Chaos

By Lexis Sixel

She was born into darkness. Prix’s mother is a Demon, and her father; The Devil. All she has ever known is The Underneath, and not even her parents could have prepared Prix for her role in The Battle of Wrath. What lay waiting in the shadows, all her life.

But as the Seven Sins awaken, Prix realizes that her identity is more complicated than she thought. How is she supposed to save the world, when she must also draw the lines of good and evil? While love and loss, lead Prix down a path of no return, something far more dangerous is waiting for her back home. Peace becomes nothing, when your demons still haunt you.

Chaos tells the story of The Boy who Fell, and The Girl who Burned, while constantly asking the most important question. Is love really the strongest power?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Archway Publishing
• Release date: Sep 26, 2018
• ISBN: 9781480867895

Lexis Sixel

Lexis Sixel lives in Eugene, Oregon, with her mother and younger brother. Her short story, My Superpower, appeared in the 2018 fiction anthology, Secret Keepers. When she is not writing, Lexis enjoys surfing the internet or contemplating existence.

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Copyright © 2018 Lexis Sixel.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping or by any information storage retrieval system without the written permission of the author except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

This is a work of fiction. All of the characters, names, incidents, organizations, and dialogue in this novel are either the products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously.

Archway Publishing

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Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Getty Images are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Getty Images.

ISBN: 978-1-4808-6790-1 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-4808-6789-5 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2018910906

Archway Publishing rev. date: 09/24/2018

CONTENTS

PART 1:   DARKWATER

Chapter 1   Confidently into the Shadows

Chapter 2   Nights Alone

PART 2:   FIRELIGHT

Chapter 1   His Name

Chapter 2   Dulled By A Human Soul

Acknowledgements

Chaos is an angel that fell in love with a demon.

-Christopher Poindexter

Most of the books were destroyed, but I have managed to piece together the parts you might need. If I tell you not to read this I don’t suppose you’d listen, so I’m going to say it nicely; these pages that I’ve found, they aren’t meant for everyone. If you’re still reading then I wish you the best of luck sorting through this chaos…

Here are the pages I have.

~ C

PART 1

DARKWATER

CHAPTER 1

Confidently into the Shadows

I was born into darkness, into heat, into hellfire. My father is what some people would call The Devil, and my mother is a Demon. My name is Prix.

All my life, all I’ve known is The Underneath. You might call Hell what I call home.

My father never paid much attention to me and I couldn’t expect him to. Paying attention requires care; it requires time. Providing me with time and love wasn’t his style. Besides, he was always busy. Constantly looking into the pitiful souls of humanity, all of which contained such a look of fear, was bound to be distracting work.

I stayed away from my mother as much as I could, her wrath was something that I tried very hard to keep myself separated from. In rare moments she would speak kindly to me. She would tell me stories of her visits to The Flat; the rocks that kissed the sky, the frozen water that sunk so deep it almost met us here in The Underneath. And then, my mother would talk about the other watchers of The Flat. The Higher.

I was amazed at the horrible stories my mother would tell me of The Higher and its Angels. How they sent virtue to humans we had given sin to, and how they spared a few rare souls who were close to meeting my father.

I was immediately repelled by the idea of these people and their contradiction. We were the ones at the heart of the Earth - the first here and likely the last. How dare they!

One night, I decided to wander around the halls. This was forbidden as far as my father was concerned, so I made sure I moved as quietly as possible. I had overheard my parents talking earlier about the three Highers that were coming down. No one would tell me why. Why in hell would we invite them here? I found myself more curious as to what Highers looked like, than actually afraid of the consequences of their visit.

No! I hear my father exclaim, and I jump in fear.

I shouldn’t be spying on this, but I can’t help myself. The alternative is too boring: it means staying in my room. Alone. I could draw, I could sleep, I could stare at the ceiling and wonder why I’m alive. Being alone is prison. And my joyous alternative is being ignored by my father or secretly tortured by my mother. To say my life is dramatic, is an understatement.

