ALL NOVEL Chapter 1.16
Convincing the mayor to release the prisoners took a while. Like everyone else, including Nene, he was afraid of the witch. Jiriel managed to by promising that she would have watched over her personally. Sonhir reluctantly gave them the keys to the prison.
«Nene», the Emissary said, handing them to her. «Bring them here»
«Yes, My Lady»
«Wait a second! You said you'd keep an eye on them yourself!»
«Nene is more than qualified to handle a witch»
«Aren't you the girl who was captured and tied up by her?»
«Don't listen to him, he's always grumpy»
«My Lady... it's dark down there. Without you, I won't see anything»
«Right. Sonhir?»
The mayor sighed. He opened a drawer in his desk and took out a teardrop-shaped oil lamp with a small opening on the top. He poured some cinders from his pipe and lit it.
«Here. Jiriel, if the witch causes any harm, I will hold you responsible!»
«Then if she performs a miracle, will I get a prize?»
Nene ran out, leaving them to their bickering. She wasn't thrilled at the idea of freeing the heretics, but it was a direct request from the Emissary. She went to the underground. The light from the lantern could barely enlighten the dark walls. The memories of the journey assailed her. She was scared and felt the urge to run away. She heard whisperings from behind the heavy cell door. The two sisters were arguing with each other. Nila had offered to cooperate, while Adanara was against it, so why did Jiriel want to free both of them? Nila, the more peaceful and less dangerous of the two, would have been enough to reach their goal.
She took a breath, turned the key in the door lock and opened it. The two sisters were hugging each other, huddled against a wall. She hesitated to approach them, standing motionless and observing them from afar. Her legs went limp: she was down there with them, alone.
«Nene», Nila told her. «W-what are they going to do to us?»
Nene mustered all her courage to take a step forward. She tried not to tremble nor to falter.
«The Emissary wants to see your sorcery. You will show it to her and then she will judge you»
«“Sorcery”, she says», Adanara grumbled.
Nene aimed the lamp at her, making her flinch. She then left it in the centre of the room, thinking how to untie their chains without ever turning her back on them. The wisest choice was to them handle it on their own.
«Here»
She handed Nila both keys while avoiding getting close to Adanara at all costs. The girl stared at them for a bit, then went to her sister. Nene stepped back and picked up the lantern. After a few moments, Nila managed to release the first lock. One of Adanara's arms was free. Soon the other one was too, and finally, she freed her ankles. The witch stood up. Nene watched her movements, terrified. The Emissary should have accompanied her, it was a mistake to be there alone. Adanara looked at her and frowned.
The witch lunged at her.
Nene took out her dagger and pointed it towards the witch. The lamplight stirred with her sudden movement. She stood still, trembling, her blade slicing into nothingness. Adanara had moved a single step. She was staring at her in fear. She raised her hands and didn't budge. Was Nene hallucinating? No way. The witch was playing with her, teasing her. She was doing it on purpose.
«Stand still!», she said, raising her voice a little too much.
«I'm not moving»
They waited for Nila to free herself as well. When she managed, she stood up and looked at her as if lost.
«Let’s get out»
Nene walked backwards, afraid they would trick her or attack her somehow. The two sisters followed her very slowly. Soon they reached the stairs leading upstairs. Nene climbed them walking sideways, the lantern in one hand, the dagger in the other, aimed at the two. They arrived at the depot and, as Nene continued her slow escort mission, she was surprised by a slam. She jumped out of fear. Jiriel entered the warehouse, followed by the mayor.
«Nene! I was getting worried. You took so long... What's going on?» she asked, gesturing to her weapon.
«Little Nun is afraid of us», Adanara said.
«Rightfully so!», she shouted. «You monster!»
«Murderer!»
The Emissary rested a hand on her arm, commanding her to put the dagger away, then turned to Adanara.
«What you did her was horrible. Don't you feel any guilt?»
The witch looked away and didn't answer. It was Nila who took a step forward.
«I-I'm sorry, Nene. We were cornered... I-I thought we were as good as d-dead»
No apology could ever fix what they had done. However, seeing them in the light of day, dirty, battered, covered with sackcloth and nothing more, she felt pity for their condition.
«As long as the Emissary needs you, I will follow her instructions»
«O-of course»
«Sonhir?»
The mayor was as far away as possible from the prisoners. Hearing his name being called out, he winced. The smoke from the pipe got to his face and he began to cough.
