Angelic Divinity

Tori turned around. Kiel's words were loud and clear in her head. She may have been out of earshot, but she could still hear him. Tori smiled at him and slowly started walking back. "i think...that's the best reason to say it. Kiel..." tori took his hand, her face turning red. She hadn't tried to think about this sort of stuff, but here he was, telling her that he loved her. Tori's heart was pounding and her throat dried up.

schuyler pulled away from penny, panting. "you...you promise right? To not get hurt so easily? I...won't forgive you so easily next time..." she was blushing slightly and then her face grew darker at the familiar sound of her brother clearing his throat.

"ah-hem" kingsley stood nearby his sister with his back turned to her. He didn't want to watch his baby sister making out with some punk. It was gross. "sky, we still need to talk." he watched her nod and climb down off of penny. "penny, i'll come back to you soon."

giselle shook her head furiously. She pulled on him in the direction of the school. "no. Genesis, come with me. We can get help. The others! I'm sure the others will help. Tori...tori, she's one of those seraphim things right? Maybe she could do something." she kept shaking her head, tears flying everywhere. "this...this is so stupid! This is why I don't celebrate my birthday. It never means anything good. Only bad stuff happens on my birthday!" giselle stood up, yanking on his wrist. "please come back with me...please..."

 

Kiel felt warmth spread all through his body. "Tori..." He bent his entire body towards her.

Penny watched her leave, his mouth still hanging open. What had just happened? Who was this guy to demand so much from Schuyler and her to obey without hesitation?

Genesis shook his head, "No...if I go back now...I'll only be compelled to bring you back here. It's not going to stop. Taking a chance and saying Tori can help me...is a long shot.."

 

tori stood there frozen, her face beat red and her chest pounding. every little thing running through kiel's mind was screaming in her head. she didn't know what to do. she had never been in this sort of situation before. do the obvious thing. she wanted to. tori wanted to tell him how she felt too, but it was hard enough to say what she did the other day. her voice was gone. she searched for the sound, trying to make the words come out, but they weren't there. she couldn't get them out. her eyes were filled with panic. what if i can't say it? what if i can never say it? he'll stop liking me. he'll stop liking me and then what...i'll be alone...i'll be alone all over again, like when they died. i stopped telling them that i loved them and then they killed each other. what if saying it makes him do something crazy too.

kingsley pulled schuyler into the hallway, away from tori and kiel. whatever was going on there, he did not want to be apart of. he started walking, nowhere in particular, just to get away. it was his first real moment alone with his baby sister since they left for the school. something had definitely changed in her while he was gone. she had that summer court glow about her, but there was something more, something more mature. it was like she had aged ten years in the matter of a week and now she was keeping her distance from him. she walked beside him, but with about three feet of space between. that wasn't like his sister. schuyler always clung onto him wherever they went, not anymore. "ya' know, he looks like a punk. i'm not sure how much i approve." "shut up kingsley." it wasn't polite, but she still sounded happier than this morning. that was a plus. "you're friend, the seraph girl, she filled me in on everything that happened these last few days. i'm sorry i wasn't here for you, but i am now and i remember. he could see the realization on her face, acknowledging the fact that he truly did remember. "well i mean, it's not all there, but most of it is. the reason i wanted to race you to school, was so that i could make a detour on the way here without you finding out. i made that detour, but then i was attacked. i don't know what hit me or why it let me live, but i'm thankful it didn't kill me." "kingsley, what was the detour for?"

Giselle raised her hand high and slapped genesis across the face. he was talking stupid and she wasn't going to put up with it, not right now anyway. "yes. it may be a long shot, but that's better than nothing, right? why won't you at least try? why won't you listen to me, just this one time. if there's something we can do to help you, why won't you accept the help?" she was becoming more mad then sad. he wasn't going to try. he was just going to allow this seraph guy control him and either hurt her or further burden him. it wasn't right. he's suffering because she's with him. if genesis refused to listen, then there was only one thing she could do.

kaila wandered the streets of the town neighboring the castle. there was bound to be someone she could take with her to see enan. the sooner she got through this, the sooner she could let all the members of the dark court rip away at her soul. none of this would have happened, if she wouldn't have lied to ren. if she would have stayed honest with him about everything that was happening, then kryios wouldn't have this much control over him. please forgive me ren. i'm sorry for hurting you so much. kaila walked into what appeared to be a bar. she walked up to the counter, noticing a few younger people in the crowd, and sat down on a stool and ordered a drink.