I can still hear through the door, the voices saying words I can’t understand. What could they possibly be talking about? My parents, and three Angels….

I hurry back to my room and try to sleep, but my mind wanders. I can’t stop thinking about the strange things my parents had said that I’d barely heard. I feel a storm brewing inside my head, and that night, I dream of light.

It was warm, not hot but warm. And I was surprised at how comfortable I felt in it. The air was just air, my feet weren’t grounded, I was floating. I felt tethered to a far away thing. There was a cord wrapped around me, keeping me in orbit of something. And no one was here but me and the light, and yet I felt the opposite of alone.

I wake to the familiar dense feeling of smoke crowding my lungs. I rub my eyes, get up, and look around my room. I spend a lot of my time here, drawing on the gray stone walls with charcoal my mother has finished with. What else am I supposed to do? There isn’t much.

The slab gives my back red indents and markings where the rock isn’t quite smooth. My chest of clothes all looks the same. Each flaming red dress exactly like the others. There was no point in having more than one, really.

I’m used to this. The charcoal smudged fingers, flaming dresses, and watery eyes. And it doesn’t matter because Demons don’t notice the heat or the burning smell, or even the dust in the air. Demons are born in and they die in the dust. I was wrong though, different, and it scared me. Sometimes I feel the smoke burn my lungs and sting my eyes, but as long as I live, I’ll never admit it.

Every day I do the same thing. I try so hard not to be bored. I try every second to be strong and resilient like my mother and father, but I often feel tired, and lonely for something that I don’t even know.

If my parents knew that I slept every night I could, and wondered about the meanings of my dreams, they would definitely be angry. I’m always so tired until I fall asleep… Demons don’t dream, because they have no souls. My father sleeps very little. He is not a Demon, not exactly. My mother has never slept. I can already hear her voice if she ever found out about me: Dreams are for the weak minded and those fluffy Highers!

I was raised to be brave and without fear or care, unfortunately, I do have some fears. One is my mother, whose presence looms over me like a dark cloud. When she is happy, she is calm, almost passive. But when she is even slightly upset she burns like fire. And I see a sadness behind her eyes that makes her anger seem tormented. And no less terrifying.

My father is almost never angry. But he isn’t friendly. I get the feeling that he doesn’t want to look at me. Like I remind him of a mistake or a bad memory.

Neither of my parents ever taught me how to express myself, but I find my own ways. Drawing, dreaming. The only thing useful that they taught me was how to be strong. How to build myself up into an indestructible castle that no one could invade. My parents have their own castles, that they use even around each other.

Prix, my mother says to me. There is a war coming to you and Heaven’s child. Fight with my rage, and the courage of fire and you will be victorious.

My fists tightened. When my mother looked away, I felt myself relax.

I nod to her. I know the enemy.

Well, I used to think I did.

When I open my eyes, the darkness seems too dark… I’ve dreamt once again about light.

I sit straight up, and in the corner of my room I see a shape. A person. They shimmered and glowed bright white in the deep blackness of my room. My hair starts to flame as surprise floods through me. As the shape steps forward, I grit my teeth, trying to burn fire into his mind as my mother had taught me but the light just gets brighter and brighter, and the boy smiles at me, without hatred, I think.

I panic as I start to feel lightheaded. I fall into nothing as fast as I was created from it. Perhaps I will die today. What an adventure.

I open my eyes to white light and blink in astonishment as I realize that what my mother had said was right. The Highers had taken me to fight the battle between Heaven, and the darkness that built me.

If they want war with what I am, then I’d give it to them.

I blink once more to clear my head and realize that I am in a small room, square or nearly. There is a door on the right and I am lying on a soft slab.

The room is cold- freezing actually. I hold my hand out to burn a small fire to keep myself from freezing to death. Is that what The Highers have planned for me?

I shiver, sit up, and look around. There is nothing here. No weapons for me to use to protect myself. The only thing I can see in the room is the door. I don’t want to open it. It is then I realize, I am more afraid of what is on the other side than actually dying in here.

I stand, a bit dizzy, and walk toward it.

