Rising

Chapter 12

As soon as I reached the point where our shields touched, I immediately noticed a small gap. Roughly estimating, I decided that the shot must have come from the center of the garden. The first thing that crossed my mind was wondering who could be so foolish as to attack in such an unprotected and hidden place within the estate. A rookie, I told myself. I descended to the ground, and when my feet touched the snow-covered ground, I shuddered. I doubted I had gone unnoticed; this time, whoever the attacker was, I couldn't let them get away. I released my broadsword and clasped my hands as if holding an egg, trying to gather all my concentration until a small light appeared exactly in the middle between the two."Find it and restrain it," I ordered, the sun knew what to look for.I retrieved my precious weapon, and it lifted me into the air, but I was shaken by a shiver.The climate was much colder than in Lys; tiny star-shaped snowflakes gently fell on my loose hair. I had goosebumps, wishing for something heavier to wear. The light rushed towards the mountains; I tried to stay as close to it as possible to keep warm, and suddenly it plummeted down among some boulders, turning into a rope. It had found him and probably already bound him. I leaned against a rock with my arms crossed, both troubled and amused by what I saw: the child from my dream was there, wearing a black cloak and struggling against my luminous cords in the snow. When he noticed me, his eyes widened. 

"Why?" I asked him.

"Why did you want to kill him but found a way to warn me? I'm not the seer; without you, I wouldn't have made it."I was sure that the dream was no coincidence; I had heard of people with minor powers, but I had never met any because they carefully hid their gifts for fear of being forcibly recruited by our army. The boy pressed his lips together, forming a disapproving grimace, but remained silent. I jumped down from the rock with my wings still glowing in the cold night; something else shone above me. Four pairs of feathered wings, all different: Caleb, Lucifer, Crystal, and Deimos. I stared at the latter, furious.

"Why the hell are you here? I told you to stay at the residence safely, not to recruit a mini-army!" I growled, reaching down to pick up the bow next to the boy. At first glance, it might have seemed rough, but it was well-crafted with very particular carvings on the back; the grip was golden and sparkled in the glow of my wings.

"You asked me to trust you, but what did you expect by shutting me out? Did you think I would watch you fly into the night without a clear reason?" His tone was filled with disappointment and bitterness. 

"Come on, little doves, this is not the time to argue!" Lucifer interjected. "Who is our little unwanted guest?" he asked me, pointing to the boy still lying on the ground with a distant gaze on the vast, cold expanse of white.

"Someone who somehow warned me that they wanted to kill one of you two, Lucifer," I replied, continuing to feel the wood of the bow with my fingertips."What are we waiting for to get rid of him?" Caleb muttered, approaching and grabbing him by the neck with force."So, what did you want to do, kid?" he challenged. I read terror on the boy's face, who had quickly averted his gaze from Caleb to look at me; he wouldn't speak, at least not in that way, I was certain."You won't answer?" he continued, tightening his grip as the boy's cheeks turned bright red, and his veins throbbed on his neck."Enough!" I snapped, pushing Caleb aside with a gesture, and everyone looked at me in astonishment. "This way, we won't get anything; he's harmless under my cords, chilled, and frightened. He's just a child, Caleb!""A child?" he yelled at me as he got up, brushing off the snow. "A child who tried to kill us and ruined my evening!" I found his childish statement nonsensical. If he had really wanted to kill us of his own accord, he wouldn't have ruined everything by warning me a few nights earlier. "I'll deal with him myself," I finally declared."He'll come to the palace with us tonight and stay as long as I deem necessary."I gave a glance, one that didn't allow for objections, to Deimos, who stared at me with crossed arms and an irritated expression, leaning against the rock. I felt my feet growing numb under that layer of compact white material that might seem beautiful and delicate on the surface, just as that child might seem guilty."I'm going home, you can stay," I said to Deimos, retrieving the sword and handing the bow to Lucifer."He had it with him; maybe tomorrow you'll be able to find the arrow."I took the child, who looked at me with gratitude; I could feel his teeth chattering, but I couldn't decide if it was from the cold or fear. I took flight, determined, and when I was already high in the sky, I remembered and turned back towards Crystal, who was the only one who hadn't shown disapproval for my choice, and shouted to her:"Good luck, Crys! I'll come back to see you in the coming days, I promise!" She shook her head, smiling at me. "I love your stubbornness, Lianne. I'll be waiting for you!" I smiled back as I disappeared into the cold night.It was morning, and I was glad to see that my feet had returned to their original color, abandoning the shade between red and violet they had taken on the night before. When I had returned home, I had settled the child in the room next to mine, offered him some clothes, and had him put to bed. At first, he had refused to talk to me. I grabbed a robe and sneaked into the hallway in search of Jan. I found him with his back turned, busy polishing a bust of the old governor in the corridor. "Pss," I whispered to him; he jumped, turning around in surprise."It's me," I reassured him. "I need a favor!"He nodded, smiling at me, and set the cloth he was holding on the bust, gesturing for me to continue. "I need you to bring me some chocolate chip cookies, some fruit, peaches maybe, and a cup of milk." He burst into hearty laughter, scrutinizing me from head to toe; I imagined I didn't look very serious in my plum-colored robe with my hair still disheveled."All right, Lianne, I'll bring them to your room in five minutes!" he replied, disappearing hastily down the stairs. I took the opportunity to go to my room and sit on the small chair in front of the dresser with the mirror, picked up the brush, quickly combed my hair, and washed my face. I grabbed a pair of faded jeans and a white T-shirt from the closet; I knew that Deimos would disapprove of my coarse attire, but I didn't care about his opinion.When Jan finally arrived, I rushed to the door, grabbing the tray that wobbled in my small hands, and nodded my thanks to him. He made a brief bow, as if imitating Mr. Abram, and headed back down the hallway chuckling so he could return to his usual duties. I, in turn, closed the door behind me and took a few steps to reach the white, less ornate door next to mine; I knocked, but there was no response, so I opened the door.The nameless child sat on the windowsill, just like in my dream, as he gazed entranced at the sun. I wasn't surprised; it was his first time, and I couldn't imagine the sensation of being in front of that big glowing ball, its rays of light warming and enveloping his face, illuminating the chaotic and confusing world around us. "A marvelous sight, isn't it?" He turned abruptly, with a surprised expression, as if I, too, were a new sight to behold. He scrutinized me with his large, unflinching eyes and nodded expressionlessly. All I could see in him was sadness and innocence, but above all, loneliness and emptiness; he reminded me of the Deimos I had met years ago, unhappy and melancholic, sitting in the vast green expanse outside the palace. I placed the tray in a corner on the desk and joined him, leaning against the windowsill with my forearms crossed. Both of us gazed beyond the mountains, lost in our thoughts. "I'm Lianne, and you?" I asked, trying to reassure him with a smile. He remained silent, and for a few minutes, the silence settled in the large room, which seemed bare compared to mine. "Cassiel," he finally replied; his voice was low and delicate, almost like that of a young girl. "Nice name," I responded."So, why didn't you run away? You could have done it tonight."I asked sincerely curious. He stared at me, the crimson shades of his eyes, which seemed even brighter in the scorching sun, etched into my mind."Because I have nowhere to go," his voice rose a notch, torn by a pain I couldn't yet understand. "Besides, your boyfriend, I doubt he would have let me escape unscathed."I chuckled; he was certainly sharp and much more mature than other children his age. 

