Aspiration
В«Why not now?В» said James.
В«Let the clock are not inВ aВ hurry, and we hurry,В» it was the moral ofВ three scouts. Bob, James and Renault hurried toВ him with news. Father Donatello naturally did not know anything. He would not allow anything like that. Ferdinand also had doubts. He himself would not be ahead ofВ the events, but three young people kept their principles. For aВ long time they collected information about aВ certain sect that worshiped the living embodiment ofВ Dennitsa. They even had toВ pretend that they would like toВ join it. They said that it was risky, because the head ofВ the sect can read thoughts. But so far everyone has been intact, which gave them aВ lot ofВ courage.
Only Tonio doubted.
«What if it’s just heretics or is it easier swindlers? Suddenly they are not connected with her, and we will only spend time in vain?»
His claims almost did not hear.
«We will pretend that you also want to join their ranks,» said James. «You are both…» He measured Tonio and Ferdinand with quick glance. «Fully fit, there welcome only young and beautiful. This is the sect of the devil. Physical beauty for them is in the first place. In addition to loyalty, this is the only criterion.»
В«Loyalty?В» Ferdinand frowned. He already gave his loyalty toВ God.
В«Rather, obsession,В» James suggested. В«Everyone becomes some kind ofВ crazy and cold as statues.В»
Statues! The word caused unacceptable associations. They can not know how he belongs toВ the statues. More precisely, toВ only one ofВ them. He did not tell anyone about it yet. And not going. It was his secret. No one should know it. His feeling toВ marble sculpture was too sacred.
Ferdinand reached for aВ dagger with aВ graceful gilded handle inВ the form ofВ the dragon. Here is his new sacred relic. The dragon will be defeated, said Donatello, when he gave him the blade.
«It’s too early to see the enemy territory,» Ferdinand concluded reasonably. «We are now vulnerable, not an enemy. We must wait.»
His argument was supposed to sound weighty. Now he takes the post of head, although temporarily, only until the evil is not destroyed by his hand. He had to feel strong, and all the order’s brothers secretly obey him. However, James and Renault began to objected. Usually they behaved more restrained, but now they burned to rush into battle, track, destroy.
В«We must at least look at,В» meanwhile claimed Bob. В«You need toВ know with what we are dealing with.В»
В«We know,В» Ferdinand assured. В«The evil will be destroyed.В»
В«But you can do it today.В»
But the clock? Ferdinand again remembered it as aВ creature that laughed atВ him.
В«Do you remember the residence ofВ Cardinal Lisandro?В»
The cardinal did not drink wine and did not go toВ the harlot, but for some reason he had aВ terribly negative reputation. It was all the case inВ his sermons. InВ his hints and open calls. Someone considered him aВ prophet.
The false prophet, so called him toВ himself Ferdinand. Many shared his opinion. But there were followers. AВ small society gathered around Lisandro. Order ofВ communion! They tried toВ scare the devil with blood. Lily and blood are their symbols. Both were initially devilish symbols. But Lisandro held beautiful rites and assured that the Fallen Archangel Dennitsa is not so terrible as it seems. He stated even that he could call him and destroy. Obviously, today was the one night when he was going toВ takeВ it.
Ferdinand would not put aВ penny on the fact that his intention would succeed. Not everything is as simple as it seems. Lisandro and his Order is really just heretics, blessed byВ Pope. It is unlikely that their prayers reach the ears ofВ God, and the threats are afraid ofВ the devil. Although it would be so easy toВ attach the fallen angel on lilies, which once inВ paradise were considered his flowers, blood, spilled like aВ bribe for him, and then kill. All weaklings dream ofВ aВ simple decision ofВ the question. Ferdinand knew that his path would be more complicated. He squeezed the handle ofВ the dagger tightly.
True, now he had toВ prove himself that he had aВ determination.
«Not yet time…» It was his last objection. But not already decisive.
«It’s time now,» Bob objected. «They will gather for midnight, as during Christmas and Easter, only it will be a terrible sacrament.»
В«Rather, Mysteria,В» Ferdinand has long appointed the price toВ such events and on the experience remaining from his lush secular life, decided that they differ little from theatrical performances. The only thing that are designed toВ approve inВ the spiritual authority one specific person who spends them. InВ this case, Cardinal Lisandro. Probably he believes that the throne ofВ Pope is already secured byВ him. InВ any case, hardly enviable place will be free, everyone whose mind he embarrassed, will supportВ him.