Suddenly the knob turns and my heart leaps out of my chest. My fire goes out, completely out of my control, and I take a few steps back, holding up my fists and preparing to fight.

But then the boy walks in. The same boy I saw in my dream. If it even was a dream. Light shines through the room and makes his bright silhouette seem dark. Then he closes the door behind him, extinguishing the light.

In the darkness, I know my eyes are shining bright gold, I can see him in perfect detail. Hopefully giving me some kind of advantage… I remember the first time that this happened to my eyes. I was afraid, but amazed at what I was - what I could do. That was a long time ago.

Slowly, he turns and reaches out to light the candle on the wall.

When my eyes adjust, I find that he is unlike anything I’ve ever seen before. He has golden hair and brown eyes and is a few inches taller than me. I can’t see anything to help, I just stare. For once, I don’t think I have to expect violence from the person in front of me.

He smiles, and I take a wary step back.

Hi, he says, hesitantly. My name’s Calix.

Why was I taken? I ask, and Calix looks down like he’s embarrassed.

"I’m really sorry about that. My parents and I came to The Underneath many years ago. They tried to explain, but you refused to listen."

Is that why you’re planning to kill us? I say, my body tense in case I need to run… somewhere.

No, he says. "We’re not going to hurt you. This is a bit extreme - bringing you here like this - but matters have complicated."

I pause. You’re God’s son then?

He smiles, humor - unknown to me - in his dark eyes.

You’re the one my parents told me about, I say again.

Calix looks at me curiously. I don’t think your parents told you the whole truth, he says as he turns to open the door again.

My heart skips a beat. Did he really expect me to follow him?

Trust me. Then he looked at me, almost right through me, and said something that made my hair spark at the ends: I’m not the enemy.

I know going anywhere with Calix is a bad idea, since he could be leading me straight to my death, but I found myself moving with him out the door and through a hallway despite my doubts.

The hallway itself was narrow, with sharp turns every now and then leading down more passages. The same white door was repeated every few feet on the walls as we walk. Leading to rooms or stairs - I didn’t know.

Another Higher steps out one of the doors suddenly and his eyes grow wide when he sees me. Bright blue eyes that look deeper than the ocean and striking against his dark skin. I frown, wondering if being beautiful is just a Higher trait. Maybe it’s how they are made.

He looks older than me, maybe twenty human years old, and I can almost hear his rapid heartbeat as he stays absolutely still, waiting near his door as Calix and I walk by. I feel a certain satisfaction at knowing that The Highers - or at least some of them - are afraid of me and my family. What we represent.

We walk for a little longer and then enter through two huge white doors into a big room made of clean-cut stone and diamonds. Are they really diamonds? If the entire room is made of what I think it is, then I don’t understand why I’ve been told stories of humans in poverty and misery on The Flat.

It is breathtaking. And somehow, thinking of those stories my mother had told me, makes me suddenly miss my home, where the temperature is always perfectly sweltering and the air is heavy. Familiar. Every breath I take here is just light. I feel like I could get lost up here - drift off if a gust of wind blows.

There are two chairs on a platform at the end of the room. A fair-haired man and a dark-haired woman sit in the chairs. They must be God and his wife.

The man looks a lot like Calix - same hair and nose. The woman next to him is beautiful. She is clearly a queen.

I let my hair flame to show them that I’m not going to run from them, or what they have planned for me. They may be beautiful, but beauty is only a mask for something. Idiocy, cruelty, or pain.

Calix motions for me to come forward to meet his parents, and I find my feet moving reluctantly toward them. I try analyzing everything.

They smile at me, and I swallow and clench my fists together, holding back fireballs. Until, perhaps, I need them…

This is Prix, Calix says to his parents. I imagine she has some questions.

Prix, my name is Perch, the King says.

I glare up at him. Why have you taken me? I ask.

The King and Queen stand, and I take a step back as they descend from their thrones to face me.

Prix, I’m Demia, the Queen says. Normally, we would never consider what we have done to bring you here. We are sorry, but we had to.

Her voice is calm. I squint my eyes at her. Pain, then.

