For the damned | ✓

27

"THERE'S THE BIRTHDAY GIRL!"

Delilah's smile widened as she hugged Theresa, Helio behind her clearly not used to people voluntarily coming close to him. There wasn't much choice in the matter, the room was crowded, but even if it hadn't been, people would have surrounded him. There was a charisma in his every move that only immortality gave, despite how clearly he didn't realize it. Jonathan's lips parted once he recognized him, a hint of fear in his eyes, but all he did was bow respectfully before running away.

"Did he just bow?" Theresa blinked.

"Wait, you're that guy who was way too drunk at that other party, right?" James frowned, not fully able to place him.

"I am not," Helio said, nodding formally at him," I don't drink."

His gaze snapped up again then, expression confused. Delilah placed a hand on his arm, glancing questioningly at him, and he shook his head.

"It's nothing," he remarked," I'm just feeling a strong presence here again. It's the same one from the party before, are you being stalked?"

"Oh, that's probably Niccolo," Delilah said, relief washing over her," I spoke with him an hour ago, but he disappeared after. I'm just glad he's still closeby."

"Niccolo is here?" Helio said, immediately looking around," where is he? Are you alright?"

"I am," Delilah reassured him," I don't think he would hurt me."

"You only see the best in people," Helio said softly.

"Is that a bad thing?" she said, more a statement than a question.

He didn't hesitate when he replied, voice clear. "No, it isn't."

The music was still blasting all around them, vodka spilling all over the floor, glittering in the disco light with all the memories people were soon to forget. Theresa had grabbed James' hands, pulling at them to get him to dance along with the others. Delilah knew he hated dancing, but though he resisted at first, he finally complied a song later as she looked at him with pleading eyes.

"I hope everyone has fun," Delilah smiled.

"How about you?" Helio asked, leaning forward so she could catch his voice over the music.

Suddenly she was very aware of the fact that they had just kissed, the way his lips had traveled down her neck, his hand grazing hers. There was a certain vulnerability in intimacy, even only in the interlacing of their fingers. The wall he had been holding up until now seemed to have crumbled. She couldn't help but be glad for it, even if that did also mean she had involuntarily hurt Niccolo in the process. Absentmindedly she touched the jewel on her neck, the movement usually calming her down. A lot had happened ever since she had met Helio, but she was happy to have him in her life.

Still, that didn't keep the doubt creeping up her throat to spill out, a slight hesitancy she knew she shouldn't feel but which was there anyway.

"When you look at me," she asked," do you see her?"

They both knew who she was talking about even without her clarifying any further. His face was a conflict of emotions at first, his voice soft when he spoke.

"I don't," he said," truly, I don't. I apologize for even letting that thought cross your mind."

"We'll make a deal right now," Delilah objected, reaching out her hand towards him," you can't apologize to me anymore, Helio."

He glanced at her hand, unsure. "What if I do something wrong though?"

"Then we'll talk it over," Delilah smiled, taking his hand in hers and squeezing it," me feeling anything about your previous lover is not your fault, it's just something I want to speak about."

"I –" Helio began, before dipping his head, cheeks dusted with red and locks a mess in front of his eyes," alright."

"Alright," Delilah repeated, leaning forwards as well so she could catch his downturned gaze, hand cupping his cheek.

A hint of a smile tugged at his lips when their eyes met, raising his head again to speak.

"You are not like her," he confessed," at all."

"I presumed so," Delilah said," seeing as she's the goddess of life."

"No, not in that way," Helio said," just your personalities. The both of you are sweet, but she only was to me. In the way you see me you are both similar, but beside that..." He shook his head. "All the other gods would have loved you. They all feared her."

Usually when someone was described as frightening it would have been done with a harsh voice, but Helio simply sounded warm, melancholic nostalgia lacing his words. She didn't mind him missing her, because she wasn't one to speak about how long one should mourn, especially when they had an eternity left.

"How long has it been?" Delilah asked gently.

Helio parted his lips, but he closed them again immediately after. There was a hint of confusion in his expression, the uncertainty clouding over his voice.

"I don't remember," he murmured," why don't I remember?"

"Helio," she said, reaching out to him, but before she could touch him she was pulled away.

"Let's go party," Theresa yelled," Roshan's upstairs."

"Just a second, Tess," Delilah promised, but Helio shook his head determinately, already following along.

"Focus on yourself tonight, Lilah," he said," I want you to have fun."

She paused on her way to the staircase, glancing at him curiously. "That's the first time you called me Lilah."

"I usually don't give people nicknames," Helio frowned, almost curious by how easily it had slipped off his tongue.

"I love nicknames," she beamed, hooking her arm through his," you can call me Lilah any time."

Despite how she knew that they would have to talk about the subject of his soulmate another time, right now all that mattered was the fact that he was here, that they were together. There was a hint of winter in his every move, like the cold nights had settled underneath his eyes and the frost glowed around him still, and yet he made her feel so warm it felt like she had swallowed the sun. Their laughs intertwined as they got to the floor above, the music and shouting people around them all fading as he whispered in her ear, her smile widening.

Right then she made eye contact with Roshan, who was standing in the middle of the room, before her eyes widened at the sight of who was beside him.

"Nico?" she said, genuinely surprised to see him.

Helio looked up at once, a frown appearing on his face at the sight. "What is he doing here?"

"I told you Nico was here," Delilah remembered him.

"No," Helio said," not him, I mean the guardian angel beside him."

"What?" Delilah blinked.

Suddenly everything went very fast then, Roshan practically running over, voice urgent as he shouted for her to get away from him, Helio taking a step forward to protect her. Before either of them could do anything though, Niccolo was in front of her, expression almost sad, like he knew the ending right as it began. He lifted his hand up to her neck gently, like a caress, voice soft.

"I'm sorry," he said.

Then, without any hesitation, he ripped the jewel off her neck. Delilah stared as it fell down to the floor, shattering in so many pieces she couldn't help but think someone would cut themselves on it, her neck feeling bare without the jewel she always wore there. She wanted to ask Niccolo why he had done it, tell him how it had been a gift from her mother, but all he did was bow his head, like he would burn if he caught her gaze. Beside her Helio had frozen, Roshan still pushing people to the side to get to her, but within a split second Helio grabbed her wrist, pulling her closer as if she would disappear if he let go.

"You're alive," he breathed, tears coloring his eyes silver," Lilah, you're alive."

And then she started to remember.