 

Kiel noticed her hesitiation and pressed a kiss to her forehead, her cheek, and her nose. "You don't have to say it right away. I'm not that greedy. I...didn't think you would hear me in the first place so I'm not going to push. After all we've only known each other for a few days. I'm glad at least...you're not rejecting me." Feeling foolish, Kiel lightly brushed a kiss across her lips. What else could he do. Embarassment, anxiety and slight disappointment rolled through him. She didn't say it...but she will. Right...Yves? Though the Seraphim didn't answer him, he felt slightly reassured as if the Seraph was standing beside him nodding his head in that arrogant way.

Genesis held still, his cheek burned where she slapped him and his eyes were wide with shock. Cradling his cheek, he slowly turned back to her, "Ow..." he said plainly. "I may be an angel...but I'm still a guy...and that hurt. Alright...if you're so convinced Tori can help me...instead of confronting my own Seraph... I'll follow your lead. If you insist so much." He stood, using a great deal more energy than normally, "Giselle...thank you.... You could've left... I'm, uh...glad you didn't. But...did you really have to rip your dress?" Genesis picked up his sword and started back towards the school. He didn't realize he'd walked so much until the soles of his feet started aching.

Kallai folded her six wings around her body like a shawl and listened to Kingsley. "I figured you would remember, Mr. Kingsley. Now...you'll be telling that little story to me instead of another student, even if she is your sister. Attacks on students are carried out only by foul creatures of the dark and it's the Archangel and Seraphim's jobs to rid the world of them. You understand...don't you, Mr. Kingsley?" The air around Kallai shimmered with heat and her normal green eyes came alive with flecks of blue that seemed to hold dolphin's breaching the surface of the ocean in them.

 

tori nodded and returned his kiss. Her face was still red and her voice cracked, coming out in a whisper.. "i...i promise. I do." she squeezed his hand tightly and bit her lip.

kingsley nodded at kallai, setting a hand on his sister's shoulder. "yes mam. And lady kallai, might I add that you did a wonderful job picking this one to join your court." he smiled at the seraph, even if he didn't like her all that much. "do you want to hear about it in private?"

giselle stood in a bit of a daze. "hm? Oh yeah...schuyler's going to be really mad. I just...i just wanted you to be okay." she grabbed genesis by the elbow to walk alongside him. [/b]"i'm glad you're coming back with me."[/b]

kaila finished her drink and laid on a heavy charm spell. She tapped the shoulder of the guy sitting next to her. "excuse me, do you have the time? I seem to have misplaced my phone." she watched him check his watcg and glance back up at her."it's ah...6:30." "oh no! Don't tell me it's that late already. You see...my friend is having this big party at a warehousd outside of yown and there's a bit of a bet going on. Whoever comes with a date gets a prize, but now i'm out of time." she gave him a bashful smile and from the look on his face, she had succeeded. "well, I could go with you." "could you? That would be wonderful!" she grabbed him by the arm and dragged the man out of the bar.

 

Kiel gently squeezed her shoulders, "Alright...w-well, is there anything more we can do?"

Kallai folded her arms, "Let's hear it. Your buisness...and about the ones who attacked you."

Genesis struggled to move his legs forwards. Coming here was easier than leaving. "This is going to take forever...are you sure you don't think leaving without me is better? At this pace...it'll be morning tomorrow when we return."

 

tori looked up kiel confused. "i don't...what do you mean?" she wrapped her arms snuggly around his waist and buried her face in his chest. Why couldn't she just be honest with him? Kiel was being blatantly honest with her.

tristan nodded, pulling his sister closer to his body. "i was stopping to see giselle. We may have moved away when we were children, but she never did. When I was a freshman and saw where the school was located I thought I would se if she still lived there. She did and I made it a regular thing visiting her, even if she didn't know I was there. I started leaving her gifts on occasion as well. This time, I told schuyler we should race so that she wouldn't know what I was doing. I was going to leave her a birthday present. I was waiting out in the forest for her to leave home when I was attacked. I don't know what attacked me, but it was dark and extremely strong. I barely even remember fighting with it mam or why I survived. That's still a blur. Professor Leahpar has my sword. Maybe there's something on it that he could tell you and I couldn't. I just know it was strange. Nothing like that had ever happened before." he sighed and rested his elbow in his sister's shoulder.