"You're right," I observed. "I haven't thanked you yet." "For what?" "For helping me save that stubborn governor." A small smile appeared on his lips, giving him a more relaxed expression. He turned his gaze back outside, and I noticed many small white scars on his neck. I felt furious; I wondered how much abuse this creature had endured. "I've never seen anyone as bright as you!" he said, pulling me out of the grim thoughts that filled my mind.

"Are you him, the one?" he pointed to the sun high in the blue sky."I wouldn't say so," I dissuaded him. "I serve him, and the governor; I have more than others only his grace and power. Do you want to see?" I was ready to show him one of my low-grade tricks, which paled in comparison to Lucifer's, but I thought he would be content. The door swung open suddenly, revealing Deimos' furious face, staring at me from the doorway, his hand still on the handle. "Can I talk to you for a moment?" he barked. The child curled up, bringing his legs to his chest and hugging them with his arms; he seemed fragile, and I had the feeling he was trembling. I gently stroked his tousled hair, and I could see his eyes."Don't worry, he won't do anything to you, I'm here," I reassured him. "I brought you something to eat." I pointed to the tray I had placed. "I'll be back this afternoon, and I'll take you for a walk!" I promised, leaving him alone with himself. I approached Deimos, agitated, pushing him out of the room as I closed the door. I crossed my arms and began to nervously tap my foot intermittently, as if to urge him to conclude that mere spectacle he was about to bring down."What's on your mind?" he shouted so loudly that I jumped, seeing his hypocritical facade, filled with composure, melt in front of me. "I don't understand what you mean," I replied coolly, aiming my eyes, reduced to slits, at him almost like guns to the temple. "Have you sided with the enemy?" I laughed bitterly, and I looked him up and down: muscular, tall, strong, with power; intimidated by a child who had been handed a weapon without even being told how to use it. He didn't even seem like himself anymore; he was becoming more and more like his father, who unfortunately I had seen in our last trips, sour and heartless. I snorted."Are you afraid of a meter and forty for forty kg, oh immortal Deimos?" the irony in my voice and the barb I had just thrown straight at his heart caused him to spasm with anger. He clenched his hands into fists, gritting his perfect white teeth."You're as childish as ever." He had touched a sore spot; he knew how much I hated being called childish. I had never been able to afford to be a child; I could certainly pretend. Because of my father's death, because of him, and above all because of myself, I had never been childish or carefree."He's just a child, Deimos!" I yelled. "Just because they handed him a weapon and told him to kill us doesn't mean that was his intention, or at least, he wouldn't have warned me in his own way! You've become like your father, paranoid and heartless. Did you undergo a replacement in the night? Shame on you! He's just the sacrificial victim of his people; if you had observed him for even a second, you would have seen his impatience, not much different from yours. He has so many scars you can see on his exposed skin, who knows how many others are hidden by his clothes! You don't know anything about him, or even about yourself. You've become good only at shooting poisonous judgments and sentences. If you want, we can leave tonight, him and me. So you can feel safe, protected by a child who doesn't even know how to handle a bow, but still in danger from those who really want to get rid of you."I had been aggressive and lethal like him, still staring at me angrily, looking for something to counter, but apparently he couldn't find valid reasons for his delusion."Fine," I hissed. I turned toward my room, leaving him dumbfounded in front of the door. I gave him one last look before entering the room, and with a threatening tone, I whispered:"If you try to harm a single hair on him, forget about me, forever!"

**NOTE**Hello everyone,It's been a while since the last post; we're almost halfway through the book, and I'm gradually introducing new characters to spice up the story!Looking forward to your feedback,Thank you.As always - A.