The young man flinched and turned around.
В«It happens with everyone,В» said the old monk.
В«With everyone?В»
В«All who are struggling with the evil, renounced from their own desires?В»
В«And how toВ deal with them?В» Ferdinand strains, but nothing came toВ mind.
В«Only killing the flesh,В» the monk slightly moved the cassock, showing terrible scars.
Ferdinand nodded as aВ sign ofВ understanding. When the monk went out, he took out his dagger. Beautiful thing with dragons on the handle and aВ deadly blade. This blade was designed toВ the devil, not him, but now there was aВ special moment. Ferdinand put the blade on the left palm and spent them on the skin with all his might. The cut was deep. Blood spoke immediately, but it did not make it easier. Probably because his desire was not physical. The soul suffered from it. And the angel inВ the niche greedily looked at his blood, and as if he was smiling.
Dreams ofВ aВ Dragon
The feeling was as if her suddenly cut off. Nicolette looked at the left palm. Nothing! But the feeling that the blade passed byВ hand, cutting the skin toВ the blood, was so real. She already did not remember when the last time she made rituals with an admixture ofВ her own blood. The estate inВ the forest has long been moaning from the number ofВ victims. Surely, so many ghosts lived here that they were not counted. But none ofВ them would not dare toВ disturb her. But one living creation dares. Nicholette frowned again, remembering the azure eyes and silky strands. What still inВ this young man was so special. Something that was not even inВ lost heaven. The feeling ofВ some secret kinship. As if everything you had toВ find was already found.
Nicolette came home. Under the guise ofВ aВ cold statue it was impossible toВ see the hellish fire. But the fire monster was sitting inside and waited.
This hour will come soon. Hell’s watch will beat soon. Nicolette felt like lips burned from her own inner flame.
В«You are like Edwin,В» unexpectedly she heard aВ voice from the dark hallway. Nicolette did not even turn. She knew who was there.
В«Have you been familiar with him personally?В»
В«Perhaps, but only without officially presentation,В» said Brett
«They say, he has a damn at the courtyard, it’s hard to get an audience,» in her voice, sarcasm was barely distinguished. She never was at this court, often described only in fairy tales. Over the court of evil spirits rules that whom she could well consider as her brother. Or almost such. It seems to be so beautiful as the devil himself, in the days of his fame in heaven. Therefore, Nicolette tried to do not particularly look at him. She needed to avoid the temptations. It was impossible to admit rapprochement with any living being, which will be valuable for her. And Edwin could become just like that. His name seems to be made by magic symbols, and blood was the same self-turning, like her. He could turn into the real dragon with golden scales. Maybe, so he too rarely left the limits of his empire, invisible for mortals. For people, he was also too a big temptation: beautiful and dangerous.
Today’s night was a moment of celebration. She killed not for the first time. But the last victim has especially a black soul. But the blood was sweet. Nicolette was grinned. Lips as if still in the blood are sweeter than raspberry juice.
В«Have you ever thought about meeting him?В» Soft baritone ofВ Brett echoed inВ the ears.
Nicolette was amazed. What’s this? Jealousy? Previously, he did not allow himself this. Perhaps so before she did not think about who he was actually so. A friend who did not make up for a year, although when she was a child, he was already an adult man. Since then, wrinkles have not appeared on his beautiful face. He froze into the state of his youth, as a perfect picture, only without dust and cracks. Nicolette did not surprise the fact that a person may not grow old at all. For creatures, it seems to be natural. Only Brett was not such a creation. He was something else, but so far he became her faithful companion and mentor. This situation suited both. Dark friendship. Union in the darkness. Therefore, they lived together, not counting those moments when she spent the nights in the crypt. An abandoned estate, lost in the forests, belonged to both of them equally.
It was quite luxurious here. Although they did not hold mortal servants. Their servants were invisible.
There was aВ small dragon on her desk. Absolutely gold, with another transparent wings and tail. He looked more like aВ toy than aВ dangerous creature. But soon he will become so. He will not even need toВ grow. When the clock points the fateful hour, he will throw off his visible vulnerability as the egg shell. InВ his eyes, similar toВ two living topaz, already sparkled the premonition ofВ the soon rebirth and full power. Therefore, the look seemed dangerous.
