Reflections Of Angels

Issues

Bang-bang-bang-bang-bang-bang-bang!

Nyx hammered on his office door in a panicked speed, her skin raised with goosebumps as she stood with just her thin nightdress to shield her from the cold daybreak air.

Finally he pulled open the door, looking dishevelled himself; and Nyx realised it was very possible he hadn't left the office room all night. "Something wrong?"

"What demons have red eyes?"

He paused for a second, then narrowed his eyes. "...Why?"

"Because one visited me in my dream."

He cocked his head to the side. "Are you sure you weren't just dreaming? They can just sometimes be dreams- nothing more."

"No, it was different! It cut... this door, and then I went through it and I fell... and it was there, in the cave, behind a wall... And it spoke to me..." She realised how foolish it sounded as she said it. Exactly like a dream. "I don't know." She admitted with a deflated sigh. "It felt real."

"Of course." He said kindly with a bemused half-smile. "How's Grizelda?"

"She's fine." Nyx said, going with his change of topic. "Well, she hasn't attempted to commit greivous bodily harm upon me since your moment with her yesterday, so I guess that's progress." She laughed weakly in an attempt at humour.

Taking her hands, he softly ran his thumbs over her knuckles, tracing with his fingers the healing scratches that still stood out bright red against her pale skin. "I know it's hard. But it will get better. You'll see. It will just take time."

"Well..." Nyx started, taking the greatest care about how she approached this. "I do think it would be easier if you perhaps... spent less time up here and came and helped?" She winced at how she trailed off at the end, phrasing it like a question. "It's just... She likes you so much better and I think it's actually upsetting her when you're not around so much, and I'm really struggling to cope... Are you listening? Hey, are you alright?"

He wasn't listening; instead, he'd just... stopped; glazed over and looking off into the far distance.

***

Behind her, in the glass of a small window down the hall, his reflection smiled wickedly at him, eyes black as the void. "She whines too much. Make her stop talking."

He blinked, eyes going wide; he tried to speak, but his voice was constricted in his throat; tried to move, but he was frozen like stone to the floor.

The reflections smile widened, showing too-sharp teeth. "She'd be prettier without her tongue."

"-are you alright?"

He snapped back to reality at the urgent tone of her voice, shaking his head to clear it from his mind. "Uh... yes. Sorry. Distracted."

Not sure if this song is the most suited for the chapter, but it was in my head, particularly during the last part. Hope you enjoy!