When Heaven meets Hell

Chapter Thirty One

"Are you sure about that?" Avander questioned. "Heidi can still protect herself even if I'm not around. You're still human. What's more, you can't use your Guide powers. You'll be helpless if the Angels come after you."

"Joan? I really don't need protection." Heidi piped up, walking over to the desk. "I agree with Avander about you being at a great disadvantage."
Joan looked away, holding out her hand and wriggling her fingers. The objects on her desk shuddered then rose into the air, orbiting around her hand before settling back into their respective places.
"My human magic is weak, of that there is no doubt." She said, turning back to the two. "But I can assure you, I'll be able to hold my own long enough. They don't plan on killing me so I should be alright. Your safety however is my main priority. Now, shall we begin our session?"

Heidi did not appear to like Joan's proposal, but chose not to argue about it. Sitting across Joan, she gripped her hand in her own. The air around the girl shimmered and crackled with bursts of yellow. The tips of her hair seemed to rise a, swaying slightly. Joan let the warm sensation spread from the tips of her finger into her entire being. Occasionally there would be a sharp pinprick of pain along her arm, but that was part of Heidi's attempts to hold back the mark's growing influence.

"It's so stubborn." Heidi murmured while Avander watched from a distance, knowing not to interfere or disturb. "Bit this should help delay the mark from spreading provided you remain calm and do not use your powers." Heidi added after a minute.

Joan nodded, already familiar with this advice. This was their seventh session together and Heidi always started it off with the same advice. The girl's words were to be heeded. The calmer and clearer her mind remained the harder would it be for the mark to influence her. Heidi had also explained how attempting to use her Guide powers activated her mark's magic. Rather than drawing on her own abilities, she would be tapping into the dark powers of the mark, allowing it to grow faster.

"Have you had any luck finding Satan?" Joan asked, ignoring the sudden bursts of pain that, despite all the sessions, still required a great deal of will power to keep one from crying out loud.
"No. He is most certainly residing in Hell for now." Heidi said. Had her lips not moved ever so slightly, Joan could convince herself she was speaking to a statue. "I cannot find him if he is there. There is too much interference because of the number of souls and demons there. They easily mask his presence with their own."

"So he's no where on earth." Joan murmured, watching a streak of golden curl around her wrist and disappear. The veins on her arms were shifting slightly, pain shooting through her with each movement. She bit her lip and continued to ignore it. "If we are to confront him then, it shall have to be in Hell. We cannot afford to wait until he appears here. It is possible for us to travel to Hell?"

"It is." Heidi said, looking up at Joan with blank, distant eyes. "But you know as well as I do it is dangerous. In Hell, we shall be at Satan's complete mercy. Chances of us defeating him there are slim. Next to none in fact. It's best if we do not consider such an option."

"We have to get my soul faction back, do we not?" Joan pointed out. "To do that, we will have to cross paths with him eventually."

"For now, it is best we let him bring the battle to us in the mortal plain, rather than engage him in his own domain where he is most powerful." Heidi reasoned, sounding like one who had lived many life times.

"Trust me Joan, for the time being we should stay where we are. The Devil will eventually have to make a move, we shall respond when he does. In the meantime we shall keep our guard up. There is still the Second Faction we have to deal with.
"Very well then." Joan said in a resigned tone. There was a moment of silence until Heidi spoke once more.

"Have you considered the other option I gave you?" She asked. "That of relinquishing your mission?"

"No." Joan replied bluntly. "I have already told you, it's impossible. I know myself well enough to say that, even if I claim to renounce my quest for revenge my heart and mind will never accept it. This hatred is ingrained deeply into me Heidi. I cannot give it up, no matter how much I want to."

"I understand." Heidi said with a sigh. "Truth be told, what I ask of you is indeed an impossible feat, but know that by doing so you will free yourself from a great burden. For your own peace of mind, you should stop letting hatred for yourself and for others consume you. Your life shall be peaceful if you do."

"I have no life left to live Heidi." Joan said tonelessly, eye blank and downcast. "Once this is all over, I will have no reason left to stay alive. "

Both and Heidi and Avander glanced each other, as though looking for some sort of support. Avander seemed to want to say something, but struggled to say it.
The warm, tingling sensation ceased as Joan got up, thanking Heidi for her time. As she left the room, Heidi watched her leave with a sad expression on her face.

"She's fallen too far." Avander said quietly. "You still believe she can be saved?"

"I do." Heidi said. "I also believe the two of us can help her."
"Us?" Avander repeated incredulously. "How am I to be of any help?"
Heidi got up, giving him a secretive smile. "You'll see. " Before leaving without another word, uttering a quick prayer for Joan's damned future to be saved as she went.

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Updated at last! Sorry about the wait everyone.I'll be trying to update every few days from now on since i plan on finishing this story by the end of June.

Editing has been put on hold until after the story is complete,so if ( and when) you come across any plot holes let me know. Thanks for waiting so patiently. Hope you enjoy the next few chapters!

Oh and Ramadan Mubarak!