For the damned | ✓

30

Delilah always had cared a lot for her mother. Love was a strange thing, which made her forgive every little thing, which softened the jagged edges of each lie until they all didn't ache anymore. She had been the only thing in her world. Her lungs hadn't been filled with air for such a long time now. Sure, she was confused, sad, a part of her felt betrayed even, but most of all, she was angry. Out of all the choices in the world her mother could have taken with her all consuming power, she had picked the one which had made her wither away. If this was what motherly love felt like, Delilah didn't want any of it.

"I'm sorry, mother," Delilah breathed," but I don't want to see you for now."

Niccolo took that as a sign, grabbing her by her wrist and winking at her mother. "See you at her inauguration."

Then they were gone, whizzing past views of planets turning into water and back into stars, until she stumbled on solid ground. They were in a temple, glistening golden, with low fog hanging around her feet, thick with unspoken whispers. It was made of high pillars crowned with leaves, crimson snakes hissing at her as they circled around them, before turning into stone. In the background she could hear people praying, the sound so synchronous it had turned into an angelic-sounding hum. From the center of the temple a pearly liquid streamed down, but as soon as Delilah tried to touch it the waves flickered up like flames, almost warningly.

"You can stay at my temple while you're hiding away from your mother," Niccolo said," it's the only place in the world she can't set foot into. Only the people I pick out and my intensely faithful cult following can come here, but you can ignore them. I mean, I do."

Delilah took his hand in hers, squeezing it. "Thank you," she said," for helping me when you don't have to."

Niccolo glanced down at his hand and back at her, frowning confusedly.

"You have such a weird selflessness," he said," why aren't you angry that I disrupted your life, that I insulted your mother, that I brought you along with me without your permission? Has it never crossed your mind that I might do all this so that I can manipulate one of the two main powers in this universe to be on my side?"

"That might be so," Delilah shrugged," but at least you acknowledge my power. At least I have a choice to participate now."

"Oh, the trauma the divine world is going to give you," Niccolo said solemnly," you can't afford to be kind and forgiving now, they're all going to want to manipulate you."

"Like they have tried to manipulate you?" Delilah asked, catching his gaze.

"Do you think I always was a self-loathing, amazingly funny and almighty prophet?" Niccolo grinned," the only thing which can cause this amazing combination is a very unhealthy mix of trauma."

When he looked from his temple back at her, Delilah wondered if he saw himself. She didn't have long to ponder on it, because a second later his eyes spilled with light, his lips parting. He had said he had been having continuous visions, but was this a big one? More importantly, it was very clear he was uncomfortable, his breathing speeding up at once as every muscle in his body tensed. Blood trickled down his eyes and nose as he grabbed a pillar to hold himself steady, cracks appearing at the power he was holding it with.

She stepped forward, but before she could do anything believers swarmed him and falling to his feet. They pushed her out of the way, eyes filled with devotion and mouth with prayer. Her lips parted as she looked at Niccolo standing in the middle of people who adored him like a god, his suffering praised like it was some show they would boast about to others. Despite him being the center of their world, none of their prayers were for him.

Without thinking she pushed them aside, grabbing Niccolo's face in between her hands, his skin feverish to the touch and his tongue twisted in trying to tell the words of the divine in a language which didn't exist.

"Niccolo," she said, her magic pouring through her fingers like cold ice to soothe the flames causing third-degree burns on his mind. "It's alright. You're alright."

"What are you doing?" a man screamed, all of them trying to pull her away," you can't touch him with your unholy hands."

"You're tainting him!" another woman shrieked, digging her nails into Delilah's wrists," he shouldn't be disturbed!"

"Oh shut up," Delilah snapped at them, her anger blowing them all away from her with one sharp gust of wind, smacking them against the walls," he's obviously hurting, I don't care what you all think."

The woman opened her mouth, blood pouring out from where she had bitten her tongue while being blown away, but she didn't pay it any mind, eyes crazed and wide.

"What are you talking about?" she said," his suffering is a blessing bestowed upon him. His Holiness should thank the world that he has this gift. The more he bleeds, the more his devotion."

So were these the crazy people her mother had tried to hide her from? Delilah looked Niccolo in his eyes, at the crimson tears which were running still from the sheer pressure the prophecy was putting on him, and wondered how this could be a blessing at all. Perhaps she and the oracle were too much alike, in that he was the version she could have been if she had always been free. It didn't matter. All that did was that she was here, that she had the ability to control this situation. And she would.

She let Niccolo's face go, the believers simultaneously sighing in relief, but before they could even bask in their victory she hugged him instead, arms tight around him.

"Niccolo," she said, magic pouring through.

"Why are you hugging me?"

With a wide smile she leaned back to look him in the eye, Niccolo unfazed as he wiped the blood off his face. It was clearly a farce, but it was fine, because he didn't look seconds away from burning himself to ashes anymore.

"Augustine!" all the believers started yelling at once," tell us! What did you see? Please, oh Holy One, bestow us with your wisdom -"

"Shut up," Niccolo cut them off, holding a hand up to them to prevent them from coming closer," what are you all even doing here? I told you not to come in my private part of the temple, because you all drive me crazy. What makes you think I'll tell you whatever I saw?"

None of his believers seemed hurt by that, instead bowing so deeply their heads touched the ground.

"Thank you for speaking," they breathed," our ears have been blessed."

Niccolo slowly closed his eyes, holding all his anger in before opening them again, a wide grin back on his face.

"Anyway," he said," we were interrupted. As I was saying, you can stay here. Your inauguration is this Sunday anyway, at the same time as the Grim Reaper's. You're just in time."

Delilah couldn't help but smile at that, her heart filling with warmth at the thought of getting to see Helio again. Flowers bloomed in her heart and for a moment she wondered what it would be like to speak to him without having to worry when her mother would come. Finally he could stay. Niccolo waved a hand, all the stone snakes coming back to live and slithering towards the faithful on the floor, hissing and flashing their fangs as all of them scattered.

"I'll show you your room," Niccolo said, his believers screaming in the background as they were chased.

"Alright," Delilah beamed, turning around to follow him.

"Oh, by the way," Niccolo said, looking over his shoulder at her," about before -"

"What?" she asked.

He stared at her for a moment, like the lines of her face carried so many more stories than his prophecies, intrigued almost, before focusing his gaze back in front of him.

"Thank you."