«What?»
«Don't you have any clothes for them?»
The man didn't say a word and left. Meanwhile, Jiriel turned her attention to the sisters.
«Good, Nila… Adanara. You’re officially part of the team!»
«As if I had a choice», the witch grumbled.
«What team?», Nene asked.
«Team Jiri! We're working on the same project. We’re a team! Tell me, what do you need for your experiment?»
«W-well first of all... we need a... patient?»
«Got you. What else?»
«Any object made of translucent glass or crystal, a k-knife…»
«No problem»
«And a sacrifice…», Adanara added.
«Oh yeah, that... But we have Nene! Lucky!»
The sisters stared at her in dismay. She stepped alongside the Emissary, who took her under her arm.
«I'm not doing it to help you», she muttered.
«Oh, isn't she adorable?», Jiriel said.
Sonhir came back and brought some clothes with him: a pair of leather jackets and a couple of breeches. He offered them to the sisters, then immediately walked away.
«Jiriel, I’ll be in my office. You better bring me good news»
«You'll be the first to know»
Nene turned her back to give the sisters some privacy, but the Emissary kept staring at them.
«Would you mind?», Adanara complained.
«What?»
«W-we would like to get changed»
«Don’t mind me. I promised to keep an eye on you»
The witch whispered a curse. Jiriel, not realising how inappropriate she was being, let out a series of curious “uhm...” and “oooh!” while observing them.
«My Lady, shouldn't we... have them eat something first?»
«You think so? Are you hungry?»
«Yes. V-very hungry»
«Good thinking, Nene. Luckily, we're going to the tavern!»
The angel walked to the door. They all left the manor with the two sisters. The guards paled at the sight of the prisoners, but Jiriel just waved and smiled. Her behaviour suggested that there was nothing to worry about, even though she was walking behind them, so as not to lose sight of them for even a moment. Nene followed her fearfully. She grabbed her arm.
«Something wrong?»
«No, my Lady, I…»
Jiriel seemed to understand her state of mind and took her by hand. Nene blushed. Her teachers would have punished her for such indecent behaviour, yet for a moment she thought of the Emissary as just a person, someone who made her feel safe. Maybe she was starting to understand Oto's perspective a little more.
They crossed the city up to the alley where Sevika's tavern stood. Passerbys moved to the roadsides, some ran away, taking refuge behind street corners or in their homes. The windows closed as they passed since it was easy for everyone to guess who those two strangers were, being escorted by the armoured Emissary.
«So? Why don’t you explain the theory behind your "magic"?»
«W-we're not certain of it. Our father came up with the idea»
«Oh, should I ask him? Where is he now?»
Nila looked away and Adanara cursed the angel yet again. Jiriel tilted her head thoughtfully.
«Whatever. You like eggs?»
She led the small group to the entrance to the tavern. Darkness and stench assailed Nene, while she kept her eyes on Adanara's back, fearing that she would take advantage of the slightest distraction to attack them or try to escape.
«Sevi?», the angel called.
The tavern was deserted, except for noises coming from the back. A thud, a swear, and the woman with the powdered face emerged. She brought a hand to the back of her head, looking in pain.
«Jiri, you freaked me out! Oh, good morning. Did you bring me a couple new customers? I might forgive you, then»
«Exactly. This is Adanara, and this is Nila. They’re starving»
«Everyone is locked in their houses because of the witch, I have nothing better to do. Take a seat»
«Have you heard, Ada?», the Emissary added. «You’re making a huge fuss, everyone is scared. Can I call you Ada?»
«No»
Sevika looked at their group puzzled. After a few moments, she stared at Adanara and turned pale.
«Jiri… You're kidding me, right? Tell me it's one of your stupid jokes...»
«What?»
«You're… you're saying that she… she's…»
«Oh, yeah. She's the witch. I freed her. Any food for her and her sister?»
The innkeeper remained motionless. Silence fell until Nila took a step forward.
«W-we mean no harm. We never have»
«Oh, yes, it's just that Ada here is a bit of a novice», Jiriel said.
«Don't call me that!»
«Jiri, have you gone nuts?! Why did you bring her here? Are you trying to kill me? I’ll have a heart attack! Is this what you want?!»
«No. I brought her here so that she could heal Pranav»
Sevika stared at her in dismay. Nene wondered once again why they had locked the damned in that tavern, of all places. The more she dug, the more doubts arose about her Lady's judgement. A nervous laugh from the tavern owner interrupted her train of thought.
