Demon Heart

Chapter 22~"Please...help me,"

Carefully, Evabelle eased over Aza's lightly snoring form and over to the boys on the other side. Del was a silent sleeper, but she saw the slow inhale and exhale as his blanket rose and fell. She couldn't take a feather from him. He was still pretty weak, though he wouldn't dare admit that, but he needed as much strength as he could get.

Evabelle glanced over to Faux, and nearly cried out in alarm. His eyes were open, staring up at the ceiling, unmoving. The soft glow falling in from the main room, cast eerie shadows across his face, however it was the oddly empty look on him that spooked her most. He could have been dead, if those blank eyes didn't move and land on her. He blinked and light filled the voids. "Evabelle?" He mouthed, tilting his head.

Evabelle crouched down next to him and whispered. "What are you doing awake? You should be sleeping."

Faux smiled. "Have you met me, love? I am a transcendent being that has no need for mortal require...irements." He stumbled over the word as he stifled a yawn.

Evabelle shook her head. "You know better, Seren."

Faux blinked. "You just called me Seren."

"I've noticed people refer to you as such, when you're being an idiot."

Faux nodded. "That's fair. Now, what are you doing awake?"

Evabelle took a deep breath. "Could I use a feather?"

"That definitely didn't answer my question," Faux raised an eyebrow. "You've only added to my curiosity."

"We've found CJ," Evabelle replied. "But we're having some trouble and I just want to try something; to see if I can reach out to him."

"Intriguing, an experiment." He quietly clapped his hands together. "I shall join you and--"

Evabelle shook her head. "No, you don't. You just heard me. Don't be an idiot. You must sleep."

Faux rolled his eyes but plucked one of his feathers and started to hand it to the girl. However, he paused before she could take it. "Fine, as you say, your majesty. But I have one last question. If I had been asleep when you came in, you would have just stolen one, wouldn't you? It's a bad habit, missy." He tickled her nose with the feather, and Evabelle hurriedly snatched it.

"Thank you and yes, I would have. Now, go to sleep." Evabelle stood and mazed herself out again, knowing full well that he probably wasn't going to listen to her.

Evabelle eased the door shut behind her and ran back to the two mages at the head of the table. With Faux's feather in hand, she pressed it to Calandra's temple.

Calandra's eyes flashed open and Evabelle saw her pupils flickering. "What are you doing?"

"I have to talk to him,"

"You can't," Calandra snapped. "It's imposs--"

Evabelle closed her eyes and reached in and found the golden fire she used when she would heal, and pushed it out to feed into Calandra's power. The feather in her hand warmed under her hands, matching the temperature rolling off the woman in the chair. A light flashed through her eyelids and the feeling of the fluffy cotton vanished and so did all her sense of space and sensation in one sudden whirlwind strike. It was as though she had become the wind and was spiraling in darkness.

And then it stopped.

She wasn't aware of her body. She didn't know if she was standing or lying down. She was still aware of emotions. She knew if she could feel her heart, it'd be racing. What the heck had just happened?

But then she heard something, or felt something, or sensed...someone. It was like hearing him breathing, or feeling his body heat near her, or sensed his soul mingling with hers.