Fallen Pride - 18. Chapter 18

Neither of them had the time to get re-dressed, but Kiaza had cleaned them both up with magic. He pushed the boundaries of Kiorl’s outfit in the sort of way the panther usually liked. Kiorl couldn’t help but feel exposed by Kiaza’s alterations. His shirt turned into a draped open fronted jerkin, and he was sure the slippery little snake had made his loin-cloth closer cut somehow too. Kiorl adjusted the set of his belt on his hips as they walked, and tried not to stare at Lahja’s back. He wondered if the new demon had realised Kiaza had changed his outfit as well, though much more subtly. Lahja’s thin shirt was split along his spine from the small of his back to his neck, and the folds of fabric allowed Kiorl to glimpse his pale skin as they moved through the inner circle towards the West Portal.

“Why are we going Upstairs?” Lahja asked.

“Nassau said Phoenix is coming.” Shindae responded with a broad smile.

“Already?” Kiorl frowned at the fire demon. “I didn’t realise it had come around so soon.”

“It’s been an hundred years,” Kiaza sighed, “more actually. I was still here last time Phoenix showed himself. Let’s go!”

“Where’s Sitka?” Kiorl queried.

“Ha!” Shindae barked a laugh. “He said he’s going to stay home and watch ‘the humans.’ He’s convinced they did something naughty when we went Upstairs for All Hallows.”

“We’ll see how well that goes for him,” Kiorl rolled his eyes. “Lahja?”

The fallen angel was already holding out his hand, and Kiorl felt his heart skip and stutter as he touched him. He knew that Lahja only gripped his knuckles so tight because he didn’t know The Way, and was silently terrified about what had nearly happened the first time he’d refused Kiorl’s help getting through the portal. The big panther stood close to his companion, placed his free hand on the young demon’s waist, careful not to touch his skin, and steered him through the blink-fast mass of stars until they stood on an empty cobbled street under a sky obscured already by high smoke and the light of four thousand bitumen torches.

“Where are the others?”

“I let them go ahead.” Kiorl didn’t hold tight, but Lahja hadn’t moved away from him. The angel radiated warmth; normal, natural body heat, and Kiorl wished he could feel the demon’s smooth skin against his fur. As though Lahja knew what he was thinking, the fallen angel’s free hand touched his chest, fingering the texture of his velvet fur.

“I wanted to talk to you.”

“What about?” the angel asked

“You’re beautiful.”

“Kiorl….” Lahja frowned at him, and then stared at his own hand. Within moment his skin had begun to glow, and he stepped back quickly, pulling himself away from the big panther. “We should get going. We’ll be late.”

Kiorl knew the town well. He’d visited it a lot in the last two hundred years or so; it was the kind of old-world place which drew more than its fair share of supernatural forces. Tobias had come from around here, The Demon Del Deorion was known to frequent the town’s huge variety of drinking spots, and Nassau was fond of a large group of people who worshipped fire so much they practically razed their town to the ground once a year. The fact Phoenix had chosen the site as the place to be reborn didn’t surprise him in the slightest.

They made their way through the crowds easily enough, pausing to watch the procession of humans carrying fire and shouting to the sky, and wandered along routes thronged with people towards the biggest of the five double storey fires waiting to be lit and adored with primal joy. Vruuaska and the others were already there, and the big demon strode up and down in his full aspect, somehow avoiding the throngs of humans who milled around shouting and laughing.

“The Prince is here,” Lahja whispered. He looked startled at Kiorl’s laugh.

“You know you don’t have to call him that. Especially not here. Nassau is sometimes just Nassau; he likes a good fire just as much as the rest of us.”

Lahja scanned the big fire as the procession began to arrive and throw their lit torches onto the enormous structured heap of wood.

“Is the phoenix really in there already?”

“Phoenix – there is only one of them – and yeah, it’ll be tucked away in there, taking last breaths and shedding feathers, waiting for the fire to get hot and fierce.”

The group of mixed demons stood on the hillside and watched the rising flames. Around them, the vast swathe of the human population drank and raised their cups and bottles to the carnal joy of the fire. The flames rose until they blotted out the stars and the moon, until there seemed to be nothing but smoke and the red-orange glow, a single town trying to outshine the sun. Kiorl leant back against a handy tree he’d summoned just for the purpose, and didn’t bother to hide his gleaming fanged smile when Lahja relaxed alongside him. The angel wasn’t looking at the fire directly.

“There are a lot of people in this crowd who aren’t… human.”

“Yeah.” Kiorl wished he had something to drink. He’d felt the tug of power when they’d first arrived at the site, knew the others had as well, but he was better acquainted with its flavours, and knew the origin. Even if Lahja had felt it, he had no context for what it meant. “Big crowd tonight.”

Lahja glanced around. It was easy, when you really looked, to pick out the strange creatures from the humans. They were humanoid, or they weren’t; some were easy to distinguish, clear if unrecognisable shapes. Some shifted and changed even as he tried to pin them down. There were horns, wings, tails, appendages Lahja couldn’t name. Some shone, some glowed, some moved with the sea of people, others stood stock still, steady as rocks in a riverbed as humans moved around them. All their neighbours seemed oblivious to their presence.

