🕊 D O V I E 🕊
She's crawling out the depths of hell to finally update, please forgive this treason of a long wait.
Life gets in the way and every time I sit to write I'm just like:
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Benedict was the unlucky victim of my impromptu lunch up-chuck. Surprisingly, he didn't appear disgusted, just politely calling for someone on staff to bring a mop.
Ender's fretting from earlier seemed to intensify as he held me in a death grip. I caught his strangely distraught eyes, which were darting around for a solution, before turning towards the new arrivals.
Connie resembled a wet cat, one ready to hiss and scratch at whoever got too close. Lyric on the other hand had an uncanny resemblance to a golden retriever who just returned from fetching a ball.
"Sorry to interrupt." My contract slammed the door and almost caught Lyric's hand as it roughly shut, brushing snow from his pants in aggravation.
The nightingale's teeth chattered as he rubbed chilled arms for aided friction, snowflakes sticking into his damp hair and recreating a picture-perfect scene—if only he didn't have a pained face and chapped lips that were turning blue. He then looked where Connie was cleaning off and snickered, earning him a sharp reprimand from the other without them turning back.
"Shut up."
"It's not my fault you slipped on ice, right on your ass."
Before the unicorn could respond, Leon's presence made itself known as he went over to mutter something quietly. None of the conversation was heard as my senses deteriorated, and I could do nothing but hope the terrible sensations went away by their own.
"Novalie, lie down before you faint on your floor-vomit." Large hands took hold of my waist.
I could only nod as Ender tried to support me, feeling my windpipe swell even more as I tried to breathe in through a scratchy mouth, which was arguably hard to do when blocked. The shortness of breath worsened and nothing could be done as I abruptly collapsed on a hard chest.
It wasn't going to be a pleasant night.
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CONSTANTINE
I watched as Novalie dropped like a stiff board onto an alarmed Ender Mishal, and would have laughed at the other boy's uncharacteristic expression of alarm, if not for the reason. The amount of colourful words that floated inside her head before she fainted made me smirk, noticing that even while compromised, the spitfire had crisp thoughts.
What a silly girl.
The male phoenix instinctively heaved her into his arms like she weighed nothing, leading them both towards the bottom landing.
"Hey!" Novalie's childhood friend chased after them. "Let me take her."
"No." Mishal's irises were liquid fire as he effortlessly took two steps at a time, bringing himself and his precious bundle upstairs, completely away from the crowded foyer.
"Bastard, you can't just kidnap her..." Lester practically seized. "I don't trust your slimy intentions—I'm coming with you!"
I frowned, watching as the Dark Representative compulsively brought Novalie into his protection.
"You." I turned to address the one with silver hair, baseball cap strategically twisted around. "Go upstairs and give this to her."
The girl's reflexes kicked in as I threw an EpiPen at her, snatching it out of thin air and reading the label.
"We have two Soul Spirits who can use healing powers, why give it to me?" She frowned, but nonetheless got up; rolling her eyes in a manner that made me want to chastise.
"Go," I snapped harshly. "And take that one with you."
The Neutral Representative stood at attention, a finger pointing at herself in confusion.
"Since you asked so nicely," Yonavich scoffed. "Let's go, Fable."
I knew that the female caladrius was decently trained, so she would be of beneficial help.
My stomach churned suddenly, further making me wish that the lycan spirit would hurry. I could feel tingles reaching across clammy flesh, an uncomfortable sensation that lessened to the degree in which Novalie would experience.
"Lyric, you're not at Mayfair Manor." The snake gave a reprimanding look, before giving me another piercing glance in passing. "Also, how did he end up coming alongside you?"
"Complications." I subtlety released an aura of calm around the room, watching as Lyric's shoulder's lessened in tension—Benedict's harsh exterior softening just a smidgen.
"Impossible..."
My gaze blandly took note of the voice's owner, taking in a tiny figure with ringlets of white hair. Something fierce jolted inside of me, yet all I did was lift a brow as she continued to gawk.
"You're just like me, aren't you?"
"You mean cold, wet, hungry, annoyed, and extremely aggravated?" I gave her a thoughtful glance that looked anything but kind. "Then I suppose so."
The girl looked shocked, and somewhat self-conscious, as I turned away. My soul knew what she was. There were high levels of discomfort in this discovery, so much so, that I simply forced myself to reject the feeling altogether.
I could care less about Kindred Spirits, not now, not when there's an astronomical problem I'm trying to fix... not when Novalie is in the middle of it all.
With that final thought, my gaze then fell upon a middle aged man who abruptly entered the main foyer; he looked taken aback by the scene which greeted him.
Arthur.
"I was wondering why you kids weren't coming over to eat." The manor's host paused as he made eye-contact with me, a sense of déjà-vu hitting us both as we were reacquainted. "Who's this young man?"
I remember him clearly, but the other had no harbouring recollection. Arthur was only a child when we first met, and it would have been astonishing if he remembered the face of a mysterious man fatally injured near his father's property, crawling amongst trees in desperation.
