Finding Heathcliff

Thirty-Nine

Azrael agreed immediately; he was about to propose the break himself.

He had tried to read the girl's mind over Evangeline's chatter the whole morning, but he couldn't understand her today. Her thoughts were unfocused, as if she couldn't concentrate. Was she tired? She had slept the whole night...

Ramiel joined him and Evangeline as they sat on the stone ledge a little apart from the girl and her two companions, and Azrael was happy that his friend, warned in advance not to think of the girl and Azrael's feelings for her, took it upon himself to distract Evangeline.

Azrael couldn't think of anything else but the girl. What was wrong with her? As if she could feel his worried mind probing hers, he captured her thought, I'm all right, Azrael, just tired.

It was so feeble...

He watched her as she brought a cup that the demon passed her to her nose curiously, then smiled as she asked him, "Why does everything smell like almonds today?"

He watched absently as the demon emptied the last drops from their bottle into the pit when they finished eating; they needed more water. They would reach the stream in an hour and refill their bottles...

"... Azrael?" Evangeline's voice disturbed his train of thought, making him look at her and Ramiel. "And what do you expect Michael to do if you just bring the queenie and the young demon to him? None of Arcturus' people had been in Oblivis before; they shouldn't know it exists. Michael will be furious with all of us," she said, frowning at him.

"You don't have to come with us, Eva. You should have returned to Vega with Camael. Ramiel agrees with me. The girl was sent by Arcturus, but she thinks for herself, she believes in the new treaty, and she insists on meeting Michael. If we give her a chance, she could bring the change we've been waiting for for so long."

"You are such a dreamer, Azrael," Evangeline said on a sigh. "Both you and Ramiel, and even Camael, who is still here only because he admires you two, need so little to get your wings back... Let us go back home, Azrael, let the others fight these petty battles, we've been here for such a long time..."

"No one's keeping you here, Eva," Azrael muttered, his eyes intent on the girl.

She let her fiancé pull her to her feet when they finished eating, her thoughts were as weak as her limbs seemed to be, but Azrael could feel how she didn't want to be a burden for the rest of them. He missed reading her thoughts, so clear and refreshing, shy, endearing, and full of love, a feeling she wasn't supposed to be capable of as Arcturus' niece. What was wrong with her today?

He cast a suspicious look at the girl's demon but there was nothing odd about him as he helped the girl to walk towards them, even Rigel, despite the worries filling his eyes as he saw her stumble again, did not think there was anything strange about his behaviour.

As before, Azrael let Ramiel join Rigel behind the couple as he and Evangeline led the way down, into the darkness emanating from the depths of the pit.

The demon might be able to see in the dark well enough, just like the fallen angels, but neither the girl nor her friend Rigel were able to do so, Azrael noticed. He produced an orb of strong bluish light in his palm, making it float above their heads, then sending a thought to Ramiel to do the same. None of the LandEnders had ever descended this deep with their torches, this was fallen angel territory, as dark as their black cloaks.

The last thing Azrael wanted was for Eva to find out how he felt about the girl but he couldn't help himself-- he couldn't focus on Eva's words any longer as they continued to descend, the minutes they spent in the blue-lit gloom growing into hours, and he heard the girl's breath becoming more shallow and laboured, her feelings flickering out of existence like her thoughts had done hours ago, as if she was falling asleep... He was about to throw all caution away, take her from the demon, and carry her, should the need be, to the place where they would stop for the night, when he heard Rigel scream.