Demon Heart

Chapter 1.1~The Invincible Fall

CALANDRA

The window was made of fortis glass, perhaps the strongest glass on the entire planet, forged by some of the few remaining non-corrupted dwarves that still lived. It held at least ten times the strength of the human's bullet-proof glass, but still the mage managed to crack it.

The beautiful woman stood in a large room with a fantastical mural painted across three of the walls. The fourth wall was a large window, excellent for watching the sun set.

However, the sun had long since gone down. The only light came from the moon that's glow spilled in, spotlighting on the only piece of furniture in the room; a state of the arts, grand piano.

Calandra's eyes passed around the large open space that had once been a ballroom, where many elaborate parties had been thrown. She remembered Velrose, her father, playing the piano, and her mother, Shaundee singing beside him, entertaining their guests. Calandra could see it as if she was that little girl again, watching her mother bewitch the piano after Velrose had played for a long time so that the magnificent instrument would play on its own. Then the woman would hold out her hand to the man, who would take it and dance with her across the room.

Calandra blinked. That was when her father still smiled, as well as when she, herself still believed in that thing called true love.

Velrose and Shaundee had been perfect. Shaundee's wildness could get out of hand, and that was when Velrose would step in, calm her, and bring her back to earth. And Velrose would often be so wound up in work that only Shaundee could pull him out and help him cut loose. They completed each other.

But then everything changed. Calandra had been merely ten years old when her mother had gone and...

Calandra clenched her fists as they began to shake. A pop sounded behind her, making her turn back to the window and curse. It was small, but it was there: a two inch long line, cutting into the nearly impenetrable glass. The mage pressed her middle finger against the cool window and began to murmur softly. Slowly the crack sealed itself back together as though there had never been an infraction.

"Nice." Called a voice.

The mage whirled to see a lanky young man with reddish-brown wings, lounging sideways across the piano. His head was propped up in his hand as he gave her one of his stupid grins.

Calandra rolled her eyes and turned back to the window. "Of course it's you. Why am I not surprised?" She heard the man slide off the instrument and saunter over to her. She gave him a side glance. He stared out the window as well, but he didn't seem to really be looking.

"You don't sound very pleased to see me. I'm hurt." He said, not looking at her still.

Calandra rolled her eyes again. "What do you want, Faux?"

"Would you like me to make the full list? I'd start off with a gorgeous brunette feeding me grapes from a vine, and one of those platinum blonde chicks fanning me with those--"

Calandra gritted her teeth and glared at him. "You don't know the first thing about women, so shut your enormous mouth and shove it!" This man was just as frivolous as her mother. Neither one of them could handle true commitment and that made her sick.

"What were you thinking about that made you break the window?"

Calandra gave a start. That was not what she had expected. She took a deep breath and turned away from Faux again. Eventually she did reply, but it wasn't really answering his question. "Do you know what the name Etheldreda means?"