“Did they come for Pheonix?”

“No, they came for the same reason Nassau really did. Because of Them.” Kiorl almost didn’t want to gesture, however deferentially, to the two people who stood close enough to the flames for such a thing to have been not only not allowed, but physically painful unless you were Shindae or Vruuaska, or some other similarly gifted creature made of fire. Lahja stared openly, and Kiorl knew his attention would have already been noticed.

“Who are they?”

“They,” Kiorl stressed the word as much as he could, “are the Lords of Dusk and Shade. They might be just about the most powerful people on the planet.”

“More than the Prince?” Lahja looked suitably worried.

“More than Sathriel himself. Everyone rumours that this is their town, and they love the fire.”

“But… who are they?”

Lahja stared the figures. They were hard to make out, harder than they should be. One was a man, or he might have been a dog; the other a man, though he may have been some kind of cat, like Kiorl was, or perhaps a dragon, or perhaps something in between. His eyes began to water as he stared, and Kiorl touched his cheek briefly to distract his attention.

“Don’t look so hard. If They want you to see, you will. Phoenix should be about ready now. Shall we?”

Lahja peeled himself away from the tree, and turned to look at Kiorl over his shoulder. The major demon wondered if the boy had any idea how sexy he was, or how much he affected Kiorl and pretty much every action he had taken since Lahja had walked into his life. It seemed like a long time ago that Lahja had been a wreck, unable to touch anyone, or eat anything. As Kiorl slipped his fingers into the hand Lahja offered him, he knew better than to push the contact any further. The last thing he needed was to make a scene in front of Them.

You’re not happy, are you? Kiorl wished he could growl at his inner voice mocking him gently. Are you allowed to be happy?

Hot guy holding my hand? Sure. Kiorl grinned in the inky shadows cast by the bright fire.

Oh, holding hands. What are you, five?

Kiorl snarled at himself.

You’re projecting kinda loud there Ki. Nassau’s soft voice invaded his mind without bypassing his ears. There’s a lot of people in this crowd with the power to listen.

I fucking hate empaths, Kiorl snapped. Mind your own damn business!

“Kiorl?” Lahja had stopped walking, and turned his attention from the great fire to look at Kiorl. For his part, the big panther didn’t mean to say anything at all. Lahja was smiling, the joy and desire of the crowd infecting him with their awe of the majesty of the flames which licked the sky. He wove his fingers into Kiorl’s, holding him as steadfast as an anchor in the sea floor. “It’s beautiful.”

I love you.

Kiorl didn’t look away from the pale young man as the fire’s crackling changed pitch, couldn’t move his gaze as the pile of charred wood collapsed outwards and a shriek of primal joy tore the air like the ripping of canvas. Phoenix, the bird enormous and hot, was growing larger and brighter with every second. It’s feathers were so glorious they outshone even Nassau’s excellent plumage. It rose from the ashes and fire and spread its wings out over the assembled crowd. Some of the humans in the crowd appeared to notice, stilling suddenly, their bodies subject to a force their minds could not comprehend. With Phoenix’s next cry, every supernatural creature present raised their voice, whatever form it took, and welcomed the great bird back into the world. But for Kiorl, all was silent except the beating of his heart, and two voices in his mind he recognised, neither of which were his own.

To love an angel is a great thing. Even if he is fallen, one said softly.

It’s never been done before, the other replied. And by one such as this?

Give the kid a chance.

He’s going to need more than one, the second voice smirked.

Have a heart love, it’s hard for them, not knowing. It was easy to tell the owner of the voice was smiling.

Can’t, the second voice was fading even as the words reached Kiorl’s mind, gave mine to you…

Kiorl blinked, and saw Lahja outlined by the fire and the shape of Phoenix as the great bird flapped it’s wings and began to rise into the sky. Floating behind the fallen angel were the shape of wings, picked out by the flames. They were more solid than Kiorl had ever seen them before, and he couldn’t help but smile.

“What?” Lahja frowned at him, his head on one side. Kiorl wondered if it was an affectation he’d picked up from hanging around Jahke too much.

No, you do it too. Nassau’s voice was like a cold hammer to his senses after the soft whispers of Them. Don’t go anywhere yet Kiorl, we have to pay our respects.

“Did you like it?” Kiorl decided he’d rather stay out in the cold having a conversation with the boy holding his hand than play mind games with those much more powerful than himself.

“It was amazing. I had no idea anything could be so bright.”

“Nah, you’re brighter than that.” Kiorl thought of the blinding glow he couldn’t help but associate with pain, the imprint on his face, and the way Lahja looked when he was angry. It was like he looked now, alive and vibrant, and incredibly beautiful.

“That’s not me.”

Lahja turned away from the fire and Kiorl, letting go of his fingers. Already the crowd was moving again, and Kiorl had to step between passing humans to keep the other demon in view.

“It is.”

“They call it ‘Heaven’s light’ for a reason. It’s just left over from who I used to be before I was so careless.”

“Don’t say that.” Kiorl reached out to the angel, but Lahja slipped from his grasp, his fingers already pulsing with light. “You’re more than you were when you arrived here.”

