Chapter Seven

~Nyxie~

It had been a few weeks, and I was still reeling from recent events. I'd also just met the asshole responsible for my self-sacrificial ways. Though it was very ironic. A Goddess of Hell, Goddess of Sin, hosting a virtue. The more I thought of it, the more hysterical it was. With a sigh, I looked to my stomach. There was another one in there, huh? Maybe it was time to use some kind of protection. I walked around the castle, looking for Len. I knocked on his door, and actually heard a slight gasp.

"Come in."

I walked in. "Hey, so I was wondering something."

"Go ahead. And thank you for actually knocking. It gets so annoying to have it just thrown open."

"I know the feeling." I closed it behind me. "So, what do I do as Goddess, anyway?"

Len put down his pen and thought for a minute before turning to me. "Well, you can take gems by taking a hair, Erys seems to be able to eat gems to destroy them. Why don't you two work together? If I'm not around, you may take the gems of the tainted and give them to Erys. He can sense the purity of a soul. His job is to help take the tainted to Abyssia."

Awkward. The only thing worse than seeing an ex you still love is working with that ex. And this was a rather interpersonal job. "Why does it feel like a hopeful match making?"

"No intention on that. Just an effort to ease my workload."

Now I laughed. "You're always working, I don't think much can ease it."

"You asked."

I pointed at him. "Fair enough." I left his room to go for a walk around the castle. I looked to my watch. It was February 12th, and unusually dark for 9 a.m. I decided to sit in my garden. I smelled the roses, letting images play in my mind.

  -      -

I was 20, had just finished my final training test and was deemed a full-fledged angel. Thank god for that. Astra's tests were brutal. I trained in every weather condition, random senses blocked off, with and without weapons, my powers locked and unlocked. Why was everyone else's training easier? The Goddess bade me safe travels as I decided to go to Hell to see Nitacha.  She had kept in touch while I was trained in Heaven. She'd be thrilled to know I finally passed. But no matter who I asked, I got no answers. Fully aware I was still a half blood, I just followed landmarks to her cave. That was when I found out she had died. But once again, no one would give me any straight forward answers. I sighed heavily, laying down next to where she used to sit. Nitacha was my mom, she was the only one who raised me growing up. Her being gone, I felt hollow. I fell asleep after tossing and turning. I woke and decided to go for a walk. Without thinking, I wound up in a forest with a blueish red lake.  Happiness came to me, but I don't know why.  I climbed into a tree to relax, staring in the water. With a hum, I wove little butterfly shades and watched them flitter about until they disappeared. A silver haired demon emerged from the trees and sat by the lake. Was he unhappy? I jumped down and sat by him. "What's wrong?"

He stared at me for a moment. "You seem familiar."

Now that I looked in his eyes, so did he. "As do you. Weird. What's bothering you?"

"How could you tell? I don't show my emotions."

"I don't use facial expressions. I can read energy. And yours seems rather sad."

The demon gazed at the lake with a sigh. "I feel like I've lost something important. I don't know what, or when. No matter how long or where I search, I can't find it."

"How odd, we have that in common. I feel like a huge part of my childhood is missing, like it's been wiped from my mind. And it took part of my heart with it."

He stared at me with those familiar eyes again. Something about them pulled me in. "It's strange to have something in common with an angel. But I feel the same." He seemed to hear something I couldn't and sighed. "I have to leave now. I only get a few minutes for a break. But I enjoyed talking to you." He waved as he left.

I watched him leave, wondering why he seemed so damn familiar. I walked back to Nitacha's cave and laid down, trying to figure out who he was.

  -      -       -

"If only I had said my name, he might have remembered me. If he remembered me," I sighed. Kyo came up and flopped herself on my lap. Thank God she wasn't in a dragon body. "Hello there, giant cat. Catch any mice today?" I ruffled her hair, already feeling better. "Where have you been?" She waved her hand. " Oh. How many caves are there?" She tried to do a dragon snort but sounded like a horse. It was hard not to laugh. "Damn, 62?! No wonder you were gone so long. But I'm glad you're back. I needed you." Kyo rolled over and booped my nose with her finger. So, I filled her in on everything that had gone on. When I was done, she had the biggest "are you fucking serious right now" face I had ever seen. I couldn't help but fall laughing. Kyo now looked baffled as to why I was laughing, and her now completely clueless face just made it even more hilarious. Dragons were just flying cats, even if they were to be put in a different body. "Oh Kyo, I've missed you!" I pulled her into a hug, making her flail to regain balance. 

~Salax~

He paced his room, restless. She loved him but it conflicted with her beliefs. He hadn't really stopped to consider that they were related now. It was a truth that hurt deep down. He loved her more than even he knew, so much he felt it in his soul. He sighed and fell into his bed.

Elysium walked in, closing the door behind him. "What's wrong? I came by to chat but you look like shit."

"I love her so much, Eli. She's my everything, I can't be without her. But it's wrong."

"How can such a pure love be wrong?"

"We're brother and sister, Eli. Thanks to me bleeding on her gem, it's a blood relation. She's an angel in a demon body and I'm tainting her purity..."

Eli gasped. "Oh my, wow. You're right. God that's truly awful. I couldn't imagine the feeling!" He sat by Sal and tapped his chin. "Is there anything I can do?"

"Help me stop loving her. No, don't. Do. Don't. God damn it. My love for her plus our child is the only thing I can live off of. But I don't want to bring her down."

Eli shook his head. "Oh dear. You love her so much it hurts you." 

"When I saw her dead on the ground, my life shattered. I'd never known such pain before. It was like part of me died. I was mortified."

Eli couldn't help but be touched. He'd never seen this side of Salax before and it was hopelessly romantic! His gay little heart twittered.

"Stop gaying over this and help me!" Sal hit Eli with his tail. 

"I'll think of something, just give me some time. I'll be back later; I need to graduate my healers."

Sal sighed as Eli left. "There has to be something." He rolled over. "She won't leave me, but maybe I can push her away. Nyxie wanted nothing to do with me when I was uncaring and cold. I know what I have to do. I'm sorry, my love." He sighed heavily, planning what to do. He left his room and headed into the den, seeing Nyxie and Erys talking about gem tastes. She had a few gems in her hand and gave him one at a time, guessing the taste. She was right 2 out of 3 times and seemed to be enjoying herself. While it pained him to see her with Erys, he was at least glad she was happy.