Finding Maggie

Chapter Twenty-Six - The Beginning of the End

"Stop calling me that, Corvino. I am not your princess."

"The crown upon your head would tell me otherwise, Madam." And with that, Corvino disappeared, moving into the throng of demons and vanishing amongst the vast numbers.

As if daring it to be there, Maggie tried to lift her eyes and glance at the top of her head, only unable to do so. Bringing one hand up, Maggie gently smoothed down her hair, feeling nothing but her own damp curls run between her fingers. Sighing at her own disbelief, Maggie dug into her forgotten purse which she unknowingly had been clinging onto for dear life. Finding her compact mirror, she lifted it, guiding its reflection to her hair, and gasping as the image met her stare.

Sitting neatly on top of her head, a delicate, golden crown perched, mocking her from the mirror as she continued to try and locate it with her fingers. Every time the mirror told Maggie she should be touching it, Maggie felt only her own head; her fingers seeming to simply slip right through the golden band of intangibility. Maggie's knees went weak, forcing her body to slump to the grayness below. It was simply too much for her mind to wrap around all at once. Too much had happened in such a short period of time, too much information, too much knowledge, too many questions still unanswered.

Not too far off in the distance, the arena rose higher and higher and Legion pieced it together bit by bit. Not even half done, the make-shift coliseum was massive beyond belief. Far higher than any skyscraper Maggie had ever seen, and longer than imaginable, it was to house the battle and seat every single demon and angel in attendance. The clangor and noise was enough to drive anyone mad but at least it was better than the absolute silence that had been there not an hour before.

Maggie lay and watched without watching as the arena grew even larger. Several demons shyly neared, seemingly frightened to get too close to the human who lay slumped in a bed of souls. Still covered by the tiny, gray spectra, Maggie could easily have been lost in a blanket of never ending nothingness. "Princess." One brave demon hissed out, inching ever closer as he continued on. "Princess, please get up. Master will be here soon, don't be afraid. He will be victorious. Please don't be sad." Lifting her head, Maggie blankly stared at the charred demon, squinting her eyes as she tried to remember.

"I know you." Maggie whispered, wishing her mind would just give up already and leave. Surely insanity had to be better than all of this. Still, her inquisitive mind drove her forward, refusing to give up and quit.

"Yes Princess," The demon smiled, somehow able to do so without any sign of ever owning a mouth. "You protected me from Master. You held me against your breast and wouldn't let him hit me. Do you not remember?"

Sitting up suddenly, Maggie realized that this was the same demon she had met on her front stoop only a night before. This was the same creature who had delivered Mikhail the message of the upcoming battle. "I do remember you." Maggie said, trying to smile but unable to will her legs to stand. "I'm sorry I'm such a mess; I'm only tired and completely lost here."

"It's easy to do, Princess. Do not apologize to me, please."

"What's your name?" Maggie asked, wishing she knew what to call the creature in front of her and assuming that 'Creature' wasn't proper nor kind.

"I am a Lesser, Ma'am." The demon answered, tilting his head much the same way Corvino had done only moments before.

"Yes, I know that. But what is your name?"

"I am a Lesser." His head simply tilted even more in regard to her question. "I don't have a Christian name, Princess."

"But then what should I call you?"