Liadan was very sick of this heat. Thank the Gods her tent provided some shade. Her wings felt extra heavy and limp in the heat and the few tendrils of her blond hair that had escaped her up style were sticking to her skin. She was not a creature made for this heat, but the money was good. At least her skimpy, light, "mysterious" outfits worked well here. Showing extra skin always got her better tips. And helped with her side business.
She really should be outside, luring people in. But it was an effort to even want to move. Her last customer hadn't any money and instead had given her a necklace in exchange for reading his cards. It was rather pretty, a large jewel, with a few smaller ones with a silver chain. Dangling it in front of her, Laidan watched it spin for a bit, before setting it down with a sigh. Heat or no heat, she needed to get some money. The life of a performer was never easy.
Standing, the fortune teller stashed the necklace in her painfully empty money box and returned it to it's hiding spot. Time to rustle up some more business. Fixing her hair as best she could, hoping to get rid of that wilted look, Liadan stepped out of her tent into the bright sunlight. All around her the circus bustled, people moving about, watching the freaks and performers.
"Fortunes told! Come get your palm read! See what the Gods and the Fates have in store for you. A glimpse into the mysteries of time for only a few coppers!"
"It's called blood, you goddamn moron."
The huge man, clad in a tattered robe, torn on the right side and barely clinging but by a few strands on his left, was crouched over in the sand, clutching his hands and staring at the red stains that were smeared across his fingers and palm. He was at a loss for words and it was as if he could hardly believe his eyes."
The voice in his head laugh sinisterly and mocked him. "If you were half as earthly as you said you were, you'd know that. Up there sitting on your high cloud as if you were some fucking duke. He he he, how does it feel, Haelo, to realize the blood on your hands?" The voice laughed again.
Haelo, as he'd been called, clenched his fists and buried them in the hot sand, washing the redness away with the rocks and dust and sloshing it too and fro. The heat inevitably got to him and he pulled them away. Sweat was running down his back and his black leather leggings weren't doing so well to keep him cool. "Shut up! Shut up, Maelzedek. This is your fault and you know it. Let the gods be damned if you didn't give me that blind rage. They were just thieves anyway."
"Yes, just thieves. Nobody would miss them anyway. And besides, they deserved it. Trying to take that mighty weapon of yours and all, as if they could really cart it away anyhow. That thing's heavier than a goddamned boulder." Maelzedek growled a little, irritated from sitting here in the dirt like so, but there was little he could do against the sudden growth of power Haelo had. Always when he was like this, he gained control over the one fleshy vessel they shared. Oh, how he longed to tear free and wreak havoc on the world in his own hellish form.
Haelo looked around at the bodies that surrounded them, bandits cloaked in fancy headwraps to protect them form the sun, though that was really useless now. They were such crude things, these limbed figures which some no longer had, and wielded clumsy, useless weapons that failed them. They were humans no doubt, tanned and burned in their faces and especially around their eyes. He didn't feel remorse or regret as he thought he would. Murder was beneath him, yet he didn't understand why suddenly he didn't fly to take back his weapon himself. He had felt something darker creep over him and he'd slain the bastards as if they were such tiny things.
Haelo finally stood and burned internally at the hate he held for the demon inside of him, that fed off his brooding and sorrow. But he knew that he would be worthless if he couldn't fix his own problems. Dusting off the sand that clung to his clothes he breathed hard and headed over a dune before reaching his spear that was strewn in the struggle. It was a large weapon, looking light even in its five and a half foot length. It had a weighty pommel in the back to counterbalance the larger blade in the front that was held down by a rounded tube-like structure that was embedded with studs. It gleamed slightly and the weight was lighter than the cloth on his shoulder. He held it steadily and viewed across the vast distance ahead of him and saw the shimmering glare of what looked like a city up ahead.
"Essyrn...Ah, good times back in the day," Maelzedek muttered with satisfaction. "It's better than walking around in this godforsaken desert, don't you think?
"I can't wait to get rid of you," Haelo answered and headed off toward the gleam, not caring if it was a mirage or a feeding ground for these human creatures.
It wasn't long before he reached its outskirts and just there were massive tents built up and people everywhere chattering, flashing silver or golden coins in the sun and with toys and laughter and cries and acting not quite as he'd seen before. Haelo was surprised and walked in slowly, ignoring Maelzedek in his head that recalled times of lust and debauchery in a place just like this. It was as if he'd stepped into another world and all around were odd creatures, some doing tricks, some were leading people into tents and others throwing flaming or sharp objects in the air to grab a few wows from the crowd. He turned slightly and saw, lingering out of a tent, a woman with wings, something that he'd not seen since...well, never.
"Small rack, I'd stay away from her,"Maelzedek said. "Ooo, that chesty one over there! Go talk to her."
But Haelo wasn't paying attention and was mulling over something for a time, wondering and listening to what the winged woman was saying. Finally after some time, perhaps he would attempt some of this foolery, if only it would get people trying to inspect him. He didn't need to be so conspicuous. "I think I will," he said, looking as if he was talking to himself. He strode over, looking confused as if he'd been in the heat for too long and stared at the woman with her odd wings as if she was where he was from. It was highly unlikely. She didn't smell like anything divine. If anything, she was far too mortal. "If you can hear what the gods have to say, then I think you might be able to help me with my...problem."
Maybe today was going to be her lucky day! First she had gotten that necklace and now a stunning blond man was making his way over to her. He was looking at her a little funny, though that didn't surprise Liadan much. She got odd looks from most people. Granted, he didn't quite have that look on his face. But beggars can't be choosers!
Tilting her head, so that he could see into her hood a little better, Liadan gave him a small smile, "I can tell you what the gods have planned for you, if you are brave enough to listen." The man looked like the warrior type and most of those were pretty prickly about their pride.
Stepping backwards into her tent, to avoid turning around and smacking him with her wings, Liadan motioned him to follow. The darkened tent was a little cooler than the outside and filled with strange, magical looking knickknacks. Lots of scarves draped around and a table with two chairs taking up most of the space.
The fortune teller took a seat in one chair, her movements careful to avoid knocking anything over with her wings. She gestured to the other chair, "Sit. You have a question, an important one." Time to take a stab in the dark and see what she got, "Something troubles you, you have a dark spot in your past."
Most fighting men seemed too. And hopefully that was vague enough that it would work for whatever had drawn the man into her tent.