Behind meditations, Ferdinand himself did not notice how congregates pulled him on the night ofВ aВ cozy cell. He firmly pressed the handle ofВ the dagger, hiding it under the cape. Consciousness said that it is still early, but something militant inside himt has already rushed into battle.
The dagger with the dragon on the handle was alarmed only at the beginning.
«You need to kill evil with evil,» said Donatello. The conclusion is too abstract and unreasonable. We need to beat the enemy by his own weapon. Kill the devil with the help of his – a dragon. It is bold, ambiguous and controversial. But it can work.
Ferdinand did not doubt his power. He forbade himself to be afraid. Will’s effort was able to suppress weakness and fear. He was aware that he was elected to die, but to win. His hand in the decisive moment will not tremble.
And what if the decisive moment is still today and the prophecy that there is everything only one moment toВ strike this just aВ legend?
Ferdinand did not want to return to the gloomy palace of cardinal Lysandro, but today, as Bob said, the members of the Devil’s Order will be present there. And their lord always comes as shadow with them. We just need to look around and learn him in the face. Ferdinand was well prepared. His companions were also.
When they came, the sacrament with blood and lily petals was inВ the night assembly over. Through the dark arches ofВ high windows stood an unbearable smell ofВ the same flowers. Garden lilies! Such light flowers were inВ such aВ gloomy place, among the black arches and ghostly burning candles. White petals as if symbolized something dead and unnatural.
Lysandro himself reminded the royal person. But pride is aВ sin.
Ferdinand looked at the gloomy hall. It seemed toВ him that there was no unity inВ the Order. The gathered kept inВ groups. Rather, some ofВ them were collected inВ groups, leaving the communion, someone as if hid behind the backs ofВ those who stood ahead.
Bob leaned toward Ferdinand and explained inВ the whisper:
В«AВ conspiracy is preparing against him. He inspired so long toВ them that the fallen archangel is the essence ofВ everything that they believed inВ this aВ little more sincerely than he wanted, and moved toВ the Order ofВ Darkness.В»
Lysandro just pronounced that he is close toВ the False Archangel Lucifer, and God at the same time. Like many he called himself elected and blessed.
В«This is the night ofВ all nights,В» his voice sounded monotonously. В«Night when he appears toВ us.В»
The last sentence sounded somehow unnaturally. Ferdinand licked the dry lips. It seemed that the smell ofВ lilies became suddenly particularly sharp, as if one ofВ the flowers burned on fire.
He wanted to raise his hand to take a blond curl from his forehead and could not. The creation at the column saw at him. A divine creation! The azure eyes pierced him through, and the hand, squeezing the dagger, froze, and did not have time to rise. So it means that the deity looks like! He had to think about the debt, about the call, but he was able to think only about that he looks at the unearthly creation. Here it is the most sacred sacrament – to see the first angel of God in front of him and know that the angel is alive. Real! Now he is not a statue.
The marble face came toВ life. It was real, though very insensitive. The eyes that he had got used toВ see marble, lit with the azure. Cool hair curls were golden. Under the cape behind his back trembling something similar toВ the overall wings.
Nikolette! The name came from somewhere from the depths, as if the flame candle was lit. The marble angel inВ niche was not named. InВ any case, he did not call him, even mentally. Probably, now the niche is empty, because the revived statue stood inВ front ofВ him. Her cold look studied him. So looks the angel from the height ofВ his pedestal. Eyes shone like azure ice, only they did not blameВ him.
Ferdinand tried toВ call aВ fixed white statue inВ memory and asked for help, but nothing came out. What he saw now was much better.
Only his hand on the dagger remained motionless. Now he understood what he was warned about. If you do not prepare inВ advance, when the decisive moment comes, he will simply become not able toВ strike. So it came out. Only it was no longer important.
He could rush forward, could hit, but did not even try. Although the goal was inВ front ofВ him. There was no doubt about it. Ferdinand realized that the fallen archangel is here inВ all its original beauty. For some moment, their eyes met and could not break away from each other.
It means that love arises. Like aВ knife inВ the heart. How toВ hit the head. Consciousness revealed toВ the unknown worlds, and he suddenly understood. She knows everything. He was sent toВ kill her, and she knowsВ it.
He squeezed the knife and hid his hand behind his back. It was aВ chance. The second one may not be introduced. And yet he missed it. He wanted toВ bow his knees inВ front ofВ her.
