Ink

Luanna woke up. A warm sunray was tickling her nose and she wanted to sneeze, but Jace was still sleeping beside her. The room was covered in a dim light and she could only hear Jace breathing. She smiled at him and dove back into the white sheets, next to the man she loved. He made a sleepy grunt and reached for Luannas’ waist and pulled her closer to him. There. Surrounded by the warmth of his body, Luanna fell asleep again.

These memories kept her going, kept her sane. Luanna was no longer in her cozy bed back in New York, she was walking across this wasteland, full of abandoned buildings and ruins. Everything was covered in grey dust and everything smelled like fear and decay. Every now and then you could see someone lying on the ground, eyes wide open and face full of dried up tears. They were also covered in that weird grey dust, as if they became a ruin themselves. 

“Hey Lou! Close your eyes and hold out your hand for me” said Jace with a playful smile on his face.

“I really hope this is not one of your bad jokes again, Jace...you know how much I hate insects so don’t you dare-”

“C’mon Louuu, relax! Trust me.”

Luanna gave in to the enthusiasm she could read on Jace’s face and did as she was told. She felt Jace place something light into the palm of her hand.

“Ok, you can open your eyes now.”

Luanna was now staring at a piece of paper that had a black bird drawn on it. She frowned, and gave Jace a questioning look.

“It’s a tattoo, Lou. See?” Jace raised his shirt and showed her the black feather tattooed on his chest, right on his heart. She knew that tattoo very well. She ran her fingers countless times over it, while her head rested on his shoulder. “It matches mine. I drew it for you and, only if you want to, you can have it tattooed as well. Lou, you came into my life and you filled it up with joy. You made a nest into my heart. And I want you to know that I will always keep you safe and love you with all I have, birdy.”

Luanna remained quiet. She reached for Jace and hugged him tight, holding her head pressed against his feather tattoo, listening to his beating heart.

“Does this mean you like it?” Jace asked.

“I do, love. But I really hope that by calling me a <<bird>> you don’t refer to a turkey..”

“Of course not! I’m referring to an ostrich!”

Laughter filled the room, then Luanna added “Ok. Let’s go get me tattooed.”

Luanna was clenching the bird tattoo on her chest as she walked by more and more corpses. She couldn’t remember the last time she ate or drank, but that didn’t matter. She had to get to Jace. His voice was haunting her and images of him were flashing before her eyes, teasing her. She had to rescue him, no matter what. She knew that once they were together again, they would be able to put an end to the chaos that ruled the earth. To stop Lilith. That evil, soul-thirsty, winged-piece of-...

Luanna tripped on one of the bodies and fell. A cloud of gray dust rose in the air, surrounding her, choking her. She grasped for air and struggled to get up, but she couldn’t see and she was so weak, covered in dirt and bruises...Everything was such a mess. How did it come to this? 

Luanna passed out. In the back of her mind, the nightmare played again and again. Lilith, a black-winged demon landed on earth three months ago and started wrecking havoc, destroying everything in her path and draining people of their souls. Everything she touched would wither, the buildings would collapse and people would fall to their knees, begging for forgiveness. “Your time is up.” she would whisper, as she sucked the life out of her victims, leaving them limp on the ground, with their eyes empty, their skin wrinkled and covered in dust. She wouldn’t even bother to fly, she would just gracefully walk, glancing at the destruction she’s causing. She perceives it as art.

One night, Lilith wandered into an apartment in New York. The minute she walked in, all the spell books on the shelves started to crumble, including the one Jace was holding. They stared at each other. Jace - shocked and confused, Lilith - pleased and amused. “Hello, Jace.” Jace felt cold shivers going down his spine when he heard his name spoken in such a cold, cruel voice. “How did she find him? How was she able to get past the protection spells he cast?”. He opened his mouth to say something, but nothing came out. “I wouldn’t bother if I were you” said Lilith, as she walked towards him. She raised her hand gently, reaching for his face. Pain crossed Jace’s face as he cried out “Don’t!”.