«Ahah! You could’ve said it right away! Sorry for being rude. People talk a lot of shit in town, you know?»
«D-do you have food for us?», Nila asked.
«Of course. Give me a moment. Have a seat. Jiri, woe betide you if you're screwing with me!»
«The bill’s on me!», she replied.
They sat at one of the battered and dirty tables in the tavern. The chairs creaked, the floor was sticky and the table was covered in cuts, crude scribbles and some obscene words carved with equally obscene grammar. Sevika’s customers must have been a real pain.
«I can't wait!», Jiriel gloated. «I can feel it, this is it!»
«Have you tried to cure a damned before?», Nila asked.
«A thousand times! Nothing works. So I thought: “Let's see if mortals have found something”. You’re usually good at solving problems when you care to»
Adanara and Nene exchanged glances. It was no secret that the witch was against the methods of the Inquisition. One could not expect otherwise from a crazy hag who had surrendered her soul to the Evil One. "Team Jiri" was doomed to fail, or worse.
«Why do you care so much?», Adanara asked.
«Because it's dangerous, silly. Furies are aggressive, as if they have lost their minds»
«Furies?»
«Oh, right. Yes, that's what they call them. You say "damned", I guess»
«I didn't remember there was an Inquisition here too»
«Have you been to Kumhar in the past?»
«No. But I lived outside the Principality for a while. Tell me, are you the Archangel lackey? Doing His dirty job?»
«I don't know what you're talking about. I don't do anything all day!»
Jiriel laughed at her own joke, alone. Her behaviour seemed to make Nila perplexed, and Adanara unnerved.
«Are you the one teaching people to go witch hunting?»
«Hey, who do you think I am? I’m not Oroel. People are afraid of you because you don't know how to use your gift. They've been sleep-deprived for days because of you. Don't blame me!»
«W-what does my sister have to do with insomnia?»
«The important thing is that she stopped. Oh, Sevi!»
The innkeeper approached the table holding three dark ceramic plates, dirty and covered in cracks.
«Here you go. If you can cure my cousin, it's on me»
«You're the best, Sevi!»
The woman handed each of them a plate, except Jiriel. They contained some fried and burnt eggs, not inviting at all.
«Thank you, but I’m fine», Nene said.
Sevika glared at her. Nene went back looking down at the table, scared. Meanwhile, the two sisters started gobbling the food. Forks were not commonplace in that village, as Nene had witnessed already. She glanced again at the owner, who kept staring at her. She looked to Jiriel for help but she was busy tracing one of the drawings engraved on the table with her finger. Resigned, Nene tore off a portion of that monstrous omelette with bare hands. It was red-hot, but the sisters, hungry as they were, didn't seem to notice and were gulping it greedily. Nene brought it to her mouth. It was bland, but luckily nothing worse. She swallowed, her throat suffering from the excessive heat. Finally, Sevika moved away from her and went back to her counter.
«Something to drink, Jiri?»
«Can I have vodka and wine together?»
«You have expensive tastes. Do I need to remind you how rare wine is?»
«Pleeeeease»
The innkeeper sighed. She grabbed a bottle from the shelves behind her and pulled up a carboy from under the counter.
«Do you want them... in the same glass?», she asked hesitantly.
«Great idea!»
The two sisters finished devouring their omelette. Adanara cast covetous glances at Nene's plate. She grumbled but handed her portion to the witch. It was shameful to offer food to a heretic, but at least it would have gotten her out of trouble. Sevika was scary, better leave no leftovers. Adanara took her plate in the blink of an eye. She lifted the omelette with both hands and tore it in two. She gave half of it to her sister, and they kept indulging.
«Finally someone who appreciates my fine cooking!»
The innkeeper offered Jiriel her glass with a disgusted expression. The contents were sickening to look at, a translucent liquid stained in purple, with dark bits of something swirling within it. Jiriel poured it down her throat in one go.
«I can taste both flavours at the same time!», she explained enthusiastically.
«You're nuts»
«Thank you, Sevi. Now, girls, shall we get to work?»
«Here?», Nila asked.
«Yes. The patient is upstairs. By the way, Sevi, why is he so calm today?»
«Dunno. He was screaming as usual until you guys came»
«Oh, maybe he sensed Adanara? Tell me, is that so? Can you smell him too? You know, some animals recognise their own kind by…»
«I don't understand a word you say!», the witch blurted out.
