Celestial Matters

His laughter boomed out into the brisk breezes of the early morning.

It wasn't the laugh of someone who had heard a jest they found amusing. It was a peal of triumph.

He wasn't taking the news like I thought he would. I expected confusion, then comprehension. I expected to strike during that hesitation.

This was supposed to be my chance I tried to twist vigorously against the grip he had on my throat ... but I couldn't move. My legs swung uselessly in the air. I wanted to scream, but I didn't have enough air in my lungs to make a sound. Slowly his laughter died out and the clearing once again grew silent.

The breeze rumpled my red hair, and blew it into my eyes. I trembled slightly, suddenly cold. Being under this demon's control made me feel small ... powerless.

I looked down at his feet.

With my limited air I managed to whisper, "What's ... so funny?"

He chuckled again. With his free hand he placed a finger under my chin, and tilted my head up.

I gazed into his unholy eyes.

They were red. The color of blood ... the color of sin.

But that wasn't surprising, he was a creature born of sin to live in sin.

His cloak rustled gently in the dying airs of the early morning.

I tried to steel myself ... no matter how much he might wish to ... I still didn't think he would kill me if it would upset his precious Maria.

Devnikolus released my throat, and I tumbled to the ground.

The grass felt cool and was wet with dew. I just wanted to lay there ... for a while ... and forget about this foolish quest.

Devnikolus' melodious voice came from somewhere above my head. "That spell will keep you limp for quite some time little Angel ... long enough for me to explain why you should never have come here this night."

I moaned lightly on the ground.

"There there Cariel," he said mockingly. "All is not lost. You were correct about one assumption; I will not kill you ... even though you richly deserve it."

Devnikolus looked even more imposing from my place on the ground. His beautiful face and terrible red eyes were all I could focus on.

The demon waved a hand lazily across the air. Red light illuminated the nighttime darkness. I watched incredulously as a table and stiff backed aristocratic lawn chairs sparkled into existence.

He bent down, and reached under my armpits. He scooped me up gently, and deposited me on garden chair. I tried to order my body to lunge at him ... I had a knife hidden in my tunic ... he thought himself safe. If I could overcome his paralysis spell I could kill him ... I could win.

But my body was deaf to my commands.

All I could do was sit listlessly in the demon made chair.

I glanced over to the tiny inn. From its windows I saw the faint orange glow of a fire. Maria was in there. So close, and yet so far away. I could see the knight without a soul leaning against the door frame, his hand was on the pommel of his sword. He needn't have bothered. I was bested.

I wondered if I had ever stood a chance against this monster.

The demon prince sat down gracefully in his own chair. We stared at each other from across the tea table he had constructed. With a flick of his wrist red sparks once again glowed against the night's darkness. A white candles nestled in a black candelabra appeared. With a click of his fingers the wicks flared into life.

"This is all very dramatic don't you think?" I said sarcastically.

He paused, and considered me. No doubt he took in my ruffled red hair and grass stained tunic. My wards were designed to protect me from Dark magic. Not a tumble in a field.

"I thought you were her mother," he said suddenly.

I choked, "What?" I said.

He laughed. "Your relation to Maria," he explained, "I thought you would be her mother, not her sister."

I could feel something snap inside of me. If I had control of my body I would have slumped in my chair. "But you knew I was related to her?"

Devnikolus grinned, "It was the only conclusion that made sense," he said.

I raised an eyebrow, part of me had despaired ... the other half was curious.

He tapped the table impatiently, as if I was missing something unbearably obvious. "Out of all the Angels in heaven, you seemed the most interested in Maria's little predicament. You confronted her outside my cave. You should have taken her away then ... but I don't think your plans were thorough enough ... at that time you were probably just following orders."

I winced. That time outside the cave had been hard for me. My commander had ordered me to check on her, and make sure she wasn't ignorant ... but he gave me strict orders about taking her away.

I had cast an emotional block on myself for that meeting.

I told Maria about her heritage with perfect serenity ... I told her she had to be a slave.

