Dark Cotillion

Five

Everything was happening so fast that I stood in stunned silence, as someone swept me off my feet, enveloped me inside velvety wings, and dashed from the Chamber. The cocoon smelled of wormwood and cedar, and somewhere, I could hear the muffled sounds of walnuts bouncing off of the body that carried me. The moment the sound ended, the wings unfurled, there was a rush of air, and I closed my eyes and held on for dear life, as Gargoyle claws and fingers dug firmly into my flesh.

I am a Demon with the mindset that if Demons had been intended to fly, they would have wings. While I logically understood that Ba'al would not drop me, and even if he did, it would hurt but not kill me, I still couldn't bring myself to open my eyes. Instead, I buried my face in his chest, felt the rub of his clothing with every movement of his wings. His voice was trying to soothe me over the rush of the wind, but his words were lost in the panic and air.

We landed with a small thud onto my balcony. The fingers loosened, the claws retracted from the flesh. The wounds were healing, almost healed by the time they were completely removed. His fingers remained though, stroking my back, encouraging me to put my feet down and open my eyes.

"I hate flying," I gave a small sigh and cautiously opened one eye. Ba'al was grinning down on me.

"True, but it got you out of the Chamber quickly, quietly, and efficiently. The good news is that you won't have to go to your party tomorrow. If you're mortal, you cannot attend."

"That might be the only bright light in this entire fiasco." I let myself be carried into the house. I never locked the balcony door. Too many flying beings visited that thought it was easier than coming up the elevator.

"Brenna, we should discuss security," he spoke softly.

"No, Ba'al, not now." I let a tear fall from my eye. It ran down my face. "I just found out that my brother has exactly 14 years and three months to live, give or take a few days."

"I know." The problem with True Prophets was that they died. Personally, I had never met one, but I knew the stories. They spewed their prophecy on the day they began the Maturing, and died sometime within that month. That meant two things, in 14 years and three months, we would know exactly what doom and gloom Daniel was envisioning in his head, and that he would be dead shortly afterwards. There was nothing anyone could do to change it; it was Fate, Divine Will, whatever you wanted to call it. It was and would be.

"Why couldn't it have been one of the older brothers, I don't like them as well." It sounded bad, but the truth was, while I would have missed them, Daniel was special to me in ways that they weren't. Daniel understood me and I understood him, at least to the extent that he could be understood.

"Brenna," a second voice joined us. I looked up and found Anubis, Gabriel, Marcus, and Alex standing in the room.

"Wow, quite a turn out. All we need is Jonathan." I frowned and started to cry harder.

"Mein Schatz," Anubis touched the bottom of my chin, "Jonathan is coming. We are your guards for the Maturing. A psychotic Overlord screaming for your death requires special guardians. The Demon Lieutenant, John, will also be joining us. You will never be alone," he pulled me up from the couch, "but that does not mean you cannot have some feigned privacy."

"Feigned privacy," I gave a soft chuckle that ended in a sob.

"Feigned, we will all hear you cry, but we will all pretend that you are not." He led me to my bedroom and opened the door.

"Ba'al," Anubis called, Ba'al responded. Even among "equals" there always seemed to be some sort of hierarchy. I had never understood how it worked, but Anubis seemed to outrank everyone except Lucifer. "Stand outside the door for a few moments, while I get her settled please."