Dormant Wings

“Speak now.”

Her eyes searched mine for any sign of rejection. “Or forever hold your peace.” She continued with a tight-lipped smile. I looked once again at her black, weathered, and leathery wings. I simply nodded, unable to find the words to speak. I was a little afraid but I was determined. 

“You don’t understand what you’re giving up. You don’t understand what it’s like to be half alive.”

“I understand the terms. I know the consequences. Body, mind, heart - they’re all yours. Whatever it takes.” I sighed softly. I wanted to be with Eldren. I didn’t care if I had to die and go to hell. I didn’t care if I had to suffer for it. I just know I wanted him. I couldn’t stand being apart from him.

After his father dragged him back to hell and refused to let him surface, I’ve exhausted every possibility of getting to him. His father forbade it. He didn’t want his son involved with a mortal like me. As I stood in front of his tall and gorgeous best friend, Audette, I gulped knowing fully well she wasn’t going to agree to this. He refused to let me go through it. She was my only hope.

“Kerry, he’s not gonna like it.”

“I know. I need to see him and you know I want it. And he won’t let me.”

She sighed in discontent and stared at me, probably giving me time to think it through. “Please,” I muttered. I have thought this through. There’s no changing my mind now. Looking at the ground, she closed her eyes and waved over the ground. I waited expectantly. Nothing was -

The ground suddenly started quaking. The few rocks and rubble started parting ways, forming a well-defined circle. I stepped back in fear. The ground opened up revealing a dark, blood-red hole. Chills ran up my spine as I tried to contain my fear. ‘You need to do this.’ My mind yelled at me, trying to muster up whatever courage I could manage.

Audette grabbed the thick wooden rod as the ground quickly closed beneath it. Did that actually happen? I looked at my surroundings. The streets were clear. The houses sat quietly on a bright and sunny day, with the occasional baby whining and crying, or a dog barking. It wasn’t that unusual for no one to be around in the morning, especially on a weekend.

I stepped forward, moving closer to the scepter that was now drawing me in. I felt a weird attraction to its power as the encompassed stone turned a bright fiery red. My hand moved of its own accord daring to touch the stone.

“Kerry! Stop!”

Backing away, I saw a startled Audette panting as she moved the scepter to her side. My brows furrowed, and I shook my head out of the trance. I don’t know what just happened but I don’t think I want to know.

Audette raised the scepter as the stone drew light towards it. “Are you sure about this, Kerry?” She confirmed.

“I’m sure.”

“Then turn around.”

A look of confusion and worry found its way onto my face but I did as I was told. “This is going to hurt.” I closed my eyes and bit my lip in anticipation, as her worry echoed through my ears.

‘Deep breaths, Kerry.’ I told myself. ‘Deep b-’

A sharp stinging sensation crept up on my back. And then another. It wasn’t too bad - just like getting a tattoo. And I was mistaken. As the pain started spreading, tears unwillingly raced down my cheeks. I wanted to scream, but couldn’t risk the attention. I wanted to stop, but I had a feeling it was too late.

I felt my knees wobble under pressure as I gave in and fell to the ground. My skin was freezing and yet I could feel my blood boiling. I whimpered frailly, slowly starting to succumb to the stone. “Kerry?” I heard Audette call as my body arched itself back with a frightening crack. I couldn’t move.

“Kerry! What’s happening?”

The last words I heard before I blacked out. The pain slowly subsided as my mind drifted. Was I dead? Did it work? Was I a demon now? Is this really what it’s like to be dead? It felt sort of peaceful after the pain went away at least. I couldn’t feel my body but my mind was very much awake. No sight. No touch. No taste. Eventually, I could smell brimstone and something that smelled like rotten eggs. I heard voices nearing me.

“I don’t know what happened. Everything just went blue. And then she was…” Kerry’s voice trailed off.

I heard footsteps coming towards me. “Dotty, she was supposed to stay away.” I’d know that voice anywhere. “She can’t be a part of this.” Eldren! I still couldn’t move from where I had been laid down. I know what I did went against what he wanted, but why didn’t he understand that I loved him?

“Love does crazy things, Ellie. You know humans. And she really does -”

“But she can’t! Do you have any idea what danger we’d be in? And what about her? If she doesn’t wake up,” Eldren panicked. I’m awake! I wish I could let him know that. He let out a heavy sigh. “Right now, that’d be the best thing for us all.”

“How could you say that?!” Audette argued. I couldn’t help but feel hurt by his statement. Was he just playing me? Leading me on? “She did all this for you and you’re wishing she was dead for good?”

“Dotty, she’s the one he’s been looking for. She’s not mortal.” What was he saying? Who’s looking for me? “Not completely anyway. She has this strange God-like power inside of her and he intends to get it.”

Power? I can barely manage to kick a football across the field and I have power? Me? I mentally laughed. There’s no way. “I think you may have just activated her power, which means he’s not gonna take it easy.”

“Eldren, I didn’t know.” Audette’s voice was now soft, I could tell she felt guilty. It’s not her fault. I made her do it. I should be the one getting yelled at. If only I could explain.

“It’s okay. It’s just…” Eldren began to say. I heard footsteps coming towards me. “I convinced him to take the power without harming her. The power was dormant. There was no need to harm her. But now, if he finds out,”

A sudden jolt of energy surged through my body and the pain was back. Bone-shifting, blood-boiling pain that attempted to cover every inch of me. With a quick jerk, I sat up straight and my eyes opened wide. It was like an immediate state of shock as my eyes tried to adjust to the dim light in what I imagined was a room.

As I scanned my surroundings, Audette and Eldren soon became clear enough to see as they stared in my direction, worried, not even daring to speak. The dim light came from two gas lamps, lit on either end of the small room. The rocky walls were stained red, blue, and black and stood on the sandy red floor.

The bed I lay on was the only thing in the room along with a mirror across from me. I couldn’t make out a clear image but what I saw was enough. It worked! As if my mind calibrated to what it was seeing, I felt a heavy weight on my back. Black wings. But they were different from his. They were different from Audette’s too. Glowing blue streaks lined the edges of the wings.

I looked back at Audette and Eldren. “I’ll leave you two alone.” Audette said to Eldren, her eyes not breaking contact with me. She looked afraid. Why? She hurried into the dark corner and disappeared soon enough. We were alone.

Eldren didn’t move. His eyes widened, he looked scared of me too. “I wanted to be with you.” I managed to squeak out. I was still in pain, but it was nothing compared to moments ago. He didn’t respond. “You said your dad wouldn’t allow you to be with a mortal. Well, I took care of it. You don’t have to worry.”

I continued, as he stared at me like a statue, “I don’t care about the consequences. I’ll take whatever comes my way. As long as I get to be with you again.”

No response. I didn’t imagine what I did was that bad. I half expected him to be happy that I was willing to change. I knew he didn't want it, but this was the only way. He had to know that. I have no idea about what I just heard, but I’m sure we can figure that out together. There’s no reason this has to be a bad thing.

The silence was deafening and I couldn’t take it. “Say something.”

“Kerry.” He muttered, still not moving. A single tear escaped his eye.

“What have you done?”