anger the numbness had suppressed. She looked up at him, ice cold fury glinting in her silver eyes.
“So that’s what I am?” She asked, her words freezing as they passed her lips. “A vessel?”
Dark eyes met hers, a resigned look showing in them that might have made her hesitate if she hadn’t been so angry.
“To ensure that the seal was kept intact, Cadeyrn’s powers had to reside on earth. Close to the seal itself.” He said quietly. “Ever since the seal was made, he has chosen a number of human hosts.”
“Like me.” She said. Anger fueled her and she felt the need to move. To do something. She stood up and started pacing restlessly.
“So that is why they want me?” She asked. “Because I have the power of an archangel inside me?”
“Yes.” He said simply. He remained seated and watched her pacing in silence.
“Why?” She asked, more to herself than to Alassane. “What do they need it for?”
Suddenly she remembered something. “You said…” She started thoughtfully and stopped pacing. “You said that they planned to complete some ritual that had failed before…”
She stared at him, trying to put the pieces together. “And they need Cadeyrn’s power for that…”
Suddenly it hit her. Flashes of memories shut through her mind. The bloodied symbol on the temple floor. Serendia telling them about a demon. Azarial.
Selissa realized she was shaking. “They want to bring back Azarial…” She felt nauseated. “They want to summon a demon lord.”
She felt her legs grow weak, and she allowed herself to sink down in the grass. “Why?” Was the only thing she managed to ask.
“They were shunned by humans for their demonic abilities. They have never had anything important to them, so all they seek is power. And they believe he will grant them that as a reward for their loyalty.” Alassane explained, but even he sounded like he didn’t understand his own words.
“And they have tried this before?” She asked, willing her voice not to waver.
“Twice, to my knowledge. Maybe more.” He said. “Both times it failed.”
To my knowledge. Selissa let out a bitter chuckle. He knew all of this and kept her in the dark. And still she followed him like a trusting dog. “What is your role in all of this?” She asked quietly.
Alassane hesitated. “My role is to keep you safe.” He said simply.
She let out another joyless chuckle. It seemed she wasn’t getting anything better than that.
“I keep hearing this voice in my head… His voice.” She whispered. Alassane didn’t ask whose voice. He didn’t need to.
24
The following days, Alassane tried to act like nothing had changed, but it still felt like an invisible wall had appeared between them.
They talked and argued as usual, but somehow it felt like there was nothing behind the words. They were empty. Whatever companionable feelings she had had for him before seemed to have gone numb. She could forgive, but she couldn’t forget. All the things he had kept from her were a constant reminder in the back of her mind that she couldn’t trust him.
They continued traveling towards the abandoned temple, occasionally stopping to rest at whatever small town they passed through.
As they came closer to the border, the war showed its obvious signs.
On every street, orphans were begging in the streets. In every town there were burned down houses. People kept their heads down and didn’t dare look anyone in the eye as they passed.
Ragged clothes and starving people made it clear how much people suffered from the war.
Selissa and Alassane were both dressed in similar ragged cloaks. A pair of strange travelers in this area were already enough to cause suspicion. They had to blend in as much as possible.
Despite their best efforts though, Selissa could still feel eyes following them as they made their way through the various towns. Strangers were not welcome here. To these people, strangers meant nothing but pain and misery.
It took them a week to get to the border. By now it was very common to see Ver’Dohnian guards patrolling in every town, and Selissa felt the paranoia set in. She could feel herself tense up every time they passed a guard, fearing exposure.
If they were discovered, they would be killed on the spot. She had never been to Ver’Dohna before and with good reason.
“How do we get across the border?” She asked Alassane. They were currently sitting at a table in a rundown tavern. The place they were in was more like a military encampment than an actual town. It was right at the border and heavily guarded by Ver’Dohnian military.
Alassane leaned closer to her, to ensure that no one else heard their conversation. “We need to find out who’s on guard duty tonight.” He said quietly. “That way we can deal with them before we cross the border.”
Selissa nodded. To Alassane, deal with roughly meant knock out and throw in a dumpster. “How do we find out who’s going to be on duty?” She asked thoughtfully.