giselle smiled back at him and tugged on his hand slightly. "as long as you're coming back with me, I don't mind how long it takes. I believe in you genesis. Even if you don't." she owed him, after all. He saved her from that creepy hunter guy. She had no control over her body and he stopped her from doing something horrible. Trying to help him was the least she could do to repay him for it. Plus, he asked her out. They still neesed to go on a date or whatever it was he intended for them.

kaila giggled and pulled the human through the streets in the directiom of the warehouse. Enan hadn't given her an exact address, just a region. Hopefully they'd make it on the first try. The building came into view and she started dragging the man faster. He was completely clueless and she was starting to get a sinking feeling.

 

Kiel frowned a little, "About Penny...I heard he was attacked. Tori...are you alright? You seem...different."

Kallai listened, her face impassive until he finished. "You've been visiting a human during school hours...and because you visited this human you did not appear at school for four days....am I hearing you correctly, Mr. Kingsley?" Heat slapped across Kinglsey's face like a whip and for once the ever kind Summer Seraph held an expression of anger. "We will visit Mr. Leahpar now...perhaps he can give a more defined explanation of what attacked you." She brushed past them as she walked towards Ren's room instead of his classroom. Two thin magical lines streached out behind her and wrapped around Schuyler and Kingsley's wrists, forcing them to follow.

Genesis attempted a smile and failed. Panting once again, when they reached the side of the forest leading back to school, he leaned against a tree, "Let me...rest. Just for a little...while."

Enan paced in front of the warehouse. He hid his wings and wore a plain white t-shirt and blue jeans. Once he spotted Kaila and the human, he smiled in relief. "Kaila...you came. I...I had my doubts that you would really come. Is this man, the one?"

 

she pulled away from kiel, not expecting him to be talking about penny. "y-yeah. I'm fine. Penny... He was attacked by professor elena. The teachers are taking care of it. Penny...i didn't want to tell schuyler, but it was a lot worse than it appears. He died...the knife stabbed him in a vital organ. Yves helped me bring him back, but even that was almost not enough. The reaper was here...to take him. Even tjough he had already returned and awoken." her gaze was distant and unfocused, remembering what happened just a short while ago. Saving penny was almost worse than watching yves die. It was torture.

kingsley followed the seraph with his sister. They were being dragged along and it was his fault. Her turned to his sister as they walked. "i'm sorry sky. I wanted to keep you out of this." he was sure to get in trouble for this.

giselle stopped walking and stood next to genesis. She sighed and leaned up against the tree with him. "did I ever tell you thank you? For saving me that is?" giselle leaned in closer to him and rested her head on his shoulder.

kaila sighed and pulled the man closer to enan. "i said I would come. I'd rather be here than where I have to go next. As for the one...i don't know. Hopefully. I'd rather not see him die." she shoved him toward enan and moved closer to him as well.

 

Kiel leaned against the wall, "I don't know what any of that means....but it sounds serious. Attacked...by Professor Elena? But...that's insane. Why would a professor attack a human?" He continued to frown at the floor, "Either way...you're shaken by all this. I can tell. You're scared, Tori. Do you...want to go visit Yves' shrine for a while?"

Kallai lit a small flame in her hand and threw open Ren's door. He sat cross-legged on his bed holding Kingsley's sword that was now clean and shiny. "Mr. Leahpar or shall I continue to call you Ren? Perhaps your true name is preferred when dealing with this." Ren looked up at them and shielded his eyes, "The light is bright...there's a reason why there are no lights in my rooms." She dimmed the flame and shoved Kingsley and Schuyler into the dark room. "This child was attacked by something dark and strong while visiting a human. He says he fought it...what has his sword told you?" Ren gave her a questioning look before looking towards Kingsley and Schuyler. "Oh that...that's right. It was only Sangvile blood. I don't know where you'd encounter a Sangvile anymore but it seems one got the better of you. Those creatures can look like humans...or thin, black spider webs. Strange creatures that drain magic as well as life energy...they don't eat people so much as suck the life out of them. By the amount on your sword I'd say you injured it pretty badly...but...I...now this is the part that's frustrating. I can't seem to remember something important about the Sangviles. Something...about where they come from...why they attack people. It's aggrivating to think I can't remember. Have either of you two kids seen Ms. Camponella? I need to talk to her."