I cried until it hurt when the spell wore off.

Tears began to pool in the bottom of my eyes. I hurriedly tried to blink them away. I refused to let Devnikolus see me cry.

The demon leaned forward, and extended a finger. He lightly brushed a tear from my cheek. I tried to flinch away ... but my arms fell to my sides. I choked back a sob. All my scheming undone ... this fight was a bad idea. I should have convinced Michael to let me have a Legionnaire or two.

Devnikolus settled back into his chair.

He looked at me curiously. He popped his tear stained finger into his mouth.

I closed my eyes.

"Look at me Cariel," he said harshly.

I shook my head slightly.

He sighed, "Stubborn Angel."

He talked down to me now ... but I could feel something wonderful happening.

I could feel my limbs loosening. The spell was losing power. If I could pretend to be immobilized, perhaps I could surprise him. The knife in my tunic was a comfortable weight.

Soon ... I thought to myself

-Devnik- The flame haired Angel was crying.

It had been a long time since I had my prey so neatly trapped as this. I was like a cat with its paw on a rat's tail. The chase was already over ... now it was time for that glorious in between time. The magnificent limbo that separates the battle of wills from the damning blow.

I was enjoying laying bear her pitiful scheming.

My immobilization spell was strong enough to last well into the dawn ... and by then I will have completed my task.

Still, I could not help but torment her.

I spoke again ... to once more rub salt in her wounds.

"When you came calling upon her a second time I imagine you were prepared. You had found a way to wrest control of her away from me? Perhaps by enlisting the help of a Greater Angel?"

Cariel closed her eyes and tilted her head down. Her hands flexed slightly.

She shouldn't be able to move that much...

Cariel cleared her throat, "Michael agreed to transfer the binding spell to Viriel."

I nodded. I hadn't known such a spell was transferable ... but the Aethling binding magic had started with Michael ... hence I imagine he knew its intricacies.

I watch the flame haired Angel closely for movement. Her pointer finger twitched again. Perhaps she was not as weak as I thought ... if my immobilization spell could not hold her for even such a paltry amount of time.

The candles flickered in the wind.

Cariel watched my face ... wondering perhaps if Michael's name meant something to me.

"Ah yes," I said smoothly. "High Lord Michael the Valiant, Archangel of the Center Sphere."

Cariel nodded impertinently, her silver eyes glimmering with hatred, "I take it you know of him?" she said scathingly.

I shrugged, "Only by reputation."

She smiled, "Then you know what kind of ire you provoke by refusing me my sister."

She looked so delicious sitting there, her red hair waving in the wind ... her silver eyes radiating hatred. The moonlight was kind to her skin ... its milky light set her face alight with gentle ivory tones.

I licked my lips before I could stop myself. I had grown to enjoy Angelic blood ... and I wondered what hers would taste like.

Cariel leaned forward slightly, another movement that my magic should have denied her.

"Give me my sister and I promise Michael will not harm you. Find some human to torture. Respect the Light as a worthy adversary, and vent your perverse desires elsewhere."

I couldn't help it ... laughter welled up in my chest, and spilled over.

An owl hooted indignantly at the noise and fluttered away from his perch ... in search of quieter tree tops.

"You must take me for a fool little Angel," I said between breaths. "You've come alone three times now. If Michael was going to come and help you fight personally ... he'd be here right now. If he thought this little quest was important enough, he would have sent Legionnaires with you."

Cariel sunk lower and lower into her chair. The bluff that had sparkled brightly in her eyes waned. I watched her fingers flex again. They trailed lightly over a slight bulge in her tunic.

I continued on mercilessly, "Not even Viriel, whom I hear was her original intended stands by you."

"At least he came through with the water," Cariel muttered, almost inaudibly.

I reached into my cloak pocket, and fingered the neck band. Jon coughed in the cold air. He still stood on the inn's threshold, ready to defend me should she get the better of me, or run with Maria should things become unsalvageable.

"Yes, Cariel..." I said softly, "Viriel was useful enough to trap me here with an underhanded trick ... but then he had to fly away to an assignment ... did he not?"

