Fallen Sparrow

I could hear the hum of music before the huge doors opened to reveal the bustling party. Elegant beings floated around the room, dancing and chatting amongst each other. As I entered, heads instinctively turned and gawked at the fact one of my kind had been allowed in. Mortes have superior skills, but we are treated in this community like lowly humans. Personally, I think they are ignorant or scared of us.

I made my way down the three steps to the dance floor, sharing a few seconds worth of a glance with Chaos, who was seducing a group of flustered women. I’m sure he’ll be taking one of them home tonight. It was strange. When we were intimate, he never took me to functions like this, but when I was trying to kill him, he didn’t seem to care.

People began to bounce around the dance floor as the music became more upbeat. I began to move my body too. Rolling my shoulders, I moved my hips in circles as my body dropped slightly. Two gripped my waist and pulled my back into a chest. “You can’t dance like that. Every man in here is about to pounce on you.” I pulled away and turned to find burning red eyes filled with lust. Gripping my arm, he held me close.

“Well, at least they’re all more of a man than you.”

“I truly have screwed up, haven’t I?”

I scoffed at his arrogance, “you murdered the man I love. Don’t forget that. You will never come back from that. I will never forgive you for that.” I watched his smile falter as if he’d forgotten what he’d done. Taking shaky breathes, I tried to push my emotions down. The image of Axel’s eyes as laid lifeless was still fresh in my memories. I pushed myself further into the crowds until everyone around me were just unfamiliar bodies moving against each other.

A stunning red dress caught my eye. It was a simple, halter neck that fell down at Satan’s feet. The bodice was bejewelled with clear crystals that faded gradually down the skirt. I needed her blood and it wasn’t going to be easy getting it without getting caught. I thought that maybe she’d be a little more understanding if I went for a less fatal area of the body.

Slipping the Angel’s feather from the garter around my thigh, I held it tightly. I could feel the edge sharply against my palm and fingers. The pain reminding me why I’m here. A quick swipe is all it would take.

I quickened my pace, making my way through the crowd while trying not to draw attention to myself. I zoned in on the target like the bullseye in a shooting range. The feather was cold. When I got too close, a guard put his hand up to divert me, but I snuck underneath. Before the guard could pull me back I sliced across the back of her dress. The material ripped and blood dripped from the wound immediately. Satan was mid-conversation with Death before, but was now as tense as stone. There was no scream of pain or even a wince. Looking back at the wound, dark veins had begun to sprout along it’s edges. The maze had covered her shoulders and arms too. In the space of a blink, her raging black holes were staring down at me while she gripped my throat tightly. I started to wheeze and gasped. Satan lifted me from the ground and just as I thought I was about to pass out, she dropped me. “Take her away NOW!” I only just heard her in my light-headedness. Something hard hit my head and the rest of my consciousness left me.

Fingertips glided along my cheek and my eyes fluttered open. I was met with soft eyes. I smiled, “I missed you.” Axel smiled softly back.

“I’m here now,” he reassured me.

I sat up abruptly with him still lying on the bed behind me. “But you shouldn’t be. I am curse when it comes to love. Someone always gets hurt.” I felt him move. I thought he was leaving until I felt a kiss on my shoulder. I took a quick intake of breath as my body tingled. The bed dipped behind me as he placed his legs either side of me and wrapped his arms around my waist. He was warm, like he always was. I tilted my head to give him more access. He tickled behind my ear and down my neck with the tip of his nose.

“I’m not going anywhere.”

BANG! I held my head in pain. BANG! It rattled my skull. I squeezed my eyes shut and covered my ears with my hand to muffle the sound. When I opened them, it was dark, cold and axel was gone. Salty tears fell on my cheeks.

“Are you crying because you regret what you did or that you got caught?” I heard a voice. It was feminine, but coarse. It was Satan, staring down at me from outside my cell. “I don’t understand. I’ve been told you’re a Mortema. Why would you kill the sister of your master?”

“I wasn’t trying to kill you and he was never my master,” I muttered.

“I believe her.” Both of our eye shot over to the corner, where I hadn’t seen Death standing. He was leaning against the wall opposite the bars of my cell with his arms crossed across his chest. Still dressed in his tailored suit, I noticed the silver stains on his cuffs where he’d tended to his sister’s wounds.

“She stabbed me, Death!” she accused me, “you saw it yourself.”

He left the wall and took a few steps closer. “Yes, I did. And I saw that she went for the legs. I trained her myself and I know if she wanted to kill you, she would have gone for something more fatal or at least attempted to do more damage.” Satan looked away from him for a few moments, thinking. She knew he was right. I was hoping she did. My muscles began to feel lighter. I was able to push myself from the floor. Satan’s gaze shot my way, “my little brother can defend you to the end of time, but you will still be punished for your crimes.” She came close to the bars and growled, “I don’t know what you’re playing at, but I will find out.” Then the door was slammed as she exited.

Death lingered without his sister. He pulled something from his pocket and placed it in my hands. It was a dagger with a burgundy stone in the centre of the handle. “What is this?” I saw his eyebrows clench together in confusion.

“It’s the blade you used.” The blood must have transformed the feather into the weapon I can use to kill a Blood knight.

“You know that was quite a stupid move.”

“An opportunity like that was not going to come around anytime soon and I needed to do it.

“Why?” He sounded almost angry.

“What’s her name?” I asked, “the blonde, that came into your office.”

“Melanie.” His lips twitched as he held back a smile.

“How would you feel if I murdered Melanie?” I said deadpan.

I could see the red mist coming out of his ears, his whole body tensed and his hands balled into fists. He shook with anger when he bellowed, “you will not touch her.”

I banged my fist on the bars, “that is exactly how I feel except it’s a million times worse because Axel is actually dead. And I’m going kill the man who did it.” His face immediately softened. I got as close to him as I could with the barrier in front of me, “so don’t get in my way.”

He didn’t reply. He understood. He went to exit, before I stopped him, “do me a favour and let word get to Lillian Cannon that I’m here.” Then he disappear though the door.