Alassane subtly tilted his head towards a man sitting at the bar. He was clad in armor and a sheathed sword stood leaning against the counter. “That guy seems drunk enough to accidentally spill something. Go get him.”
Selissa frowned. “How? He may be drunk, but he’s not going to just tell me if I walk right up and ask.”
He scoffed. “You’re a woman, aren’t you? And even with those creepy eyes, you’re not that bad-looking. Use it.”
“You want me to flirt with him?” She raised an eyebrow at him. That hadn’t exactly been her plan.
“You’re right… You’re probably too masculine for that to work.” He retorted. He was promptly rewarded with a smack to the back of his head.
Selissa stood up defiantly and with one last look at Alassane, she strutted towards the inebriated soldier at the bar.
Subtly, she loosened the first few buttons on her shirt, before sitting down on the stool next to him. She asked the barmaid for a drink, deliberately leaning forward so the man next to her got a good view as her shirt dipped. It was not in vain.
Out of the corner of her eye, she saw his eyes flicker to her chest, before quickly returning to her face when he noticed he was staring.
She turned to face him, a pleasant smile plastered on her face. “Hello. My name is Selissa.” She offered her hand to him, thankfully remembering Ver’Dohnian customs. The man seemed shocked by her addressing him, but quickly recovered and shook her hand.
“I’m Adriel.” He said. The slight slur in his voice was the only thing revealing the fact that he had been drinking.
Selissa smiled radiantly at him. “It’s a pleasure to meet you.” She said. “I’m just in the town for a couple of days. I’m on my way to visit my brother.”
The lie slipped out effortlessly, and Adriel seemed to buy it. He returned her smile tentatively. “I hope you’re enjoying your stay here, though there’s not much to see.” He said.
She cheered inwardly at the fact that she had managed to get a conversation going. “You’re part of the military, aren’t you? That must be a dangerous occupation!” She said, false admiration in her voice. Border control... Dangerous indeed.
It seemed to work however. Adriel seemed to relax and his chest swelled a bit at her flattery. “Yeah, it can be, but I can handle it.” He said proudly.
Selissa suppressed a smirk. This was almost too easy.
“I believe that.” She said and placed her hand on his arm. “What kind of work do you do here?”
He took a swig of his drink. “It’s our job to secure the border. To make sure no damn Sinarian scum gets into our country.”
Her eye twitched. So Sinarians were scum… We’re not the ones destroying the homes of our own people, She thought annoyed.
“Really? Well, you’re probably going to be on duty tonight, aren’t you?” She asked innocently. She leaned a bit forward and stared intently into his eyes. She ignored his slight jump when saw her eyes
clearly. “Such a shame. I was looking forward to getting to know you better.”
Adriel eyes flickered unsurely, before he answered. “No no, I’m free tonight!” He said quickly.
Selissa fluttered her eyes a bit, feigning confusion. “But what if they need a replacement for tonight? Shouldn’t you be available then?” She asked.
“Nah, I just saw Dion and Ethan leaving the 3rd division’s barracks. They are going to be on duty all night.” He said eagerly. Selissa smiled, hoping he didn’t notice the predatory glint in her eyes.
“Well, that’s great. I’ll have to go take care of something first, but how about we meet here in an hour?” She asked sweetly. Adriel nodded enthusiastically as she slid out of her seat. She shot him one last smile before disappearing out the door.
Alassane was waiting for her outside, an amused smirk on his face. “You seem to have done that before…” He said suggestively.
Selissa merely rolled her eyes. “I have no comments on that one.” She said. If only he knew… Turning serious, she looked at him. “Two soldiers named Dion and Ethan are going to take the next shift.”
“Good job.” He said. “I will take care of them. Meet me near the border in an hour.”
25
Crossing the border went smoothly. The unfortunate guards were now lying unconscious in a back alley, and no one else noticed them as they slipped past the invisible line that separated Sinaria and Ver’Dohna.
Having entered enemy land definitely didn’t help Selissa’s growing paranoia. Where the people of Sinaria devoted themselves to the angels and