Cariel didn't answer. She continued to finger the bulge in her tunic. She was being careful not to move too much ... but any movement at all meant my spell no longer held her. The only reason she would remain seated ... would be to try and surprise me.

"In fact, I would wager that you are here between assignments yourself."

Cariel's mouth turned down into a snarl.

I found myself repressing my laughter again.

A silence descended upon us.

Jon audibly cleared his throat at his post on the inn's door. I glanced at him. In all actuality I would have preferred never having to have this confrontation ... despite how amusing talking with the red haired Angel was. A question emerged upon my mind...

"Cariel ... despite your current state of failure ... I do have some respect for you. You managed to track my movements ... right from the very beginning. I would like to ask you how."

"The imp," she said sullenly.

"The imp?" I repeated questionably.

Cariel nodded slightly ... then caught herself.

"Yes," she replied. "I was watching the cave after I talked with Maria. When you set that disgusting imp with the claws and the baby's body out I tracked it's movements ... and caught him."

My mind slowly made connections ... Turkik ... my bondservant. I had forgotten all about him ... I had sent him out to discover if Maria had been asked to spy on me.

Cariel leered at me for a brief moment. "I bested him and absorbed his knowledge of you. Imagine my delight when I discovered he had a summon spell placed on him."

I cringed slightly. A summon was a specific kind of spell. It allowed me to call whatever creature was possessed by the spell to my side magically at any time. But it created a link ... like a string attached from one person to another. It would be so easy to follow that link.

I looked upon the flame hair woman differently. She had proven time and time again her intelligence and her cunning.

She was employing her trickery even now. I knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that my paralysis spell had degraded completely ... her complacency was an act ... to catch me off guard.

It was another trap ... one that she would spring soon.

It wouldn't be much longer now.

She would try and surprise me with the weapon concealed in her tunic.

I would be ready.

-Maria- My frustration was mounting.

Seithi rei Seithi rei SEITHI REI Nothing ... the darkness spanned around me ... like a gaping chasm where forgotten things lived. I needed to see my Master ... I needed to see if he was alright.

Maybe the Angel had lied ... despite the fact that it should have been impossible. I gripped the chains around my wrists. Master loved me enough to chain me down ... I loved him enough not to let that stop me.

I was a member of the Light ... I had magic within me. I just had to find it.

Seithi rei Seithi rei Seithi rei ... I felt a tingle on the back of my neck. One lone blue spark briefly illuminated the all encompassing Darkness.

I focused on that spark. I had made that happen. Now I had to do it again. I turned my mind inward upon itself ... searching for more sparks ... more magic.

My consciousness bounced against a wall, deep inside my head. It was a weird sensation ... similar to attempting to recall a particularly elusive memory. I knew the power that I needed was just beyond this mental barrier ... but I couldn't pass ... I couldn't pass.

But I had to.

I gripped Master's chains even tighter, and threw myself utterly against the obstruction. Tears sprung to my eyes as I was repelled.

Again, I thought to myself.

Once more, I threw my being at the wall inside my mind. It caved slightly ... blue sparks jumped up against the darkness.

Once more Magic burst through the wall with the force of and intensity of thunder. Blue light poured into my consciousness. My fingers crackled with energy ... I felt more alive than I ever had before.

Cariel's words defined themselves in my head.

FREE ME! I shouted in the language of Angels.

The sparks around me seemed only too happy to oblige. Power rushed out of me with a woosh ... and went to work on my bindings. When the blue sparks touched the black manacles, a red light briefly flared.

I could sense how finely crafted they were. I could sense the magic and the intent that had willed them into being. They were so fine ... so delicate ... it was such a shame to destroy them.

A few half hearted red sparks jumped ... but they were quickly washed away by the sea of blue at my command.

With a sharp crack, the manacles dissipated, and turned to smoke.

I shifted my attention to my leg restraints, again taking the time to savor the craftsmanship of my Master. However, these too snapped easily under the onslaught of my previously untapped magic.