shining through cracks and holes in the ceiling, bathing the corridor in a ghostly light.
It felt like she had known these halls forever. She knew that she wouldn’t get lost, because somehow she knew this place.
Men and women, clad in white robes, talking and laughing. Beautiful gardens, filled with life.
She closed her eyes and let Cadeyrn’s memories overwhelm her. Pictures of a world that was long forgotten filled her mind and with it, a sense of loss so great she felt like crying.
She stepped into a garden that had once been breathtakingly beautiful, but no one had taken care of it in centuries. Everything was covered in great, green vines, and she had to walk carefully so she wouldn’t trip.
She made her way slowly to the middle of the garden. A statue of an angel was placed in the center. The platform it was standing on and the statue’s feet was almost completely covered by the vines that had taken over the garden, but except for that the statue seemed unaffected by the wear of time.
The twenty foot tall statue towered over her as she approached it. The angel’s face was turned towards the sky, and his wings were spread, as if he was about to take to the air.
Selissa studied the angel’s face. Its features were graceful, yet masculine. Long hair appeared to be flowing down his shoulders and covering half of his face.
“Is this what you look like?” She asked. Was it a bad sign that she was talking to a voice in her head? She laughed quietly at herself. It probably was.
When she didn’t receive an answer, she decided to keep talking. “You have to help me here… Tell me what I need to do.” She hated herself for feeling so lost. “I need your help.”
When there still was no answer, she slowly sank to her knees and rested her forehead against the cool stone of the statue. Was coming here just another dead end?
‘I’ll lead you.’ Selissa stiffened in surprise as his voice rung clearly through her mind. Not only had she thought he wasn’t going to answer, but this time his voice seemed so much more powerful to her. As clear and as real as if it had come from a person she could see and touch.
“You feel so much closer to me here. As if I know you.” She said with a smile.
‘You do know me. I’m part of you after all.’ He answered, and she could almost picture his face. Not the cold, lifeless stone face of the statue, but the face of a living, breathing being.
She suddenly longed to touch him, to assure herself that he wasn’t just an illusion created by her mind. To feel the warmth of life, not just the cool feeling of his presence inside her head.
Suddenly she remembered something Calen had told her many years ago.
Do you have to be able see something for it to be real? As long as you can feel it in your heart, it’s as real as it can be.
She smiled at the memory. She had been just a girl and had asked him how he could have such faith in the fact that Shi’laran and the angels existed, even when he had no proof.
She had not understood his answer then, but now it made sense to her. She couldn’t see him, but everything in her made her believe that he was real. That was enough for now.
She rose slowly from her kneeling position. She had come here in the hopes of understanding more about Cadeyrn and she already felt she did. Standing here, in his sanctuary, she could feel his presence so strongly that she almost wasn’t sure if the emotion she was feeling was really her own.
She was just about to continue searching the temple, when she heard a voice that made a chill run down the back of her neck.
“Long time no see, princess.” She froze and felt a lump form in her throat. For a second she considered running, but a sudden stubbornness shot through her. She was done with running.
She slowly turned around to face the intruder.
Ardeth was looking at her with a smile on his face, and his back leaned against the stone wall. He looked for all the world like he belonged there.
“Didn’t you get enough last time?” She asked tersely. She prayed he didn’t remember that it had been Alassane that had beaten him instead of her.
He laughed softly. “I’m not here for you this time.”
She frowned. “And that will stop you from killing me?” She asked.
He tilted his head and smiled at her. “It was never my intent to kill you.” He said. “They want you alive after all. And I have gotten no orders to go after you, so I will let it go for now.”
27
Selissa hesitated in confusion. “So you’re going to leave me alone, just because you weren’t ordered to go after me?” She asked slowly. It didn’t make much sense that he would just let her go, when the Demios wanted her so desperately. And what was he even doing here then?
“They’re the ones who want you, not me.” Ardeth shrugged. “I couldn’t care less, to be honest.”
