Chapter Thirty Three..

“Sypher, I couldn’t let you go,” Cerilla admitted, shame knitting her brow. “There was nobody else capable of wounding Malakai, let alone killing him. And I missed you dearly. I was selfish but I stand by my choices.”

“Why would you create me to be half demon? Why would you allow me to be enslaved?” he asked through his tears, rising woodenly to his full height. “Do you have any idea the kind of torture I’ve had to endure? Have you ever had someone pluck out your eyeballs because they can? Or cut bones from your arm just to see if they’d grow back?” Sypher advanced on Cerilla until he towered over her. “All of the misery, all of the enslavement, the torture, the killing, the pain, all of that is your fault?”

“Yes,” she whispered, closing her eyes. Just when Elda thought he might strike the Spirit, he backed away from her, shaking his head.

“No. I don’t believe you’d do this to me without a reason. Tell me why!” Cerilla pressed her hands to her face, a small sob slipping out of her. Irileth stepped forwards and laid a hand on her companion’s shoulder, shielding her from his wrath.

“When Cerilla created you she had to bind your soul to its new vessel. Reversing death like that was unheard of, Sypher. No Spirit had managed or even tried to do so before.” Irileth’s frozen brow furrowed. “Your vessel was created right there in Iliria, modelled on your original form and designed to be something entirely new, something that could wield the power of the Spirits and put an end to the beast Malakai became. When he recovered from his injuries he saw your vessel laid there, unattended while Cerilla was focussed on retrieving your departed soul.”

“He took it,” Cerilla continued, composed enough to speak at last. “I couldn’t protect both your soul and your vessel at the same time, and for that I’m endlessly sorry. He took your new body and carried it across the border of Shade. Your last reserves of magic ruined him beyond repair when you died and he felt your vessel would serve him better. He tainted it with his blood before I could get it back. By the time I managed to stop him, it was too late.”

“So you used the body anyway?” Julian asked incredulously, unshed tears glistening in his silver eyes as he watched Sypher’s chest heave.

“I had no idea the effect his blood would have,” the small Spirit admitted. “Shade was quickly sapping my power and I had no other options. That realm feeds on magic and it was draining me. I bound your soul to that body and I left you there before the realm could kill me.”

“All this time, I’ve been treated like a monster by the Spirits. I’ve been nothing more than a commodity to the Keepers. You made me believe that my nature was my fault. You all treated me like I was an uncontrollable beast!” Sypher’s voice cracked. “Is there anything else you want to take from me before we’re done here?” He threw his arms out. “Any more knives you want to run through me?”

“Elda is your last Keeper,” Irileth told him firmly, determined to impart her knowledge no matter how much it crippled him. “You will never forge another Soul Blade again.” The Soul Forge sat heavily in the dirt beside his ancient bones, dropping his head into his hands. He only sat for a moment before he was on his feet again, seized by the urge to do what little he could to bring himself peace.

“I have to find my daughter.” He stalked away, pausing only to look back over his shoulder. “I never want to see you again, Cerilla.” The Spirit nodded once, a tear slipping down her cheek before she vanished. Elda followed after Sypher, the rest of the group on her heels as he tracked back to the intersection where Anaita’s remains lay, no longer needing guidance to pick his way through the remnants of his home.

“Sypher.” Elda hardly dared to speak, but she couldn’t let him carry the bones alone. Her voice froze him in place beside his daughter. “Please, tell me what you need from me.” He stared at her for a moment, the living embodiment of a ship lost in a storm, but eventually he nodded.

“Eris is there.” He pointed to another skeleton not far from Ana. “Be careful. When you touch her, you’ll learn how she died.” Elda nodded, more concerned that Sypher was about to learn how his only child lost her life. She tensed when he lifted the small skull and his eyes glazed over. The memories played out through the bond he could no longer control, showing a brief flash of Malakai waving his hand and poor little Ana flying through the air, screaming in terror, her tiny body shattering against a pillar.

Eris died much faster. Her neck was snapped the moment Malakai recognised her. Elda shuddered and began gathering the bones carefully in her arms, making sure she didn’t miss a single one. When every last bone was collected she followed Sypher back to the park. The others parted to let them pass, following in a sombre procession to lay Eris and Ana with Sypher’s old body, reuniting the family in death.

With great care, Elda arranged the bones in a neat pile and set the skull on top, copying Sypher. He lifted the small skull and placed a single kiss on its top, laying it down with rest of the bones and whispering something in what Elda assumed was Angelic. He did the same with Eris, and then he got to his feet, fresh tears pattering the ground when he moved.

“Let’s get out of here,” was all he said. Elda watched his retreating back, following him through the streets until they reached the archway and eventually the moonstone door beyond. She climbed silently onto Syd’s back and Julian walked them out to the ledge. The Soul Forge turned and closed the doors behind them, sealing the tomb of the Angels to all but him.

Irileth vanished when Gira settled himself reluctantly in place between Sypher’s wings. The Soul Forge stepped off the ledge, throwing the feathered limbs out to slow their descent once the air was breathable. Syd did the same, circling round him carefully until both of them touched down. As soon as Gira was on his feet, Sypher shot into the sky again.

“Should we go after him?” Julian asked no one in particular.

“No.” Irileth reappeared beside them, watching Sypher’s rapidly shrinking form. “He needs time. Let him be.”

“How could you do that to him?” the Vampire asked, rounding on the Spirit. “After everything he’s been through, why would you tell him about his previous life? All you’ve done is cause him more pain!” His eyes were wet with emotion again. “That man is my brother and you’ve destroyed him.”