Genesis' face turned red, "Thank me...for saving you? Oh, from that Dark Hunter. It's...not something you need to remember. Dark Hunters like him should have no place in your memory. They're foul creatures....neither of the light nor the true dark. Demons...fallen angels...or twisted humans...that's all they are. Lulu the Bloody Blossom...is a demon. Nero the Sable...I'm not sure. I've heard he is nothing more than a human that has injested demon blood."

Enan held the man away from him, examining him, "Yes...it would be nice. Now the plans have changed as the last few humans I brought here died from the experiments....they were unable to accept it. I want to see...just how far the human spirit and body can go in the presence of the Imprisoned. I've only obtained a small scale from it in the past...hopefully it'll be enough to get enough information from." He brought the human and Kaila into the warehouse. Inside the windows were covered and a few lightbulbs hung from the ceiling. The walls and floors were a plain, dull gray with a metal chair by the wall with restraints on it. There was a furnace room that leaked a foul smell beyond a closed door to the right.

 

Tori nodded and moved in the direction of the shrine. "it feels like he's been gone much longer thab he actually has. This whole week...it's the longest i've ever experienced." she sighed and took kiel's hand. what am I supposed to do?

kingsley shook his head and watched schuyler do the same. "i haven't seen her in awhile. Not since this morning I think." it was true. It had been awhile since he had seen his favorite teacher. kingsley intended to spend some time with her catching up, but things had gotten so hectic.

"ate you talking about the attack the other night? Tori said there were giant black spiders and one almost strangled genesis to death." she stared at her teacher concerned. There was a lot going on that she didn't know.

"i'm grateful either way. If you hadn't shown up when you did...i don't know what would have happened. My body...it wouldn't respond to me. I was trying to do one thing and it was doing a whole nother." she grabbed his hand and moved closer to him. Even tnough they had been alone before, thwy had never really had a chance to talk.

kaila covered her mouth to mask the smell. The warehouse had developed quite a foul smell over time and this human was probably just going to add to it. "i really hope this works enan. I'm not sure how much more negative instances I can go through today."

 

Kiel yawned as they reached the shrine and plucked a lily from the base and tucked it behind Tori's ear, "I'm sure next week will be calmer....hopefully. Yves' shrine had been equipped with new benches and a stone table of the old times when you set the dead out instead of covering them up. The table was covered in different flowers and even foods.

Ren shook his head lightly, "I wish I remember what you're talking about....spiders...hmm.... But no...Sangviles shouldn't be around the forest unless something catastrophic is happening." "Sangviles are the theives of the Imprisoned... They serve him and bring him energy to break the seal that binds him into the ground again and again. Kingsley's energy will go towards breaking the seal again...if they touched you... Did they touch you? Let me see!" Kallai set about tugging off his shirt, turning his head this way and that, moving hair around and lifting his arms.

Genesis shrank into himself. "If I hadn't come...no one would've... Humans are terrified of Dark Hunters because they look scary...angels are frightened of them because of their powers to control you if you have no loyalty towards a Court....but most frightening of all is their mission...to bring you...or the chosen humans to Kadaj. I've never met Kadaj...nor do I want to. I've...only read in textbooks about the thing you have to fight...the Imprisoned...or if he's released...Demise. I heard...he grows in stages if he's freed from the seal without breaking it with the full ritual. I read....he's grotesque...and strong...and...alien. To think...you have to fight him...is frightening in itself."

Enan nodded and handed her a pair of gloves. "What I show you here is not to be repeated to anyone. And try not to touch it to your bare skin...I don't know how it will affect angels yet...even without the serum." Enan sat the human down in the chair and bound his legs and arms to it with the restraints and pulled out a bottle of deep purple liquid. "This is the serum...if we can make it work on this man...then it will help the children at the school to fight Demise." Tilting back the man's head he made him drink it all down to the last drop. He shuddered and nearly vomited. Enan covered his mouth with a piece of duck tape. "Keep it down.... Don't waste it now."