The little dragon itself is placed inВ the forest, as well as many other creatures, crossed the line between the worlds. They felt Nicolette and stretched toВ her, like toВ aВ magnet. They knew that their place was at her throne.
Brett found aВ dragon inВ the forest and brought here. His hands were burned, and burns did not pass instantly. Nicolette hardly managed toВ understand such aВ vulnerability. She herself did not remember that any wound on her hesitated longer than aВ moment.
Even inВ such aВ miniature form, the dragon was great.
«I need a whole army of such,» Nicolette noticed. «I love them. Little lights of fire. But when they grow up…»
There was a legend in the world that after the fall of the devil, his beauty was not destroyed, but it remained to live by itself. Every few years, it was formed into a living creature, which is no suspect of a wandering somewhere her dark half. This creature was not born like a baby from people, it simply appeared like a silhouette created from the moon’s light. And here is a little girl with gold hair wandered in the forest, surrounding the light, and the dark creatures of the nights ran out from her. It was the first thing she remembered. Brett found her. He seemed to be eternally looking for her and not almost surprised when he finally found. He brought her to an abandoned estate, put in front of the mirror, combed her hair, offered a cup with blood instead of wine… and since then they were inseparable.
People might say that they became aВ family. But their kinship was somewhat different. InВ each time she had aВ trustee. He was always very beautiful. Brett had silky dark hair and pleasant features. He could be aВ prince for some mortal girl, but he preferred toВ live inВ the forests and serve Nicolette.
It is strange that with each year spent together she began toВ appreciate him less and less. But at the first meeting, he seemed surprisingly attractive. But over time inВ him, as if something was dying. This is all the power ofВ the clock. It called her. It was aВ living creature owning this world. Only that moment was depended on her, when the scattered hands connect and start moving inВ one direction, and not inВ two different. Two worlds will unite, becoming her kingdom. But it is worth skipping one moment, and everything will be old. The hands will again disperse. Between the worlds pierce the same border. The clock will remain compounded formerly measured graph. And it is already tired ofВ them. Live mechanisms ofВ the golden creature have been lightened byВ freedom and discharge. The voices ofВ the clock sang so sweet. Slim siren.
Nicolette listened toВ silence.
«I still hope to catch a whistle of the wings of Edwin, see how he flies across the sky, illuminating darkness,» she frowned. «But I can’t approach close to him, it’s impossible to look at him anymore… Our meeting will not lead to good. Bye!»
Up toВ the fatal dawn, when everything will change. Then she needs toВ fear anything. Once, she watched Edwin from afar, leaning against the column inВ his castle. It was impossible toВ watch him for aВ long time. Too great was temptation toВ forget about everything.
Therefore, she kept away. But it was impossible toВ forget about him anyway. It is better for Edwin not toВ see her, otherwise the fragile balance inВ his country will be broken. He is generally better not toВ know that there is someone above him inВ the world. Let him consider himself the only descendant ofВ the devil and enjoys melancholy. His cargo is not so great.
В«Until now, it seemed toВ me that there is no one who is seductive, there is no one,В» Nicolette shook her head, diligently running the memory, flashed, like lightning. Assembly, night, dozens ofВ gloomy faces and aВ young man with aВ surprisingly innocent face and aВ killer dagger hidden inВ the cassock. An innocent killer?! InВ the name ofВ the Lord! Simple as that! Religious fanaticism. So it is called people. And any atrocity is justified byВ the fact that they make it inВ the name ofВ God. They feel saints. Will they burn inВ hell?
Nicolette tried to drive a young man’s face from memory and could not. It was nice to look at him and at the same time hurt. He will die soon. She felt the seal of death on his smooth forehead. Suicides! They always seemed to especially attract her. There was some kind of mystery in them, not even a devil. What makes people go to death in the name of their faith.