Luanna woke up and jumped to her feet. Jace might still be alive. She must get to him and save him. She didn’t even bother to shake the dust off her clothes. Luanna stepped over a dead old man who was still holding a watering can in his hand and kept going. She has to keep a clear mind. “There’s no time to waste.”.

“Are we there yet?” Luanna asked impatiently. “You’ve been driving for hours!”

“Do you want to take a break? We can always go to the back seats.” Jace said, giving Luanna a provocative look.

“As tempting as that sounds, I think it’s best you kept driving. We want to arrive there today, afterall.”

“Indeed. Now, stop complaining. I promise you the place I’m taking you to is worth the wait.” he said, while placing a hand on Luannas’ thigh. 

Luanna turned left.

<<Jace placed a margaret behind her ear “You look stunning”>>

Luanna walked along an alley full of cafes that used to be swarming with life.

<<Jace grabbed her hand and took it to his lips. He closed his eyes while kissing it.>>

Luanna walked past a yard where all the plants were black.

<<Jace was quietly watching her as she painted, his face lit up by a warm smile. “Don’t you need a new model?”>>

Luanna crossed the street.

<<Jace and her stargazing. “Make a wish” she said. “You already know what I wish for.” he continued, then wildly kissed her.>>

Luanna turned right.

<<She climbed on top of him.>>

Luanna kept walking past ruins. Even though everything looked like the ghost of what was there before, she knew where she was going. She somehow knew when to turn left, when to turn right. She was headed for Jace, afterall, so her instincts wouldn’t betray her. 

Luanna was standing in front of a ten storey building. There it is, right on the sixth floor - hers and Jace’s apartment. The windows were dimly lit - such a beautiful view they had in front of those large, glossy windows. Not the case anymore. Everything was slowly rotting now. But not that floor - it wasn’t yet covered in that grey dust, so Luanna might still be on time to save Jace. She entered the building, cautiously climbed the stairs and entered the apartment. 

The minute she walked in, all the spell books on the shelves started to crumble, including the one Jace was holding. They stared at each other. Jace - shocked and confused, Luanna - pleased and amused. “Hello, Jace.”. Luanna, or should I say, Lilith was really enjoying the terrified look on Jace’s face. So cute. Her little, white angel, the only one strong enough to defeat her, standing there, unable to move. Her plan was running smoothly. Jace wouldn’t attack her, fearing he might hurt the woman he loves, who’s body she possessed. Yes, loving Luanna is his weakness. There are no wards that can protect him from loving her. And now Luanna led her straight to him. Lilith took a step closer to him. Jace opened his mouth to say something, but nothing came out. “I wouldn’t bother if I were you” said Lilith, as she walked towards him. She raised her hand gently, reaching for his face. Pain crossed Jace’s face as he cried out

“Don’t!”

The sound of his voice, the desperate look on his face, those green eyes filled with tears and pain woke something up in her. Lilith stopped her hand in mid air and blinked a couple of times.

“This is not you, Lou! Fight her!”

Luanna stood there, confused, looking at the love of her life. He was trembling. Why? She looked to her left, in the mirror on the wall. Then she saw the big black pair of wings growing on her back. Then she realised. Dark, awful flashbacks flooded her mind. Her destroying the buildings she passed by. Her looking down at the people begging for forgiveness. Her sucking the souls out of all those people, leaving them grey and motionless on the ground. That sweet old man holding the watering can...she has been feeding on them! She is the cause of all the chaos. Luanna couldn’t bear with the overflow of Lilith’s flashbacks. She was not there to save Jace. There is only one way… Luanna looked at Jace. The same Luanna he always knew. The same Luanna that always put on her sweaters backwards, the same Luanna that would knot her laces twice before going jogging:

“Jace, kill me!”

Then Lilith took control of her body and mind again. But this time, a silver dagger was stuck deep into her bird tattoo. Jace was breathing heavily, clenching his fist on the handle. Despite the tears running down his face, he was frowning and had a fierce, mad look in his eyes. He watched without flinching how Luanna collapsed on the ground on a pool of black blood. It was almost like her bird tattoo was spilling the ink it was made of.

Lilith managed to steal his soul as well. Except he was still alive.