Of Light And Shadows

Chapter Thirty Three...

Jia stood alone in her room, gazing out of the window as thoughts scattered around her head like dried leaves on a breeze. She needed time to adjust. She felt like she'd barely had a moment to stop and process the things happening around her.

Being back in the Demonic Realm was wonderful; she'd missed the brothers immensely, but it left her mentally exhausted. So much had happened and was still happening that she was starting to feel like she was sinking. So she stood and she stared out the window at the city in the distance until her mind grew quiet.

She could see tall, twisting buildings that looked like a cross between the gothic design of the academy and the stalactites she'd seen jutting up from a cave floor in a nature documentary once. They were tall with spiked tops, laden with ornate buttresses and rising spires that she was sure must have taken years to construct. The city stretched for miles, disappearing over the horizon. Apollyon was bigger than any human city could ever hope to be by many, many leagues.

Somewhere in that city, Satan sat plotting in his tower. She wondered idly if he was planning the best way to kidnap her. She half expected him to be able to sense that she was thinking about him and step out of thin air right beside her. The idea made her shiver but she didn't turn away from the window.

Several days had passed since Lucifer's warning. He was back on his feet and at full health but she'd been avoiding him. In all honesty, she'd been avoiding everyone except Evan while she got her head straight. She spent a lot of time talking to him through the door. She found he was the only one that didn't send her brain into a panic, and besides, he needed her while he tried to figure out life as a Vampire.

"Jia?" Her name and the quiet tap at the door made her turn. "You have a visitor."

"Come in," Jia said. The door opened and she saw Sellik's bright green hair and wide smile.

"There's somebody very eager to see you," she said, and then she skipped aside and Jia's eyes widened.

"Hey, doofus," said a familiar male voice. She crossed the room at a run and slammed into Evander's chest hard enough to knock him back a step. He chuckled and wrapped her in a tight hug, lifting her off her feet and swinging her around in a circle as though she weighed nothing. "I take it you missed me?" He set her back down and she beamed up at him.

"I can't believe you're free!"

"Sort of. I still have an escort and your Prince made me wear this." He held up his wrist to show a black bracelet covered with faintly glowing red runes. "If I get out of line he can basically taze me."

"It's for a good reason," Sellik answered. "Stop complaining so much and enjoy your newfound freedom." She nudged him and grinned. He returned the expression with a friendliness Jia didn't expect. She felt a pang of jealousy that she shook off as quickly as it came.

"I know, I know. I'm lucky to be alive." He rolled his eyes, feigning irritation. Sellik raised an eyebrow at him before turning to Jia.

"You and Mammon are his handlers for the day."

"Lucifer didn't want to watch Evan himself?"

"They don't like each other very much and Lucifer knows you're avoiding him," the attendant replied with a shrug. She saw Ev's head tilt out of the corner of her eye but she didn't meet his gaze.

"If Mammon is a handler then where is he?"

"Beats me," Sellik replied. "You know what he's like. He'll probably be out shopping for clothes but you might be able to get Bee to help if you know where to find him." She waggled her fingers at them and bounced down the hall, heading back to the Infirmary before anyone could stop her.