The Wicked & Divine

Chapter 14• spirits

"Excuse me?"

"You heard me" he growls, yanking me by my arm and pulling me towards him as he stomps down the hall, his grip only tightening.

"No!"

"Yes!"

I can feel the annoyance prick my skin, the heat emanating from his nearly burning my skin.

"No!"

"I SAID YES! CLEARLY YOU DO NOT KNOW HOW TO LISTEN TO THOSE IN CHARGE! YOU'RE LIVING IN MY WORLD NOW SWEETHEART, MY RULES KEEP YOU SAFE!" his eyes are ruby red, tattoos on his face glowing as his hair begins to float on his head, brows furrowed.

I jump back as his loud voice caves in around me, I don't even realize we are outside the room, the threatening voice of his terrifies me, I soon find tears pricking my eyes as everything inside just caves in on me.

The red disappears in his eye and is then substituted by a deep black, his grip loosening as the fear and sadness on my face takes all control of my body.

I take my arm from his grip, sniffing and walking into my room. I stand with my back to him, not moving nor speaking, only feeling the heat from his body hitting mine like a heater.

I utter three words. "I hate you", they leave a burning hole on my tongue, and the door slams without my having to touch it, a silent command. His loud sigh and stomps follows
moments later, and I throw myself into the plush blankets, sobbing.

This is miserable. Not having my family, not knowing what to do, who to rely on. Freedom is all I wanted, moving and getting that was the goal, but every where I turn I'm faced with the brutal truth. A truth I'm not even familiar with because I've been lied to my entire life.

I've no corner to turn to, no friend to call. I'm alone, I don't even have God to pray to, I doubt he'd want to listen to me.

The thought hits me abruptly, and I sniff and sit up.

My father? Is he even an option? He was killed...but surely the souls of Archangels don't just disappear.

I jump up and wipe the sticky tears from my wet, reddened face. Candles, candles candles, those must be useful right. I don't know anything but what I've seen on television when people try and conjure spirits.

I mean, it has to be somewhat close to what I'm supposed to do, besides, I've got nothing to lose. I could really use Nina right about now, she'd know how to do this. Ignoring the pang of sadness brought with Nina's image, I move across the cold floor, winding through dark velvet and furniture, turning silk over and through under the sink.

I finally come across a small drawer, where low and behold a small candle and matches sit beside one another.

"Just one, this should work right?" I prop down in between the wide expanse of the dark room, marble and satin and rich combinations of texture and art only further reminding me of the materialism that surrounded Damian. Rich on Earth, the concept probably applied in the underworld as well.

I swipe the match and light the white wick, a small circle pan candle. I feel the small warmth emit from the tin. I fold my legs, exhaling and clearing my throat.

What now?

"Uh, Dad? Angels? Anyone?" I call out. Silence and the whistle of wind catches my ears, no voices, no light.

Power right? You need power to catch its attention, after all that's how everything else has found me. If I could only isolate it...

I didn't realize I was even doing it until a halo surrounded my fingertips and it felt like cool water was dripping from my skin. In its dripping gaps was a deep light that held the most powerful bits of force, traces of the universe blessing my existence, remnants of a celestial light that's energy coursed through me since my creation.

But there too was a darkness, a feud between dark and light, markings of an eclipse stealing light, of the ghosts and demons of this world clawing for freedom, both a cold and hot underworld calling for me. As it appeared I realized that while I was born of the heavens and angels, one day I would go where I was born to rule. Hell.

"You seem deep in thought" he spoke, his voice low like a lost echo against cavern walls, you could only pick up the hums and whispers if you had the ability to hear what you could not necessarily perceive by eye as human.

"Something like that, I don't think you were who I meant to call for" I whisper, my eyes low as the flame dances in the empty space. The room seems to darken, the air gets colder and tighter. Time seems to enclose itself for us to speak, I can't even hear the wind outside or the rustling from throughout the castle. I'm no longer here.

"Well no one ever does...especially when they call for an energy in an unclosed circle with one small candle" he seemed to muse, the voice dancing around me as the candle flame is blown out by an unseen force.

"Yes well, I'm kind of new to all this" I clear my throat, keeping my eyes trained on the ground. "No complaints here dearie, you interrupted at a good time. You're lucky I'm here instead of something else, unprotected circles are no good" was his low, dark response, and suddenly a circle of blue fire lights up, warmth hitting my back as I gasp.

"H-how...who am I speaking to?" I ask, surprised by the azure flames that wrap around me and an empty space across from me. "Just a spirit, I've roamed this earth since before the ages of your technology and vehicles, I've been here very very long. There is little I do not know, like the fact that no ordinary human resides within the walls of Lucifer's earthly residence" I can hear the smugness in his voice- he knows.

"You have your fathers eyes, Dea Artemis, the godly scent is not void of your flesh. But the stench of the underworld claims you. I wonder, have you any clue who you really are?"