Resurrection (Book Three of the Soul Forge series)

Everything hurt. The Soul Forge bit down on a groan when every muscle in his body screamed in protest at him setting his feet on the ground for the first time since waking up. His ribs throbbed, several of them obviously broken, and his body was marked with vivid cuts and bruises from the lashing of Cynthia’s whip.

He stood slowly, wincing at the pain of a likely fracture in his collar bone. His right leg felt unstable, throbbing steadily in time with his pulse, so he kept his weight on the left. He stretched his wings cautiously and gasped when fire seared through his chest, shooting down his spine and driving him to the ground.

“Yep, definitely broken,” he wheezed when Julian caught him, taking his weight before his knees could hit the hardwood floor. Even the careful stability of Julian's arms felt like someone was taking a hammer to his bones.

“You should stay in bed,” the Vampire insisted. “You can’t walk like this.”

“I need to see Ember. I have to tell Cain that Elda will wake up too.” Vel gritted his teeth and rose, feeling Sypher moving his aching legs right alongside him until he was standing. He kept his wings tucked in to avoid collapsing from the pain again.

Walking was difficult. The unsteady, agonising grinding of his ankle made it almost impossible to climb the spiral staircase without complaint, but he ascended slowly, one step at a time, until the shine of moonlight touched his skin.

Julian followed him, keeping Vel’s arm around his shoulders to take some of the weight off his damaged leg. Without the adrenaline of a fight to keep him going, every wound burned like he’d been branded.

But he’d been hurt worse before, so he carried on until he saw Ember and Cain curled up together in the middle of the cavernous space, bathing in the moonlight shining through the branches of the Calyx tree above. Ember lifted her head slowly, her beautiful eyes widening when she detected his scent. She stood to greet him, shaking out her wings and making a low chuffing sound deep in her throat.

“I’m so happy you’re okay,” the Soul Forge sighed, smiling when she let him lean against her head to support himself. “I’m sorry I put you through so much.”

I am just glad to see you alive, nirehni. She pushed her nose into his chest affectionately, careful not to hurt him. Though you are looking fragile. I expected you to be healed by now.

“So did I,” Sypher replied, his eyes rising to meet Cain’s as he moved to stand beside his mother. His relief soured when he thought of Elda laid in her bed. “I’m sorry that she’s not awake yet, but she will be soon.”

She is strong. I know she will wake when she is ready, the red dragon replied. You should have rested for longer before coming up here.

“I know,” Vel admitted. “But I had to make sure both of you were alright. I’m glad that you are.”

Come. Sit with me, nirehni, Ember requested gently. Perhaps resting here for a while will help you to heal.

The Soul Forge smiled faintly and nodded, allowing Julian to help him sit. The black dragon settled beside him, curling around him protectively.

“You seem to be unharmed now,” he remarked, running a hand gingerly over her scales. She purred contentedly, the sound vibrating through her large side in a soothing hum.

We heal quickly. She sniffed him. You smell different.

“Unless somebody gave me a sponge bath while I was out, I probably still smell like I walked through a city of corpses and fought an enhanced Witch,” he remarked.

It is not that. I cannot smell your magic.

“You could smell it before?”

Yes. Each magic type has a scent that dragons can detect. Neither of yours are present.

Vel frowned and snapped his fingers, brows raising when nothing happened. No spark appeared, no flame dancing in his palm. His shadows were silent, no longer whispering to him in a constant accompaniment.

“Hmm. You can’t smell it because it isn’t there," he realised.

“Is your magic locked away again?” Julian asked.

“No.” Vel looked down at his gloved hands, feeling Sypher looking through the same eyes in stunned silence. “No, I… I think I’m mortal.”

“You what?!” the Vampire gasped. “How can you be mortal?!”

“I don’t know.” He frowned, searching for the link between himself and the Spirits and finding nothing. All traces of his Soul Forge traits were gone.

That makes no sense, Ember replied. Both demons and Angels were immortal. You are not mortal, it is not possible.

“I don’t mean I’m going to age and die,” Sypher clarified. “But I think I can die like anyone else now. I think if something mortally wounds me, I won’t wake up.”

“So you have to just wait to heal naturally? Like a human would?” the Vampire asked.

“I assume so.”

In that case, you would be far safer in the Infirmary. You should go back down there to rest. I can carry you, if you’d like.

“I couldn’t climb onto your back if I tried,” Vel sighed. “Can you help me up, Jules?”

“Yeah, here.” Julian bent to loop an arm around him, carefully helping him back to his feet. Vel could feel the worried stares fixed on him, his skin prickling under the weight of them.

The walk back down to the Infirmary was excruciating and slow. By the time he was sat back against the pillows his whole body shook with exertion. Julian sank into the wooden chair beside him and frowned.

“Do you think it’s permanent?” he asked eventually.

“I don’t know.”

“This is bad, you know.”

“I know.”

