Halo Of Horns

TWENTY

The cave was dark, with only the hanging shadows of light cast through the brambles behind them.

"Don't move unless you know where you're stepping," Azazel said, holding out his hand at arm's length. Irina was barely able to make out the outline of his hand, her eyes squinting as they tried to adjust.

Suddenly, a soft glow of light emitted from his fingertips, traveling into his palm. His whole hand began to glow in a pale hue of blue. The light was just enough for Irina to see around her, but she didn't care about the cave anymore. Her eyes were locked onto his hand, and the impossible- shocking ability.

"I didn't know you could-"

Azazel gripped her upper arm and yanked her closer to his side,  "Stay next to me." He said, cutting her off, "You've seen more wondrous stuff in your lifetime, don't act too surprised."

"It's- I've never seen you do that." She said, "That's all."

Azazel couldn't stop the smile that forcibly crept onto his lips against his will. The painful attempt to stop the motion was even more annoying. It was a silly thing to be proud of. He could do much more than command a beam of light from his hand, yet she was awestruck. Humans were simple. They didn't know any better.

"Yes, well..." he cleared his throat, "I don't typically need to use it."

Irina wanted to touch the magnetic glow, like a fly caught in a lamp. She wanted to test the light and see if it was bright enough to burn her.

"Look around you. This is why I brought you here." Azazel said, putting an end to her staring. He raised his arm, casting light on the ceiling above where thousands of yellow bell-shaped flowers dangled. In a tarp of green vines and leaves, they draped downward, their stems curled like a spring.

"They are called Hanging Hesychia. Silence and quiet in a cave of desolate screams." Azazel's free hand came to rest on her shoulder, his talons tickling the tender flesh of her neck, "They collect the sounds until they bloom and release the sorrows inside."

Irina's chest tightened and her lungs struggled to inhale. Her whole body felt stiff under his arm, "they are beautiful."

"Hmm." He replied, his eyes fixated on her, "never noticed."

"Psh," she said, shaking her head, "You never noticed they were magnificent, and yet you brought me down here just to see them."

Azazel shrugged, "they aren't the most wondrous thing I've ever seen."

"Really? Well, what is?" Irina asked, stretching out her arm, so her pointer finger just barely brushed the curved petals. The flower opened like a cocoon releasing a butterfly, breaking open into four pieces.

Azazel didn't have a chance to answer her question. Instead, the sounds of devastating screams circled above their heads, echoing against the cave walls. The agony behind the cries sprung tears to Irina's eyes and broke her heart in two. They were horrific cries of pain and sorrow that were unknown to her and worse than anything she could imagine.

She covered her eyes, turning her face to the ground and curling into herself. Trying to escape the sounds of pain.

They never stopped.