Never Forget - You Owe Your Life to the Severios

My brain worked in slow motion. I have tried to come up whit an idea to find Iris, but I was where I began the search... If not in a worst situation. Now that I have almost killed Michael, which had thousands of witnesses in the arena, everyone blamed his death on me. That became obvious when Onyx and I began searching for the library. Many eyes looked at me like I was a freak.
Being a freak among the freaks is really something. Not sure, if it's a good thing though.

Of course, the people all knew that it couldn't be me, who killed Michael, but when we ran into Ambriel, he called me aside. He was wearing a huge, sand colored cape over his earth toned clothes. His boots were made of brown leather, and his hair was pulled back into a ponytail at the base of his head.
He wore a crown, which looked like just a garland made of golden branches. It was thin, but surely a masterpiece. Every branch was smith with care, and grace.

"Spirit, I have to talk to you about something..." - He said, and pulled me away to another corridor, so Onyx couldn't hear our conversation.

"What is it?" - I asked.

"Are you feeling better? Ariel told me he brought you to your room, but Cassiel said you were not fully recovered." - He began.

"Ariel did show me to my room, and it is wonderful." - I pulled off father's hands from my shoulders. - "I had a little breakdown in the morning, but I am feeling fine, I swear." - Hearing that, he took a deep breath, and smiled at me, but that smile was not honest at all. I could see on his eyes that he was worried.

"There is something else." - He began.

"I thought so."

"Yes, the consilium wants you to meet with the new council." - The blood froze in my veins. I imagined a man, just like Michael, staring at me with cold eyes, measuring me, thinking about how much of a threat I am. - "But before that happens, we have to make sure you cant kill while you are not in the same room as he is."

"Okay, first of all, what the fuck?! It is impossible to kill anyone like that. Secondly, I cannot kill. I am physically not able to take a person's life. I mean look at me! I broke down mentally, because my sister was tortured, and because I saw two of my friends die..." - I twitched as the memory sprinted through my mind. I tried to close out the picture of Joel's wide eyes, silently begging me for help as he slowly choked on his own blood, and Rider's emotionless, staring eyes with no life behind them. I felt tears run down my cheeks as the memory struck me. No no no, get out! Get out of my head! I repeated, and tried to think of something better, like flowers, and garlands... Garlands, yes.. I looked at my father's crown, and imagined that once it was part of a golden tree... that's it, distract yourself... 

But just when I thought I was fine, I saw Joel pass by us. He was taller, but when our eyes met, I was sure that it was him. Immediately, my hands reached for his arm. He turned around, and our eyes met, but the man wasn't him. Just his eyes. But those eyes were the exact copy of Joel's.

"Joel..." - I whispered. The man stared at me for a long moment, with great sadness glittering in his eyes.

"No, child. I am not Joel. He is... was my son." - My eyes widened. This was Joel's father... then he must be a demon, since his mother was the angel. But what kind of business demons have here in the Sub-Consilium? That didn't make sense.
The man and I just stared at each other for a long moment, then he looked at my father.

"Ambriel, glad to see you again." - He nodded towards my father.

"You too, Rufus."

Rufus turned back at me. - "What is your name, child? Did you know my son?"

"My name is Spirit Princeps, I am the youngest daughter of Lord Ambriel." - As soon as he heard my name, anger caught on fire behind his eyes, and the sadness was pushed behind the incredible amount of blood-lust, and anger.

"You are the girl who marked my son." - He noted. I raised my wounded hand, where the thin outlines of the pentagram that used to connect me with him were still visible, but only a little. He saw it, even through the burns and other wounds. I have no explanation for this man, the father of the boy who tried to save my life, and help me through my journey. I can give Rufus no kind words that could heal the wound of a lost son.

"I am the girl who marked him, and he was the boy, who marked me. I gave up a couple days of my life to save him, but then he had to give up his entire life to atone what I have messed up." - I said in a small voice. Rufus took my hand in his, examining the wound. - "I cannot make the sorrow less painful in your heart, because I have no excuse... his death was my fault entirely, and I am not asking you for forgiveness." - Rufus looked up at me. His eyes were wet with tears. Tears, that only a loving father would shed for his beloved son. - "But I am truly sorry. I owe my life to the Severio clan, my Lord. And not just to Joel. Darren guided me, and Stephen gave me shelter, when I tried to find my sister."

At that moment, Stephen appeared from behind his father. His eyes were swollen, and red from crying. He reminded me of a little boy I have seen once in the diner, where I worked back before all this madness began. That boy just lost his mother, and his big brother brought him to the diner a week later, hoping that it would cheer him up. Obviously, there was nothing any of us could do, but we still tried, feeling very bad for the little boy.