Why? I ask.

The Queen smiles. Dear, may I show you something?

Do I have a choice?

She smiles again. "Prix, yes. You do have a choice, always. I apologize for the manner in which you were brought here. And if you wish, we will return you home, but I ask that you please hear what we have to say, and see what we have to show you first."

I pause.

I know who the enemy is. It’s them. And I am sure that if I am in real danger I can use my fire to at least hurt them. But I’m curious. I don’t know what part of my parents that curiosity came from. That… wonder.

I nod. Fine, but if you try to hurt me in any way… I say, trying to imbue my sentence with enough threat to discourage any harm they mean toward me. I hope I sound strong. I feel like I’m trying to imitate my mother’s strength and failing horribly at it.

She smiles. I would expect nothing less than that, from the daughter of fire and Courage.

I look at her quizzically. Courage. My father to you is Courage?

She smiles kindly again and puts a hand on my shoulder. I flinch and she pulls away.

Sorry, up here in The Higher, we call your father Courage. We’ve always believed that it takes some form of courage, in the depths of mortal’s hearts, to descend into The Underneath and face death. After all, she says. It’s a choice.

Calix, Perch, and Demia lead me to a small library off to the left of the huge white room. I follow the three Highers through high shelves of old and new books, until we reach what I assume is the back wall.

I wait for someone to say something, but Demia just reaches out a hand to pull back the spine on a shelved book. A panel falls open, made of four decoy book spines. She reaches in, pulling out a dark leather book, with gold writing on the front that spells out: Firelight. It strikes me as a little ironic to hide a book in a library….

Calix turns to the first page where there is a picture of him in remarkable detail. He then turns the page again, and on the other side there is a drawing of a girl. She is young, pale, with intense eyes and red hair that dances around the page as if it were a real fire. I frown. She stares back at me out of my own eyes.

That’s impossible, I say, staring at my face. I can’t remember the last time I’ve seen it. It has been years.

This book is over a million years old, the King says.

What is this?

A legend, nothing more, his wife responds. But legends can be powerful things. Some legends are prophesy.

I look at her. What do you mean?

She turns the page, where there is a bit of writing:

Deep in the Underneath of dying and dark,

There is a world hidden, containing a spark.

High in the heavens of Earth’s clouds and light,

Here lives a child, pure and bright.

Too rare to be held and too common to blind eyes,

But a time will come soon when the two have to rise.

Amidst war, and building, and light and fire,

The two must advance together, and to the world inspire.

Equal enemies but not each other,

I’ll hold out my hand if you’ll give me another.

I look up from the words to the Queen. My parents told me that you were going to attack us, and that there would be a battle between me and your child. For the war to end, I say.

The Queen smiles again. "That is not quite true, my dear. You and Calix will indeed bring the end of the subtle war between Highers and Demons, but not through violence… through peace. I’m afraid we do not know exactly how you two will achieve this, but we do know it must happen. Something is coming. A change in the tides, and the ocean is forming huge waves."

I swallow and relax slightly, her calming voice washing over me.

What can I possibly do? I ask.

Demia shakes her head. "We don’t know, Prix. But something must be done, soon. And it would seem that you and my son are the only ones capable."

I look to Calix. He looks about as confused as me. We both suddenly move, reach a hand toward the book, and our fingers meet.

All at once the room grows still, the King and Queen stop, and the faint footsteps in the hall stop too. I pull away immediately, so it only lasts a second, but Calix and I know something just happened. The King and Queen are animated again, and they don’t seem to know what we have witnessed.

What- Calix breathes, looking to me for an explanation.

I don’t have one.

I look away from him and back toward the book, and at the writing that may or may not be my fate.

I try to forget what had happened… It isn’t real.

Time doesn’t stop. It isn’t real, and I don’t get a shock when I touch him.

I leave and go back the way I’d come to hide in the room I first woke in. I blow out the fading candle on the wall and let my mind go, my hair sparking like a young fire and lighting the room. I sit on the soft slab with my knees pulled up to my chest and try to think.