 

tori brushed her fingers lightly across the lily. She smiled meakly at kiel before kneeling in front of the shrine. "yeah. I really hope so. Here. Come sit." she patted the ground next to her and turned to face yves's forever frozen body.

kingsley stood quietly as the seraph prodded at him. When she started asking questions, he looked up at her. Did it touch him? He couldn't remember. "i...i don't know mam. Maybe. I vaguely remember being struck, but I don't think it was by the sangvile." he scratched the back of his head in confusion.

giselle's eyes filled with horror and disgust. She could have gone the next month without hearing what it looked like. Seeing it in person was going to be bad enough. "why...why did you tell me that? It's going to be horrible enough the way it is." she held on his shirt tightly and buried her face in his shoulder.

kaila slipped her hands inside the gloves and sighed. She watched enan feed the liquid to the human man. Poor thing. He didn't do anything and now he had to suffer. sounds familiar. she moved to the table, inspecting some of the things enan had sitting. "let's hope it works then." kaila rest a hand on the human's shoulder. "you'll be fine."

 

Sitting down beside her, Kiel waved slightly to Yves' body, "Hey Yves.... Well...first things first...I uh...admitted to Tori that I love her. But you probably knew that. Professor Elena has...left the school, I've heard she attacked Penny. Jean and Tristan seem to get along well and Schuyler's brother came back...I don't think Seraph Kallai likes him very much. She walked by me and I swear it was a hundred degrees around her."

Kallai pulled his hands away from his head, "Then..by someone else? Who else was there? If not a Sangvile...then a fallen angel?"

Genesis blushed furiously, "Ah...sorry, I didn't mean to frighten you. But, ah...think about it, wouldn't you rather face your fear of it now rather than freeze in the middle of battle?"

Enan nodded, giving the man a few minutes to swallow and get over the revulsion before pulling a thick black scale out of a plastic bag with a pair of metal tweezers. The scale pulsed with life and magic and held a circular rune on each side. "Right...I, for one, am hoping this is the last I'll have to see of it. Sir, would you hold this in your hand?" He held out the scale to the man...the second it touched his skin, blood red magic flared to life and replicas of the scale burst from the man's skin all along his body, covering him from head to toe. Enan backed away slowly, his face a mask of pain and sorrow. "Not again...this isn't happening. Why can't I get it right?!" The man writhed in the chair, straining against the restraints.

 

tori rubbed kiel's arm and smiled at him. This was nice, spending time with him by yves's side. "sounds like you pretty much summed it up, but i'm sure he already knew all of that and more." she trailed her fingers across the frozen tomb and asked for guidance. She rested her cheek on the cold surface and wrapped her arm around it in an embrace. "thank you, for helping me save penny. I couldn't have done it without."

kingsley shook his head in dismay. Kallai wanted answers, but he had none to give. "i honestly don't know. It was moving so fast, almost like a blur and then I blacked out. I don't remember what happened after it hit me. I'm sorry m'lady." he rested his hands on the back of his head. If he could remember, he would tell her, but he couldn't.

giselle nodded, disagreeing with genesis. "no. I'd rather not face it at all. Why should I have to fight something I knew nothing about just a short while ago? It's insanity." her face was turning red, but only because she was angry. This all should have nothing to do with her, but somehow she was apparently chosen. Such bullshit.

kaila shook her head and set a hand on enan's shoulder. It didn't work and another human soul was wasted. She sighed and watched the man's body become engulfed in scales. "he wasn't meant to weild it. The only ones meant to obtain such a power are the humans in our care and we can't risk it. I understand your frustration. Possibly better than anyone..." she turned away from him and the writhing man.

 

Kiel frowned, "Saving...Penny...what the hell did I miss? Someone said something about a Reaper...what is that anyway?"

Kallai's shoulders dropped and she let go of Kingsley. "That's...that's fine. You're doing the best you can. I...if anyone needs me...I'll be outside in the garden." and with that she disappeared in a wave of heat.

Genesis stopped trying to help, looking up at the sky beyond the trees. "I'm not sure...I don't understand why it has to be only you humans to fight it anyways...I've been training my entire life...and they suddenly say I can't help out in a battle like this? It sounds like...the teachers know something more about you guys than you do. Like you have some special power or something."

