Chapter 4

[1750 B.C.]

She was strong, too strong, and I could feel my breathing becoming more and more labored as she lunged towards me again. I would have an opening, Elaine always left an opening when she took an offensive stance - that was the point that Callisto used several times to knock her to the ground, earning us readers a few sighs when they almost kissed.

I would use this opening.

Was Callisto watching? Was he still paying attention to me?

My thoughts were silly, I confess, but I can't say I'm ashamed, because even if it was a dream, it would be nice to be the only source of his interest. The only one he would look at, even if only in a fight.

Even if out of self-interest.

But if that's what I wanted, I couldn't give in, I couldn't fall, much less let Elaine knock me down or hit me.

"Come to me" I muttered almost inaudibly, and I could feel my body heavy and my skin burn as the magic runes appeared, cutting into my flesh.

It was the mark of Asra's family, but this dream began to feel too faithful.

Should it hurt?

"Magic doesn't work on me" Elaine said, but when I smiled, her gaze faltered and the opening I wanted, the one that would leave no shadow of doubt about my victory, appeared.

She flinched with her open posture and with the use of the runes I sped up my movements, a flash and the image in front of me was Elaine's back, her hair floating as she turned her face slowly.

Too slow.

I smiled with satisfaction and the sword I had stolen from Azrael, the cursed sword capable of wounding even the archangels; the sword forged by Gabriel - pierced Elaine's belly and the white clothes were stained with the crimson of her blood.

"Co-how?" she looked at me in disbelief and then my vision became blurred, the spear in Elaine's hands had shattered, I saw it vanish into thin air and yet now I could feel it wedged into my back.

I coughed, and the ferrous taste of blood came to my mouth.

Something was wrong, in dreams you shouldn't physically hurt yourself.

My eyes seemed heavy, and not even the magic of levitation I could maintain. The runes faded from my skin and I could hear a guttural scream in the background as Elaine fell to the ground.

Was Callisto screaming for her?

It was too dark, it was too cloudy and hard to breathe. I couldn't tell, I just knew that my body was now falling like Elaine's.

I felt strong arms hold me before the thud of the cold ground hit me and without even knowing who it was, I tried to smile.

Furthermore, I needed to remember to say thank you, but it was a dream and when you die in a dream, you wake up.

At least that's what I thought.

***

It was hurting, something seemed to be ripped from my back hard, and I could hear the voice of a man who sounded very angry.

"If she dies, you will regret your very existence" he was saying and the sound of footsteps walking back and forth seemed more and more constant.

"We are doing our best, sir..." a young voice tried to argue.

"Then get over yourselves" the man growled.

"It's difficult sir, probably only Lucifer could help" a third voice intervened, "in the end she was injured with a spear made of sacred energy."

Sacred energy was lethal to infernals.

"I don't care" he growled again, "you're priests of Samael, dammit! Give it a fucking go!"

He looked furious, but the pain made my already cloudy conscience fade completely again.

"What the hell do you expect from me?" I heard a female voice mumble, my back still aching as if liquid iron was being poured into my bones.

"Help her" the man's voice said flatly.

"Do you happen to know what you are asking of me?" She sounded incredulous, but her voice was soft, pleasant.

I wanted to see who this voice belonged to.

Was this all a dream?

"She was wounded by a fucking lance of sacred energy," he said, and in his voice you could almost palpably feel how sorry he was, how melancholy.

"And what the fuck do I have to do with it?"

"Lucifer" he seemed about to plead.

"Don't ask me to do that" she muttered.

"Please..." he whispered, it was a clear plea, but it made no sense.

Elaine would never need Lucifer's help to heal her from a wound with holy energy, and Callisto would never beg for anything if it wasn't for the second woman he loved.

Was I delirious?

Was I still dreaming?

"I hate you" the woman murmured and cold hands touched my back and mind.

I could feel her fingers gliding across my soul, healing every measly bruise and reattaching the knots the damn spear had cut; I could feel the pain she was feeling as she did this.

It was too painful.

"I'm sorry" I whispered in her mind and for a moment - even though I couldn't see her face - I swore she had smiled.

A smile filled with surprise, but it was a surprise that seemed to calm her, to comfort her.

"That's the first time you apologize" she said with a sweetness that made my heart ache and my conscience, again, deserted me.

***

When my eyes opened, I was not in my room.

I was in a dark place with a big stained glass window, the moon seemed strangely close, so close that it seemed 5 times bigger than normal, and the stars painted the sky so splendidly that it didn't even seem real.

My eyes opened, but I didn't seem to wake up.

"There" I groaned feeling a twinge in my back and only then did I realize that my body was completely sore.

"You're awake" Callisto's voice reached me and my eyes wandered in search of his face amidst the darkness of that room.

He was still, sitting in an armchair in the left corner of the room.

I recognized that room, the dark floor, the stone walls, the fireplace that was never lit, and the giant canopy bed, the one he never used. Not since the death of his only wife.

"Honey" I murmured "why am I here?"

Asra had never entered Callisto's room, but the red hair that fell across my shoulders made it clear that I was still Asra.

"Is this really your curiosity? Your greatest curiosity?"

He looked angry.

"What happened?"

I remembered Elaine's spear going through my back, and I remembered her falling to the ground.

"Did the girl die?" I asked even though I knew exactly the answer.

Elaine hadn't died, she couldn't be killed.

"Fuck the fucking girl" he muttered "you really..."

He stopped, and his rose quartz eyes seemed emptier as he looked out the window.

"I thought you were going to die" he said in a choked voice, it was almost as if he was about to cry.

Would Callisto cry for Asra? What the hell was going on?