White Devil Read online

  Lilith nodded, but she couldn’t find the strength to get up, Milly still in her arms. She looked helplessly at Zero who transformed into an eagle, and picked them up with his claws, to bring them quickly back to Violet Cottage.

  There, chaos awaited them.

  Ryo rushed out of the cottage when they approached, his expression shocked, his shoulders trembling.

  “Something’s happening to Colm and I don’t think it’s good,” he shouted, flailing his arms trying to gesture, stumbling as he tried to move faster on his wooden leg. Then he noticed Milly’s state.

  “Not her as well!”

  Terrified, Lilith rushed inside as soon as Zero put her down, still carrying Milly in her arms. She was prepared for the worst. No, not prepared, she feared the worst. The cottage was in utter disarray. A chair had fallen over, several jars and pots lay scattered on the ground, a few of them broken, as if they had been swept off the table in a hasty manner. Tears already coming to her eyes, she stepped next to Balthasar and Joe who were sitting and standing beside the couch, tending to Colm. He was awake. A rush of relief came over Lilith. Colm was alive. He had not disappeared. But that relief was quickly overshadowed by more concern.

  She had thought before that Colm was pale, but now all color had left his skin. It wasn’t even pale, it was ashen, as if all life energy had been burned from within him. Someone made her sit on a stool. She took Colm’s hand. It was colder than the brook running down from the glaciers on the mountaintops.

  Colm looked at her with his clear navy eyes. Unlike the rest of him, they had not lost any of their vividness. He smiled.

  “You got to her… in time,” he pressed out. “That’s… good.”

  He coughed. Joe helped him drink a little water.

  Lilith didn’t need to ask what he meant. His words explained a lot. It had been a magical attack directed at Milly and Colm, but somehow the spell had lost its clasp on Milly when Lilith had touched her. For the first time Lilith felt like her magic repellence had done something good.

  She felt heat rising inside her. Agitation raced through her limbs, her muscles. She barely noticed when Joe, or perhaps Balthasar, took Milly out of her arms to lay her on a bed upstairs. Lilith’s skin felt cold, she heard the blood rushing through her ears. She didn’t know what to call this feeling, but she knew she wanted to break something. She wanted to find whoever was responsible for this and hurt them. Maybe figure out why they had felt the need to hurt two wonderful people like these, and then make them pay for their mistakes.

  Lilith kissed Colm on the forehead.

  “I will find out who did this to you,” she whispered, tears still in her eyes.

  Colm stroked the side of her face. He shook his head slightly.

  “I already know… who it is. No good will come of anger. I need you…” He coughed again. “… need you to do something for me. But I need sleep. Let us talk about this… later. Milly and I will be alright. It’s over for now.”

  Anger? Was that what she was feeling? Either way, she nodded, kissed his forehead again before going to Milly to do the same and then leaving the cottage. She needed to be alone for a little while.

  Many souls needed to be taken to where they belonged, and Death watched them all writhe in pain until she could separate them from their body and stop their suffering. There was a Velsalian child, just across Pbecrah’s northern border that had shown promise in powerful Earth Magic but would never fulfil that destiny. There was a pair of siblings on a farm east of Tsoaluo who had used their powers year after year to help their local community grow crops and guide cattle. Death could already see that their loss would mean the end of that village. There were other losses, too, some affecting entire communities, others self-contained. There were some souls whose departure probably meant a relief for the people surrounding them, such as the phantom thief to the south of Pbec’s border in Stelry, who had used his magic for his own merits.

  They all departed, Elemental and Celestial Mages alike, and Death took them to where they belonged.

  “It was Phyenor,” Colm admitted the next day. He had regained a lot of color, and Milly had woken up, though she was still rather weak and feverish.

  “When I noticed the spell, I tried to analyze it and I recognized some patterns that are very specific to her magic. I was also able to determine what the spell was used for; all magic users within reach of her magic have been attacked.”

  He paused, taking some deep breaths with closed eyes before continuing.

  “The spell was meant to make our magic turn against us, to have our own magic eat us from the inside out. I was barely able to counteract it on myself and it was only possible because I knew the original aim of the spell.”

  His gaze darted toward the bookshelves. His next words were muttered more to himself than directed at anyone else.

  “What is she thinking? It’s not like her to actively try to kill or even harm others. It serves no purpose to her. It seems rather counterproductive.”

  He stopped talking for a moment to take a drink of his tea and stare into his cup for a moment. Then, he stood up and walked over to the shelf to pick up the carved bear figurine, staring at it with a pained expression.

  Lilith didn’t know whether to be surprised or outraged at his revelation. The person that had been like a sibling to him had attempted to kill him. She didn’t know how she would feel if Milly or Amethyst tried to hurt her, but she could imagine that it would be a most awful sensation. She thought of the passionate woman who valued Colm’s advice so much. What could have possibly driven her to an act as this? It was incomprehensible. The thought of it alone made the rage from the prior day well up again. Lilith could read the same confusion and sadness in Colm’s eyes as he, still reflecting on his own words, returned to his seat, the figurine still in hand.

