Deadly Silent | Book 2

T W E N T Y - F O U R

"My enemy?"

"Hard to believe, but I do too had a girl by my side once, many centuries ago."

Slouching his arms across the balcony railings, Fabian's eyes were staring off into the distance, the picture perfect image of someone drifting off into a far off memory.

"The universe once decreed after Lucifer fell from both Heaven and his throne in Hell that the latter location needed a true king to rule above them all in order for peace and harmony to be maintained in the afterlife. In the prophecy, it was mentioned that the person would either be me or Dimitri. It is decided by whoever marries first out of love and nothing more, for it was only with something as old and cheesy as 'true love's kiss' that could bind a mortal into an immortal lifespan. But, we can only fall in love with one soul. That one soul that could activate this immortality gift. It's not a rule we have to follow, but rather a way that pulled us to the soul. Something like what you mortals know as soulmates. Ida was a rich merchant's daughter as well. She was showered with all the luxuries in the world and had riches beyond any mere man's belief. And yet, she grew up kind and loving, never once allowing herself to over indulge in the gifts in which life had offered her. Every Sunday past noon, she would make her way down to the village's square to offer the poorer farmers and families food that could last them till the next time they meet. As she was fighting famine, it had been my duty to investigate the cause of this miraculous rebound. That was the first time I've met her."

"She sounds lovely," I said softly, inching closer towards Fabian though he hardly even looked my way.

"She was," he agreed. "Ida was the most beautiful maiden for miles, both in regards to her looks and her heart. I disguised myself as a mortal at first, in an attempt to stop her from altering the course of the poor's lives. And yet in due time, I found myself inevitably falling in love with her."

He paused, jaw clenched in a look of hurt and pain that I had found myself familiarized with through the time I've been alive. Releasing a shaky breath, I swallowed down the bile in my throat and dared myself to ask.

"What happened? If it was a match made in the heavens, written by the stars, why aren't you with her right now?"

"That is because she died." For the first time since the conversation had started, Fabian turned to face me, his look of hurt and pain morphing to add in a new emotion: anger. "She was murdered by your friend, your guardian angel Lucius. The angel had always been a friend, you see? We were all once angels, just like Lucifer had been. And thus we were tutored by the archangels themselves. We few were all under Lucifer. He was the one that taught us the way Heaven was maintained and cared for. And so when he fell, he dragged us all down with him, but one."

"Lucius. He stayed."

Fabian nodded once, dark wisps of his neatly gelled hair fell over his eyes. "He escaped Lucifer's hold on all of us and fled before he could be brought down and altered. He remained a guardian angel and cared for one soul throughout his or her reincarnations."

"Me," I stated more than questioned. "And Ida."

"Lucius never protected Ida. In fact, all the mortals in which he had to look after, he had abandoned. He went as far as to kill Ida once he found out that we were to be wed and save all of the afterlife. Lucius hated Hell more than anything in the world and until this day, he still schemes for the fall of this realm. Mortals were just an extra tidbit that he never really cared for. Collateral damage. Until you. You were the first mortal that brought Lucius to attention. He protected you instead of killing you just like your past lives, just like he had slaughtered Ida when Dimitri so foolishly welcomed him into our home. At first, we thought that it was because Dimitri had taken a liking to you and Lucius saw you as potential bait, but then we saw the smallest things that he would do to gather your attention."

"Wait wait wait... So you're saying that I'm Ida? That she is me? Is that why you hate me?"

"I don't hate you, Miss Pilediah." Fabian wrinkled his nose as if silently debating if he was truly replying with honesty. "I just simply strongly dislike the fact that you have the rest of my brothers wrapped around your finger. And also because that you have the exact same face as Ida did."

"Why are you telling me this? To know the enemy? I already know my enemy!" I exclaimed with incredulity. "Lucius is the enemy. He kidnapped Minnie and he is plotting to destroy the realm of Hell and cease the existence of afterlives."

"I am telling you this because Ida had died due to the fact that she did not have the luxury to own the knowledge of knowing Lucius well." Slowly retreating towards the large doors, Fabian hardly turned back even when he had left his parting words hanging in the tension-filled air. "I am telling you this because maybe I don't want to see another familiar face dying in the hands of the same man. And also because if I cannot be the high king, at least my brother could be. At least my brother could find happiness."

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