When Heaven meets Hell

Chapter Thirty Four

The art gallery was abuzz with activity, finely dressed people flocking in and out leaving no space unoccupied. Artists showed off their masterpieces, either in the form of bright splashes against canvas or beautiful and bizarre sculptures.
Joan passed by one such sculpture, showing the body of a semi naked woman with a vulture's head. While she averted her eyes in disgust of this shameless display of nudity, Avander gazed at it with a hint of confusion, as though trying to figure out when women grew vulture heads .Not too far away Heidi scampered from one painting to another, eyes wide with amazement and drinking in everything as though afraid it would all disappear any minute. She spotted the two and waved a big smile on her face.

"Thanks for bringing me Joan." She said. "Some of the paintings are a bit strange, but there are some very beautiful ones. Could I get some paints and a canvas too?" She asked, blue eyes twinkling and a cute smile on her face, looking like any ordinary child would when asking their parents for something.

"I don't see why not." Joan said with a smile, amused at how energized she looked after being stuck in the house for so long. For some reason, seeing Heidi happy made Joan feel light hearted as well.

"Avander, come with me." Heidi said suddenly, beckoning to the demon. "You should come and see all these paintings. I think there are a few you would like."

"Hey wait–" Avander started, looking from Joan to Heidi
"Go on." Joan said with a smirk, pleased to have placed him in an awkward situation. "My auction will start soon. You can look after Heidi while I'm busy."

Reluctantly, Avander was dragged away by Heidi who was chatting animatedly with him. People glanced in her direction in wonder, but seeing Heidi clutching a toy animal in her hand, they assumed she was talking to it like most young children did.

Joan, now alone, chose to distract herself until her auction began by observing the many art works lining the walls. As she did she was aware of eyes following her, whispers behind her back and hushed words of gossip from the people who knew her. This bad sort of attention was due to the stories appearing in the newspapers. Reports of her under investigation had also caused people to become suspicious. Joan had no doubt the police where providing this information to the press, with the Second Faction at the head of it all.

Damn them. Joan thought, standing before a painting and staring right through. It seems as though I have enemies everywhere.

"Do you want to know who your real enemy is?"

Joan turned in surprise to the sound of a voice. She looked around to see a boy, no older than fifteen or sixteen sitting at a nearby bench. His clothing was that of a commoner, a hat pulled over his face with only his long brown hair visible.

"I'm sorry?" Joan said, confusion etched in her eyes.

"I asked you if you wanted to know who your greatest enemy is." He said a smirk on his face. Joan knew at once that there was something off about the boy, something strange. Yet he didn't feel like a threat either. He sat there, the air around him still. He radiated a powerful aura, the type that did not boast about its existence. It just was just there, warm, pleasant giving away nothing about the person it belonged to. No one seemed to notice him, people passing by without giving him a backward glance. If they and, he would have been thrown out, since it was obvious he was not the child of any present aristocrat.

"I don't understand." Joan said. "How do you know who my greatest enemy is?"
"I know many things Joanne Hale." The boy said, getting up. "I know you have many enemies, many people after you. I also know you have yet to identify your true enemy ."
"Alright." Joan said testily. "If you know everything, tell me who it is."

The boy walked up to stand beside her, his hat still pulled over his face. He stared at the painting before him and there was a pause before he spoke.

"Your real enemy is not the one who openly declares his enmity, nor do they challenge you outright. The enemy is in hiding, just beneath the surface, spreading corruption on the inside. That enemy is someone you know better than any other, yet at the same time you know nothing about, not until you identify them. The enemy is stirring and is waiting for their chance to strike. You know of whom I speak of Joanne Hale. Heed my advice and that of Heidi's. You shall succeed only then."

Joan was at loss for what to say, her heart hammering as she stared at the boy. Questions flooded her mind but only one out of them all worked its way up her throat.

"Who are you?"

The boy looked up, shifting aside his hat to reveal a pair of blood red eyes staring at her. They were ancient, belonging to someone who had seen the beginning of time itself. He was a handsome boy with a mature face. He watched her with a knowing smile.

"I am someone you will see only this once and never again Joanne. Before I depart, I advise you; defeat your true enemy before any other. There is no other way to bring an end to it all."

He turned to leave, walking away from her. He was only a few steps away when he stopped, looking back over his shoulder.

"Oh and one more thing." He said. "I would move three paces to the right if I were you. You'll get crushed otherwise."

And then he was gone, disappearing into the crowd without a trace. Joan stared, unsure how to react. Instinctively she took three steps to the right, and just as she did the whole gallery began to quake. Paintings flew off their hooks and statues collapsed in a heap of stone and chalk. The pillar Joan had been standing under pitched forward, falling on an unfortunate man and crushing him. Bedlam broke loose and people began to cry out in alarm, surging towards the exits and not caring who got trampled upon.

"Go on run you maggots." cackled a voice from above. Joan's gaze drifted upwards to see a man standing in thin air above the chaos below. His yellow eyes flashed with malice, white hair whipping around his face as he raised a hand and swiped at the air. At once many people fell to the ground, blood spraying everywhere as they were cleanly cut in half, pairs of legs flying one way while torsos fell in the other direction.

The man's attention switched to Joan and he forgot all about the humans below him.

"Well well, look who we have here." He laughed. "It's a pleasure to finally meet you, Joanne Hale. I'm here to deliver a message from Satan."