"Constantine." I gave Arthur the exact same smile he received all those years ago, shaking away memories from darker periods.
Cynical. Condescending. Defeated.
He would respond in a child-like voice from the past, yet all I heard was the timbre of a mature man who lived in present time. "What an odd name."
"Just an old one," I softly stated.
This wasn't the first time I've met someone who I once knew, only for them to not remember me at all. The curse of immortality, a lonely one that I've long accepted.
"Lyric, you're here!" Arthur turned away and went to pat the nightingale's shoulder. "You rarely ever hang around anymore."
"Hello, Arth, just thought I should break my streak." Lyric gave a quick glance to the white-haired girl, shifting his gaze away and standing more alert than earlier.
This also caused me to scrutinize her, lavender eyes meeting with my own violet ones. She was a fleeting little thing, insecurity radiating off her well-dressed form and bouncing across the room—no one else seemed to notice.
She was nothing like me.
Arthur's phone rang with an overly merry tune, causing him to give us an apologetic look while exiting. We heard him let out a boisterous laugh as he answered, completely oblivious towards the lingering young adults who were standing with built tension.
"I vote that we kick them back out."
The smoky tenor automatically put me in a sour mood, further causing a domineering look to be sent at Mishal as he made his way back down the stairs. I never liked the Dark Representative; he was the definition of everything I avoided, a little too observant for my tastes—that and he sulked too damn much.
Worst of all, he reminded me of Novalie.
Those two were people who followed their hearts, a passing organ that's job should only be for pumping blood. Instead, it did a whole bunch of other excessive things that caused problems.
The sudden feeling of relief hit me, and I knew then that Novalie's condition was recuperating.
Finally, people are listening to my instructions for once.
Lyric made a whiny noise. "Ender, why are you always so gosh darn rude?"
"How ruthless." I turned and gave Mishal a domineering look that warranted an argument, if not for the serpent holding him back. "But that's so like you, isn't it?"
He gave a hard stare. "I don't see where else you'd be welcome, besides outside."
"Now that you mention it..." I gave a baleful grin as the thought hit me. "Perhaps Novalie would enjoy the bed company."
Something changed in the phoenix's posture, a hostile stance that made me predict his next move. I swiftly dodged as a ball of flame was released in my direction, fire hitting the wall behind me and melting a nearby plant. We both ignored the way Lyric screeched as he flew out of the way, only to quickly shoot up towards the door, grabbing snow and throwing it onto burning leaves.
How blind Novalie must be, to not realize how enamored she's made her fiery counterpart become.
I smirked at the aggravated boy, who looked ready to conjure another attack. "You fire birds always have such a flare for the dramatics."
"Ender," Benedict said with warning. "Let's head to dinner."
"I'm not hungry," Mishal spat back.
The snake hissed lowly and grabbed his friend's arm. "Well, I'm famished."
Without another word they left, their towering heights making the room seem bigger in their absence. A musky smell of smoke lingered in the hall, making its leftover occupants look at each other. The girl with wisteria irises was about to ask a question, but instead drifted away to join the other two.
"I named this plant Kelsey years ago, now she's practically a root again!" Lyric's strained voice rose amongst the silence, his hand holding a stray branch that survived.
I gave him a less than amused look, watching as he silently made his way to the dining room, long steps dragging across the floor. An atmosphere of utter despair clung onto him as he tucked the burnt piece in a pant pocket.
I sighed deeply, deciding to follow from behind.
Another exasperated noise left as I stopped abruptly to turn around, whispering a few words to Kelsey and watching as the plant began to slowly rejuvenate.
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The harsh noise of a knife scraping against someone's plate was only increasing the already tense air; the perpetrator took no heed and continued to stab various food in a manner that made his neighbor flinch.
Lyric looked like he was about to mention his unease, yet one particularly aggressive slice from Mishal made him mute, choosing instead to lamely swirl soup. A small whirlpool appeared in the porcelain bowl, and it caused a childish grin to appear on his face.
A dimwit, but an amusing one.
It was an easy task, persuading Lyric in taking me to this address. After all, he had nothing else to do while being trapped inside an empty castle. The first year he didn't actually go to his family's manor in France, instead the little bird decided to lie, a deceit that will catch up sooner than later.
I turned my attention back to the phoenix.
I've never seen someone eat cooked vegetables as violently as the sullen male, and you'd think the beans on his plate called him a useless son of a bitch by the way he was stabbing it.
"So, Constantine, are you also a friend of the others?" Antoinette's uncertain voice was river-like, one that could become a raging flood when provoked.
It was only recently that I discovered what she's called, a suiting namesake that fitted her regal countenance.
"Yes!" Lyric responded instantly before anyone else could. "Although Connie is only here because of Nova Scotia, he's great company if you're good at evading his right hooks."
Antoinette took a dainty sip out of her clam chowder, which caused me to scoff, as I had a mental image of Novalie tilting the entire dish back and slurping its content in a manner that resembled a barbarian.
