The Mortal And The Wicked-- ONC 2023

Chapter 22; In which Azrael grows far more irritating

Through the shroud of mist Lucy chased the figure by the sound of her laughter, the notes light and musical as they rang through the darkness-- past the forest of clocks, then back into the maze of tents.

Here the fog seemed to hang at its edge, not daring to enter the light of the lanterns. And by their dimming light, for the first time since the chase had begun, Lucy caught sight of the stranger who had stolen the key.

The woman who had known her name.

Her black gown dragged along the ground as she ran, perhaps hindering her ever so slightly as she weaved through the crowds and various tents, pushing past those that stood in her way. And though by comparison with her nightdress coming only up to her knees, Lucy ought to have caught up to her, the woman evaded her with a near supernatural agility.

It was as though the carnival itself aided her whilst only keeping Lucy back-- her lungs burning as she struggled for breath as the chase drew on agonizingly long, her legs already worn with a night of journeying now threatening to buckle beneath her.

Behind her, she heard the Baron calling her name, his own words strained and out of breath. Yet in the end she paid them no mind, forcing her feet to fly over the onyx path, her eyes locked upon the woman as she dashed into a particular tent Lucy had not noticed prior.

Its exterior was entirely unremarkable; a deep red embroidered with simple stars, the inside beyond the tent flaps alight with a scarlet glow. And yet for all its simplicity on the outside, when Lucy at last burst within she found that it contained anything but the simple.

All around her stood mirrors bent into odd shapes, distorting her figure as she ran, and stretching off into reflective stairways that led to nowhere-- their structures far beyond what the size of the tent could have contained.

One after another, all crafted from twisted glass, steps leading to mazes and hallways cast in a bloody red glow. Made to confuse and distort as Lucy saw her distressed expression reflected a thousand times back. Her only lead as to where the woman had gone being the ever present notes of her laughter.

Thus it was by this that Lucy followed her, finally catching sight of a dark figure turning the corner just as the pitch of the laugh suddenly deepened to a tone far more familiar. And when at last Lucy turned a final corner she froze at the sight of who stood before her.

Azrael.

Standing tall and proud with a look upon his face as though he knew some delicious secret, he beckoned for forth almost mockingly into the small room of mirrors.

The woman had been but a mask, Lucy guessed, understanding now how she had known her name to begin with. Yet now such a mask had been dropped, no doubt to make her feel foolish.

The gown had changed once more to the carnival master's black waistcoat and trousers, a delicate silver chain around his neck, his boots laced up to his knees. And much to Lucy's annoyance, that same wretched grin etched upon his lips.

"Isn't it delightful?" he gasped out breathlessly, holding the key above her head, his grin as taunting as it had ever been. A glitter of mischief in his eyes. "Isn't my game most wonderful, Miss Caramonte?"

"Give it back, you fool." Lucy snarled.

"Come take it from me."

The words were phrased as a challenge, sending a shiver up her spine as his dare rang through the air, his eyes piercing into her with an intensity that stole her breath away. And indeed the longer she looked upon him, the more she felt the space between them fill with a crackling energy that drew her to him. Making her forget entirely about the key as she was lost in a trance of his eyes.

It was some manner of magic. A spell that drew her into him till she was caught entirely upon his every feature, lost within his scent-- a light perfume of lilac buds and jasmine-- her skin prickling as she wondered what his touch might feel like. If it would be any different from the Baron's...

She shook her head, the air around her crackling slightly as the spell was broken, his eyes losing their hold upon her as her attention turned once more to the matter at hand. A hundred differing plans formed in her mind, overwhelming her till she felt as though she could scarcely breath.

She needed but a moment's distraction, an instant by which his attention could be pulled away and she could retrieve the key. Yet in the end all she could see was that horrid grin of his... And perhaps getting rid of it would be a distraction enough.

Stepping forward, she saw him open his mouth to no doubt say something stupid, and that was precisely when she made her move-- punching him directly in the face, her knuckles cracking with the force of the blow.

He staggered back, his hands coming up to clutch at his face as blood black as midnight began to flow freely from his nose, the key slipping from his grasp.

For a moment she saw it fall, clattering to the ground before she dove for its shining form. And upon scooping it up into her hand before she began to run back the way she had come-- nearly barreling directly into the Baron, his eyes wide with disbelief at what she had just done.

"Did you--"

"Never mind that, come with me!" she shouted at him, grabbing hold of his hand and pulling him through the maze of mirrors.

She hardly saw where she led them, yet when at last they burst once more into the frigid air of the night she felt as though she could finally breathe again. And indeed for a moment she and the Baron merely stood gasping for breath, the Key of Time clutched firmly in Lucy's hand till she felt the metal bite into the flesh of her palm.

Yet finally the Baron spoke, his words punctuated by notes of genuine disbelief. "Did you... Hit Azrael?"

"I needed to get the key back!" she snapped.

"And so you thought the best manner in which to do so was to punch the Lord of Death in the face?"

"He rightly deserved it, I think. In any case, could you have thought of a better way?"

The Baron sighed in what she assumed was defeat, pinching the bridge of his nose before seeming to accept the matter at hand. "As unethical as it may have been, it was effective. And not a moment too soon."

Looking up to where the moon now hung dangerously low in the sky, Lucy's heart quickened as she saw that the night had slowly begun to fade.

They had perhaps another hour or two before the first light of dawn, and the final key that still stood to be found. The key of Death-- the one that would finally bring this wretched nightmare to an end.

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A/N; Hey guys, hope you liked this chapter! I'm trying to wrap up this book since the deadline rolled around sooner than I expected lol. Anyway, don't forget to click that little star button at the corner of the page cause that really helps and, hey, if you like my work consider following me The_twilight_writer where I have many more novels. Thanks!