Despite the weeks he'd spent wandering in the desert, battling freezing night and scorching day, covered in dust, fending off marauders, hunting animals, and living like a madman, he still was not all that bad to look at. In fact, he was unaware at just how pleasing he was to the eye with the way a few people kept staring at him as he walked over to the tent and started talking to the hooded woman. She was trying to look mysterious, this he could tell. And the problem was, it was working.
"What are you doing?" Maelzedek asked, starting to feel a growl coming on. "She's hideous, get out of here now."
"No, no," Haelo whispered, looking around the tent as if in a delirium. He said a few more words to himself, like "I know! I know. Just shut up, already!" Just what he needed to look like, a crazy blonde half-giant in front of this very kind fortune teller. "Um, I'm sorry. I've just...been out in the uh, sun, for so long. I'm feeling a little dizzy. I'm feeling quite confused...um...my throat feels suddenly so dry."
"You're thirsty, dumbass."
Haelo's eyes went wide. "Water, please. Do you have any water before we begin? But before you tell me what the gods have to say, can you tell me your name?" He felt his sight pulled now to a little corner that was tucked away and seemed to be made to be inconspicuous. It looked as unsuspecting as it seemed to be intended, but he couldn't help but stare at that spot. It was almost as if something was calling him or something. "Um, could you get that water quickly?" Weeks in the desert and already he was losing his mind.
It was a shame. The lookers always had something wrong with them. And this one seemed to be a little touched in the head. Even for all his odd behavior, Liadan still found herself reaching up to touch her blond hair, smoothing it a little.
"Water? Yes, of course. You must be very careful in the desert I am told. It is a harsh place." Standing, Liadan moved with a strange grace, always conscious of where he wings were, the gold tipped feathers hardly brushing against anything, even in her small tent.
He seemed overly interested in the spot her box was stashed. She didn't like that much at all. The man was a brute and if he wanted to take it, there wasn't much she could do to stop it. Though, he didn't seem much like the type.
Handing Haelo a cup filled with cool water, Liadan smiled up at him, "Have as much as you like." There just seemed to be something childlike about him. No. That wasn't the word she wanted. Innocent? That wasn't quite it either, but closer. But whatever it was about him, he just didn't seem the type to rob poor woman in broad daylight.
It was just for a second that Haelo's attention was pulled away from the corner where she'd placed something quite important, though he didn't know it. He'd felt a strange aura from there, something that was powerful, maybe even more so than him. Haelo came back to the real world and looked up to see a clay cup in Liadan's hand. He looked fascinated with it for a really long time, the heat had really gotten to him apparently.
But he reached up soon enough and grabbed it firmly in his heavy hands, careful not to crush the fragile object as he could easily do. He sipped it carefully and felt the rush of liquid down his throat and gasped gratefully as if it was the greatest thing on this barren planet to behold. And maybe he wasn't too far off. Downing the rest, he set it down on the table. Staring away, then up to her wings, he blinked hard and regained himself. "I'm sorry for acting so strange, but this heat. I'm really not all that much used to it. I'm, um, my name is Haelo. Thank you for the water Ms. Winged-Fortune-Teller-Lady-Person. Um, please, let's continue with the session. I don't want to waste your time."
Haelo set his palm down on the table instinctively and stared at her knowingly, waiting for her to get started. "Tell me what you see."
Liadan couldn't keep from staring at the man's odd behavior. He really must have been in the desert a long time, though he didn't look burned. He looked...amazing. That was a plus at least. His focus on the corner where her box was kept made her a little wary though.
The looks at her wings were pretty normal. Though, maybe she should start dying them. Something darker, more dramatic. She gave another small smile as she took her seat, "You can call me Liadan. Haelo was it? That is a strong name."
Taking his huge hand into her delicate one, Liadan lightly traced her finger along the lines in his palm, "I see you have led an interesting life. Much darkness and danger." She blinked her eyes and they shifted from a warm brown color to pure white. A dramatic trick of genetics she found useful. "Something weighs on you." Why else did warriors come to her tent. Well, he didn't seem to be interested in her other services, so that left guilt. It was generally a solid guess. Lifting her head a little, Liadan watched his face, hoping to see how on track she was.
Things were only just starting to get odd. At least for him anyway. Haelo felt his vision blurring suddenly and he looked at the smudgy features of the fortune-teller as if she were some monster with weird psychological powers. He'd fought demons like that before, crazy beasts that could mess with your mind, make you see what they wanted you to see in a snap.
She even started to transform a little or so he thought, with her eyes suddenly a different color. He jumped a little at that and stared dumbfounded. He could feel control suddenly weaken and again his eyes were drawn to that peculiar spot in the corner of the room. When a short dizziness took him he felt himself pushed back into his own mind and there stood that ominous presence, that dark force that tore at his own soul.
"Snap out of it, you dumb bastard! Let me handle this."
Maelzedek took up Haelo's mantle as if nothing. Immediately he looked at Liadan and smiled sinisterly at her, as if he knew all about her ruse and her foolishness. He closed his hand around hers and leaned in close. "A strong name for a strong man." He flashed his teeth and added pressure to the grip as if he threatened to crush her hand, which he could easily do if he wished. Maelzedek was careful and just about ready to rape the fortune-teller, but that wouldn't be nearly as fun as conquering her mentally first. Power was all-encompassing and the hunger for it burned in the demon hotter now in the desert than he ever imagined. If he could, he would cast out the Angelo's spirit and take this body for his own. Moments of possession like this were the next best thing.
"Don't talk to me like I'm blind. I can see right through you," he said. And he looked at her as if he could see right through her clothes. "What else are you selling besides horse shit? I'm looking to buy something better."
"What...? What are you doing!? Leave her alone! Don't you touch her!" cried out Haelo from within, writhing with agony and rage.
"I'll make you meet the gods..." Maelzedek said, ignoring the spine-rattling Haelo channeled from within. "Then drag you down to hell."
(So sorry this took so long. School is kicking my ass >__<)
Liadan felt a shiver up her spine. Something was wrong. The man was acting oddly and her danger sense was tingling. Enough. Money wasn't worth this. She would find someone else. Opening her mouth to get him out of her tent, Liadan found herself making a pained scream instead as his hand closed over her hand, squeezing painfully.
Standing up, bent over slightly, as Maelzedek still had her hand captured, Liadan struggled, unable to get free of him, "Stop. Please. I don't have anything! Please! I'm just a fortune teller!" What could he want with her? She didn't own anything of any real value. The necklace she received earlier that day didn't even cross her mind, she had no idea it's real value.
