Chapter 14

It was an average day in a human city whose name he couldn't be bothered with. The mortals passed by, oblivious to the eyes that watched them. Only the small ones told their parents of the angel in white who was staring at them.

"Jimmy you are too old to still have imaginary friends, "

" Yes, yes Mister angel is really pretty, now let's go, "

" Nice try young lady but not even a winged demon can save you from the dentist. You let your teeth get rotten by yourself, so say goodbye to Mister angel before we are late."

He wave at the little girl presumably on her way to get her teeth removed and smiled at her shocked expression. She pulled harder on her mother's dress but the older human was busy talking on her phone to listen. He found it funny that these beings, held so precious by the Sire, were still so ignorant. They didn't even see the small dark wisps that followed them around let alone his presence in their midst. For now he let them enjoy their bliss, it wasn't going to last very long.

"Master, my lady has agreed to meet with you."

He didn't need to turn around to see who the simpering fool was, his plan was coming together wonderfully and that was all that mattered.

"Perfect. Tell her to wait for me, I'll be on my way soon enough."

Just the thought of his flawless scheme made energy rush through his form. It had been long since he found anything this exciting, he didn't even dare say it out loud knowing the Sire had ears everywhere. The shield around his mind prevented any interception of his thoughts because no one apart from himself could withstand the amount of destruction he was going to cause.

Too bad the spirits were long gone, he would have preferred it if they were there to witness as he took revenge on the ones responsible for his previous defeat. He opened up the span of his golden wings and remembered how painful it was for them to grow back. The horrible sense of loss as the previous ones were sliced off still haunted him. Every single one of them would pay with their existence.

All those years he had spent recovering hadn't gone to waste, he had used them instead to his advantage. Fate also seemed aligning itself in his favor. It was by pure luck that a large fragment of the Dark spirit had landed in his territory and at the same time another piece of the Light spirit landed in the mortal realm.

Initially he wanted to break the fragments to smithereens and scatter them ensuring they never became whole again but then the Dark spirit was stolen from him and the moment he realized it the culprit was already in the human world and the fragment had been passed on to some insignificant female. The crime of theft could not be tolerated but he was bored at the time and so he decided to play a game with the mortals who took what was his.

He would wait until the spirit was passed on before killing it's previous vessel. He loved watching them as they came up with stupid plans to keep him away and just as he was about to get bored again, a new pawn was added. The Light Guardian, a one of a kind piece that he wanted to own but his mother was too smart for her own good. Immediately she knew of his intent to take the child, she used all her embers to open a doorway to the Isle and sent him there.

As unfortunate as losing him was, he was rewarded by an even shinier toy, the seventh spirit. Who would have known that all he had ever needed to do was go after a Dark child?

Reyna's mother had proven to be the most useful piece he played with so far, she had spared him the trouble and had summoned the spirit to her aid. He didn't know how she had accomplished such a fit and for the love of himself, he didn't care.

He remembered how defiant she had been during the first days after he captured her. Most of them fought to get out or even screamed to be released but she didn't. Her lack of reaction made him suspicious, it was like she was prepared to die but that could only have meant that her child was safe. After looking into the matter, he was surprised and excited to find that the child had been placed under the the spirit's care.

With just bit of messing around, he had gotten both the spirit and the Dark child. The horrified look on her mother had when she saw her child I'm his hands had been worth the wait. Oh how she screamed then, even after he had chopped her head off, her eyes remained open her and her mouth frozen wide by all her shouting.

He took to the skies, having kept her highness waiting for long enough.

****

Her majesty was still the same as he remembered her back then. He landed just next to her and bowed to show his respect.

"How is it that you are in this realm? Showing off your new wings I see,"

The cold disgust in her tone was evident. The Leader of the Soul Guardians was too distracted by her hate and anger to sense the black wisp that floated above her or see the little smirk that played on his lips.

"Do I need to chop them off again for you to understand that your place is in the pits of Hell?"

The wisp settled on her shoulders and disappeared into her form.

"I don't think that would be necessary,"

A glowing sphere appeared in his hands as he stood up from the bow. That was just too easy.

"Master, I am at your service."

None would notice the change in the Isle's Matriarch not even her closest allies. Her mannerisms were still intact and her energy signature untouched only her conscious had been drawn out, making her the perfect puppet.

"Go back to the Isle, you know what to do."

The fake Azara opened a doorway and left at his command. He looked at the sphere and laughed.

"How foolish of you my dear Azara, can't even tell a trap when you see one but don't worry I won't end you just yet. I want you to watch as your precious Isle burns and crumbles to dust. But until then, I hear the pits of Hell are very accommodating at this time of the year."

The sphere vanished in a flash of light and was safely deposited in his fortress. It had been by chance that the Matriarch had decided to visit on the same day as him but he had already planned the rest. The possession she was under was a strong one, the creature inside her was forced to behave according to Azara's nature rather than rampage around as they tended to do.

With her out of the way he could now concentrate on Reyna and her Guardian. He had been furious when he learnt of her escape but she had redeemed herself by leading him straight to the Light Guardian. The ease in which everything was falling into place was starting to bore him. He didn't even need to spill blood anymore because his pieces were going to do it for him.

First he had to distract the Light Guardian from the Isle before he could move on with his plan and he knew just how to do it. Just as he was about to take off, his wings closed on their own, signalling that his time in the mortal realm was up. He always forgot that he was still not as strong as he used to be and the reminder every time he had to retreat enraged him. His rage fueled his desire for vengeance and that made him patient. He had waited for many centuries, what was a few days more?

He would find some other way to catch the Guardians attention but for the moment he had to go back to his realm. As he made a doorway he felt his energy dwindling fast and when it finally opened he was left with none. This was his moment of weakness, without his powers he was as useless as the mortals

and if anyone attacked him he would have no way of defending himself. That would never happen because no one would ever know of this.

He crossed to the other side of the doorway and was welcomed by flames that engulfed his whole form. He didn't flinch as they licked his skin, he never felt their heat and as the doorway closed behind him he was surrounded by the dull crimson glow that he knew as home. He smiled knowing it wouldn't.be his home for much longer.