That absolute menace to society.
"Violence doesn't get you far." Benedict was calmly slicing his steak, taking larger than normal bites without really chewing up the food, like a snake swallowing his meal whole.
"I wholly agree," Lyric diligently replied.
I glared at the blond as he gave an angelic grin.
I've never encountered an actual basilisk spirit, and I was glad for that, because Hollows was like a beast ready to strike. Perhaps this was why he composed himself so rigorously, to have an air of finesse in order to hide his more... vicious side.
Why does Novalie insist on hanging around with these people again?
Mishal was quite during the entire meal, only murmuring to Antoinette whenever she purposely latched on for attention. Their connection was uncanny, and it that made me question their relationship to perhaps being more than mere friends.
I took a diligent sample of my served tea, taking note that it was utter ass. Entirely unimpressed, I placed the bone china cup back down to where it belonged and continued my analysis of the two seatmates across from me. The girl was clearly infatuated with the boy. That being said, Mishal seemed entirely unresponsive to her attempts, completely immersed in massacring his food.
Or perhaps they tried a relationship and he ended it, who knows?
Hollows and Lyric were still discussing my so called 'violent tendencies', and this caused the phoenix to finally turn towards me. "The only person you should be hitting is Lyric."
We both ignored the offended 'hey!' coming from down the table.
I gave Mishal an unimpressed look, knowing exactly what he meant by that.
Yes, this boy was most definitely protective over our dear little Novalie Bishop.
"I know you're her contract... everything you've done has been evasive, not so cunning as you think." The brunet had calculating eyes. "What are you after?"
Lyric spat a mouthful of Chardonnay. "MAnNeRs, EnDEr!"
Benedict brushed his sleeve with a napkin, before folding it neatly. "You need to be more tactful, Ender."
"Yeah," Lyric whispered so loudly that it was almost comical. "Besides, we shouldn't be going into things like that."
"That he's a unicorn?" Ender gave a confused frown, not sure what part of his sentence shocked the blond.
This in turn made Lyric look towards me. "Connie is a unicorn?
"Surprise," I gritted out.
"You're a unicorn—like with hooves and a horn?!" His voice rose in both pitch and volume. "Who are you contracted to?"
"Take a wild guess," I sarcastically quipped back, then scowled as his description settled in. "I'm not a literal horse, you buffoon."
The nightingale took one long look at the occupants sitting, before slowly getting up. "I need a stronger drink, I'll be right back."
We watched him leave and head off to where I assumed the wine cellar was located. This left me with the three last people I would ever wish to have as company, their overbearing presence making even me apprehensive.
"Why did you made a contract with her?" The firebird's eyes were a dark shade of amber, pupils resembling coal one would find in the depths of hell's ashes. Antoinette grabbed his arm, pausing as she appeared to communicate with him, efficiently notching down any anger.
This exchange manifested a sinister grin to appear on my face, observation skills confirming the truth. "I see."
The other unicorn gave a defensive sneer.
I chose to taunt her. "Admiring from afar?"
"Don't talk to her." Mishal's expression bordered menacing, the grip on his fork tightening and bending slightly from the heat radiating inside a scorched palm.
I clicked my tongue in an annoyed fashion, not liking where this discovery was leading. "The moment Novalie's swelling and nausea has disappeared, we shall be on our way."
"Yeah, right." Mishal and Hollows said this at the same time, turning to look at each other in a miffed way.
This exchange caused me to lift a brow, wondering what impression Novalie has already made on this moody duo. Knowing her, she probably accidentally wooed them both without even comprehending it.
Faisal will most definitely not like these change of events.
I frowned at the formidable man invading my thoughts, wondering if next time we meet he wouldn't be so generous towards my continuous train of bad news.
"Mishal," I said, not waiting for a response. "There's no need for us to exchange the details of personal contracts, therefore I ask you to simply let these issues go."
"I agree," Antoinette stated quietly. "Let's just pretend that both parties are unaware."
I gave a blithe smile in return for her cooperation, fully knowing that I frightened her. She felt the differences of our auras, how they contrasted against each other.
Hollows looked less than pleased by the suggestion, but merely nodded. Mishal followed the action with a clenched jaw, rigid posture stating that he had his own unannounced opinions.
"I don't trust you." The phoenix lowered his lids, aristocratic features aiding in the threatening message. "I also don't particularly like you."
With that, Mishal finally got up and walked away without another word, his two seatmates copying the action. My ears picked up an argument amongst them as they exited.
"Ender, where are you going?" A feminine trill sounded annoyed.
"To check up on Novalie." A velvety voice stated, as if it was obvious.
"Well, I'm heading to bed." A third responded with a deep baritone.
Stray leaves floated in my cup of room temperature tea, thoughts briefly wondering if it was Lyric who planted the herbs.
I downed the cold drink. "I don't trust or like myself either."
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🕊 D O V I E 🕊
Our spitfire is coming back next chapter, so don't you Turtle Doves worry... but there's definitely going to be more POVs in the future!