"Just...calm down, okay?" He seemed like a different person almost and Liadan needed to get away, "Let me go, okay? And we can talk. What are you looking for?" Liadan gave a silent prayer to her gods that they protect her. Just be some simple robber and then he would leave.
"Oh, trust me, lovely. I haven't been calmer nor finer on a brighter day," Maelzedek uttered and leaned over on the table, not letting go and lashing out a snake-like tongue at her. "I think you're more than just a 'fortune teller,' my sweet. You're just what I've been looking for."
The body in which both spirits possessed did not carry anything that could be valued as money. Nothing so material was ever so valuable to the being, or the two souls within. True Haelo only ever valued the spear that he carried, a gift from the heavens that he earned and that was crafted just for him. Nothing else could ever have such store on him that he would throw the Jihukoten away to hold in his hands. Not even his freedom. In fact, the weapon itself would be the very one in which he would slay the demon inside him with when he was free of it.
He could feel the stench and the taint the creature was bringing upon the one body they shared and as Maelzedek prepared to overtake this incredibly stupid mortal, Haelo fought with all his might to take control of the vessel they were forced into. As he did so, Maelzedek felt his body start to tremble and as he did so, the tent to began to rattle about them and Haelo forced the demon's grip away from Liadan.
"Goddammit!" the demon exclaimed and fell from his chair as the rattling worsened and the whole circus started to quake. Then Haelo, regaining command, found himself crawling desperately to the corner of the tent where he'd been looking before and something jewel like flew out of the box and was glowing a bright, translucent blue. It wasn't anything like he'd ever seen before and Haelo reached for it, drawn like a puny insect, only to retract as if it burned him. He seethed then looked at Liadan. "Grab it," he commanded, looking more sane than he did before then relinquished the spear from his back and held it to her threateningly. "Grab it! Or I'll run you through!"
"No, no. I'm not. I'm just a fortune teller! Please..." Liadan's voice cracked and her eyes scanned the room, trying to see a way to get away. The man's sudden change in personality frightened her and his monstrous strength hurt. Her heart was pounding in her chest, her entire body trembling with fear.
When the tend began to shake, Liadan let out a scream, scrambling back away from the man, her wings snapping open, smacking into the walls of the tent. She couldn't tear her eyes away from him as she ducked behind the table.
It took her a moment to realize what he was even doing. She stared blankly at the jewel, not understanding what the problem was. It was just that stupid necklace she had gotten. His next comment had Liadan wincing and carefully moving forward, eyes locked on Haelo.
She had no idea why it was glowing and honestly didn't care. Her hand reached out, closing over the jewel and pulling it against her chest, "W-what do you want with it?"
No words came to him, he just stared at the stone with wide, sullen eyes and it was as if an obsession came over him. The jewel undoubtedly drew him like a lodestone and Haelo almost pounced at it helplessly, but he the knowledge of the pain it caused him all through out his body was the only thing that kept him at bay.
"Hold on it. Just hold it and don't drop it," he commanded with the utmost seriousness.
He peered up at Liadan with determination, eyes narrowed and the spear held threateningly if she tried anything fast. "So much as an inch in the wrong direction and I'll fillet you so fast, you'll still be alive to taste your remains," he said, wondering where such threats were coming from. He stood up, dragging sand everywhere and dashed toward her. "We can't stay here. You need to come with me. And your voice has no power in that matter." Haelo's eyes were wild and he stared at her as if he'd just lost his mind which he just very well may have.
In that instant, several large carnies, who probably also worked for the circus, stumbled into the tent, one of them shouting, "Liadan! Are you alright!? The quaking was coming from here! Wait...What the hell!? Who the hell are you?"
"Get out of here!" Haelo screamed at them and stood in front of the fortune-teller. Then he gave a quick glance at her. "I hope you're not afraid of heights." Black wings rushed out of his back at that time, tearing out of his flesh and causing him to shudder in pain. But they pushed up him up into the air and he gripped her arm up at that time, tearing through the surface of the tent.
Oh Gods. Ohgodsohgodsohgods. Laidan trembled, repeating the prayer over and over in her mind, staring at the crazed man. How had this even happened? What had she ever done to deserve this. She just shook her head, doing her best to not move, "N-no. I wont move. I promise. Please...just don't hurt me."
She wasn't a fighter and he had already shown how much stronger than she was. Trying anything would be pointless!
When her friends from the circus burst in, her felt her heart stop, her blood running cold. She couldn't let them get hurt! Jumping to her feet, the winged woman didn't have time to do anything more before her tent was being destroyed by the mans huge wings, the top torn open.
Letting out a shrill scream, Laidan clung to Haelo tightly, her own wings beating uselessly, trying to control herself somehow. Despite the wings, Laidan didn't fly. She wasn't used to being off the ground and she didn't like it. At all.
He didn't like the sensation of the demon's wings. They were larger and more cumbersome than the wings he had taken from him. Of course, he willingly let them go, knowing he didn't deserve to carry them, and hadn't flown since. It was only by the power of the demon inside him that he was even granted flight. He hated having to hold gratitude toward Maelzedek, but he didn't think running away was much of an option anyway.
Haelo clamped on to her with his free hand, like an iron brace, even as the necklace pressed against his skin and started to burn him a little more. The demon wings pushed against the air effortlessly as his huge body suddenly felt weightless. They spread wide once they were off the ground a great distance and the people there on the floor were tiny dots, ants on the face of the sand.
Speaking of sand, Haelo never knew how much of it there was until he was this high up in the air and for a second he forgot about the woman he just snatched up and the necklace that drove him nuts. The sand was everywhere, miles all around. Haelo's mouth fell open for a moment as he looked all around. He also didn't realize how hot it was up here with him being so close to the sun. But already, he was passing over dunes and toward the center of the city Maelzedek had called Essyrn. It was only now that the sensation of counter wings trying to flap uselessly caught his attention and he looked down at her with a sincere frown. "Calm down! Stop struggling! You don't want to fall do you? Now listen to me, what part of the city are we flying over?"
Liadan didn't stop screaming, legs and arms wrapping around Haelo in a death grip. She had never been this high in her life and it was terrifying her. Eyes tightly shut she just shook her head, "I can't look! I can't look!"
She struggled to keep her wings tight, but it was hard with the wind rushing against her, "Oh god! Please take us down! PLEASE!"