A few minutes later there is a quiet knock at the door and Calix sticks his head in.

I’m sorry, he says. My parents tend to over complicate things. Do you wanna talk?

I don’t know, I say, my fists tightening again. I look away.

How… he starts. "How does your hair do that?"

I look up at him, and he simply looks curious. I wonder what he wants. I don’t have anything that he doesn’t have; being interested in my life wouldn’t bring him anything good. Why Calix would even ask, is a complete mystery to me.

I shrug. I don’t know. It started a few years ago. Whenever I’m angry or just thinking, my hair turns to fire.

He shuts the door. I sit up a bit. He leans against the closed door and crosses his arms.

I sigh quietly, unsure, trying to fill this silence.

So, he says. How do you think we’ll make this work?

I shrug, and I feel my hair dim a little. I don’t know. When I came here I was expecting some sort of fight, and your parents, they seem to think peace is what we will bring. I don’t see how, I say.

What do you mean? he asks.

I’m fire, rage. I don’t see how I could possibly bring peace to the table.

Calix smiles a little. "And imagine me fighting a war. Never," he says, in a hushed voice, like the idea itself is a crime.

We’re opposites, I say. I think this is a mistake.

I think everything happens for a reason, Calix says.

"I think that things happen because people make them happen," I say.

What do you mean? he asks. Do you not believe in fate? Destiny?

I don’t want to have this conversation with him. So I just look away, into a dark corner of the room. I don’t move, hoping he’ll just go away

You’re welcome to stay here, Calix says after a few moments. This room is for guests. If you want to.

Okay, I say. What in hell is the matter with me? I guess I could spend a little while here, away from everything ordinary. It is dreadfully cold though.

It’s late, Prix. Tomorrow I’ll come by so that we can talk about peace and other fun stuff. He smiles.

I try to smile back, trying to emulate the contortion of his lips in a friendly gesture. It feels unnatural, but Calix doesn’t seem to notice. He leaves without another word.

I am alone in the darkness. As I always am.

The next morning isn’t any different. It’s Calix, being himself, and me trying to figure out what he gains from that…

Now what? I ask.

Calix laughs. I don’t know.

Real helpful,

He smiles again. I blink. Did I just make him smile?

It might help to know, in a bit more detail, what we’re dealing with here, I say.

He laughs dryly. If only it were that simple. We know there is a huge problem, and we know that you and I are apparently the only ones that can fix it. But we don’t know what we’re going to do about the problem, or even what the problem is. However, as a genius once said, the true sign of intelligence is not knowledge but imagination.

You think we can just be creative about a mortal danger like this? I ask.

Well… Albert Einstein did. Calix smiles. Tell me about your friends, he says suddenly.

I don’t have any.

He frowns. Why not?

I shrug. I don’t meet anyone in The Underneath. Not really anyway. Demons, and the occasional soul. But the souls have already moved on to The Core.

Shut up Prix, shut up.

Calix nods.

"What about your friends then?" I ask, repeating his question. I realize that I tend to do this when I’m nervous in a conversation.

He smiles shyly and looks away. I don’t have any either, he says.

Really?

He looks up. Yeah. Honestly, I think everyone I do run into up here is too afraid to talk to me.

Why?

He smiles again. "I don’t think they see me. I think they just see God’s son, something untouchable and not to be talked to, or about. In front of me, that is."

I’m sorry, that’s too bad, I say.

He smiles again. You too. It appears we have more in common than we thought.

Yeah. I prefer to be alone, I add.

Calix crosses his arms. How come?

I pause. Well, I’ve always been alone. I don’t actually know if I prefer it, but it works.

Yes, it does. Keep it that way.

I can be your friend. I mean, might as well.

I look away. Friends?

He nods again.

Then I accidentally say, Okay.

Silence in the room. Regret of my stupidity flowing through me like a fire.

Fire.

I want someone to say they understand me, that they care about me - but at what cost? What unseen price would I have to give him so that I could spend a little while being happy, pretending that we were?