«Nene, do you notice anything?»
«Nothing unusual, my Lady»
Jiriel crossed her arms and pouted as if offended. She instructed Sevika to lead the way. The innkeeper took a large rusty key from the counter and invited them to follow up the creaking staircase at the back of the tavern. Nene waited for the sisters to go first, then followed them with the Emissary. They arrived in a narrow hallway, lit by a window set in the beamed roof. Up there, an old dark wooden door was closed with a large, heavy padlock.
«He ate recently, we should be safe», Sevika said.
Her words were terrifying, still, Jiriel’s light shone brighter than usual. She was humming with anticipation. The lock clicked and fell to the ground, making a loud metallic sound. The innkeeper slowly opened the door to a well-lit room. Nene made sure she had her dagger with her, as she recognized the stench of the damned coming from inside. Sevika, on the other hand, entered without the slightest worry. Jiriel did the same, leaving the others in dismay.
The room looked like a normal bedroom: there was a bed, a rocking chair and a wardrobe. Two windows on opposite walls made it well-lit. Pots, pans, spoons, and other items typically used in the kitchen were scattered across the floor, as were some torn blankets. The floor and walls were covered in scratches and bite marks.
It was then that a wheeze came from behind the bed, like the sound of a dog growling. Adanara got closer to her sister. Nene felt the urge to run alongside the Emissary, but preferred to stay behind. Furthermore, she was not enthusiastic about approaching a damned. Surely, her Lady knew how to handle herself in case of need.
«Pranav!», Sevika shouted. «You rude arsehole, we have guests! Behave!»
The woman was treating the damned like a pet or a disobedient child. Earing her words, a figure climbed onto the bed, very slowly, frightened, perhaps. It climbed unnaturally for a human being, despite looking like one. Nene would never have imagined seeing such an ancient damned in her life. The signs of damnation were extremely obvious: he was almost crawling, his eyes were bulging and bloodshot, his body bruised and his blood vessels visible underneath his skin. His bald head trembled as if constantly shaken by small spasms, his partially open mouth showed a series of rotten teeth, a dark liquid dripping between them. His body was covered in scratches and scars, and he wore no clothes at all. Nila, Adanara, and Nene backed away, terrified.
«Don't worry, he won’t bite. Won’t you?»
The damned looked at Sevika and let out a gasp. Meanwhile, Jiriel picked up a pot and a spoon from the floor and approached the bed.
«Praaanav», she chanted. «Look what I got here! Wanna play?»
The man stretched out his hands towards the objects. Jiriel sat next to him. He took the spoon and tapped the pot a few times while making guttural noises.
«Come in, you three»
Nila was the first to dare. Adanara followed. Nene closed the door behind her. The sound made the damned snap to attention. He screamed towards her. She brought her hand to the cross, ready to defend herself.
«Nene, no!», the Emissary commanded. «He's afraid of you, don't scare him. Come closer»
She reluctantly obeyed. After a couple of steps, the damned moved as if he was about to go back to hide under the bed. She stopped.
«My Lady... are you sure?»
«Take a pan, he loves them»
She picked up a pan on the ground and held it out towards Pranav, who reached out his hand again. She came even closer, until the damned abruptly snatched the object from her hand, scaring her out of her mind. The man began drumming the pan with his fingers and giving her blank looks, accompanied by sounds similar to the moans of a newborn baby.
«He likes you! See? Just play with him»
«Pranav is my cousin», Sevika explained. «He used to work with me. He was the cook. Then, two years ago he went missing in the forest while looking for aromatic herbs. After a few days, he came back like this»
«Y-you locked him up here... W-why?»
«To keep him away from others while we searched for a cure»
«Damnation might spread!», Nene observed. «Sevika, you are not safe in here!»
«Pft! Nah!», Jiriel interrupted her.
«My Lady, this is dangerous! If Sevika were to be damned, she could then spread it throughout the city!»
«What are you talking about? It’s not the plague»
«Jiri, is it contagious? You're kidding, right? I fed him every day»
«The Evil One uses its minions as a means to spread its influence, testing the souls of anyone who comes near»
«Nene, enough of Oroel's nonsense. You're scaring Sevi. Don't worry, it's not contagious»
She stood bewildered. Was the Emissary unaware of the dangers of damnation?
«My Lady, perhaps for you, but for an ordinary mortal...»
«I said enough!», she thundered.
