Bloody Angel: Book 3

Confusions

Copia awoke early Wednesday morning with a start, eyes opening to meet darkness. It was well before dawn, the sky still pitch outside and the fire they usually had low in the hearth had gone out at some point. He was breathing heavily, the fading edge of what he assumed was a nightmare slipping from his grasp as he relaxed back against his pillow.

“Just a dream,” he mumbled to himself in Italian while swiping a hand down his face, noticing with a slight wince how sweaty he was. Now that he was breathing easier, mind calmed he indeed felt warmer than usual. What had he been dreaming about?

Movement next to him made him jump again when a cool arm wrapped around his middle, his ears picking up mumbled sleep talk and when he recognized it he relaxed, pulling Annie closer. Tilting his head he placed a kiss to her hair before breathing her in. Flashes danced in his mind, unfocused images and flickering light. Sulfur strong in his nose followed by the most awful smell he could imagine but then in the next breath it was gone. It didn’t make sense.

Giving his head a shake he yawned and shifted to a comfortable position, still holding Annie close as he closed his eyes, but try as he might sleep was staying just out of his reach and the longer he laid there the more frustrated he became. He was exhausted, he knew that much. His body felt heavy, a faint familiar hum in his limbs as his breathing remained slow and even, yet he couldn’t dive off that ledge to sleep. With a resigned groan he carefully extracted himself from Annie’s arms, careful not to wake her, before standing with a stretch. Sure steps led him out of the dark bedroom and into the main area where he turned on the light by the couch before he walked to the kitchen. Kettle filled and set to boil he rummaged through the cabinet for a mug and a suitable tea opting for one of Annie’s blends, grateful he was a quick study as he carefully read the runic labels to make sure he didn’t grab something he didn’t want.

The kettle started to whistle and without thinking he waved his hand towards it and the fire underneath went out. It took him a moment to realize what just happened before he jumped over and shut the gas off, his eyes wide.

“What..?” He looked at his hand with a frown. He’d never done anything like that before. He could do spells and enchantments but only when he said an incantation, never just by willing it. Locks were one thing, he supposed, but to command the fire to extinguish?

Hand trembling he waved it towards the burners again, willing a fire to light like he’d seen Annie do many times but nothing happened aside from a slight tingle in his palm. Flexing his hand he took a deep breath and tried again. A column of fire erupted from all four burners with such an intensity he jumped back with a yelp and frantically waved his hand again and they extinguished.

“What the fuck..!” He lifted his hand to bring it to his forehead before stopping suddenly, staring wide eyed at his arm. His arm had changed resembling that of a ghoul, short but sharp black claws replaced his manicured nails, skin a dark gray towards his fingertips that lightened as it trailed up his arm. Waving his arm as though it would help a sound of distress escaped his throat as his arm remained the same. Panic was not something he felt often but the fire and now this change sent him into one. Mind racing, and noticing the color change slowly continue up his arm as he watched, he ran to the door, grabbing the throw blanket on his way to cover his bare torso and arms as he ran out and down the halls to the one place he thought he might get help. By the time he got to his destination he was breathing heavily and both his arms had changed.

“Aether!” He said loudly with urgency as he pounded on a thick wooden door in the ghouls hall. “Aether! I need you!”

He was frantic, about to rap on the door again when it opened quickly to reveal a half awake Aether fully unglamoured wearing only low slung sleep pants and a deeply worried expression.