That young man was ready toВ sacrifice himself for the sake ofВ good deed. He did not know what would create. Nicolette presented how the dagger cuts into his own guts. It was so easy toВ eliminate him right now, but she slowed.
Why? What for? Is it worth keeping his life. He himself chose death. Rather, self-sacrifice. So he calls it. He is ready toВ kill himself toВ drag what he believes evil.
She easily shrugged. Heavy velvet curtains with brushes dropped themselves on the windows, closing the night. She silently told it toВ do it. She did not want toВ think about Edwin or see him. She wanted toВ see the young man once again.
Rejected
Joselin waited in vain. As once a long time ago in the spacious hall of the palaces and now at the fine binding of the lattice. The chapel was empty. Ferdinand did not hurry for a date. Probably, he will not come at all. But she waited anyway. Her outfit was strict and how it should be to a widow, black, but still luxurious. Expensive fabric, efforts of seamstress, jewelry, shiny in black taffeta and black hair, elegant ridges, earrings, hairstyle, even tastefully selected lacy mantle – and all this is just to attract the attention of a young man who would prefer to be a sexless creature.
Sometimes she began toВ be angry. It is aВ pity that monks from this order could not be whipped. It is aВ pity that the father ofВ Ferdinand died. He would not allow the only direct heir toВ finish like this. InВ this grave. Here people are buried alive.
Previously, the smell ofВ jasmine, who fled the hedge, calmed her down, but now no longer. ToВ see flowers inВ aВ dream is bad. Now she understood it. Recently, she often dreamed ofВ yellow roses, bright and lush, similar toВ the multilayer sun. And after these dreams, the painful outbreaks ofВ jealousy were coming. It seemed toВ her that someone settled inВ the cell ofВ Ferdinand. AВ certain creature similar toВ an angel. It was not aВ dream. She saw her everywhere, it seemed that her sharp claws were about toВ cut earrings from her ears. InВ dreams, they often did it. InВ her recent dreams, worms crawled out ofВ yellow roses. And Ferdinand was anyway.
He prayed to himself… as a person who considers himself close to God may be at the same time so insensitive? Why did he never notice the suffering of women who went on him crazy? After all, then he was not yet a monk. And then as if something called him, and he disappeared from the world.
Crazy, but so desirable.
Her fingers dug into the twisted binding. Iron rods crashed into the skin toВ blood. How long can you go down the steep monastery stairs toВ reach the one who came toВ visit you? The time that has already passed seemed eternity. She was no longer hoping toВ see inВ the distance his blond head. Ferdinand almost passed by, without even noticing her. She had toВ verify him several times before he looked inВ her direction and nodded dryly.
Has he remembered at least something from his former life, seeing her here? Will regretted what left?
Wealth. Request. Heritage. Lovers. Bind-free life for which he was born. For what could be left all this? Any other would have dreamed ofВ being inВ his place. Is there something great for which you can throw and forget all earthly goods?
She almost asked him about it out loud. You need toВ be more careful. He did not like her attention.
В«How are you?В» She had aВ lot ofВ questions that she asked inВ aВ hurry, but Ferdinand seemed toВ not listen.
В«Things are good!В»
And it was all! One sole phrase, obscured byВ chance. InВ addition toВ aВ beautiful nape, removing from her, Josselin could no longer consider anything. He seemed toВ not notice her. Rather defeated than praying. She suddenly felt wild evil. What power keeps him here? Far from her. Far from the world. Around everyone, except for something secret that he was completely swallowed and turned away from all alive.
Josselin was inВ despair. How she did not want toВ put up with the thought that he was lost forever. But today he will definitely return. You will need toВ choose aВ more favorable moment. And now she was waiting for aВ groom and aВ black carriage, which would be fit more for the funeral. InВ such aВ place inВ the other and you will not come. She was not even let toВ visit the territory ofВ the monastery. Everyone who saw her was turned away from her as from the plague. Madmen who pray on the statues and do not want toВ notice living people! Josselin looked at one ofВ the winged sculptures inВ the altar and felt suddenly such humiliated, as if she was crawling on all fours under the pedestal, and did not go on two legs. The greatness ofВ this thing as if turned her into aВ worm. She wonder if she will faint right now, will her servants find her? Or anyone can consider that her body seemed toВ crush aВ marble block?