Nene bowed and wished to disappear. Why was she being scolded? She was trying to keep Sevika safe, yet the Emissary was against it. Should she have trusted her, as she proceeded to trample on everything she had been taught, both common sense and every safety protocol of the Church?
«Wait a minute, it isn’t contagious?», Adanara asked.
«B-but… you said he w-was…»
«It doesn't spread like a disease», Jiriel explained. «The Evil One is present in the mind of each of you. He can knock on the door, but he holds no power if you don’t let him in. Unfortunately, we don't know exactly what happened to Pranav. The day he came back he couldn't talk already»
«But… the protection of the Archangel… My Lady, what…»
«I believe that Oroel's protection automatically chases away the Evil One. It does it for you, so even if your soul is fragile, there is no danger»
«My soul… fragile?»
«Yes. Most people get by without it, but you know what mortal life is like... Sometimes everything goes wrong and you just wish for someone to get you out of trouble»
Was her soul fragile? Had it not been for the blessing of the Archangel, would she have succumbed? Jiriel seemed convinced of it. Nene remembered the story of martyr Ifeo, who had resisted damnation, despite being a priest who had not yet received his vows, with simple stillness of mind. Was the protection of the Archangel superfluous? It was only necessary for people like her, weak, who were likely to fall for the Evil One’s tempting voice...
«Ada?»
The witch was clinging to her sister, desperately trying to hold back tears. It was unusual for her to show emotions other than anger or madness, and Jiriel seemed to catch on.
«How did it happen to you?»
«None of your business...», she growled.
«Oh, come on, I thought we were buddies by now!»
«Ada, she…»
Nila was interrupted by her sister, who moved away from her and composed, returning to her usual insufferable expression.
«I… I was desperate after… losing our mother. The Evil One promised me help, and I accepted»
«Yes, my Lady, it's what distinguishes a witch from a common damned»
The Emissary gave her a look of condescension, perhaps of pity, then turned towards Pranav.
«Wrong again. Adanara is different for two reasons: she has regained control over her mind, and she has maintained some sort of contact with the Evil One, despite everything»
«W-w-what?!»
«First, in the cell… You tried to ask for his help once more, didn’t you?»
The witch didn't answer, but couldn't hold Jiriel's gaze, confirming her suspicions. Nila grabbed her shoulders in disbelief.
«Ada, please… don't ever do that again!»
«Mh», she nodded.
«Yeah, if you wanna go that route, you’ll need a teacher. Maybe my friend can help»
«My Lady, you want to… educate a witch?»
«Of course. She almost died in that cell»
«My knowledge in exchange for yours, then?», Adanara asked.
«Exactly. Well, not mine, Kora's. I think she could help you, but I can't make promises»
The witch gave a satisfied grin that sent shivers down Nene’s spine. If only her Lady had allowed her, she would have purged her and the damned on the spot, settling the matter and perhaps saving them both. The Emissary, however, was not listening to reason. Nene was not in a position to contradict her. She had to comply with her to the end. To undergo Adanara's sorcery again was worth it, to show Jiriel the truth about her witchcraft.
«So you want me to cure this Pranav fellow?»
«Can you do that?», Sevika asked.
«S-so far we've only done it once. It worked just fine, tho», Nila explained.
«One hundred per cent success rate! Keep it up! How do you do it?»
«I need a transparent object, glass or crystal»
«I have some glasses»
Sevika rushed downstairs. The damned followed her with his gaze and started to complain, but Jiriel distracted him by "playing", stacking some pots on the bed. The man gasped and knocked down the tower, causing a tremendous crash. The angel burst out laughing.
«Nice hit! So... What are the details?»
«All we know is that the transparent object can lure the Evil One out of a person through their blood, temporarily. After that, it must be moved elsewhere»
«Y-yes. If you don't give it a new b-body, it goes back to the previous one»
«Really? I’d never thought he was such a simpleton»
«To lure it into a new body, we pour some of its blood onto the object»
«Could it be the blood?», Jiriel muttered. «I thought he was in your mind... What does the mind have to do with blood? What are you up to...»
«My Lady?»
The Emissary suddenly became gloomy. Nene fought her disgust for the damned and moved closer, trying to get a better look at her face. To her dismay, she saw that her eyes no longer had pupils, but had become uniform spheres coloured in bronze. She touched her shoulder. Jiriel suddenly went back to normal.