Ferdinand did not immediately notice that an angel with aВ gold head appeared not one. Next, similar toВ the shadows stood some people. Just people, not supernatural creatures. But one ofВ them was unusually handsome. The brunette with emerald eyes. He looked at Ferdinand hostile.
Nicolette has already moved towards Lisandro, she was fast as aВ shadow. No one seemed toВ see her. None ofВ those who could alert. Obviously, only the conspirators saw her and supported. Lisandro himself, too, did not see her, until she came very close. Face toВ face. Did he recognized the devil inВ the face?
Ferdinand regretted at this moment, that he is not able to read thoughts. He could not look into an angel’s consciousness or into a person’s consciousness. But the fatal moment is approaching, he felt it. Now there will be something significant. Only he had no right to intervene.
The bloodless lips ofВ the angel slightly revealed, like aВ slit inВ aВ different world.
В«Be blessed!В» Nicolette said with some frighteningly cold intonation. Suddenly the knife flashed inВ her hand. Just on the moment. She managed toВ put him inВ the body ofВ the cardinal so sharply that Ferdinand shuddered. Absolutely indifferent, rhythmic, calculating. Nicolette cut him from the bottom ofВ the belly toВ the throat. Blood spattered her skin and clothing. But the angel himself seemed toВ be pure, even inВ the blood. Or is it just an illusion?
Ferdinand watched it as if from afar. Many were inВ aВ hurry toВ run out ofВ the hall. Someone shouted. The most reasonable, apparently conspirators, knew that there was aВ force from which they did not escape and just watched. Silently. Like Ferdinand himself. InВ this case, he was not for nor against. This case did not concern him, like his fellows. Their Order did not have the right toВ interfere if it was not about the direct execution ofВ the order.
Nicolette did not embarrass. She raised the blade inВ her hand. For some reason, this simple action resembled aВ mystery much more than the rite spent before.
And then she disappeared. Ferdinand looked stupid on an empty place. The feeling was like that, as if the statue itself went down from the pedestal and just left. He so hoped that she would look at him again. He wanted it insanely. Instead, at the exit, he was pushed byВ the very beautiful brunette, whom he noticed next toВ her. Obviously, he did it on purpose. His smile talked so much.
Today he didn’t make his business. There was only hell in his soul.
Chaste
Something was wrong. Something reminded her about heaven, empty after the fall ofВ the devil. Something flourished inВ the soul like aВ rose with sophisticated blood spikes. Everything suddenly became like before, on aВ single moment. But this moment was decisive. Memories came back suddenly with frightening reality. All she could not remember earlier, lay like on the palm. Rather, stood before his eyes. The moment ofВ fall, pain, fire, cuts.
Only one word was inВ the head. It should have happened. The consciousness burned. But her face remains aВ calm face ofВ the statue.
Nicolette came out of the palace as a creature from another world. In essence she was it, but the purple cape had already hid the wings. The purple color – the privilege of kings. She was even more than the queen. After all, it is the essence of the king of the kings – the devil himself. Previously, no feelings were reflected on her beautiful face, but now it was frozen anxiety.
If someone saw her inВ the dark, he would not have resisted. Subconsciously people understand that there is aВ danger inВ front ofВ them, but no longer can take aВ look from the destructive beauty ofВ the magical creature. The first victim was not far off. Judging byВ cassock, it was aВ cardinal, for some reason remaining without satellites. Probably, he was also going toВ aВ secret meeting today, but he decided on the way that wine is much more important and so he was significantly late.
Well, he met the desired deity right on the road and did not even understand what he was honored. He was splashing, holding over the wall, but he saw suddenly Nicolette and an almost empty bottle with a rumble fell out of his hand. Why is a broken glass in the moonlight so much like precious stones? Nicolette’s face has been crushed repeatedly in every fragment, as if illuminating them from the inside.
It is not surprising that various dubious night creatures immediately stretched toВ the glass.
The cardinal did not look at them, he looked at her. His wallet was not entirely empty, but the search for courtesan today was not crowned with success, but the fallen angel stood inВ front ofВ him inВ his entire beauty. AВ seductive insensible face inВ disturbed inВ aВ light disgust.
The unfortunate drunkard looked at her with such aВ lust, as if he had yet the strength toВ fit into the loop, if she would not satisfy his passion. Well, if from dissatisfaction, he will want toВ dye, she can help him. Nicolette felt than nails on her hand unexpectedly turned into gold claws, as if she became aВ dragon.
