Page 95 of Demonic Cage
“Kittelfjäll.” I smile, and he nods back, walking towards the house.
Suddenly, Darya jerks his head up and stares into the distance.
“Last chance, my little champion. Should we take him to Filizi, or leave him here?” The Demon King doesn’t look at me, just scans the landscape.
I laugh.
“Darya, you can’t convince me. You said I can decide. I want him to make the choice when he’s older. Maybe he wants to be with you, but he might end up like me and resist you.”
I cross my arms, and Darya finally turns to me. There’s a slight discomfort crossing his face, almost sadness.
“Maybe he won’t have a chance to decide later,” he warns, and in my disbelief, I slap my thigh.
“I said no! Everyone deserves a chance!”
Darya nods, then looks towards the boy.
“As you wish,” he murmurs to himself, and his wrist bends. Dark smoke surrounds us, obscuring the view of the house. I step beside Darya, but he doesn’t move. I look at him questioningly.
“Just watch”, he says, turning towards the cottage. Mathys is playing with one of their dogs, then he suddenly becomes aware of something. He too looks to where Darya had been staring a few moments ago. The Kraldem wraps his arm around my waist, too tight. I can’t move, my body grows cold. I feel like something is about to happen.
At first, I don’t see anything, then a silvery light shines close to the clouds. Two white-winged angels emerge from the swirling gold. Their bodies are covered in white half-shoulder dresses, their pants gray. Beautiful warriors, and I know one of them. Lavian. The angel following him has dark skin, his abdomen shining in the sunlight. His gaze falls on the boy, then towards us. I freeze all over. It’s as if he doesn’t see us because he doesn’t look into my eyes, just at the smoke covering us.
Lavian descends next to the boy, his face emotionless, as if the pain inside him is tearing him apart but is something he’s long used to. Are they going to take him? They’re going to…
“No!” I shout, and Darya presses his hand over my mouth. At the sound, the two angels turn their gaze to us, their hands tense on their spears. Fear shoots up my spine; my heart pounds in my throat, and I’m trembling helplessly.
“They’re close,” says the dark-skinned one, looking at Lavian. “Should I do it?”
Lavian shakes his head.
Tears well up in my eyes as Lavian steps in front of Mathys.
The hairs on the back of my neck stand up, and all I can do is pray silently. No, God, please no…
The boy isn’t particularly interested in Lavian.
No, Lavian, please don’t…
“And who are you?” the boy asks casually, in the same manner as when Darya had wanted to sit on his bed. There’s no trace of fear in his apple-green eyes, and it feels like my heart is breaking in two.
Lavian pauses, but then he takes out his knife and presses it against his own skin. I kick Darya and bite his hand, but he doesn’t let go. I struggle and cry, and attempt to scream my lungs out. The cold hand muffles most of the sound, but I manage to muster enough noise to get both angels to look over. They still don’t see me.
The dark-skinned one pushes Lavian. “There’s no time for this.”
Lavian nods, then takes the knife pressed against his arm. Even from this distance, I can see a drop of blood emerge.
He steps towards the boy, who doesn’t even flinch. My whole body tenses, my arm trembles.
“Mathys!” I scream under Darya’s hand, and he turns towards us, his almond-green eyes searching for me. Our gaze connects. Heseesme.
“Kittelfjäll,” he whispers before Lavian’s blade slices his throat.
I want to scream, but I can’t anymore. Not a single sound leaves of my throat. Blood covers everything. Vivid red. It melts the snow. The ground steams, and the child’s soul ascends with it. Mathys’s body lies in front of the house, in his father’s oversized coat. I can’t see his face anymore. Just one more gaze. One more face that will haunt my dreams from now on.
Lavian kneels beside the child’s body, two fingers on Mathys’s neck, and brings the blood to his mouth, his eyes closed. As if he’s praying. Darya doesn’t press anymore. He doesn’t need to. I’ve turned into a statue. Lifeless stone. The smoke breaks, and the two angels turn to face us. I drag my gaze away from Mathys’s body and look at Lavian. The angel’s eyes widen, his lips part, and he drops the knife from his hand.
I stare blankly at him. At the angel. Who took the life of an innocent child.
