Where Spirits Dwell

“You’ve gone to a lot of trouble hiding these two from your superiors,” Skylar said harshly, completely skipping over Jiordano, not even giving him a second glance, “You’ve taken quite a risk, makes me wonder what you’re getting out of it.”

The Lady took this suspicion in stride, allowing another slight tinkling, laugh to escape her, “You’re too suspicious my dear; I merely wanted to meet them.”

“And meet them you have,” Skylar retorted, not backing down.

“Perhaps then you’d allow me a few more minutes of their company?” Evangeline asked, politely, but with subtle steel in her words.

It seemed as if the two were at a standoff a rising build of tension coming between them, freezing the air and taking control of the atmosphere around them. A chill seemed to emanate from between them, as if one look from either of them could take your soul, and replace it with ice. It was as if there aura was showing, but he couldn’t see it, only feel it in the air.

“Skylar?” Jiordano asked, glad that they had finally been reunited but also confused, she had ignored him.

When Skylar turned towards him he didn’t recognize her. Her eyes were cold and… different, as if they belonged to someone else, something else. Her face had changed it was ancient; and angry. She wasn’t the person he had become attached to over this past week. But then it changed back, and she was the Skylar he knew and loved, his Skylar.

“We need to leave,” she said to him then turned back to Evangeline, “Alioth’s coming.”

That one word drained everything, Evangeline’s face, the atmosphere, and all the tension that had been there just moments ago. It was something… powerful. He could sense it, but he didn’t understand, he couldn’t, this world had become too strange for him. He felt as if he was an outsider looking in, felt as if he could never join this world of intrigue and power.

“Skylar? Who’s that?” he couldn’t help asking it seemed like it meant something, Alio-

“Don’t say it! Don’t think it! I’ll explain later, but for now we need to get you out of here.”

“I’m not leaving without knowing she’s safe,” he replied stubbornly out loud and gestured towards Estella. He couldn’t leave her, not after being held captive together.

Estella then decided to speak up in self-sacrifice, “It’s okay Jiordano, I can take care of myself.”

At this Evangeline let out another laugh, “You have no powers, and you know it. I might have a solution to this problem however.”

Skylar sent the angel a sharp look, “Don’t pretend this is about anything but saving your own hide.”

Ignoring her, the Lady continued, “Hold this feather together, and it will take you to where you need to go. Where that is however, not even I know.”

As she spoke Evangeline reached behind her and plucked a single white feather from her wings and presented it to them. It seemed so pure, so holy, so innocent, but he had learned that not all things were as it seemed in this world. This was an object of power, a rare gift.

When he saw Estella and Skylar reach for the feather Jiordano knew he had to do this as whatever this Alioth was, he knew he didn’t want to meet it. So he grabbed onto the feather and the world began to change and shift around him, but not before he heard a voice. This voice was…

Deep.

Terrible.

Angelic.

Monster-like.

It was something from out of a fairy tale, something he never wanted to hear again.

“Non 'confundit. Ego exspectare.”

Something about those words haunted him, and he knew they were directed at them. As if it could see them, and where they were going. He may not know what they meant but they held deep meaning. So once again, he wished with all his heart he would never meet the creature that held this horror inspiring voice.

As the world contorted around him he wondered where he would end up, where he was needed. As he felt Estella slip away he realized that it wasn’t with her, and perhaps that was a good thing because he felt deep within him that he was on his own journey and going someplace where no one else could go.