.â The girlâs face crumpled and she shook her head. âIâll be just like Syria. Just a thing to use and throw away.â
âSo why play along?â Hakeem asked angrily. âWhy do this to us?â
Lethia closed her eyes and tears slipped down her cheeks. âMy mind is so confused, Hakeem. You may think my choice is easyâŠbut it really isnât. You all have agendas, just like Izma does, and I have to know which side is best to follow. I have to decide where I can do the most good.â
âAnd how will you decide this with Izma puppeting you!?â the man half-shouted. âEven if you canât remember why you should trust us, you have got to know that Izma isnât the answer!â
âIzmaâŠshe isnâtâŠshe isnât in control all the time. Pleaseââ Hakeem started to speak, but Lethia stood, raising her hands. âPlease! Let me explain!â
Hakeem crossed his arms, scowling. âFine. But only because Iâm certain I canât kill you in thisâŠillusion youâve created.â
Lethia paled, but she moved past Elmiryn, daring a few steps closer. Wringing her hands, she started quickly. âIzmaâs game works like this. I am herâŠscreen. The field where sheâs conducting everything. Imagine that sheâs the controller, boosting my powers. But because sheâs boosting my enchantment, she can only appear to one of you at a time. Most of the time, youâll be speaking to me. Iâm not allowed to tell the others whatâs happening. She only allowed me to speak to you because she knew you wouldnât fall for it, and for that sheâs particularly interested in you. But the othersâŠwhat she intends to do is to pick their minds. Peel away the layers. Izma is an astral demon, meaning she can do a lot, but she still isnât a god. She doesnât know everything about us, just certain things. While she tries to fill in the blanks, sheâll be evaluating your worth and interest. If she likes what she seesâŠsheâll convert you. If she doesnâtâŠâ Lethiaâs voice trailed, but Hakeem didnât need her to finish.
He shook his head. âItâs a festival game. Hit the rodent when he peeks out from his hole. How can the others tell her apart from you?â
The girl shrugged helplessly. âDo you even know if Iâm here right now? Maybe Iâm Izma, just chatting you up. Judging your life.â
The man glared at her sidelong.
Lethia hugged herself and turned her body a quarter away, her chin tucking into her chest. âThatâs the game, Hakeem. The others all think theyâre only speaking to me, but at any given moment Izma can slip into my consciousness like I were a glove and just take over. If they can see itâs herâŠwellâŠthatâll be dangerous, but at least they have a chance to fight back. I donât like this either, but I have to know. I have to know what to do, and the only way I can do that is by talking to you all. One-on-one.â
âOnly itâs not,â Hakeem snarled.
Lethia covered her mouth with her hand, her head shaking. He could hear her stifled sobs.
The wizard clenched his fists, then released them. Then with an explosive yell, he struck out, an arc of gravitational power blowing a table apart and sending books and papers into the air. He felt powerless. He didnât want to feel powerless. He didnât want to sit waiting forâŠwhatever would happen.
For a long time, he stood panting through clenched teeth, his neck tight. Finally, he hissed, âThis isnât rightâŠthis is all just a lieâŠâ
Lethia let out a cold laugh, and Hakeem looked at her sharply.
The girl was gazing at him with dead eyes, and the man shuddered involuntarily.
âIzmaâŠâ he whispered, taking a step back.
The demon grinned at him, Lethiaâs green eyes glowing from the tainted presence.
âSilly, silly little time keeper. Donât you know? Hope is just the universeâs way of lying to you. Identity is just your way of lying to yourself. Love is your way of lying to each other. Little Lethia knew this. Perhaps I should show you?â
Hakeem couldnât help but flinch as the demon held up Lethiaâs hand and a ball of light appeared. The orb flew to him faster than he could retreat, and the manâs eyes widened at the scene he saw within the orbâs depths.
Izmaâs words gave way to music, and yet the man understood her meaning, as much as it repulsed him to do so.
âHope, identity, and loveâŠlook, little time keeper. Watch as these things die one by oneâŠâ the demon giggled.