«Oh, sorry. Did I scare you? Sometimes I forget to see with my eyes. Maybe I should close them when I’m thinking»
«My Lady, I fear you are making a mistake», she said.
«Maybe. To find out, we have to try»
«Your Lady seems quite open-minded», Adanara scoffed. «Why don't you do the same?»
«When she’ll see your blasphemy, then I’ll be the one laughing!»
«“Blasphemy”?», Jiriel asked.
Nila winced and Nene smiled triumphantly. The Emissary had finally begun to understand! Perhaps there was still hope for Pranav. It would have been her pleasure to help him save his soul. The Emissary, however, burst out laughing.
«My Lady?»
«“Blasphemy”! Sounds so funny»
The angel repeated the word over and over as if it were a silly tune. The damned observed her curiously and grunted at the same pace.
«I-i-it's not blasphemy. It's nothing bad», Nila explained.
«Oh, Nene… Oroel calls everything he doesn't like “blasphemy”. Trust me, let's evaluate things more objectively, shall we?»
«But... the witch... you should...»
«Uh? What did you expect? That I would… vaporise the witch with a glance? Ew!»
Adanara instinctively took a step back. Nene was about to cry: why was the Emissary mocking her? Of course she hoped that Jiriel would annihilate the servants of the Evil One! If the protection of the Archangel could destroy them, for sure an angel in the flesh could do the same.
«Why?», she finally cried. «Why do you show compassion for those who spread evil?»
Jiriel stood up, approached her and hugged her tight. Her armour was warm, the metal wasn't hard to the touch. Somehow, it felt as soft as her hands. Nene sobbed for a few moments, trying to ward off the strong migraine that was about to tear her skull apart.
«Shhhh, everything's fine. You'll see»
«What a pain in the ass»
«Ada!»
«What?»
Nene ignored the witch. For the first time since she met her, her words and presence did not disturb her. Was it Jiriel's magic? Maybe she was finally seeing the bigger picture, maybe she was completely crazy. The comfort the Emissary gave her was all she wanted.
«Nene, I promised to help you understand better. Be patient. I've discovered that humans have a hard time learning stuff, you know? At least, from my point of view. I also promised that you would not suffer during the experiment. I need you to trust me. I will always be by your side»
«Yes, my Lady»
«Good girl. We'll fix everything, no worries»
Sevika came back, holding some unusually clean glasses in her hands. She looked around for a moment before speaking.
«Jiri? Is everything okay?»
«Of course. Can we proceed?»
Adanara nodded. She took one of the glasses and analysed it against the light.
«It should be fine. Put them close together»
Nene looked disgustedly at the damned who was curled up on the bed. Despite her Lady's promises, she was terrified of subjecting herself to that witchcraft again. Memories of the pain and ecstasy she had felt haunted her. She was afraid of suffering again. She was afraid of enjoying it again, enjoying the Evil One’s temptation.
Jiriel sat down next to the damned and clapped her hands on her thighs. Was she…inviting her to sit on her lap? Nene got closer.
«I'll be by your side all the time. You won't feel anything. I promise»
She gulped. She sat on the Emissary's legs. Her familiar warm aura calmed her a little. Jiriel caressed her head and pulled her closer, holding her to her chest.
«W-what about him?», Nila asked. «I-if we hurt him, h-he might become violent»
«Sevi, can you take care of him?»
The woman pulled a knife from her belt and approached her cousin. Her eyes were filled with concern. The damned looked at her in turn while sobbing.
«What am I supposed to do?»
«Make a small cut and let his blood drip onto the glass. Then do the same to the nun»
«T-they must maintain contact until the transfer is complete»
«Got it. Stand still, Pranav»
The woman grabbed the man's wrist and brought the blade closer to his hand. He didn't react in any way.
«Wouldn't it be safer to immobilise him?», the witch suggested.
«My cousin’s not a beast!», Sevika answered.
She dipped the tip of the blade into the palm of his hand. The man stared at the cut but didn't bat an eyelid. He seemed absent, helpless and incredibly docile for a damned. Sevika put the glass in his hand. His blood stained it in an instant, dark and repulsive. Once done, Sevika handed the knife to Jiriel. Nene anticipated her and grabbed it.
«I’d rather do it myself»
«As you wish»
The Emissary held her tight. The feeling of tranquillity became even more intense. Nene felt drowsy. It was hard to stay focused on what she was doing. She wanted to be lulled forever, to forget about everything else. She brought the tip of the blade to her skin. A tiny stream of blood ran, but she felt no pain. She widened the cut a little. Jiriel gently grabbed her hand and stopped her.