“Really bad.”

Vel’s brow furrowed. “I know.”

“What if you stay mortal?”

“I’ll try not to die, I guess.” He looked over at Elda, her face serene as she slept peacefully, golden hair fanned out on her pillow. "I don't care what happens to me as long as Elda is okay."

"I care," Julian answered softly. "I care what happens to you. You're not allowed to touch a sword or throw a punch until your body is healed. I'll send for some healing salve and you can bathe in it every day, morning and night, if that's what it takes. But you're not doing a damn thing until you're healthy."

"Yes, sir," Vel replied archly, lips twitching at the corners.

"That cut on your face looks nasty," the Vampire remarked.

"Cut on my face?" Vel was exhausted, so it was Sypher who answered, raising his hand to touch his fingertips to a vivid wound slicing vertically through his right eyebrow and down past his cheekbone, ending on his chin. "Huh. The rest of me hurts so much that I didn't notice."

"You're lucky she didn't manage to catch you with Lazarus. The poison would probably kill you in your current state."

"Her weapon is dust and her Spirit has been returned to Aeon to accept his punishment for turning against his kind," Sypher answered simply. "She won't poison anyone else."

"What the fuck do we do, man?" Julian sighed, dropping his head into his hands. "A city. A whole damn city is gone. Malakai has found a way to taint the monoliths from within Shade. We're fucked."

"It's bad," Sypher agreed.

"Then what do we do? How do we stop it?"

The Soul Forge swallowed, his stomach churning uncomfortably. "I don't know yet, Jules." In that moment he was acutely aware of Yani's absence. The voice of faith and reason. The one to balance the scales against the weight of dread and fear. He blinked away tears, sucking in a deep breath that hurt his ribs. "I'll figure it out. Just give me time."

"I know you will." The Vampire nodded and got to his feet. "I'd better tell the others you're awake. When Gira isn't running back and forth moving storage boxes, he's pacing. It's infuriating."

"He does that when he's anxious. It'll pass," Sypher murmured, frowning down at his hands again. He heard Julian sigh and exit the room, leaving him alone with his thoughts.

The pain never let up, reminding him of the state Cynthia had left him in before she turned him against Nova. His magic had failed him then too, but it wasn't like this. Back then, he'd lost control of it and had been forced to seriously hurt himself before it would stop. It came back when he woke up again.

This time it was simply absent, an echoing emptiness lingering where the source of his power had once sat. It was strange to feel so weak. It left him questioning himself - what right did he have to make decisions that could harm a group of people he cared about when he was no longer strong enough to protect them?

The pity party is getting boring, light lover, Vel remarked. Yani would tell you to trust yourself.

"Yani's not here," Sypher mumbled back.

You're right, but I'm here. And I agree with him. Everyone needs us, Sy. We might not have the power we were born with. It might never come back, but our purpose is still the same. We have to help Elda stop Malakai.

"How do we do that with no power, Vel?"

Sypher felt the demon smirk. Now who the hell says we don't have power? We're the Soul Forge. We can survive anything. Screw the Spirits and their magic. We make the rules now.

For a moment, Sypher was stunned. And then he smiled. "I'm really glad you're here, Vel. I never realised how much I needed you until you were given the chance to exist just as you are."

I aim to please, he chuckled back. Now you'd better eat something and get some sleep. As soon as we're mobile again I'm working the crap out of this new mortal body.

“You’ve changed so much.”

Nah. My perspective has changed. I’m still the same asshole, now hurry up. I’m starving.

“Idiot,” Sypher snorted, but he reached for the glass of water and the bowl of fruit that had been left beside his bed on the off chance he woke up hungry and alone.

We haven’t eaten in a week and the first thing you choose is an apple? What’s wrong with the solenberries? Vel complained.

“Fine,” he conceded. “Since you’re being so amicable, I’ll have the berries. You’re so irritating when you’re in a good mood.”

The world falling apart around me is my sweet spot. Get used to it, feathers. In his mind, Sypher could see the demon grin. It helped to lift his malaise a little, his thoughts turning away from their bleak situation and his loss of power for a little while.

“Feathers?” he echoed.

What, you think these chicken wings come from me? These are all you, pretty boy.

Sypher couldn’t help it - he laughed. “Moron.”

You’re lost without me, the demon preened. It made the Angel happy to experience Vel in his natural state. His confidence was infectious.

“I am lost without you,” he admitted.

Well damn, you could at least make me work for it. You’re no fun when you just agree with me.

“I’ll bear that in mind,” Sypher responded with a wry smile, popping a solenberry into his mouth. It was tart and sweet, and it brought his attention to just how empty his stomach was.

“Talking to yourself is the first sign of madness,” a soft voice rasped, and the Soul Forge almost choked on his fruit. Elda sat up slowly and stretched like she’d just woken up from a wonderful nap, flashing him a perfect smile. “Hi.”