I don’t look up to meet his eyes, in fear I would find him laughing, mocking me. Stupid girl.

Then he says, Good.

It’s a few days later that I see Calix again. He explains that he had responsibilities with his parents, and like the weak idiot I am, I decided to stay in The Higher. Wait for him.

My parents don’t seem to notice I’m gone. Why would they?

I’m feeling alone and horrible. I’m going against my parents wishes, just by being here. My only friend might be pretending that he cares. And it’s so cold up here.

Maybe that’s why I exploded the way I did, with the only person who’s ever shown me a glimmer of kindness.

I look at him. He’s smiling.

Yeah? I ask.

He swallows and looks away. He opens his mouth as if to speak, then decides against it.

What were you going to say? I ask.

I was just thinking, he says. "How you don’t believe in fate and I do. We are opposites."

I shrug. I guess so.

Like two sides of a coin? he says.

"I’d be the top of the coin," I say, jokingly.

But you’re from The Underneath. He laughed.

I frown. I know, I was kidding.

Calix smiles. Oh, sorry.

I pause.

"Is there anything we actually have in common?" I ask him.

He sighs. I can’t think of anything. Do you like to read?

Not really. It was a chore mostly.

He shakes his head. "That’s too bad. You know, my father used to say that Demons couldn’t read; you’re very impressive, Prix."

I feel my hands heating up…

I’m not better than any Demon; and you’re not better than me, I say.

As the fire in my hands starts to spill out of my closed fists, I stand up. I felt like I needed to get out of here suddenly.

"You and your crystal thrones and doors don’t mean a thing to me." I say.

Prix- Calix starts.

I shake my head, feeling the burning in my hands spiral up my arms."No! I come from a place darker than where you come from, but I am no less than you."

I’m sorry, Calix says.

My hair is burning now, and I feel fireballs swirling in my fists. I want to hold them back but they keep growing, and I see Calix’s eyes fix on my hands where the fire is crackling.

I’m sorry, Prix. I didn’t know I would-

What! I say. "You didn’t think I was anything to worry about? No it’s just Prix, another Demon who could never breathe my air!"

My eyes burn and my fists are clenched. I want to throw the fire at him, and I also can’t.

"I’m here now, Calix. I breathe the air you breathe, and if that scares you then I dare you to come down to The Underneath and breathe. Let the smoke fill you up until you can’t remember what clarity feels like anymore."

The fire feels good in my hands, making my skin feel electric. Calix is staring at me with a look of both fear and wonder. I realize that I liked someone looking at me like that. It is as it should be. I was created out of the darkest, deepest form of evil. It makes sense that I would want to burn all the Angel’s wings. Melt their stone and glass.

I bite my lip. Fire, burning, heat, and home. I am me again. How exactly did I forget that I never had to be cold?

Calix glares at me. "I’m sorry, Prix. I only meant it as a compliment. I realize how it could have been taken, and I am sorry."

An invisible weight is lifted off my shoulders. My fire fizzles out as fast as it was created. Blue sparks rising up and bursting from my fingers. I feel freezing suddenly. Colder than normal, even up here….

Why do I expect him to leave? Why am I surprised he stayed? Amazed he apologized?

The only thing I can understand is the sound of my heart beating.

I don’t know how long I’ve been watching the sparks flying and zipping and fading, because when I look back at him Calix is sitting on the floor again.

I’m a Demon, Calix. Fear and pain and anger are what make me. If we’re friends, you need to understand that.

"You’re my only friend; I just want to get to know you."

I bite my lip. I wish you luck,

Calix smiles, and it makes my smile appear too.

"My father used to say that we never really know anybody, especially ourselves." I sigh.

I’d have to agree with him, Calix replies.

IMG94631.jpg

I led Prix through a dimly lit hallway, until I found the person I was looking for. An old friend of my family’s.

Tessa, I said to get her attention.

She turned and smiled, light blond hair in two braids.

Hey, is this her? she said, her blue eyes shining.

I nodded. This is Prix… Prixie, this is Tessa. I said.

Prix nodded.

