Elven Legacy

Chapter 98

Tessa

What did it feel like, outside? Hot and windy, or damp and cool? What species of birds sang from their perch? And the moon, what shape did she display tonight? Tessa longed to know these simple details, whilst everyone out there took them for granted.

Their sixth day inside the crypt had been punctuated by ups and downs. Highs and lows. Optimism, then hopelessness; determination then despair.

Some of Tessa's strength had returned, so to speak. She'd eaten the food Leery had brought them without truly tasting it. She'd washed her skin and hair with fresh buckets and lavender soap. She'd sorted through the clothes before settling on a night-blue summer dress and black-strapped sandals.

When ready, she joined Matt in the deeper chamber. Where the young girl had let herself die, where her corpse had been burned by Juna – a small pile of ashes in a corner the only souvenir left behind.

Matt and Tessa picked up the two ever-changing torches from their brackets and placed them on the dusty floor, to create a circle of sorts for their very own improvised demon-bonding ceremony. They sat cross-legged facing one another, with the two torches on either side, vibrant flames facing inward. No heat emanated from them, however a strange tingling sensation would crawl over her skin should she lean too close.

Deep down, Tessa feared their odds were not at all favorable. Matt possessed no knowledge of dark magic, and Tessa had only ever partaken in one such ceremony before. It should hardly count; she'd been drugged at the time, and a demon had been forced upon her against her will.

Albeit now that I've lost her, all that I wish is getting my demon back.

The irony wasn't lost on her.

Over the past year, Tessa had researched dark magic extensively. She'd continually studied many books, old and new – seldom relevant, some blatant hoaxes.

Sadly, Tessa had focused on after the ceremony, on what she could do now with the demon she already had. The parts about the demon-bonding itself, she would usually skim. Which of course, she now regretted.

As for Matt, he'd spent months in a dungeon cell neighboring that of a dark mage named Arthur, who'd had a bat demon. Regretfully – as Matt informed her today – their conversations had never touched the subject of Arthur's experience bonding with said bat.

Frankly, they hardly had anything to go on.

However, by some miracle they didn't let that curtail their initial optimism. They put their minds to it, channeling this newborn energy into long sessions of intent focus.

Meditation. Something neither of them had any inkling about.

Well, no matter. Their past lives held no meaning here. No substance. Their memories became ghosts taunting them. The girl's ashes in the corner served as a constant reminder of the fate awaiting them should they fail.

Behind closed lids, Tessa could still discern the changing lights, painting and repainting themselves across the chamber and its coffins. Orange, yellow, green, blue, violet, red, and again. She wondered how Matt was faring.

A long, heavy sigh answered that query.

She opened her eyes. Matt sat with his back very straight – she'd stressed the importance of posture when they began. He'd washed up too, earlier, and he wore thin black trousers, dark red sweater, and black leather calf boots. Dressing up clean and proper helped maintain the wishful narrative that they might truly return to the outside world. Any time, now.

Opening his eyes as well, Matt looked at her. To either side of them, the flames were morphing from blue to violet, and Matt's eyes appeared a perfect match in the dimness. So dark, so jarringly different from the light-blue they used to be. His sister's eyes.