«That's enough. Be careful, you could hurt yourself without even realising it»
She nodded. The Emissary took the knife from her and guided her hand towards that of the damned, supported by Sevika, towards the glass stained with blasphemous blood. Despite Jiriel's comforting presence, she began to tremble. A stain of her blood spread across the clear glass. Jiriel didn't stop hugging her for a moment. Nene recognised the horrible sensation of the Evil One whispering to her soul. However, its tempting voice was different. It seemed rather… intrigued? Thoughts that didn't belong to her travelled through her mind, but they didn't try to subjugate her. The Archangel's protection did not trigger the violent reaction it had in the past. The voices faded softly. She had been holding her breath the entire time, so she started gasping for air.
«Are you okay?», Jiriel asked softly.
«Yes… Yes, my Lady. What did you do?»
«Not much. Oroel would have sent him away regardless, so I asked him to leave. Usually, he doesn't listen to me, but in your case, he had little choice»
The glass fell to the floor and shattered. Pranav slumped against his cousin, who helped him lie on the bed. Nila rushed over to him to observe closely.
«Are we done? Is he better? Jiri, is he better?»
«L-let me check»
«Leave it to her, Sevi»
The woman obeyed. Nila analysed the damned for a few moments, touched his forehead, observed his eyes and rested her head on his chest to listen to his breathing.
«He has a severe fever and a hard time breathing. He n-needs medicines»
«Nene, check if the Evil One is still there»
«Yes, my Lady»
Reluctantly, she climbed off Jiriel's lap. Her nausea was still there, but with Adanara around, that was to be expected. She took the silver cross and brought it to Pranav’s forehead. She pressed it against his skin. There was no reaction.
«How is this possible?», she whispered.
«Ah! It worked!», the angel exulted. «That’s it! You did it!»
«We have to hurry up and take care of his fever»
«Oh, right»
Jiriel sat next to Pranav. After scrutinising him for a moment, she forced his mouth open and brought her face closer to his. A shiver ran down Nene's spine. She couldn't look away. The angel puffed into the man's mouth, then sat back down and smiled.
«Done», she announced.
«W-w-what?!», Nila babbled.
«He’s ok», she repeated. «Could you take care of him now?»
The herbalist checked the man again and her expression became more and more bewildered. He looked extremely battered, but all obvious signs of damnation were gone. In the timeframe of a few minutes, the damned had turned back to being a simple man, albeit sick and weakened. Sevika overwhelmed Adanara with a hug. She held her so tightly that her eyes bulged and she could not breathe.
«You saved my cousin! Thank you! Thank you! How can I repay you?»
The witch barely managed to let out a gasp. The innkeeper showed no sign of letting go.
Nene walked next to the Emissary, who rested a hand on her shoulder. The scene looming before her was similar to that in Adanara’s refuge. That time, Nene was part of the jubilation, she had willingly contributed to something that had made Sevika happy. She had saved Pranav's life, she had earned the Emissary's affection. She looked up and met Jiriel’s bizarre bronze eyes. Her Lady was smiling, more luminescent than ever.
«Congratulations, Inquisitor»
«I'm… confused», she admitted.
«You have sworn to save the damned, and so you did. Pranav's soul is safe and sound within him, and his body will recover soon»
«Are you sure about that?»
«Yes. I see it clearly. He's fine. Thanks to you»
Nene smiled. She felt ashamed of her complacency. She had just voluntarily taken part in a blasphemous ritual and, according to the teachings of the Church, condemned another soul to eternal damnation. Yet she felt happy. Was she willing to throw away everything right to gain the Emissary's approval? Watching Sevika crush the two sisters in her beastly hug, it didn't look like such a terrible prospect.
«My Lady... Did you know this would happen?»
«Maybe. But hadn't you seen it with your own eyes, would you have believed me?
She bowed her head in shame, but Jiriel didn’t allow her. She knelt and forced her to look at her.
«You saved a life today. You saved a family. You should be proud of it»
She hesitated to answer. She had a thousand questions, about the Archangel, the Church, the Evil One, about damnation... It was undeniable that reality was more complex and multifaceted than what she had been taught since childhood, yet the mere thought made her head spin. For the moment, she could have followed the Emissary's advice and savoured their victory.
«Yes, my Lady», she smiled.