“Sypher needed to discover who he was if he ever hoped to defeat Malakai for good. There is a reason for everything we do,” Irileth answered evenly. The Vampire looked like he might swing for her, but then he growled through his clenched teeth and his fisted hands relaxed.

“I need a drink,” he snapped, glaring at Irileth before storming off.

“Reason or no reason, what the Spirits have done to Sypher is cruel,” Gira stated, also addressing the frozen woman. “Elda aside, we Keepers have been no better. We’ve treated him like a possession or a thing to be feared and controlled, not a man with a life to live and feelings to consider. Have the dignity to be ashamed of your actions, Irileth, even if you believe they were right.” He followed Julian and Syd back towards Cenet, leaving Elda to face Irileth alone.

“How am I supposed to trust you when I know the Spirits are the reason Sypher is half demon?” Elda asked quietly. “You tried to convince me he was a monster. Your ruler made it possible to enslave him for a mistake one of you made.”

“I don’t expect you to understand, little friend,” Irileth sighed. “I disagree with the rules Aeon has placed on all of us. If he weren’t so intent on hating Sypher, his life may not have been so hard. None of us know the truth of why he’s so against the Soul Forge.”

“And we’re supposed to just accept that?”

“It doesn’t make any of this alright, I know. But it’s the only answer I have for you right now.” Irileth pushed her glowing hair away from her face, her icy features creasing into a grimace. “I never wanted to hurt him and neither did Cerilla. You must understand that the monster you were shown when you came to my realm is still entirely possible. The things we’re doing, they’re to try and help him avoid that future in the only way we can.”

“I think all of us need some time to process what we’ve seen, Irileth. I need to patch Sypher up without your help. I’m sorry.” Elda cast her eyes down. “I can’t have any of you damaging him further. I have no idea how any of this has affected Vel, either. I need to figure this out with both of them and I’d like you to keep your distance until I ask you to return.”

“Of course, little friend. I’ll always be nearby, but I will be silent. I chose you for this purpose and I trust your judgement.” Irileth gave her an apologetic smile and vanished in a swathe of frosty mist.

Elda sighed and crossed back over the threshold of the wards, heading across the bridge to the palace so she could tell Falmyr what he wanted to know. There was no way she was going to force Sypher to relay any of what they’d seen to a stranger. The ornate gates swung open when the guards recognised her, granting her entrance to the lush gardens beyond. Falmyr was seated in a wrought iron chair with a book in one hand and a china teacup in the other.

“Ah, Princess!” he exclaimed when he saw her. “Welcome back! I do hope your sanity is still intact?”

“It is.”

“Excellent,” Runiel beamed. “Are you here to tell me what you found?”

“We made a promise that we would.” She didn’t take the seat he gestured to. “My visit is brief. We need to return to Valdren as soon as possible.”

“Of course, of course. Tell me, how did you get through the mountain?”

“We didn’t. We bypassed the mine by flying to the summit.” She chose not to tell him about the door.

“What did you find there?”

“Iliria, the City of Angels. It’s destroyed just like the legends say.”

“Oh, that is a tragedy,” Runiel nodded, not sounding concerned in the slightest. “How did you access the city?”

“I didn’t. The entrance would only open for Sypher.”

“And why is that?”

“I believe that goes beyond the terms of our bargain,” Elda replied carefully. Runiel’s smile was bright.

“I asked you to tell me what you found up there,” he agreed. “That doesn’t technically constitute anything you physically found, you are correct. Were there any interesting artefacts up there?”

“Broken buildings. Lots of bones. A sword that now belongs to Sypher. Everything else was destroyed by the looks of it.” The Prince cocked his head, studying her face for a moment before sighing.

“That’s a shame. I was hoping for something more interesting than a door I can’t open to a city that has no people left.” He clasped his hands together. “No matter, you fulfilled your end of the bargain, my beauty. I’ll let you take your leave. Please do visit me again in the future.”

She curtseyed and turned back to the gate, resisting the urge to run. Her shoulders only relaxed when her boots hit the bridge. Pausing at the apex, she surveyed the beauty of Cenet once more, taking in the gently rippling lake, the ornate palace and the smattering of opulent buildings lining the shore.

After a while, the beating of a pair of wings caught her attention and Sypher dropped onto the bridge beside her. He leaned against the railings, the light breeze ruffling his pale hair.

“We have a problem,” he stated.

“What problem?”

“Vel. He’s silent.”

“Silent?” Elda echoed. Sypher nodded. “How long has he been quiet for?”

“Since both of us learned what I am.”

“Perhaps he’s just processing?”

“Or he’s so disgusted at being half Angel that he’s refusing to speak with me at all. Silence is dangerous. It means he’s angry.”

“Sypher, you both went through a lot in a really short space of time.” She laid a hand on his arm. “Neither of you are okay right now. Don’t make any judgements until you can think straight.”

“I wish I shared your logic,” Sypher murmured. ” I’ve never felt so broken.”

“It’s okay to fall apart.” Elda spoke gently. “You have me to lean on.” She saw the telltale glint of moisture in his eyes, but he didn’t look away and the tears didn’t fall.

“The only things I have left to care about are you and Julian, you know.” He pulled her against him gently, resting his chin on the top of her head. “You’ve become so important to me so quickly, El. I don’t want to lose myself to the demon if it means I can’t have you in my life anymore. I’ll fight with every last shattered piece of me to stay by your side.”

“I hope you do, Sypher. I don’t want to lose you either.”