Pray for the Wicked | ATEEZ

31.

I held my breath as I pushed past the doors to the Ivory Citadel, a sigh leaving the old wood beneath my hands, smooth with age and cold to the touch, before the sight of a small city was revealed to me and the demon hiding in my shadow.

Placed at the very heart of the city, a fortified and defensive core well inside the outer walls and bastions, it had been built partly for the purpose of acting as a safe haven for the angels as well as a place to defend Illenium from if the enemy forces had infiltrated Heaven during the war.

Within the ivory walls was a small courtyard with a fountain at its center, the peaceful song of running water catching my attention for a moment as I watched it flow down the different basins before settling at the reservoir at the bottom, dancing at the surface for a moment where the ripples caught and reflected the light from the stars overhead.

The brightest light was still that of the Gleam which rose high over the Ivory Citadel and any other building within Illenium. Like a ray of pure sunlight piercing the night, its glow flooded every street, storefront, and facade of the city.

Along the sides of the courtyard, several archways revealed doors leading into the citadel itself, no doubt hiding secrets of war and history-

I subconsciously reached out for Hongjoong only to frown as my hand found nothing but empty air at my side.

I turned around just as the son of Lilith made an elegant gesture with his hand and a quick flash of gold cut through the darkness before it disappeared in the clear water of the basin.

"What are you-?" I began, realizing, as the demon pulled more gold from his pocket, that he had been throwing coins in the fountain.

"Making a wish," Hongjoong smiled, extending his hand to me with an expectant look in his eyes, a challenge, "Do you want one as well?"

I glanced across my shoulder though I didn't hesitate for long before joining him, taking the coin from his outstretched hand, my fingers grazing across the skin on his open palm, lingering there for a moment, a moment too long, I realized, before pulling back and turning to look at the water as well.

"You do realize that time is not something we can afford to waste right now, right?" I asked, looking down at the golden coin between my fingers as I furrowed my brows a little and added, "How do you always have money on you?" remembering our night in Odeion.

"I do, though I don't feel that this is a wasted moment," Hongjoong said, "That question, however, definitely is. Wouldn't you rather know what I wished for?"

"No," I mumbled, letting my eyes flutter shut, "Because then it won't come true."

And as I shut out the world for nothing more than a couple of seconds, reveling in the darkness of wishes and hopes and secret desires, I didn't notice how the look in the demon's eyes changed as he turned his head and studied me for a moment.

I didn't notice his stolen glances at our hands which were close enough to touch had one of us moved slightly closer to the other, how it seemed as if he was contemplating whether or not to take it, to intertwine our fingers, only to pull away as my eyes fluttered back open, sucking in a quick breath as he averted his eyes again.

"So, what did you wish for?" Hongjoong asked, and every thought I had just collected about onyx, dark oceans, and skies that would break open as light filtered through nocturne clouds immediately vanished as I watched a mischievous smile tugging at the corners of his lips.

I nudged him with my elbow, rolling my eyes as I huffed, "Your audacity never fails to amaze me," before leaving him as I headed for one of the many doors lining the ivory walls.