♱ •⋅ 1750 B.C. ⋅• ♱ •⋅ Elaine ⋅• ♱
Samael did as he said he would, but from the day we arrived at the camellia mansion - a name given by Keir, since the garden was full of camellias -, I did not even see the slightest sign of the priest’s existence, but now, when morning came by the door of our house.
The huge smile on his face made me question my own sanity as he said - what was sweet? If you keep looking at me like that, I’m gonna think you don’t like my presence.
I opened my mouth to confirm that assumption, but I chose not to.
"Just... I thought it was too early for you to be here," I lied and apparently that wasn’t one of my best lies, as he just smiled as he drank his tea.
"Early? We have a lot to study, especially if we want the child to experience one of my theses before dying."
I swallowed it hard.
"Is he... very ill?"
Samael laughed quietly.
"Does it really matter to you?"
'No' I realized as I pressed the skirt of my dress between my fingers.
My concern for Loren... was minimal. Almost... superficial.
There was a moment when I thought of that child as mine, where I wished that Loren was my son and that I could protect him in my arms as I knew his mother had wished to do, but... after seeing him being locked up, to see his smile so many times and how he simply accepted that ending...
I couldn’t see Loren the same way anymore.
"Will he survive?" I asked instead of answering and Samael shrugged.
"Who the hell knows? The king told me to try to improve his condition, never told me to perform miracles "the fallen mocked, but I knew that no matter how much he did it, Samael worried about Loren and was certainly distressed while wondering what to do.
I snorted a low laugh.
"Of course we..."
"Why do you look so unbelieving? ' he asked with a raised eyebrow.
"Because you..." I sighed "for nothing, priest, I just thought I’d be a better liar than you really are."
Samael laughed, but this time there was not even a sign of happiness in his laugh.
"Do you think I’m lying, Santa Elaine?" Your tone was sharp and straight "want to talk about... lies?"
'There it is' I thought as I leaned on the garden chair. The slightest discomfort in Samael was a reason for that tone to emerge, that sharp, venomous tone, that hateful personality that would make anyone sure he was as bad as they claimed to be.
"He went on the defensive very fast, my dear priest" I mocked and carefully brought one of the small sandwiches to my mouth "I thought I would at least allow myself one or two pranks before trying to intimidate myself and play the evil angel."
Samael’s body has hardened.
"I’m not an angel."
Right.
I cleared my throat.
"Forgiveness" I said straightening my stance "it was a mistake."
An offense I did not wish to do, but there was no turning back, nor how to remove that expression of disgust from Samael’s face.
"What’s going on here?" Keir questioned pulling the chair to sit and the old archangel sighed.
"Nothing, duchess" his eyes fixed on the redhead "just wanted to take the saint myself to the tower."
"To the tower?" she raised one of her eyebrows.
"Yes" was I who answered "the experiments will be carried out there, it will be easier than bothering Samael to come to our house."
Keir’s dissatisfaction was obvious on his face, but still... she didn’t question or tell me not to go. She just nodded. She nodded as her lips beamed and she stared at the cup of tea.
"I’ll come get you" muttered "can I?"
Samael snorted a low laugh and I couldn’t help but hold my hand.
"If you are free, you can come with me and watch" I replied with the sound and calm voice "we will not be performing any macabre ritual, you can always come to me."
The grenade eyes followed from my hand to Samael as if looking for a confirmation and the fallen shrugged while looking at the sky.
"She’s not wrong and none of mine will stop you."
Keir sighed.
"Not even your wings?"
Samael laughed.
"Oh... my wings?" His eyes shone as he stared at the white clouds that danced across the blue sky around his tower "my wings are certainly peculiar, my dear, but none of them is a monster to which you should fear" the tip of his tongue slid down his lower lip, "Except Anne, she is..., someone who doesn’t yet know where their own loyalty lies" purred.
"Ah" Keir snorted "the fallen one who serves Callisto and follows you everywhere."
"Uhhh..." the priest supported both elbows on the table "so you met my naughty pet?"
The crimson nails sank on the table "I had the displeasure of seeing her eyes fixed on Elaine."
I shuddered.
Anneliese... were you staring at me?
"When?" I asked.
"At the ball and then..." she turned and stared at the tower "I saw her flying over our mansion as you walked through the garden with Cali. I don’t think that thing is afraid of death, but I did notice it being only once" his eyes fixed on Samael "though I believe it wasn’t your order... was it?"
The teeth of the fallen showed themselves in an uninviting smile.
"No... honey. It wasn’t," he said in a low, charged voice, "I think my pet really lost the fear of death."
Keir stood up, his hand still held mine when his eyes shone brightly and his horns popped.
"So, my dear, I suggest you teach your puppy what it is to be AFRAID" Keir’s tone was sharp as a blade "or I will have to hand you a corpse unable to be recognized at our next morning meeting."
My eyes were fixed on Keir, his impeccable posture, his cold tone and his eyes full of power. Had she always been like that? How could my life have been if I had known her... before?
At that moment I realized that if I had Keir in my life from the beginning... everything would be completely different.
⋅• ♱ •⋅