It had to be a trick. He was trying to make her believe she was safe from him for now, just so he could make his move.
She started backing away slowly, all the while keeping her eyes on him.
Her plan backfired, as he noticed her retreating. In seconds he was in front of her.
He grabbed her chin and surprisingly gently lifted her face so she would look at him. She was tall for a woman, but Ardeth’s height dwarfed even her. Her head barely reached his chin.
He continued to smile at her, as their eyes met. She wanted to jerk away from him, but she found that she couldn’t bring herself to move. His dark eyes held her in place. They were calm, but still so intense it made her breath catch. She was so close that she could count each of his eye latches and see every tiny muscle in his face move when he smiled.
He really was beautiful. Frighteningly beautiful.
“Are you afraid of me?” He asked. His hot breath washed over her face as he spoke and she shivered.
“Yes.” She said without hesitating. She knew he would be able to see every lie in her eyes, so she didn’t even bother denying it. She was afraid of him. She was down-right terrified of him, and still it was not just fear that made her shiver.
He watched her thoughtfully as if he didn’t quite know what to make of her.
“I see.” He said slowly. He released her chin and took a step back.
Her skin burned where his fingers had touched it, but breathing got a little easier when he stepped away from her.
She took a shaky breath to steady herself. “If you’re not here for me…” She said slowly. She knew that if he really wasn’t going to hurt her, she should just get the hell out of there and away from him as quickly as possible. But no matter how frightening she found him, there was something about him that made her pause. “Then why are you here?”
He grinned at her and she felt the blood freeze in her veins. She had never met anyone one who looked so unnerving just by smiling.
“I had some…” He paused for a moment. “Business to take care of in the area. And I decided to pay this place a visit, when I was nearby anyway.”
Selissa shuddered at the way he said “business”. She wondered how many innocent lives were lost every time he had business to take care of.
“Why would you want to come here?” She asked wondering. Her mind was screaming at her to get out while she could. There was something very disturbing about having an almost normal conversation with someone who might very well decide to randomly kill her.
“I have my reasons.” He said simply. He turned his head to look at the angel statue and a frown crossed his face. It was the first time she had seen him show any sign at displeasure. Somehow it made him seem more normal, more… human.
“Your protector hasn’t showed up yet.” He said suddenly. Selissa frowned in confusion before realizing that he was talking about Alassane.
She scoffed annoyed. “I can take care of myself.” She realized how childish that had to sound. If it hadn’t been for Alassane, she would have been very dead last time she faced Ardeth.
“I bet you can.” He didn’t eve
n sound sarcastic. “And for your own sake, let’s hope so.”
He looked at her intently. There was some emotion in his dark eyes that she couldn’t decipher. “I wouldn’t trust him after all.”
“Trust who? Alassane?” She asked, eyebrows creasing in confusion.
His lips stretched into a grin. “I have to get going, princess.” He said and turned to leave. “But I guess I will be seeing you soon…”
He started to walk away, and Selissa briefly entertained the idea of attacking him while his back was turned. She sighed when she realized that it probably wouldn’t help her anyway and watched him leave silently instead. Who was he to say who she should or shouldn’t trust anyway?
She frowned. She really didn’t get him. The first time she had met him, she hadn’t even been able to walk away by herself from the encounter. But this time he didn’t even seem to care that the Demios wanted her. Or rather, wanted Cadeyrn.
She would give everything she owned to have her life make sense for once.
She shook her head and sighed. Lingering would do her no good. She shot the statue of Cadeyrn one last look, before turning around and started walking back to the place she had left Alassane.
Cadeyrn’s presence had faded into a faint echo in the back of her mind, but she could still feel him with her. Everything about this place seemed to enhance her connection with him. She closed her eyes thoughtfully. She could take advantage of that…
She wouldn’t let Ardeth’s unexpected appearance rattle her. She quickened her pace, excited to tell Alassane