When Heaven meets Hell

Chapter Thirty Seven

"It's grown again."

Heidi's voice was matter of fact as she gazed at Joan's exposed arm, upon which black lines twisted in  an intricate pattern. Holding the other girl's hand and squeezing it, Heidi sent another wave of yellow ribbon twisting around Joan's arm and disappearing beneath her pale skin. It took all of Joan's efforts not to wrench her hand free and bring an end to the searing pain she felt.

"I can see that." Joan said tightly, brow frowned, glancing down at her mark. The pentagram shone clearly in the light, the black veins growing from it in all directions, disappearing underneath her dress sleeve and reappearing where the cloth pulled away from her shoulder, sprawled like a spider web.

"Can you control it?"

"I'm trying." Heidi murmured, her blonde hair falling over her face and the faintest trickle of sweat sliding down the side. "But your recent use of the mark's power has strengthened it greatly. Just trying to hold it back is proving to be very taxing. It would not have been this much trouble if I was at the height of my potential."

Silence followed these words as Joan thought back to her actions when fighting Javier. She had lost control and had it not been for Avander's timely intervention, Joan was sure she would have gone on a rampage.

"Why did you do it?" Heidi's voice broke through Joan's thoughts. "I've told you before how dangerous the mark's power is, then why did you use it?"

Heidi's tone was not accusing, the opposite in fact. She seemed curious and more than a little concerned, looking up at Joan with her brow knitted together. Joan averted her eyed, unwilling to meet Heidi's piercing gaze.

"I could not control myself." Joan said quietly. "He was taunting me, recounting without a shred of remorse how he brutally killed my parents. How could I stand for that? I could not hold back my anger."

"Joan, you know you have to control it" Heidi said. "The very reason he told you all of that was to provoke you to fight, to allow the mark to be activated once more and for your actions to be influenced again by your hatred. You need to keep a clear mind in such situations, to not let these things get to you."

"You don't understand." Joan's voice was low, quaking with silent fury. "You will never understand."
Without warning, Joan wrenched her arm away, breaking the connection and getting to her feet.

"Joan, what are–?" Heidi exclaimed, reaching out to grasp her hand.

"No!" Joan growled, taking a step back from the girl. "You find it so easy to tell me what to do. Don't get angry Joan. Don't use your powers Joan. Don't feel guilty even if all of this is your fault!"
Heidi could only stare as Joan thundered, raging clouding her eyes.
"This is all my fault Heidi, stop trying to tell me otherwise. If it were not for this godforsaken destiny of mine my family would still be alive. They wouldn't have suffered because I was supposed to be the last, damned Halden alive!"
Joan's eyes darkened, the air around her growing still. The she laughed, faintly at first then louder. She looked up and there was a sinister grin on her face.
"There is nothing you can do about the mark." She whispered. "It will keep growing, feeding on the negative emotions inside of me. Not long now until the Devil will have complete control."
"Joan stop!" Heidi cried in distress. "Give me your hand; I can still keep it at bay if you would just let me."

"What is going on?" Avander's voice called as he materialized in the study. "I sensed a dark force. Don't tell me–" He trailed off, eyes widening as he saw Joan standing there with the same grin he had seen the night she destroyed the Amaki .

"Not again." He breathed, shielding Heidi at once. "Get back Heidi, we don't know what she's capable of."

"Look at you, acting like a hero." Joan chuckled, stepping forward. There was a change in her swagger, not at all the same confident and dignified strides she would normally take. There was something slow and seductive about the way she moved, hips swaying slightly in a way Avander had never seen before.