And to his own surprise, Haelo suddenly started to feel bad for the screaming woman that clung to him for dear life, literally. She wrapped whatever she could around him, save for her useless wings that swung around violently for not having anything else to do. He really wished she would stop struggling because all of the motions her wings were making were causing him to fly unstably. The leathery skin ruffled and shifted awkwardly, making Haelo lose balance in his flight and sent him spiraling out of control. She said she wanted to go down, well, now they were going down.
He darted downwardly, like an arrow shot out from the sky, spinning and clutching onto Liadan like a ragdoll. "Holy shiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiitttt!" he shouted just as they plummeted toward the ground. Before he had time to right himself, the surface of a rooftop was enlarging quickly. He twisted around, placing himself on the bottom and lost all the breath in his body as they crashed through the roof and down into the room below. He felt his back impact something soft, but that wasn't enough to hold him and he fell through that thing as well, to meet another hard surface.
He sucked breath in sharply as he opened his eyes, coughing a little amidst rising clouds of dust and dirt. He still held on tightly to the fortune teller and didn't let go even as he saw the tattered remains of a bedframe around him, and a cushiony mattress beneath him. "Well....um, we're down now."
Liadan was trying to control her wings, she really was. But she couldn't help but flap them against the wind. Then suddenly, they were falling and Liadan's screams stuck in her throat. She was going to die, her heart was going to explode out her her chest well before they even splattered against the ground.
Digging her nails tighter into Haelo, Laidan sobbed, eyes squeezed tightly shut, prayers racing through her mind, to any god that would listen.
Then they smashed into the house. Haelo took most of the damage from the fall, but he wasn't able to protect her huge, delicate wings. Pain shot through her as her wings were smashed against the destroyed roof and timbers. Vivid red blood stained the white and gold feathers and Liadan found her voice again, screaming in pain and fear.
Even once the falling stopped, the fortune teller clung to Haelo, trembling and sobbing, her mangled wings spread around her. The damage too them wasn't too awful, though a number of feathers had been ripped out and a few of the fragile ones were most likely broken.
Whoever heard those screams would probably thought somebody just committed bloody murder. Haelo was still quite disoriented from the landing. Splinters flew everywhere and some blood trailed down his arms. He found that some had entered into his arms stuck out like speared thorns. Apart of him was astounded at the sign but he sighed only as he tried to stand up, seeing if his legs still worked. When he found they did, he struggled to his feet, his legs lurching and wobbly beneath him.
And still she clung to him, like a desperate child. A rushing of boots emerged up the stairs toward the room they were currently in and when a man and woman screamed at the sight of him and the huge hole in their ceiling. "What are you doing in here?!" the woman demanded, grabbing the sword from her trembling husband.
"Sorry!" was all Haelo could manage. Then another voice burst through his thoughts. "Kill them!" Maelzedek demanded viciously.
Haelo groaned as he fought for control, the demon coursing in him, making thrust the spear in his hand menacingly at the woman. She shrieked in fear and only backed up as Haelo came rushing forward, holding Liadan as he did so, jumping the first flight of steps and leaping down the rest. His booted foot thrust out into the door, kicking it down as he dashed through it. He didn't now how far he'd gone within the city's walls but he managed to evade pursuit by the guard, if they cared at all to follow him. Haelo ducked into an alley away from the sight of prying eyes and stopped, resting by the wall and propped the spear against it as well.
"Woman, you, fortune teller. You can let go of me now."
Clinging to Haelo, Liadan was having a hard time focusing on everything that was happening. It was too much, too fast and the pain in her wings was making it hard to focus. She had drawn them tightly against herself as the angel fled, but they still felt like liquid fire on her back.
When he finally stopped, Liadan released him, backing up, eyes wide and her entire body trembled with shock and adrenaline. Then her spine straightened and Liadan took several deep, calming breathes, doing her best to ignore the pain in her wings.
She took a few moments to regain her composer, not looking at Haelo as she straightened her clothes and smoothed her hair. Once she felt more like her self, her heartbeat slowing down to a more normal level, Liadan closed the distance between her and Haelo and cracked him hard across the face, "How dare you! You...you...cretin!"
Cheeks flushed, eyes narrowed to slits, Liadan stared up at the taller man, "You have some serious explaining to do!" She knew she should be careful around him, she did know this. He had frightened her badly earlier. But Liadan had reached the end of her rope and the fact that people were in screaming distance was making her feel a little braver.
Maelzedek and Haelo didn't always react or think in tandem. To ever find a moment where the two acted as a single entity was a potentially rare one that the earth would have to endure a second ice age for it to ever happen. Furthermore, should it ever happen, there was bound to be something dangerous that was going to result because of it. Alone, each entity was a hurricane force, prepared to wreak havoc on anything it chose. Together...who knows what could happen?
Haelo wasn't really prepared for her reaction, though he should have been. He was out of breath himself. Despite his physical endurance, he was still within a very physical body. It wasn't like he could run forever and not get tired. His heart rate nearly crashed through his chest and little beads of sweat trailed their way down his forehead. But his expression remained grim and slightly desperate, like a kid that got smacked and didn't know what for.
The crack was pretty vicious and sent his head whirling, twisting his neck until he almost spun. Cretin wasn't really an insult he would have used, but with a quick possession by Maelzedek, he instinctively reached out and grabbed her face, shoving her back to gain some distance. "Listen you worthless wench," the demon spat out viciously. "I could rip your face off—"
"Oh, dear gods, I'm sorry," Haelo quickly cut in, shoving the demon aside. "I apologize with every ounce of my being." A small part of him actually meant it and his tone was imploring, but no less dangerous. "It's not something you'll be prepared to understand. I know I have to explain, but there are some things in this world that you probably wouldn't believe anyway! But I had to get you away from those people. It was the only way."
He sighed exasperatedly. "I am...possessed...by a monster... A bastard demon, an evil son-of-a-bitch that'll kill you if I let it. Trust me when I say that I am not the cretin. But the one that lurks inside of me, the one called Maelzedek. That's only one of his many names. And I've been trying to be rid of him for as long as I can remember... Please, you have to help me. That stone you have. I think it might be able to do something about my problem. It's not a matter of choice...you will help me because I cannot hold that jewel myself. But, to be honest, I'd rather not have to force you. Will you help me?"
Liadan's eyes went wide when the man suddenly grabbed her face, her body going still. She shouldn't have done that. The slap was a bad, bad idea. Squeezing her eyes shut, she waited for the pain.
She carefully opened them when Haelo started to apologize instead. Taking a step back, the winged seer put some distance between herself and the insane man. Her wings hurt, sending shooting pains up through her nerves, even holding them in was a pain and the white feathers were stained red in a few places.