“Yeah, I’m a demon now.”

“Is that so bad?” Kiorl wished he hadn’t asked, because Lahja’s blue eyes narrowed, and he looked down his nose at the major demon. Kiorl knew it was the same haughty, self-important expression he often wore, especially with those he considered lesser than himself, which was a lot of people. Never before had he realised how incredibly small it might make someone feel.

Lahja didn’t answer him, but stalked away. Kiorl wished more than anything he could just ignore Nassau’s command and go with him, but he knew he couldn’t. The third most powerful demon in hell was expected to make an appearance when the Prince called.

Others were paying their dues to Them, many with simply a respectful bow, backing out of their presence with heads hung low, and Nassau was clearly waiting until summoned. Kiaza stood with Kiorl, and to the panther’s surprise, Vruuaska joined them as Nassau moved forwards and beckoned with his mind.

They were wearing their most normal of shapes, and Kiorl wondered if the humans around them saw anything of their aspect, or just two young men, arms looped around each other’s waist and shoulder. Nondescript but beautiful in their own ways, they stood smiling and greeting friends with a handshake and a half hug.

“Nassau...” Shade smiled when he spoke, he always did. “Wasn’t it beautiful?”

“Worth the journey, certainly.”

“Ha! When was the last time you stretched your wings and flew anywhere Nas?” Dusk laughed, his cocky manner doing a good job to hide the power within. “You should try getting here the old fashioned way.

“Babe,” Shade admonished his partner like any other lover, “you make it sound like we walked for miles.”

“We did! The parking around here is absurd! We’re practically in the next village over.” Dusk kissed his lover’s hair. “But you just had to drive….”

“I see you brought a large group with you to see Phoenix.” Shade returned to his original conversation as though nothing had occurred. “It’s good to see you again Kiorl. Kiaza, I see you found your way home at last.”

“Thank you Sire.”

“Shame.” Dusk grinned lasciviously. “You could have come to stay with us.”

“I’m mated now,” Kiaza volunteered. Kiorl smirked: Jeremiah was the only human who had ever voluntarily journeyed into hell to find a demon, and had challenged everyone who’d stood in his way. The Lord Dusk might have held power beyond comprehension, but Kiorl doubted Jeremiah would have hesitated to punch him.

“Good for you,” Shade grinned. His eyes reflected the fire. “Ifrit will be pleased: he’s always happy this time of year. He will be delighted when I tell him one of his Sons was here for Pheonix.” He turned to Vruuaska. “You will have to come and visit sometime. Have you ever met your father?”

“No Sire.”

“Oh, he’ll love you,” Dusk smiled, “you take after him. Same horns.”

“It was good to see you Nassau. Come by the house soon, we’ll catch up.” Shade smiled in a meaningful way, and Kiorl knew a lot had gone on in silence that he wasn’t privy to. “Kiorl? Walk with me.”

It wasn’t a question, and Kiorl found himself walking beside and very slightly behind the Lord Shade, quietly grateful he wasn’t alone with Dusk, who scared him more. But not quietly enough.

“You really should learn to guard your thoughts Kiorl. You live with empaths, and you have limitless time, how is it you’re still this bad?”

“Stubbornness.” Kiorl replied shortly. He didn’t see much point skirting round the issue. Shade could kill him where he stood without moving a muscle. Kiorl doubted much he said would change his fate.

“You’ve not changed.” Shade smiled at him, lacing his fingers together behind his back as he walked. Kiorl followed, noticing that the grass where Shade had trodden wasn’t bent or broken, but surprisingly verdant and lush instead. “At least, I expect most people haven’t noticed it yet. Your face on the other hand...”

“I’m hardly inconspicuous.”

“Never more so. You should push your luck more often; it suits you.”

“Sire?”

“If immortality should teach you anything Kiorl, it’s that you’re not going to get everything you want by waiting for it to fall into your lap.” Shade rolled his shoulders as his shape began to melt, becoming hard to make out. Kiorl looked away before his eyes decided to quit functioning altogether. The Lord Shade’s voice vibrated directly in his skull the next time he spoke.

It’s a brave and dangerous thing you’re doing, but you’ve always been good on that score. Remember to have fun, Kiorl.

Kiorl felt his body lurch, his stomach flipping, wanting to throw up, but he couldn’t find his throat. It was as though he’d stepped through a portal without knowing it, pitched and hurled into a place where there were too many dimensions to count, and they all wanted a piece of him. Then it was over, and Kiorl stumbled and fell directly into Lahja, knocking the fallen angel onto his back. Kiorl managed to stop the boy’s skull from impacting the stone cobbles, bracing himself with his hands before he crushed the pale demon underneath him.

“What the-? Where’d you come from?” Lahja stared at him, inches away. He frowned. “Kiorl?”

Kiorl couldn’t think of a single reason not to, so with the fire burning in the distance, the stars obscured by smoke and flames, and his heart hammering like a steam train in his chest, he leant in and kissed the demon he loved. It only lasted a second before the world exploded in bright white light and pain, but it was the best second of Kiorl’s entire life.