Enan growled, shaking off Kaila and taking a glowing metal fire poker into his hands. "Either way...I'm of no use to them! If I can't help the humans...and I can't help the students...and I can't even help my own Court...I should just go back to Heaven." He drove the fire poker into the man's chest until he stopped moving and only one scale popped off. It still glowed with malevolent power. "This....this thing we failed to destroy so long ago...is the very reason why my brother Yves is dead... Why Father thinks we've been playing around with our duties...and why...Michael thinks another flood would do the world more good than training the young fledglings to be actual warriors of Heaven to fight against him. Michael...he doesn't understand...Demise...isn't going to die from a flood. He does not need air to breathe. He will survive as long as there is hatred in the world..." He turned to Kaila, "When Pandora opened that box and let out disease and evil into the world...she released the final seal on Demise...and our Father very nearly fled this universe. Forsaking it to the very fires Demise wanted to burn it in. But...when we saw how human life flourished on this world...how could we leave them to die at his hands? It's a story we weren't allowed to record. With a bolt of holy lightning...our Father shattered Demises' form and he took the hideous figure of the Imprisoned and we sealed him away in a sacred land. Many of our brothers and sisters that day...died sealing him. The rest of us foolishly thought as time went on people would forget about him. Apparently...we were wrong."

 

tori let go of the frozen casket and turned back to kiel. Her eyes were vacant and she swallowed hard. "penny...he...he died. And the reapers are just that. Those stories about grim reapers are true. He came to collect penny's soul. There was nothing I could do to stop him. Yves did all the work. I was healing him wrong and he showed me how to do it right. He stalled the reaper long enough for penny to return, and a friend of his appeared. His friend was the one to convince the reaper to go elsewhere. I couldn't do anything." she stared down at her still slightly stained hands. They were a feint shade of orange from all the blood.

kingsley watched the seraphim leave and he sighed. He really made a mess of things for everyone. His eyes wandered over to ren and he remembered what kaila said earlier. "professor...i uh...i don't mean to pry into yours and professor camponella's personal life, but uh...i know she really likes you and she was shouting this morning in the infirmary about how she was being stripped of her angelic title. She didn't want professor logos to tell you, but I thought you should know. It sounded rather serious. I mean...she won't be our teacher anymore if that happens, right?" he could feel his sister's gaze burning into him. She clearly didn't know about it.

giselle looked at him like he was stupid. "that's ridiculous. How could we have special powers. We're not magical like you." the very idea of it was utter nonsense.

kaila was horrified, but she tried not to show it. She wrapped her arms around enan's back and buried her face in his wingless back. if I manage to survive, this is what i'll look like permanently. her eyes moved to the back of his head and she stared at his hair. "father wouldn't do that. He promised the humans there would never again be a flood as great as the last. He wouldn't break his promise to them. He loves the humans too much and you're doing the best you can. Those humans are special. If michael won't give them a chance then that's what we need to do. The only way this armor or whatever it is you've made will really work is to use it on them. We cannot have a repeat of the past. kadaj can't win. I won't allow him to. Do you have any idea how badly I want to give up? I'm tired of trying, because every time I do it just hurts me more. I have nothing left to look forward to or believe in other than those human children and ehatever this is you're making. I know you can do it and I believe those children can do it to. If you give up, then i'm done. I'm not helping anyone anymore. I'll just leave, find a beautiful place to visit, and wait there until kadaj comes to collect me as a sacrifice. I don't posses the energy to keep fighting." she fell to the ground, landing on her knees. There was a smile, but a weak one. After everything that happened, she looked like she gained a millenia.

 

Kiel glanced up to Yves' crystal, "Is that...so... I don't believe it. What was this friend, you mentioned? His name, Tori, did he have a name? A reason for helping you?" Kiel feared being in debt to an angel he didn't know.

Ren stared at him with shock, "What? S-stripped of...her title...then... Kaila won't be an angel anymore...let alone your teacher. I can't...she didn't want me to know? But why...? I don't believe this!"

Uriel bashed her blade into Kadaj's dual-pronged sword, "You traitor! You lied to me! You lied to Sanya! You betrayed us, brother!" Uriel's brown eyes glowed until they turned golden and her wings created large gales of wind, crushing the surrounding area. "Kadaj...we called you brother once! How could you turn on us like this!" "I was your brother...and someday...I shall be again. But for now...it is true...I have betrayed you, sister. Tell Sanya...I'm truly sorry. But...Demise will rise, and the world...will burn. It's better that...than suffer like we are now."