"You have a demon inside you?" Oh Gods. She would have the luck. "Can't you see a priest or something?" She carefully took another step back. He was dangerous and she should just run. But...where exactly was she going to be running? Haelo would just catch her again and who knew what the other one would do.
Closing her eyes, Liadan took a few careful breaths, concentrating on her breathing while she tried to process this all. Her options were not very good. After a moment, she opened her eyes again, "....I will help you if you promise not to hurt me. You or Maldek or whatever his name is."
He was insane. He had to be. There was no way in the entire world that this woman was gonna believe him if she had any sense in that coconut shaped head of hers. What the heck was a coconut anyway...? And why did he think her head was shaped like one? That was beside the point!
Haelo's eyes were wild, he looked like a person that had been living in solitude for a hundred years and talked to themselves while trying to figure out the meaning of cheese while simultaneously setting pigs and wolves on fire, then pelting them from the sky. That was the meaning of true insanity. Yet here he was in an alley with this bird woman, trying to find a way to deal with the monster that was driving him crazy.
He half expected her to just try to leave him. But if she did that, he wouldn't be able to trust her with the kind of information that he'd just given her. Would he kill her? He didn't want to come to situation where he would have a reason to do so.
At last she didn't. Much to his relief. "Yes...I do. It's ridiculous I know, but it's the truth." He waited another moment until she spoke again. At this he smiled widely. "I promise. You have my word of honor. Maelzedek won't hurt you as long as I can help it." And when he couldn't resist hugging her any longer, he thrust forward and wrapped her in a tight grateful embrace, spinning her around and shouting endless thank-yous. It wasn't until he set her down that he noticed the blood on his arms from touching her wings. "Whoa! You're hurt! Why didn't you say anything?"
Liadan really didn't want to be doing this. Really at all. The man was obviously deranged, but she highly doubted she would be able to get away from all this if she tried to resist him. Just go along with him and try to solve the whole mess without any more injury.
She gave a weak smile when he gave his promise. As long as he could help it didn't really sound all that promising, but she didn't have long to think on it when he was suddenly hugging her and swinging her around.
The pain from her wings almost caused her to black out and she made a small, strangled sound in the back of her throat. Thankfully it didn't take him long to stop and she clung to him, her face pale, "We crashed through a building. And you have been acting rather insane. At what point was it a good place to mention being injured?"
He rolled his eyes in sheer annoyance. This woman would think such a thing, really? Even Maelzedek muttered something rude and impertinent under his breath inside Haelo's head. "Why don't we just ditch this bitch! She's just gonna be deadweight, you stupid angel. Or whatever you are. Not so angelic since I came along." The demon laughed within, mocking him.
But Haelo didn't laugh or even react to the demon. It wasn't worth his time after all nor was he really a lodestone to his attention even though he was technically right. After his possession, he hardly had done anything to make him worthy of ever returning to where he came from.
Still a frown became his face and he stepped back, holding her shoulders at arm's length. "Being a moron is no excuse for letting yourself stay in pain. And I'm not crazy," Haelo said sternly. "Let's go find you healer. Do those wings work at all anyways? If they did, we probably wouldn't have crashed." He stepped forward, then cast another look to make sure she still had that necklace, then dragged her along by the hand to get a move on.
"Well, I can't fly with them, no." Her eyes narrowed slightly at the mention of being a moron. She wasn't really in the habit of informing insane kidnappers that liked to threaten her she was injured. But she didn't really want to fight with him.
She straightened her back, giving Haelo a cold look, "And we wouldn't have crashed if you hadn't abducted me out of my tent. And really when exactly was I supposed to bring up my injuries? I have had slightly more pressing concerns, like being kidnapped!" He was the crazy one! Him! How dare he try and act like she was the lunatic here!
"But, yes. A healer would be nice. I..uh...do you know where one is?" She hadn't been in the area long enough to know, and they traveled with a healer in her troupe, so they rarely needed a local one. Could her life really get any worse than it currently was? She was really starting to doubt that.
"No, I don't but I'm sure I'll find one that's open. This place is in the middle of the desert, there's got to be at least a thousand healers and apothecaries in this city."
It was only just barely going to start getting worse for the both of them that was for sure. Haelo didn't know where to find a healer in this town, he didn't know his way around like Maelzedek did. But he knew that the demon would be above providing aid to him and this woman he didn't want along in the first place. So that was out of the question.
"Don't try to blame this one me woman!" Haelo challenged back. He kept dragging her along the busy street, clinging along the side until he found an opening with which to cross it. The hot air hit him like a brick. "How was I supposed to make you come with me? I'm pretty sure I couldn't have just asked, 'Oh Miss, I need help exorcising a demon out of me and you're the only one that can help! Will you come with me?' No I don't think so! And it still didn't excuse the fact that you still could have said something! Stop being such a baby and help me find a healer."
"Excuse me!?" Liadan trailed after Haelo, keeping her wings as tight and still as she was able to, "Are you trying to blame this on me? YOU KIDNAPPED ME!" She couldn't believe him! No wonder a demon possessed him! He already had the personality of one.
"And it wouldn't have hurt to try asking instead of abducting me out of my home and dragging me off and then trying to say it was all my fault!" The nerve of this man! She was the victim here and he was trying to make this her fault?!
Deep breathes. Deep, calming breathes. Her fists clenched into her dress as she tried to regain her composure. Let it fall away like water. Go to your calm place. Calm.
"Baby!" There went her calm place, "I am not being a baby! I am perfectly justified in being a tad bit upset that some crazy man is making me help him and the lunatic inside him!" The seer then snapped her mouth shut, struggling for calm again, "Let's just...see if we can spot one or ask for directions to one."
Here he was trying to make peace (as how peace would have looked in his mind), which meant her shutting her trap and letting him take the lead. It was misogynistic, chauvinistic, and petty. But anybody that was being annoyed on two fronts, from without and within, wouldn't have cared about any kind of politically correct formalities. Haelo didn't care what was between her legs, but if she kept wagging her jaw like she did, he wouldn't mind turning around quickly and slugging her good in the jaw.
"I didn't have time, Liadan," he tried again, stemming his temper back for as long as he could. "I didn't have any other options. You would have done the same thing in my place! If you're trying to pick a fight, you'll get one!" He said with adamance but it sounded more like anger.
"Sure, you're justified. Blah, blah, blah, blah.....blah. Or however that goes. Big baby. Yes, let's ask somebody. You there, madam, do you know where a healer is nearby?" Haelo asked kindly, giving his attention to a squat, burnt old lady that appeared like a walking prune.
