Between Heaven and Hell

18.

Niam

I am about to change when I hear Dougal land in the great lobby of our castle. Yesterday, after my conversation with Mistral, I couldn't stand it any longer in New York and returned to Delminum. I couldn't understand my brother. Somehow I suspected that he didn't fit into this world. But that it is so easy for others, especially people, to recognize him, I was very surprised. How can he be so reckless?

I quickly pull on a T-shirt and then walk out of my bedroom, past the adjoining library and to the stairs that lead into the entrance hall. Once at the bottom I greet Dougal in my mind: "Hey big one" "Hello Niam", he replies to me. Somehow my soul animal seems troubled. "Is everything okay?" I ask him. "Niam, something is wrong with you!" Caught up, I stop and look at him. "Let's go to another place." I tell him and swing myself on his back after he has kneeled. Shortly afterwards his mighty wing flaps and we soar up into the sky.

As I enjoy the flight on Dougal's back like every time, the treetops, the castles and the less luxurious houses of other demons fly by below us at breakneck speed. We want to go to the Dark Forest, a place where Dougal and I have always felt comfortable. It looks gloomy and frightening, because there the trees stand close together, hardly any light from the moon reaches the forest floor and it is divided into two seasons, which could not be more different. In one season it is permanently winter: colorless, cold, snow-covered, all life seems frozen and lifeless and yet life has found a way here too. The other time of year it is permanently summer: large, dark green leaves intercept the light so that the ground always appears dim, a ray of light never penetrates this thicket. The smell of moss, forest floor and earth hovers heavily in the air. Despite everything, you will find a biodiversity here that is second to none.

Dougal lands on the soft ground with a muffled sound that sounds more like bluff than the otherwise familiar loud boom. I dismount and sit on a large rock on the edge of a clearing. If a dragon could be said to be looking at you expectantly, that would perfectly describe the situation. I take a deep breath and look around again to make sure that we are really all alone. Actually totally unnecessary, because no one ever comes here. Dougal is the only one to whom I trust everything. The only one who knows what it looks like inside me and what moves me. Even Mistral doesn't know as much about me as Dougal does. "On the one hand it's about Mistral" "What about him?" Dougal had just sat up on his muscular hind legs and was now looking at me with his head cocked.

"Oh, he's in the human world right now." Dougal lets out a hiss that ends in a small flame. He doesn't like to remember this world either. "Well, he's actually doing relatively well there. The teachers are funny but he gets along with them. The classmates are okay too, he says at least. Except for this one girl. She knows he's different. " I explain to him what is depressing me on the one hand. "But that can only mean that she is also different.", Adds Dougal. "Right. But neither Mistral nor I know what she is ..." "And if she is an angel ...", adds Dougal My sentence. Without finishing this, we both know that it only brings problems and great trouble, should it turn out that the little one is really an angel. "And Mistral doesn't want to admit that?" he asks me. "Yes. How can I make it clear to him? "" Tell him about the great secret. "Do you think he's ready?" Dougal nods.

"And what else is on your mind?" "Nothing." "I won't take that from you!" I puff as if in protest. Actually, I'm glad that he isn't satisfied with anything. "I'm in the human world too, at a college but only to take care of Mistral . ", I assure him.

"So before things started like that, with college and so on ... I was in the club with Lian." "And?" "There was such a girl. Not the usual, she was different. Demonic, fiery and inviolable at the same time. "Amazed Dougal lifts his head and it seems as if a fire is starting to glow in his eyes." What exactly do you mean by that? " "I saw her again in college and went after her ..." "Don't make it so exciting now!" Suddenly I have the feeling that I am totally embarrassed here. I get serious: "I think it got me. But really. Whenever I think about her I get such a strange feeling in my stomach and my heart becomes very light. I don't know that feeling at all and somehow it scares me. "" That sounds so ... surprising. Especially because it comes from you. " Dougal answers me and asks me: "What do you know more about her?" "Her name is Aideen and .." He gets up in a flash and hisses at me. "Stay away from her. You're not playing in their league! "Confused, I look at him. What does he mean now? Why is he reacting like that now?" What do you mean? " Somehow I am very disappointed with his reaction. He knows more about me than anyone, and that's how he reacts after I tell him this is the first time I've had real feelings for a girl.

Mistral

I need to talk to someone! I can forget Niam, I think he's too angry with me at the moment. I can't talk to Isra about Calandra. I confide everything to her, but in this case she would not react properly. She would want to protect me, which is nice in principle and for which I am very grateful. But I need someone who listens to me and gives me tips. I think Isra would want to keep me away from her, she probably wouldn't even understand me.

Blaize! He is my salvation. I pick up my phone and open it, chat with Blaize and start typing: "Hey. I urgently need someone to talk to. "A few seconds later I get an answer:" Hey, yes of course. I have time. Where and at what time? " I am so grateful to Blaize. No matter what, I can always confide in him. "Best of all, soon. I really don't know what to do next. "" Then at 10 o'clock. In front of the Cinet? Then we can look for a café or restaurant from there. " A good suggestion. Grateful I answer him: "It's all right, see you soon." I look at the clock hanging next to my room door. 9:39 am. Just enough time to change and then take the train to town.

10 a.m., in front of the Cinet
"Hey Blaize.", I greet my best friend and we complete our long-practiced handshake. "Your messages sounded very exhausted, what's the matter?" I am asked by him. A worry line adorns his forehead. "I'll tell you everything in a moment, let's first find a place where it's a little quieter." "We're going to the King Cotton Café," I suggest and he nods in agreement.

After a few minutes' walk
We enter the café and sit down at one of the tables to the left of the entrance, which is right by the window. Blaize orders a cappuccino and I order a large cola. After we get our drinks, I start telling Blaize how I'm doing. "I met a girl in high school. She attracts me. She's so different from all the other girls I've met so far. "" You haven't met quite a lot, "he interrupts with a small smile on his face. "In any case, she is adorable. But ... ", I stop to take a sip of my drink. The cold cola runs down my throat and refreshes me. My thoughts clear." She realized that I'm different. I've already talked to Niam about it And I think he hates me for that. To get to the point: She's different too, but I don't know what she is and now I don't know what to do next. " I rattle down and then look expectantly at my best friend, whose eyes widen in surprise.

"So ... wait a minute! So you mean you acted so conspicuously that she noticed that you were a demon? ", He sums up my story." No, not! " Inwardly, I roll my eyes in annoyance. "Niam thinks the same. I did not behave conspicuously. She must also be different, otherwise she would not have been able to recognize me. I don't think she knows I'm a demon. All she knows is that I'm not a person. "" That's lousy. You are sure you want to get closer to her? " "Yes." "Then try to meet her! Try to find out what she is and how she could be dangerous for you." "So I should listen to her." No, I don't want to listen to her! I want to get to know her. "No, get to know her." I nod. "Life is too short to live like everyone else every day. Do something she doesn't expect. Something that is unexpected. "" Blaize, you should become an advisor in matters of love affairs. This saying expresses everything I have to do now. Thank you. " Blaize nods in agreement. Now it's up to me to find out what Calandra is all about.
I have to solve this riddle. How good that I have a penchant for puzzles!