Tessa, can you do me a favor? I asked.

What is it, Calix? she said.

I’m going to be busy most of the morning with my parents, and I was hoping you would find a nicer room for Prix, and maybe see if you can sneak a new dress from one of the Demigods.

Tessa laughed. Sure. She held out her hand for Prix, who shook it tentatively. Tessa jumped a bit and Prix looked down shyly.

Sometimes when I’m nervous, I shock things, Prix said.

Tessa smiled.

Prixie looked up at me, and I saw a little concern in her eyes.

It’s fine. I’ll be back as soon as I can. Promise, I said.

I trusted Tessa. She had been a friend of my mother’s since they were young, taking care of almost everyone for years.

Okay, Prix said quietly.

Here- Tessa said, turning and gesturing for Prix to come with her.

Prix walked forward, but turned to look back at me. I smiled. She looked away.

IMG94631.jpg

The woman, Tessa, takes me through some hallways until we reach an almost secluded part of… whatever this place is. There is a big oak door with beautiful, intricate carvings on it at the end of the hall. Angels and instruments and symbols. It might be fun to draw something like this on my wall back home in charcoal.

I swallow, thinking of my home. My mind immediately turns to my parents. Damn, they would be furious at me.

This is where Demigods stay when they visit from other planets, Tessa says.

I nod.

They’re all mostly heading elsewhere now because word of Earth’s downfall has come, so you can stay here.

Downfall? Would it really get that bad if Calix and I failed? And failed what? How do I save everyone with no idea of what’s coming? And how can I work with these Highers without my parents disowning me, in a painfully permanent way?

I smile at Tessa, or I try to. I’m not a people person. Though, when I’m with Calix…

She leads me through the door, and inside it’s about the same size as the other room. But it’s… prettier? How should I know?

The walls are a deep purple; there’s a soft looking white bed in the middle, and a dresser to my right. It looks like I could destroy the entire room with one fireball… It makes me feel uncomfortable.

I miss Calix all of a sudden, though I just left him. If my parents could see me they would yell - scream at me - for being such a fool. "Don’t trust the Highers! Don’t trust them child," my father would say.

And if my mother knew… If she saw how I smiled when Calix and I talked, she would burn me. A sly smile from an Angel, Prix, and you give up everything?

Suddenly the door creaks and I jump. Tessa comes back through the door carrying a gold and white dress. In my daydreaming, I hadn’t even realized she’d gone…

Sorry, she gasps.

"No, I am," I say.

She smiles. Well here, I found this for you to try. It looks like it could fit you.

She holds out the flowy silk and I swallow nervously.

Is it just me, or am I turning into a fluffy Higher?

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After three hours of discussing unrelated strategies with my parents, I found my way, with Tessa’s directions, to Prixie’s new room.

I knocked lightly on the door three times and heard her mutter something incoherent.

Prix? I said.

Yeah, I heard her sigh.

I smiled. Can I come in? I asked.

Yes,

I peeked inside and my breath caught in my throat. She looked beautiful.

I almost didn’t recognize her for a second, then her hair flamed and I smiled and stepped through the door, shutting it gently behind me.

She frowned. I look stupid, she said.

I smiled. Beauty of whatever kind, in its supreme development, invariably excites the sensitive soul to tears.

Prix raised an eyebrow at me and I blushed. Edgar Allen Poe, I clarified.

Prix grumbled again, pushing her hair out of her face and muttering something that sounds like, I look like a Higher.

I smiled. Well, you don’t look like yourself, I’ll give you that much. But you are still pretty, I said, leaning on the door.

So… she starts.

Suddenly, there was a knock at the door and Prix backed up.

I turned to open it, biting my lip. It was a Guardian.

Sir, the King and Queen ask your presence. It’s a matter of urgency. They ask for you to bring the Demon girl as well, he said.

I opened the door wider, so he could see that she was here. He looked startled, nodding to me quickly and then hurrying off.

Idiot, I muttered under my breath.

Prixie laughed. I loved the rare moments when she laughed.

Come on, we should go, I said.