She wagged a nervous finger in the direction of a short building down the street. "There, my son. That way."
"Thank you," he nodded, and started off that way. He looked across the waves of people and made out the name of a place called Jasmine and Jaspar's Uppers and Downers. Whatever that meant. But he hoped once she got her wings fixed, she would shut up. "That way, you loony. Let's go."
"No, no I would not have done the same thing you barbaric thug!" Liadan couldn't believe the nerve of this guy! How dare he! She had been nothing but pleasant and helpful and he was dumping it all on her! Now she was glad she had smacked him, because he was about ready to get hit over his pretty head with something!
She gave him a dark glare when he snapped at the woman, "Thank you ma'am. For the directions. Forgive my companions rudeness." She gave the woman an overly bright smile before hurrying after Haelo.
"Um...what...kind of place is this?" Liadan couldn't read very well and couldn't read Essyni at all, but it didn't seem like a very wholesome place, "This is a healers?"
He didn't know what it was he'd just read or what it meant, but his ability to adequately decipher letters and symbols into the right sounds seemed almost strange. He didn't know how he'd done it, just that he did. Like waking up suddenly and knowing all the languages of the world. He doubted everyone here spoke the same language.
He hurried on and peered in through the shop's foggy windows. There was nothing on display, they were dirty and covered in years of grime that he found rather unpleasant. "It should be, that's what the woman said," he replied before stepping through into the door. The whole place was covered in smoke like there was a fire here recently. A bell chimed when they entered and soon they were met by a woman who stunk as bad as the shop.
"Excuse me. Is this a healers? My friend here is hurt and needs her wings mended. Do you think you could help us," he said, pushing Liadan forward to meet the woman.
She seemed dazed and old, her skin having definitely aged at least sixty-five years. The woman gave her head a tilt, inspecting the two of them before sniffing haughtily and nodding. She had a rolled burning stick in her hand which she puffed negligently here and there. "Yes, dearies, this is a healer's of sorts. Come on toward the back now and we'll get you all fixed up. Would you like some puff, dears? It's a wonderful supplement. I've just been so high strung since my brother died that I smoke the stuff every day. It's the only way I can get by. I'm Jasmine by the way, my dears." The woman called Jasmine sauntered out into the back room through a curtain of hanging beads.
Haelo wasn't sure if he should follow or not, but he didn't want to give Liadan a chance to get away. He crept behind them, looming like a giant, blonde brute. Jasmine turned and gave him a look like he should keep his distance. He did.
"Come, my dear. What is your name, winged one? Oh, please don't mind the dust and dirt. I haven't really had a chance to clean up. Have a seat, have a seat! Don't be shy. I can fix anything, I've been doing this for years...birthing babies, mending arms, taking off arms, you name it, I've done it. And you, big man, take a seat right there. If I need your help, I'll ask for it." She smiled nicely and took another long drag off the rolled stick in her hand.
"Er...madam. Maybe you shouldn't smoke that while you're trying to work... What if you fix something that isn't broken...or put her wing back in the wrong place?" Haelo said abruptly, wondering how this would affect Liadan's broken wing.
Jasmine gave Haelo a set of the sharpest black daggers he'd ever seen. "Don't be so presumptuous, young man. Don't tell me how to do my job! I'm just fine! Now have a seat! And you, dear, sit so that I may see your wings better, dear."
Liadan did not like this. She did not like this at all. The whole place was filthy and reeked. Though, a lot of leeches and barbers tended to have dirty shops. Maybe that was a good sign? Regardless, she stuck close to Haelo, trying to keep from touching anything in the shop.
She was a little surprised when Haelo spoke to the woman in Essyni instead of common. She couldn't follow what was being said, but she kept feeling nervous. The woman motioned her forward, finally switching to common, "My name? Oh, I am Liadan Ma'am. Um...you are a healer then?"
Sitting down, Liadan gave Haelo another nervous look before slowly spreading her wings. The damage wasn't too awful, but there were a number of torn feathers and broken bones. Red splattered the wings, darker than the red that tipped them.
Obviously, the woman was not legitimate. But her intentions were good. Weren't they? The healer just dashed the ashes out in a small clay tray on a table beside her and kept puffing at the puff until it was nearly gone, trying to get every last bit of the high while she could.
"My my, deary, that's a horrible wound. I think I can fix this, yes. I can." Jasmine put the rest of the cigarette thing out in the tray and wobbly waltzed over to a bookshelf containing huge spines covered in dust and grime. Well wasn't this nice, Haelo observed her open a particularly large purple cover, stretched over with a scratched leather skin. Jasmine moved about after setting the book down on a table in the center and starting scrambling for incense and candles in the already sweltering room.
Haelo took the opportunity now to lean over and whisper to Liadan, "How are we going to pay this woman?"
The bad feeling kept growing and Liadan twisted to watch the woman. She wasn't really sure she liked this plan at all, but her wings needed to get taken care of before they started to heal wrong. She shifted her weight, trying not to fidget when she heard Haelo's words.
Lowering her voice, she glared at him, hissing, "Well, I don't have any money on me! It's all back in my tent! You didn't really expect me to pay to heal the damage you caused, did you?"
"Of course not," he returned harshly while the woman was busy fidgeting with a tinderbox. "Stop trying to make me out to be the bad guy, woman. I'm trying to help you here. I didn't have to bring you here. I could have brought you to some secluded spot and left you there to die! Please just be a little grateful. Please! I'll think of something, just let her heal you. I promise."
Haelo gave her a hateful look, like he wanted to strangle her a little but stopped himself short when Jasmine returned and started to speak incredibly loud, as if she couldn't even hear herself. "OKAY I'M GOING TO CAST A DARISIS ENCHANTMENT ON YOU, DEAR, STAY STILL AND DON'T SAY ANYTHING WHILE I SAY THE SPELL. IT WILL ADJUST THE BONES BY THEMSELVES AND ACCELERATE YOUR HEALING BY SEVERAL DAYS. OKAY, HERE IT GOES. BARUMBA, DARIA, TARUMBA, MACARIA!" Jasmine waved her hands around until a green light emerged from their palms, then she rubbed them together quickly and placed them on the wound, watching the blood dissipate as if it had never been.
Haelo, not aware that Liadan didn't understand what the woman was saying, stood up and held the sensitive part of her wing where he knew she would probably feel an intense pain soon after. Darisis enchantments were good but the side-effects were not always pleasant, unless pain was your thing. But he didn't want to think about that right now.