"There are things in life that one cannot control. You, child, were not in a position to decide upon his faith at the time. I can see that you mean no harm to anybody. My son, Darren, had told me that, but back then I couldn't believe his words. I told myself, 'How could a girl mean no harm, who is able to preform a forbidden ritual?' But now, I see it in your eyes." - Lord Rufus said. - "You didn't ask for my forgiveness, and you won't get it just like that. But you are a true Princeps. I hope you will still remember that you owe the Severio clan when it comes down to that."

"Lord Rufus, I never forget." - I answered. He didn't smile at me, just nodded.

Now, looking at Stephen, again, I wanted to do anything in my power to dry up his tears. I reached for his hand, and he let me take it.

"Come with me." - I whispered, and he nodded. I looked at Lord Rufus before pulling him away, as if asking for approval. After all, I just caused the death of one of his sons. If I were in his place, I wouldn't let any of my sons near myself. Instead of him, Ambriel answered.

"Go on, daughter. You have much to explain to this boy." - Hearing that, I pulled Stephen after myself, I didn't know where to go. Onyx tried to join us, but I told her that I had to handle this alone.

After a short thinking, I decided that in my room, nobody would hear me confess all the things that had happened to us, and all the things Stephen had to know. As I closed the door behind us, he broke down immediately. He dropped on the couch, and covered his face. His shoulders were shaking.

"I told you it's not smart to be his ally." - He whispered. - "And I was right you know. But not the way I thought I was. It was him, who should have been more careful."

His words cut through me like knives, but he was right. I have preformed black magic, and even though I have sacrificed some of my own life-spam, that is nothing, nothing, compared to the fact that he had to die.

"That's right." - I couldn't say more, because I was crying as well. Stephen must have heard that, because he looked up, and stared at me in disbelief from the other side of the room. - "I have been a huge burden to all of you. But I didn't mean to cause his death. You know that."

"Yes. I know you are harmless." - He wiped off his tears. - "At least as long as you are controlling your actions... you might be mad at me for this, but when we met, I read your mind: Your memories, your feelings, your thoughts... everything. It was just for safety, of course. I expected a broken warrior, with wounds, and a determined expression, but I met a girl with confused mind, and huge eyes, full of fear. You were just so hopeless... as I looked through your mind, I saw that you apologized Morgen at the practice after every punch or kick. You were like an innocent, scared White Zebra Finch."- He didn't take his eyes off of me, and I couldn't stop crying. I took shaking breaths, and tried to wipe the tears off of my face, but the tears just wouldn't stop coming. - "You couldn't even hit anyone without feeling guilt."

"I was scared. I am scared. Stephen, I wasn't born to be part of this world. I wasn't meant to face the terror of these people." - I said, and wiped the fresh tears off of my face with the sleeves of my red sweater. - "I know that this doesn't bring Joel back, and that I can't give him back to you." - Stephen walked to me, and hugged me tightly.

"Even though I have not forgave you yet, I don't like to see you like this. You are a good person, Spirit, maybe too good for this world. But you have to learn to handle these situations." - He said. I went to Stephen, and sat down beside him.

"I tried. When he fell, I caught him... I tried to heal his wounds, but I am just too slow, and not skilled enough... I am sorry." - I looked at my hands, and they felt like Joel's blood was still covering them. I began counting in my head, and when that didn't help, I tried to tell myself it's not real... none of those worked. Stephen took my hands in his, and led me to the bathroom. He turned the tap on, and held my hand under the warm water.

"Then, I saw a confused girl. Now I see a girl full of fear, terror, and madness." - Stephen looked at me with his red eyes, but the little boy I have seen in the corridors were gone.

"You have read my thoughts again." - I realized.

"Does it bother you?" - He asked. - "If it does, I'll stop doing that."

"It does bother me. Can't you just wait until I tell you the things I have in my mind?" - I asked, and turned off the tap, then wiped my hands in a towel. They still felt dirty, but it was much better.

"Then tell me what happened." - He said. We went back to the couch, and I began talking. He deserved that much. He deserved to know who his bother really was, and how he died. And Joel deserved that his story should be told. Stephen listened to my every word carefully. When I finished, a long silence spread across the room.
Then I remembered the dragon. I stood up. Stephen looked at me with strange eyes. I planned on showing him the flares that I could capture with my fingers, like Joel did. I wanted to show him that I still have a connection, but right at that moment, Cassiel basically fell through the door.

"Morgen has arrived. He says the Depth-Consilium still has Joel's body, and he is not dead." - Be both stared at him in disbelief.

"What?" - We asked at the same time.

"An angel of Death came, because his soul had not been found. It's partially bound to his body." - Cassiel jabbered. Stephen stood up, and it seemed like they knew what that meant, but I didn't.

Even though, I felt light inside. It was warming up my cold limbs. I think that was how hope felt like.