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Calix leads me through the now suddenly busy hallways. Highers I suppose, milling around and talking to each other. They all looked busy. No, not busy, rushed. And… scared. It made my heart beat faster. Calix and I walked into The White Room, The King and Queen are already there, and when they see us come in, they look worried too.

Calix, the King says.

He walks forward to put his hand on his son’s shoulder.

What’s wrong? Calix asks.

The King gestures for his wife to bring us the book she’s holding. I recognize the book as Firelight. I shiver, feeling cold run down my spine.

Demia brings the book closer so Calix and I can see it. Words are appearing on the pages like someone is writing them, but no one is….

What’s it doing? I say.

The Queen looks to me and smiles. It’s beginning, she says.

I step closer to the book, and the Queen gently puts it in my hands. It’s heavy. Like the secrets it contains could sink the world. I stare at the neat handwriting that is flowing across the page, never wavering, never stopping to catch a thought…

This is Firelight. This is how it began.

By now the two sides of the Flat have been sewn together by the strongest bond in the Universe. The children of the light do not realize how important they are to the rescue of this century. The rage, the fear, the need, the fire. It burns through her veins like a sickness she cannot be cured from. The battle is beginning. The Seven Sins are waking. And the death of half the planet is being constructed…

I shiver again and quickly hand the book back to the Queen. I swallow and my head is tumbling, spinning, crashing around in my skull.

I’m more confused than I’ve ever been in my life. More than when I came here for the first time a few days ago. Was it days or was it weeks? Months?

I close my eyes and there is a darkness there that wasn’t there before. It makes my stomach turn. I can see the eyes, his eyes, black as Hell, and his smile with blood dripping from the mouth.

I gasp and open my eyes. Calix and the King and Queen are still standing there, watching the book write itself.

Something is coming, I whisper, looking around for the horrible face.

I close my eyes again and it’s gone. I feel a hand on my shoulder and gasp again, my eyes flying open.

It’s just Calix.

I shiver again and look around, frantically trying to find a way out. I feel trapped in my own body. My feet feel stuck.

Prix, Calix whispers.

I look up to him. He looks worried. A little crease is forming on his forehead, and his eyes look cautious.

I suddenly can’t breathe. I back away and reach up to my throat. Every breath I try to take feels like I’m breathing in water. I cough and start seeing black and red at the edge of my vision. My hair dims. I feel strong arms around me, and through the ringing in my ears, I hear Calix whispering my name. Or is he shouting?

I cough again, and this time when I pull my hand away from my mouth, I see blood. The black, shiny Demon blood that courses through my veins.

I cry out, and I can still feel Calix’s arms around me as I fall to the floor. I’m not sure if my eyes close, or if I pass out completely then, all I know after that is darkness.

Nothing.

At first I’m confused, then I open my eyes. Calix is staring down at me. I blink as he sits down next to the bed.

Breathing in, I try to sit up, but my head is pounding and my eyes are watering. I blink, feeling a wet tear slide off my cheek. Interesting. Normally when I cry, my tears are little fireballs, leaving scorch marks on my cheeks. My mother told me it was how Demons got their children not to cry, and therefore to be strong.

When I open my eyes, Calix is still there. I still don’t know why I was surprised by this. He smiles and I feel his hand touch mine.

Hey, I say, my voice sore.

Good morning. He smiles.

What happened? I ask. Where am I?

You’re in your room. And we don’t know what happened; do you remember it?

I swallow painfully. I remember all of it - I just wish I knew what it was.

He nods.

How’s the book? I ask. Did it write anymore?

Calix nods. Yeah, actually it told us everything we need to know. You were asleep for a day. In that time we found out quite a bit about the threat that’s coming.

"That’s great, can I see the book?"

Calix sighs. In a little bit, but you need to rest.

I frown. Well, tell me what’s going on.

He smiles again. Prix, what do you know about the Seven Deadly Sins?

"The Sins get the powers of their namesakes to sway the humans, like Sloth, Greed, or Lust. But they don’t get to use their full power unless they complete some