Jasmine soon finished, still shouting and pat the unfortunate fortune teller on the shoulder. "THERE YOU GO MY DEAR. ALL FIXED. HOW DO YOU FEEL?"
Haelo jerked her slightly and repeated the question himself. "How do you feel now?"
"You-!" Liadan didn't have a chance to reply before the woman came back, yelling in a language she couldn't understand. The fortuneteller's eyes got big and she paled, looking around for some means of escape from the strange woman and her strange actions.
Then the spell started and Haelo was holding onto her wing, which was a little uncomfortable. Liadan opened her mouth to respond to him, but all that came out was a small squeak. Pain raced through her wings and tears sprung to her eyes.
"O-oh god! What did you do to me?!" Curling forward, Liadan tried to keep still, her breath hitching as she struggled to handle the pain. She had never had much of a tolerance and it had come utterly unexpected.
Haelo was expecting her to react unpleasantly, a few curse words here, a slap there. But not in the pitiful way she did. But it was what it was and in an instant he felt sorry for her for having put her though this. Maybe they should have picked a different healer but all the same she got healed. That's what counted most right?
But immediately, Haelo hugged her again like a parent would a crying child, pressing her face to his chest, and patted her hair. "I'm sorry, don't cry. Please. It's only for the moment. It's okay." He let her go when Jasmine started to blow out the candles and incense. "Excuse me, Ms. Jasmine, but how long will the pain last?"
"Oh don't worry about it, sonny. Little more than a few minutes. Poor dear. I suppose she's never had a darisis enchantment before?" Haelo shook his head. "Well, I'm sorry to hear that. But she should be fine in a few days. Feathers will grow back and everything. Now here comes the matter of payment." Jasmine held out her hands expectantly, wiggling her fingers.
The last thing Liadan was expecting in her agony was Haelo to suddenly hug her. She almost snapped at him, but honestly, it felt nice and honestly, she needed the comfort. Reaching out, the seer hugged him back, fingers digging into his back until the pain passed and she was able to sit back up, blushing slightly.
Brushing a strand of her long hair back from her face, Liadan did her best to gather what little dignity she had left, "A little warning would have been nice you know." It was then she noticed the woman holding her hand out and she looked at it, the woman, back at the hand, then at Haelo, "What does she want?"
She assumed the woman wanted payment, but she really didn't have much on her. Just a bit of cheap jewelry. Reaching up, she undid her necklace, "Uh, will this work? I have some bracelets and rings if it's not enough..."
Haelo nodded to her and sighed. "Yeah it would have. Sorry about that, again." He then gasped when she started to take off her jewelry as a way to pay. "No, no, no. Don't do that. She doesn't cheap, tacky things. Hold on, wait outside for a few minutes...I think we'll be able to work something out."
Haelo didn't want to hear anything that would remotely sounds like protest and yanked her up before he would allow her to react. "Go, now. Me and Jasmine need to talk." He waited until he didn't see her anymore before turning back to the older woman. "Excuse my friend. But she doesn't really have anyway to pay..."
Jasmine put a hand to his mouth and waved him silent. "SORRY...I don't do credit. If you don't have any money, then we'll just have to find something else won't we?" She smiled and sat up on the table, reclining back and grinning suggestively. "Well, we might as well get this over with, my hunky friend."
"But that's not what--" Haelo said, surprised and unsure what he should do. He heard a snickering inside his head.
"I don't have all day. I've got to be paid one way or another." She slipped off seeing as he wouldn't approach her and abruptly threw herself at him.
In the room beyond, a scuffle could be heard, rather loudly in fact, two knocks, a thump, then Jasmine screaming loudly and after a few minutes, Haelo dashed out all flushed and breathing hard and appearing all shaky. He fumbled to readjusted his already torn clothes and was out the door as quickly as he could. As he peered through the grimy window, he saw her lighting another puff stick, and taking long relaxing drags on it, making him blush even more furiously. "Liadan, let's go!"
"Wha-bu-" Liadan gave a few stuttering protests before she was shoved out the door to wait. That was downright surprising, but at least he was taking responsibility for it. And her wings did feel better. She spread them slightly, examining them in one of the rather grungy windows. And then caught sight of her own reflection.
She was a mess! Gasping slightly, Liadan leaned forward, doing her best to try and fix her hair. It was a wild mess from all the flying and falling and crashing she had done. Damn that stupid man! She was going to need a hair brush to get this mess fixed, though she did her best with the knee length mass as she could. And the dark paint she lined her eyes with had started to smear.
Cursing, she started to clean it up a bit with her handkerchief when the noises in the other room startled her and she stared at the door. Just...what...was Haelo doing in there? When the blond angel suddenly burst out, Liadan took a step back, taking in his appearance, "...no! You didn't! With her?"
Hurrying after the blushing man, Liadan couldn't help but be amused at how flustered he was, "Did you really sell your body to get my wings healed?" If he had, that was a little flattering, "Though....you weren't in there long. Were you very good, or very bad?"
Haelo was glad she'd stayed outside, glad it was only for a few minutes, glad that he got out of there before something worse happened. It confounded him for a good long time how all that could happen in so short a time. But he didn't want to think about it, that he'd been conscious during the whole thing. Maelzedek made him do things like that before, but he usually didn't have much of a recollection of it later on. Instead, the demon just hid the whole time, laughing and doing nothing about his host.
He was blushing furiously, like bright beet or as if he'd just been burned by the sun. Liadan dashed after him and he wished he was invisible right now or that he still had his wings so that he could fly away. He sighed exasperatedly and refused to look at her. "I didn't sell anything! That woman attacked me. All I know is that there was a lot of heavy breathing, grunting, and we broke a lot of things in there. I didn't stay long enough to check back. Then I saw she was smoking again and I don't even know what that means! But let's never speak of this again."
Liadan didn't know wither to laugh or hug the poor man. She was still angry about the whole abduction thing, but he just seemed so upset by the whole thing. It was really kind of cute. She couldn't keep herself from smiling and she hurried to keep pace with him, wrapping her arms around one of his, "But of course I have to mention it again. It's such a wonderful story!"
Well, he didn't seem so bad like this, rather sweet honestly and it did help a little to sooth her angry at being dragged off. She still wasn't thrilled about it, but it was much better than when he was....that other one. The dark, frightening one. That one she didn't like.
