Qrow.

Chapter 80 | Architect

Beau sighed to himself as he stood staring at what seemed to be a blank wall. He was one of the people here that knew better. Just the fact that Jasper trusted him to know where his room was was one thing. Actually allowing him in there was another thing. He liked his privacy, to say the least. Was this really for the best? To let himself become involved with a demon like Jasper? There was no turning back from that decision, but he figured he had nothing left to lose at this point.

He gently knocked against the wall. A moment of silence passed before the wood paneling split apart just enough for Beau to squeeze through. It snapped shut the second he did. He was met with a dark stairwell leading up to the attic. With the exit now blocked, he couldn't really turn back. He headed up to the one room of the house he never thought he'd see.

"I actually was starting to think you weren't going to come." Jasper spoke as he heard Beau walk in.

"I wasn't, but I thought about it. You wouldn't ask me to come here if it wasn't important." He responded.

"Yes," He responded, "What'd you think of it in here?"

"I was expecting it to be bigger, to be honest." Beau walked over to where he sat on the edge of the bed.

Jasper scoffed, "Please. I'm not a greedy leader. If the others are to live in a small room, I think it's only fair I do as well." He placed his hands along the crow's hips. Jasper closed his eyes, listening to the sound of Beau's heartbeat. "I do not want you to think I'm a fool for needing Sixteen's help to identify the names and locations of the final prayers. I knew their given names, just not their chosen names."

"I don't understand. Chosen names?"

He took in a deep breath of his companion's cologne as he sat up straight. "Yes, our chosen names. Asher, for example, he chose to be called by that name. His given name is the Incubus. That is the name his people gave him before they betrayed him. Jarin, he was given the name Scarab because the Egyptians believed scarabs to be symbols of protection. Sixteen was given the name of the Willow Tree, due to the fact many people believe willows symbolize healing and grief."

"I see," Beau replied, fascinated. "And you?"

"Please, this is to stay between us. The fewer who know, the better. They named me the Architect. My power is to create." Jasper held his hand out and used his abilities to cast a small iron crow with a loop around it's feet. He set the ring in Beau's hand gently. "But, my curse is unlike the others. They all must feed off of something to survive. I, thankfully, do not, but I feel as if my curse is much worse. My curse is my immortality, and there is only one thing that can kill me."

He studied the demon in front of him carefully. It pained Jasper to admit this all to anyone, even someone he's become so close to. Beau looked down at the ring in his hand. He took it as a gift, one he'd never let go of after this. "Am I allowed to know?" He asked.

Jasper gave a short nod, "That is part of the reason I wanted to speak with you tonight. Someone must know. The only thing that can kill me is Malphas' magic. Meaning, my one weakness is a crow."

Shock washed over his face. A million thoughts rushed through Beau's mind, including the darker ones. Was there a chance he could be insinuating the worse? "That is why you respected Chris so much, despite his ranking being so much lower than your own. His husband could've killed you. But, if that is true, you're saying that Covey and I could kill you as well."

"I honestly don't know if you could because you've been tainted by a vampire, but Covey... Yes, he could end my life easily. That is why I desperately needed him at my side. You, however, the only thing you've weakened is my heart. All these years, you accused me of luring you in when the truth was, I was the one that couldn't resist you. As strong as I am, the second I'm around a crow, I become as weak and submissive as a human. It's pathetic, isn't it?"