В«If you know that the devil is inВ front ofВ you, what prevents you from running?В» She almost exhaled him into his face aВ stream ofВ fire, not aВ word, but he was not even frightened. Her beauty prevented him toВ think rationally, as well as many others.
В«Gold!В» He took the velvet wallet on the ribbons, where the coins were. В«Emeralds, rubies,В» cardinal tried toВ take off the rings from his thick fingers, but was too drunk for this. В«At least my cassock, everything you want for this night.
«All I want? And what if I want your soul? Didn’t you give it already to your God?»
В«Oh, aВ lovely girl,В» he touched her face with his fingers. В«Who will not forget about God at the sight ofВ you?В»
В«The one who believes inВ Him,В» the face ofВ aВ wonderful young man at the meeting did not leave her head. He was even more inflexible than she. That is why for aВ moment she confused him with her former heavenly fellows. His faith inВ God was even harder than her connection with the devil. He was indebted as aВ rock, dangerous as the blade dagger and at the same time absolutely innocent. This innocence did it somehow special. At the thought ofВ him, everything was suddenly empty and nasty.
Nicolette pulled away from the greedy fingers..
Now she had no desire toВ play. She just became disgusting.
He waited. He was ready to begging, almost whine, but the angel’s face was left adamant.
В«Lust is aВ sin!В» Coldly said Nicolette and extended forward aВ clawed hand. Her fingers clutched right into the throat. The victim fought inВ convulsions for long. Nicolett easily tear off the fat body from the ground and pressed against the wall. He could not shout, just fought inВ agony. And his blood flowed on her claws.
Her wings trembled inВ the premonition ofВ how the soul will spin from the dead body. InВ the meantime, he is still alive, let his sins wash off with blood.
Ferdinand came out ofВ the empty residence with the feeling that the apocalypse was already accomplished. InВ his soul turned his blood pressure.
How could this happen? He always considered himself immaculate and suddenly… Consciousness was clouded.
The effect ofВ aВ strong impact on the head moved into something fiery. It was not only the body, but also consciousness. He seemed toВ be trapped, there is no exit.
The gold creation still stood before his eyes. The heart beats like aВ caught bird.
His statue! His deity! Perhaps he himself created from the shrine an idol. And here is the punishment. The devil took the appearance ofВ this idol.
It seems that this time the devil won. Ferdinand left only one desire, go toВ his beloved statue ofВ angel, rush toВ her knees and reveal the veins. Let the blood wage the sculpture, flushing all his sins. And pain and desire toВ sin then simply will not remain. But how then the Order will have time toВ find and dedicate the next favorite. He cannot let down everyone. Can not! Nevertheless, the image ofВ gold creation firmly sat down inВ his brain. He looked inВ the night, and saw Nicolette. Her lips moved slightly, like fading snakes.
В«IВ am your death, and you are mine,В» the words also sounded inВ the brain, almost burning.
В«Do you not have little things for the needy?В»
Ferdinand did not immediately notice some aВ beggar, but obediently put him aВ coin. Only aВ strange cut-off beggar inВ aВ torn cape not immediately leftВ him.
В«Gold!В» He turned the coin inВ clawed brown hands. В«Do you know that all gold inВ the world is from the devil?В»
Ferdinand didn’t see the monstrous face under the hood, but saw only the scandal curls of Nicolette, the golden beauty of the fallen angel.
В«Yes, IВ know,В» he said with difficulty.
AВ strange creature suddenly laughed.
В«Do not fall into trouble!В» It warned and left.
В«IВ already got,В» he wanted toВ say, but could not. It was not just aВ trouble. It was the end ofВ the world! For him one! And this is just some days before the end comes for the whole world.
If Nicolette survives and comes toВ power, the devil will own the whole world.
But how can you think about the elimination ofВ the creature, without the beauty ofВ which, the world seems toВ cease toВ exist?
How can you split the shrine toВ that you are praying?
All the paths suddenly became curves and wrong. And all because ofВ this meeting. It was impossible toВ look at her earlier than you bring aВ ritual knife, but he looked. And everything suddenly changed.
Ferdinand returned not toВ himself inВ the cell, and broke into the chapel, fell on his knees before the altar, not far from the niche with aВ statue. He could easily pass for aВ madman. He asked all the saints about forgiveness and strengthen, he almost sobbed, because the prayers did not help. From the inside it seemed toВ burn fire.
He stood on his knees an hour, maybe more, and could stay night all night, if anyone’s hand suddenly did not lie on the shoulder.