"Well fearless leader. You have me, you have the gem, what do you plan on doing with us?" She didn't really fully understand what he wanted to do with the necklace or what exactly he thought it was going to do for him, but she was apparently along for the ride.
"It's not a wonderful story! It's not! It was...strange and unfair... But oh! Just forget it. Please! Or I'll tear your wings off myself. I mean it woman." He didn't really and was hardly envious of something she had but was completely useless. He did kind of want to slap her though, which would be too far of a possibility considering the fact that he had just helped her. What would be the true purpose of that? He hardly thought it would shut her up.
"I don't know...wait. You're a fortune teller, that means you must have some kind of mystical power right? Can you tell me what's so special about the necklace?" Haelo looked at her pleadingly, needing at least some place to start their search.
Laughing, Liadan squeezed his arm, "Oh please. That is a wonderful story. You are so bashful! And you sold yourself for my healing. That's sweet. But I promise I'll stop teasing you about it....for now anyway."
She wasn't planning on forgetting that moment any time soon. He didn't seem really that hurt by it, just confused and flustered. If she thought to woman's actions had honestly hurt the blond, Liadan was fully prepared to give the woman a piece of her mind, language barrier or no. But she didn't think it was time for that yet.
His question to her brought a blush to her cheeks and an end to her amusement, "Ah, well, about that. I really don't so much have fortune telling powers as...um...good guesses. I can't really see the future. And as far as mystical powers go, I can do a few small tricks, cleanse things, light a small fire, keep warm, that kind of thing. But nothing that would tell us anything about that necklace. Sorry."
Haelo refused to say anymore on the subject. Both in the fear that she would just keep talking about it and also in his continued thought of it. So he tucked away that little 'incident' in the 'indecent' corner of his mind where he put all the other things away that he didn't want to think about. He just kept muttering to himself like the madman that he was but wouldn't admit to himself of it, and waited for her answer to the mores important pivotal question all afternoon.
"..."
After a time, "..." was all he could say. Silence got hold of his tongue, effectively slicing it off before the notion came to him that it had been a good thirty seconds. A painfully long thirty seconds. "WHAT!?" he said at last. "You lied to me! You're...a...a ....a lying LIAR! How could you? What do you mean other abilities? Those are completely useless. If that necklace didn't burn the hell out of me, you would be useless too! You tried to trick me, didn't you? Oh, come on, we've got to find some other person that can read auras or something like that. And, by the gods, if you don't help me, it's you whose body I'll be selling!"
Guilt filled Liadan as Haelo stared silently at her. She hadn't meant to lie to him, not about something important and she hadn't realized that was why he had wanted her help. She fidgeted, cheeks flushing, about ready to break the silence when he started yelling at her. Then defensive anger reared it's head and she straightened her spine, outraged, "What did you expect at a circus?! I never told you I would be able to do anything about this necklace! You are the one that dragged me off without asking! If you had told me you needed a seer, I would have told you I wasn't one!"
Her cheeks were even darker now and she tried to ignore the guilt swirling in her belly, "And I am not useless, thank you very much."
"Sweet gypsies!" Haelo exclaimed, clearly exasperated and no longer caring that he'd been lied to just now. "How many times do I have to tell you that I didn't have a choice? And I needed you to hold the necklace for me. If I could do it myself, believe me that you would be back to that sand heap you call home. I bet they're not even out looking for you, Liadan. They probably said, 'Good riddance. We can find a million more pretend seers just like her if we pay 'em enough.' That's who you are to them, woman."
"You're more useless now than you were five minutes ago, you're welcome! But I swear that if you ever lie to me about something this important again, I will not protect you from Maelzedek. He'll do whatever he wants to you, whether its rape you or torture you to death. And I won't care either. Understand!?"
Liadan's eyes narrowed and she stopped walking, face dark with rage, "How. Dare. You. You have no right to say that to me, you have no right to judge me! You weak, demon infested little toad. Yes, I am no seer and I make money telling people what they want to hear. But that does not make me less than you!"
She was furious, her entire body, even her bright wings, were shaking with anger, "You can take that necklace, shove it up your ass and I hope it burns the entire way!"
"It has nothing to do with worth, you insolent sow," he snapped. "But everything to do with finding something meaningful to do with your life. What is your meaning? I am weak, demon-infested even. These things I can accept without resentment because its the first step toward becoming something stronger. What about you--" His eyes became narrow and Maelzedek grinned.
His hand came up quickly, clasping around her neck. "Why don't I shove it up your ass!? I bet you'll love how that feels, you whore." Maelzedek sniffed her, breathing in the sand and dust and shot out a snake-like tongue that lathered across her face. It certainly wasn't Haelo's tongue. "Its so amusing, how you little ants think your so powerful with your little spells, and little incantations, and little itty bitty back talk that tries to make you seem tougher than you really are. But in the end, your flesh tears like dry leaves, and your screams are music to my ears. You make me deliciously sick, like that weak, two-faced pussy that swore to 'protect' you from me."
Maelzedek leaned in close to her ear. "I'm going to let you in on a little secret: He can't protect you from anything. If he couldn't even guard his own soul, what chance do you have, you impotent little meat bag? Now why don't you be a smart girl and take care of that necklace. And when I get out of this body, you'll be mine." His hand was no longer of the beautiful skin of the blond angel but was blackened with scales and claws that dug into Liadan's neck until they drew blood with their sharpness.
Haelo fought for control within and the struggle became evident on the demon's visage. he became panic stricken and forced to let go of his grip on her neck. Instead his hands went to his own neck trying to fight against the internal strangulation evident on a face that was belligerent for breath. Haelo took several steps back before falling to the ground and removing his hands away and the skin returning to normal.
Anger burned in Liadan, ready to lash out at Haelo again when he suddenly changed. Stepping back, icy fear washed over the seer, her heart pounding in her chest. The tongue across her cheek caused her to shudder, her body going still, like the rabbit that froze in the hopes the predator might not see it.
Stupid! Stupidstupidstupidstupidstupid! She had gotten careless around Haelo, believing that he was going to protect her from the monster inside himself.
Liadan winced when his arm closed around her neck, the sharp points of his nails breaking her skin. She kept her eyes locked on his, struggling to not tremble. If he liked her fear so damn much, she was not going to show it to him.
She started to give some hopefully witty and brave sounding comeback when suddenly everything shifted. Haelo seemed to be fighting himself and Liadan reached out, hesitating near him, unable to bring herself to touch him, "Haelo?! Are you okay? How can I help?" She did not want the demon winning this fight.