Genesis shoved away from the tree, keeping Giselle close to him, mostly so he could lean on her. "Maybe it's nonsense...but maybe it's truth. I...don't know the truth. Whatever it may be...Kyrios has hidden it from me for years."

Enan shook his head, turned and lifted Kaila from the ground. "Then you leave me no choice...I cannot give up. My research is...failing me, but there is still something I can do. The humans...I can expose them to the Imprisoned's scale little by little...maybe...there is nothing wrong with the potion's formula...but with the humans. We have one shot, so I'll do this slowly. Kaila...your service has been very valuable...there is but one more thing I need you to do. I hate to do this...but I need one of the humans to participate. No matter what, I know this will not progress as quickly as it did with...him." he jerked his head towards the man in the chair, "Tristan...bring Jean here...he will follow my orders if she is at risk. Please, Kaila."

 

tori looked up at kiel surprised. Why did he care so much? "he said his name was koyru. That he and yves had been friends since before the years had been in the thousands and that he wanted to meet yves's replacement. Koyru said he couldn't wait to get to know me better in the future."

kingsley felt bad for his teacher. He obviously cared for her a lot more than he let on. "schuyler, we should go." he wrapped his arm around her shoulders and turned her toward the door. "are you...done with my sword professor?"

giselle nodded and smiled at genesis meakly. "think you can start walking again? I can help you...if you want. she stood up straight and pulled his arm over her shoulder. Maybe with her help, he could move away from the hotel faster.

kaila nodded and let out a sigh. "i understand. It'll have to wait, though. I...i have to go meet with kryios now." she pulled the hood up on her cloak and yanked the gloves off her hands. "i should be going."

 

Kiel frowned at her, "So...that's it. Koyru...good with a name we can call him here again and demand to know what price he's asking for his help." Standing, Kiel shut his eyes, "A friend of Yves'..."

"Relax Kiel...Koyru is a good boy." Yves' voice came from a small crystal table standing idly in the corner of his shrine. "A very good boy...for me at least. Koyru has some authority within the realm of the spirits so Reapers listen to him and he knows a lot of them. We got lucky....um...what was his name? Sheesh, you'd think being in Heaven again would restore my memory... Reaper names are so hard to come by now days....be sure you remember it well, Tori. Knowing a Reaper's name and face and what his Fate Log looks like is very important if you want to keep saving those that are going to be put in harms way."

Ren stood, holding the newly cleaned and sharpened sword out to him, "Yes...be careful, Kingsley... There's something very wrong in this school and surrounding it this year. But I...can't seem to remember...Kaila said something...before she left...and now I can't remember it..." Frustration showed on his face, his yellow eyes searching the floor for the answers.

Genesis nodded, managing a weak smile, "Yeah, lets get going before something decides to make us lunch." He took one step forwards and froze. "Nani, nani...what's this? Little Geny is running away? My, my...how sad." Genesis' entire body stiffened as something dropped behind them. Not daring to turn and see, Genesis set a hand on his sword only to find it missing and in the hands of Dark Court hybrids. "Bannannach...why are you out here...when the meal is inside the Hotel?" The female's voice behind them cackled...and not in a witch's way but the way a raven sounds when it's being strangled. "I came only because I missed you. I smelt you close by and wanted an...early snack before mealtime." Genesis flinched and almost involuntarily his breathing hitched up a notch. "Don't remind me... You're the one...responsible for everything. Kyrios treats me like dirt because you decided I was pretty....and you wanted to destroy that...to destroy me." A pale hand with yellowing nails curved over his shoulder and he shivered at her touch, "No, my precious, not at all...I wanted to keep you...forever. Kyrios doesn't understand that demons and hybrids need love too. But..." With a snarl, Genesis finished her sentence, "You'll settle for the feel of flesh on flesh...voluntary or not."

Enan cast a concerned look after her, "Kyrios...you mean...you agreed to visit him at his Hotel. That place is a nightmare. What my brother has created....was never accepted by Yves. He hated that place...and even a few Dark Court members hate that place. There...if you are not on Kyrios' good side...you are the food. Do be careful."