HolyВ evil
It is aВ pity that there were weaknesses inВ the prophecy. She needed toВ worry about how toВ survive aВ dangerous period. But Nicolette was calm like aВ stone.
She felt her strength inВ the cathedral sculpture. There are no feelings or sensations or weaknesses. Nothing but devotion toВ your goal.
And oddly enough, that young man at the meeting was similar toВ her. It seems so naive, and inside as if aВ stone. Neither feelings nor desires or weaknesses. Nothing but loyalty toВ his debt. The same fanatic like her. Only he was aВ fanatic ofВ God, and she was aВ devil.
When the clock has achieved the fatal point, night and day will be inВ one thing, solar eclipse will occur. And inВ the literal, and inВ the figurative sense. Nicolette waited, the clock was quietly sang.
В«Come toВ us! Soon! We also wait!В»
В«Do not look at the fanatic! Just kill!В»
Nicolette caught aВ slightly pointed ear, even dropped into the direction ofВ the golden curl, toВ better hear, but the clock mechanism was already silent. After all, she understood everything, but she wanted toВ think that she was heard. They meant the guy. Probably, it was worth turning his neck. She did not do it only from respect, inВ the end, he is the same fanatic ofВ God as she is ofВ aВ devil. No good memory ofВ the Most Him has no longer left, but aВ persistent belief ofВ this young fanatic, as if was ready toВ create aВ miracle.
His faith will kill him. Because it is impossible toВ kill the devil. The devil himself was the creation ofВ God. What is the first and most beloved. And he was created inВ order toВ rebel against his creator. The only independent creature inВ paradise! And God loved him so. Only he no longer lovedВ God.
Ferdinand thought that byВ destroying the devil, you can plunge evil. Ferdinand! Such an earthly name, inВ such an unusual person. He will die anyway, like anyone. So why not speed up this moment.
The clock hinted on it. Only now she had much more important things. Nicolette mentally ordered aВ piece ofВ paper inВ front ofВ her toВ turn around. And the subject will restored her how any material thing would be conquered. For aВ moment, it became alive. The tiny scroll unfolded on the stone. Tonight she brought her unearthly servants. Small demons flew everywhere and saw everyone. Everything was interesting for them. And here is the list ofВ her worst enemies lying inВ front ofВ her. There were seven names. And almost all were from the Order ofВ Ferdinand. Although Nicolette was sure that the list was not yet completed, but she decided that it was necessary toВ act immediately.
It is not worth spending blood inВ vain. Nicolette found aВ fragment ofВ an iron pen inВ her pocket. According toВ legends, this was the devil who concluded an agreement with his victims. She concluded agreements with nobody. Her methods were royal.
Nicolette has collected the blood from the cut with the tip ofВ the stylus. She was with aВ small piece ofВ paper. Just enough so that it could fit seven names. Her blood slightly burns the paper. it would be easier toВ write with ink. But the blood was authentic.
Beautiful letters curled close to each other. Seven names, with all their ecclesiastical titles and ranks. Here they are in her power! Those who planned to kill her, must die. Nicolette breathed on the paper and stared as it burns. Together with it was burning someone’s life. Exactly seven lives.
Ashes fall on the stone floor.
Nicolette looked at it with self-satisfaction. She liked to be to people as cruel as they are cruel to her. It was called – right court. God had to do so, but did not act. He spared scoundrels and was blind to the suffering of the innocent. The world just does not remain pure, because there was no one to protect it. God was asleep in his heaven, just as the ancient devil from stone in his niche. One Nicolette worked for the glory of justice. And she liked it! she liked to punish sinners. She liked to take up the sword. She liked to destroy the villains with magic and with weapons.
She has a long list of victims. Nicolette gripped the hilt of the sword and rose from the stone floor. The blade scratched the stone. It tasted so much blood that now would crush and whole cities. What is the dragon’s fire in comparison to her rightful vengeance?
