The Trials of Ruin and Longing

Revel

Revel situated himself on the neighboring roof as Lys prepped herself for the heist. He watched her check all her knives and tools were in place, her ruby red hair in tight double braids. Her suit made her head look like it was floating there in dark. He saw her clip the pin to the inside of her collar as she assessed the jewelry store one last time.

He had enchanted the pin himself, and made it so his own dark powers would cloak her. He had almost told her when she asked how he got it that he made it, but had decided against it with pain in his heart. Revel chewed on his cheek as he watched Lys. He wasn't sure how she would react to the deep well of power that he had, and telling her that he was powerful enough to completely cloak her seemed like bad timing right now.

Tomorrow. He would tell her tomorrow about everything.

"Revel! Get over here." Lys's voice yanked him out of his thoughts, her night-kissed vanilla scent washing over him. Revel smiled at her as he made his way to her.

"What's up, fireball?" Lys merely rolled her eyes at nickname but took his hand.

"I'm about ready to go down and get this done," Lys explained. "Promise me you'll stay safe."

"When am I anything but safe?" Revel joked, but the look on her face was still grim.

"I mean it. Promise me." Revel leaned his forehead on Lys's.

"I promise I'll stay safe." Lys face lightened a little, but not much.

"That makes me feel a little better about leaving you out here," Lys says, her grip on his hand tightening. "I still don't like it though."

"I'll be okay, you know that." Revel gestured to the store. "If anything, you should be promising me you'll stay safe." Lys sighed.

"I've done this a lot before. I'll be fine, you know that." She looked to where the moon hung in the sky. "I feel better than I did before, but I can't help but feel like something's wrong."

Revel kissed her forehead. "Everything will be alright. We're going to absolutely rock this job and we'll go home with jewels in our pockets. Sound good?" Lys nodded.

"I'm sorry. For everything."

"Don't be. Everything will be okay." Lys squeezed his hand one last time before letting go.

"I'll see you soon, Revel."

"You better, fireball." Lys smiled at him one last time before slipping over the edge.

Revel was watching the store when he noticed a shadow come around the back. He stood up quickly, hoping for Lys. Once he got a better view of the shadow, he realized that the shadow was too tall for Lys. His panic shot up as he watched the shadow place something on the back door. He began to climb over the edge as the shadow opened the door.

"Hey! What the hell are you doing!" Revel shouted at the shadow. The shadow jumped and took off. Revel jumped and as he hit the ground, the store went up in massive, screaming flames. Dread flooded through him like a bucket of cold water. A female scream came from the store.

Lys.

Lys was in there.

Revel roared as his feathered wings ripped from his back and his magic surged up, taking the form of a red smoke that crackled with black lighting. As rage and panic swelled up, he sprinted through the open back door. He felt the flames licking at his body and wings as he searched frantically for Lys. The flames and heat didn't bother him, but this could kill Lys since she was only half wraith.

"LYS!" He screamed her name. "LYS!"

"Revel." He whirled to the sound of her voice. Then he saw it. There was a huge roiling mass of darkness. Of dark impenetrable shadows.

"Lys!" Revel scrambled to her. "Fireball, please, you have to let me in." He was almost sobbing. "Fireball, please."

To his relief, the shadows wrapped around him too, and brushed against his own red smoky cloud with a welcoming purr. Lys was laying on the floor, her hair charred, with various burns all over her body. He grabbed her, looping an arm under her knees. He held her tight.

"You're safe. You're with me." His voice shook. "We're gonna get out of here. Okay? I promise." He flared his wings as he smashed a hole in the roof with a column of red smoke.

He didn't hesitate before shooting out of the hole and into the smoke-filled sky.