  “It was foolish. Terrible and foolish. Her actions haven’t only caused death, but also left Pbecrah without magical defense. Someone will take advantage of that. Maybe not today, maybe not tomorrow. But there is no way they haven’t noticed what happened here yesterday. I doubt many other mages survived. Though people with lesser magical abilities might have slipped through under the spell, I don’t know.”

  Lilith and everyone else remained quiet, just listening to his words. Not even Amethyst made a sound. The prospect of a possible attack on their home hit Lilith like the returning frost after the first thaw. She sincerely hoped that Colm’s speech was leading to a plan. There had to be something they could do to protect themselves.

  “We can’t continue like this. There is something we need. I hope, I pray to the Enforcer that we will never need to use it, but we need to have it. Otherwise we’ll be overrun by… By everything.”

  This event had been a wake-up call for Colm.

  “What is it you need?” Selene asked.

  Balthasar turned around to her in surprise.

  “Ye wanna help’em?”

  Selene smiled thinly.

  “I see it as our first mission as mercenaries. And as repayment for their help.”

  Lilith gave her a thankful smile. At this moment in time they could likely use all the help they could get. Selene ignored it.

  “Its name is the Hellfire Naginata. It is a self-aware weapon that carries tremendous power. It is said that it will only let itself be wielded by those it deems worthy,” Colm replied. “We need it.”

  “Who do we have to take it from? And how?” Selene continued. Her gaze was firmly set on Colm, her expression calm, not giving anything away.

  Colm cleared his throat and looked a little embarrassed to the side.

  “Well, that’s the problem. Currently it’s not in sentient hands. It hasn’t been for a very long time. The problem is finding it. For most people it’s no more than a story anyway. It’s a legend. There are a few specific places across the continent where it might be.”

  Colm handed over a scroll to Balthasar who immediately took a
look at it, watching closely as Colm marked it in several spots.

  Lilith stepped behind him to see. There were crosses and circles in only a few countries: Taquin and Velsalia had the most. Quintz was one giant circle in itself.

  “It must be hidden somewhere. And since anyone who tries to take it and isn’t worthy is doomed, chances are, it will still be exactly where it was left a long time ago. Stories say that the Enforcer put it somewhere where it would be out of the world’s way since it had caused so much destruction. It must have been shortly after the Great War.”

  Alarmed, Balthasar put the map down, staring at Colm.

  “Ye wanna have her get somethin’ that might kill her if a weap’n thinks she’s unworthy? Have ye lost yer mind?!” he burst out, protectively stepping closer to Selene.

  Colm shook his head calmly.

  “No, the person who needs to do it isn’t her. It’s Lilith.”

  This time Amethyst was the one to protest with ruffled feathers. Angrily, he flapped his wings and croaked “Are you insane? You want to send her to die? What’s your guarantee she’ll be able to do it? See, this is what I mean when I say humans are stupid. You don’t think things through! You’re such fragile creatures and your brains break so easily. Don’t you listen to a thing he says, Lilith; the man got his mind sucked out by that magic!”

  Colm smiled lightly, but not without concern, at the accusation. Lilith said nothing. She stroked the raven’s neck feathers softly in an attempt to calm him down. She had faith that Colm would not ask her to do something so perilous if he didn’t have good reasons, and a plan. While she was a little anxious at the idea of going after something so mysterious and dangerous, she needed to hear him out. He would know what to do. He always knew.

  “You think she’s different, don’t you,” Milly interjected from the other side of the room. “It’s because of how she got here. And her wings.”

  Colm nodded. “Yes. There is more to it. There is a reason. I think something may have sent her here for a purpose. To act as a counterbalance to something else perhaps.” Then he turned to Lilith. “Just think of your extraordinary abilities. Your imperviousness to magic, your gentle character, and you appeared such a short time before things started to go crazy. I just think if anyone was able to do it, sent or not, it would be you.”

  Lilith nodded slowly.

  “I understand. I will do it,” she decided.

  Amethyst craned his head around to her.

  “I’m coming with you!” he announced.

  Lilith smiled and gratefully stroked his head. After a moment of silent contemplation, he asked curiously “Do you really have wings?”

  Before Lilith could answer, Milly shouted excitedly: “Yes, she does! I saw them when she fell from the sky when the day became night! They are long and white as clouds, and come from her back, only they’re not made with feathers but skin, I think, white skin and somehow they disappeared when I went to get Master Colm and they have been gone since then, but she did have them, I saw them!”

  Lilith hesitated. It was true, she vaguely remembered something about having wings, but they had never reappeared. They had nothing but Milly’s word to go on and it just seemed a little strange. Then again, all of it did. So instead of giving an answer she opted for a hesitant smile, hoping it would be all the answer needed. She felt the pirates’ gazes on her and wondered what they might be thinking. This was new information for them as well. But perhaps they knew of cases like hers where they came from and weren’t surprised at all? Lilith didn’t know if she should ask. She looked to the ground instead.

  After a long moment of awkward silence, Selene sighed.

  “We don’t exactly have much to go on,” she said, “but we are still going to help. Since we can’t use the Bat and part of our crew is missing already, I will think up the best course of action and will let you know by tonight, so we can depart tomorrow, or at the latest the day after. Balthasar?”