At present she has at least three of her victims. Much more than The religious fanatics are hunting now for one victim – for her. She went out to hunt as coolly as they are. And she, too, had her own gods – silence, darkness and loneliness.
Bloody initiation
There was aВ place similar toВ the cave inВ his dream. Such were the sanctuary ofВ the ancient gods. But what were their rites? It happened here the same thing as during his real initiation. Only those gathered were not monks. They were not human inВ general. These were strange fabulous creatures, only much more frightening. Probably, the creatures look like inВ hell. And they gathered around him around. They also sang some psalms or spells, someone laughed. Someone stroked his hair with claws. The clock was alive. He heard its call, almost words. It repeated:
В«Ferdinand! Ferdinand! Ferdinand!В»
And each time his name sounded with different intonations. For the first time it seemed toВ him as strange.
The blood ofВ his brothers was burst inВ him, calling for actions, but he was as if constrained. He tried toВ see the secret symbols on the walls behind the heads ofВ monsters, but saw only bleeding candles.
And he saw her alive, with dark ash wings, closed around aВ gold head. Even inВ aВ dream he became hot from her view, as if the burning torch was brought toВ the face.
Nothing amazing. For aВ person. Naturally they fall into faint seeing her. After all, if you believe aВ legend, it was exactly that Dennitsa looked long before his fall. The most beautiful creation ofВ God should affect.
She amazed, admired and frightened aВ little. The beautiful face was surprisingly motionless. The golden strands rushed around it like live snakes. She was pale, but lips were red, as if they were inВ the blood.
Ferdinand did not immediately notice the gigantic black shadow behind her back. As if the curve mirror behind her back reflected instead ofВ the golden creation aВ black monster.
It reminded him aВ initiation. The bloody initiation. Nicolette raised her hand inВ which the sharpened golden sickle flashed.
Sickle is aВ sign ofВ fate. And dreams are aВ maze ofВ consciousness.
Ferdinand tried toВ turn away, but she had already scratched with aВ sickle on his palm. It splashed blood, hot even inВ aВ dream.
And the dream brokeВ off.
Ferdinand saw himself walking across the field, overgrown with some strange weed, almost above his head. The plants were like alive. He went through them with difficulty. The terrible creatures were hiding inВ them, grasping at his robes, scratching feet, hands and face. There was aВ sickle inВ his hand. InВ the dream, Ferdinand knew clearly that it is necessary toВ cut with aВ sickle both his wrists and irrigate the field with his blood. Then the great army ofВ Nicolette will raise from the dust and poisonous thickets.
В«You want toВ do this for me, her beautiful voice seemed toВ laugh atВ him.
There was aВ statue with her face at the end ofВ the field. The same angel before him he was praying inВ the church. Only here, under overcast skies, the face ofВ an angel had some sinister expression.
The statue waited, not doubting that he will cut his wrists for the sake ofВ it. And inВ his sleep he was ready toВ do it. Only one step separated him from committing aВ suicide inВ the name ofВ some unknown satanic deity.
He woke up with the feeling that he felt from heaven toВ earth. And somewhere before the awakening instead ofВ aВ statue inВ front ofВ him flashed the face ofВ Nicolette. The beautiful lips breathed fire. And with fire just one word, which he had heard from her before:
В«Judas!В»
On the moment it seemed toВ him that this was his name.
Ferdinand woke up from fear. If he had aВ mirror inВ his cell, he would have rushed toВ him. But toВ keep the mirror inВ their community was considered vanity. Therefore, he could only feel his face with his fingers. No tangible burns. But she drove into his face with fire.
Only it was inВ aВ dream. The dreamIt is capable only toВ scare. The palm is not cut, the face is not burned, but the feeling ofВ the reality still remains. He remembered that he read inВ the scripting on prophetic dreams. They just need toВ interpret and wait for when they come true. True, toВ interpret dreams is too difficult. This is aВ whole science.
InВ addition, Ferdinand already knew that some dreams come true directly. He dreamed ofВ aВ really existing devil. That was not an allegory.
And the worst thing is that he felt something toВ the devil something that he had not toВ feel.