  Without waiting for a response, she walked out briskly, the man quickly following after making some sort of helpless grimace at Joe.

  Lilith and Amethyst remained behind, and took a seat beside Colm.

  “Is it going to be alright?” Milly asked concerned.

  Colm took Lilith’s hand and said, “Yes. It is.”

  Death found herself glad to see that two Highlanders had escaped the powerful wave. It was an old spell, ancient in human terms. She wondered how humans in this time and age were even able to cast it. Tremendous amounts of energy had to be used for it to succeed. Magic was decreasing in the world. More and more people were resorting to science, because fewer people had magical abilities. Death had been watching the decline for centuries.

  She was also impressed by young Colm’s ability to act upon it so quickly. It barely saved his life; Death didn’t have to come to him yet.

  She decided to have a look at the person who had caused this atrocity.

  A woman dressed in red, her skin dark, hair with a green shimmer, was lying spread on a chaise longue. One arm laid over her eyes, she would almost appear to be sleeping if not for the rapid movement of her chest and the sweat running in streams from her face. It was as Death had suspected. The energy had been too much for the human woman to take. But she could not have cast the spell without help.

  Death stood aside and watched as, suddenly, the door to the big, fancy room swung open and a young man dressed in garments traditional for the Khenoris Clan entered, carrying a glass and a jug with a swirling iridescent liquid inside. Perhaps it was the same man Death had seen before, but it mattered not. He stepped next to the woman and poured some of the liquid into the glass before he helped her drink it slowly.

  After a moment or two, the woman visibly improved and she sat up. She looked at the young man with determined eyes.

  “I will need to do it again to ensure the safety of my country.”

  He gave no reply, but simply bowed and retreated. As he bent over, a pocket watch was revealed from beneath his typical black cloak. Death recognized the engraving as the emblem of Quintz.

  The Black Dragon never seemed to stop trying to disrupt the balance.

  Selene went back to Colm that evening to consult with him on the upcoming journey. Lilith hadn’t been asked to join. In fact, Balthasar had told her that it would be better if she wasn’t present. It bothered her a little. After all, Colm asked her to do this. Why wasn’t she allowed to be involved in the planning? But she tried to smile, to be cheerful and to be reasonable. He probably wanted to protect her. Or it was about things that she shouldn’t have to concern herself with. No matter what it was, surely there was a good reason behind it.

  Amethyst was a lot less calm about the entire situation than she was. He kept grumbling about stupid, ungrateful humans and how Lilith was different because obviously she had to be. She was practically an honorary bird since she could speak with animals and might have wings. His words cheered her up a little. It was nice to have someone who stood by her as much as Amethyst did.

  Generally, Lilith was a little worried about the upcoming quest. It would mean leaving Colm and Milly behind without protection. She wouldn’t be there to keep another magical attack from harming them. It made her anxious and she wished someone else could go and find that strange-sounding weapon. But Colm had given the task to her and she would do it to the best of her abilities. She just had to hope they would find this mystical weapon quickly, so she could return. She also had her doubts about going to see Lady Xelma like Colm had requested. Every time Lilith thought about it, she felt sick to her stomach, and rage welled up again. But she knew that she would have to be prepared. What should she say? There was no doubt that Lilith would give the woman a piece of her mind, it was merely a matter of phrasing. She didn’t want to make things worse than they already were. However, she also wanted, no, needed to understand why Xelma had done what she had.

  “No matter what anyone says, I’m coming with you to keep
you safe,” Amethyst suddenly said. Lilith looked at him in surprise. He returned her gaze seriously. Had she seemed that worried, that frightened? Yet she had to admit, she was glad to hear these words. To have a friend with her on a journey into the unknown was priceless. Gently, she hugged the raven.

  *****

  Everyone was gathered for a meeting outside the cottage. Selene stood beside Colm and both of them looked over the rest. After several intense moments, Selene cleared her throat.

  “We have spoken about the best course of action and how to achieve our goals the most effective way. Colm has determined the most likely locations for the object we’re seeking, and the potential risks. But let’s face it: It’s not the first time we’ve searched for a phantom artifact like this. Lilith,” Selene’s gaze flickered to the other girl, “is the key to this operation. We need to keep her safe. Our numbers are limited, as are our means of transportation. We have decided to split into two groups. We need some to stay here to guard the ship and keep an eye on these two,” she waved toward Colm and Milly, “and keep watch for any potential threats.”

  She gave everyone a moment to let the information sink in. Ryo sighed and let himself drop on his butt.

  “So, what are the teams?” he asked, grinning. Selene smiled.

  “Eager as always, aren’t you, Ryo? But I’m sorry, you’re going to stay here with Balthasar and Joe.”

  Ryo was about to protest, but Selene cut him off before he could start. “You have only recently lost your leg, you’re not ready for a long journey like this. You’re much more useful here, where you can help without overexerting yourself. Balthasar is in charge but listen to Colm too. Joe, you need to stay here to provide medical assistance. Everyone else will come with me and Lilith. On our way we will take a stop in…” she stopped for a moment, glancing questioningly at Colm.

  “Tsoaluo,” he helped out.