Chapter 38 The Phoenix Chokes
The elf found Angus later that night, perched on a gargoyle overlooking Spasio city. His wings, usually vibrant, seemed muted in the moonlight. His eyes tore off the city lights upon the approaching steps of Suneia.
“He’s agreed to a date,” Suneia announced, her voice flat.
Angus turned, his grey eyes unreadable. “A date? With Klishei?” He should not be surprised. The progress of their relationship was maddening. From being a mere visitor of the sanctuary to now being Yeseus' greatest love, Angus had never witnessed Yeseus so enamored. The wolf always had a soft spot for humans but never with such intensity. It's like he no longer knew Yeseus.
“He’s blind, Angus,” Suneia said, a desperate plea in her voice. “He’s letting her consume him. The blight is worsening. He won’t last. I can only assume that he now only has a few months at least. But that fact does not seem to concern him. He even said that he was willing to accept his death for her.”
Angus hopped off the gargoyle, landing silently beside her. “So I reckon that you agree to my plan?”
Suneia's voice got caught. When he shared her concerns to Angus, the fairy had consoled her, telling her that he had the same thoughts. Suprisingly, Angus had already formed a countermeasure. It only suggested that he had been thinking longer than her. She clutched the vial in her hand.
“He needs to forget her,” Suneia stated, her gaze hard. “Erase her from his memory. It’s the only way to save him.”
She was left with no choice. Yeseus was their pillar. When every Entity was disappearing, Yeseus found her and her sister and he gave them a place where they were forever safe. She owed her life to Yeseus and so she could not bear to see him gone.
Angus was silent for a moment, then a slow, calculating smile spread across his face. “I see. Then we have an agreement, then. That potion in your hand is one of a kind. It is powerful, meant for the very purpose that you are seeking to fulfill. But such a thing requires a heavy price. Are you sure you can handle the consequences? I'm telling you this early. You might be overwhelmed.”
“I'm willing to bear anything just to save him," Suneia insisted.
“Consider it done,” Angus said, his smile widening, a strange, predatory glint in his eyes. “For the sake of our Alpha.”
The next evening, Klishei waited. She had dressed with care, a simple but elegant dress, her hair flowing around her shoulders. She danced around mirror, twirling the hem of her dress like she was some princess. Only a few minutes from now and she would have the best time of her life. This was now a waiting game.
Seven o’clock came and went. Then seven-thirty. Eight. The phone and door remained silent.
Panic began to bubble, cold and sharp. She called his number. No answer. She tried again. Straight to voicemail.
He wouldn’t just stand me up. Not Yeseus. Never him.
Doubt crept into her mind. Had he changed his mind? Had he realized that a normal date was impossible? Had her questions pushed him away?
That night was the longest that she had ever experienced. For some reason, he did not come home.
On the first light of dawn, unable to bear the silence any longer, she took a bus to the sanctuary. The mirage shimmered, recognizing her as the Phoenix Bride and an Entity, and parted effortlessly. She saw the road leading up to the house. A feeling of nervousness settled over her. When was the last time that she was here?
The sanctuary was quiet, almost eerily so. She found the main house, the familiar stone walls, the thick wooden doors. She pushed one open.
Inside, the living room was bathed in the soft glow of the fireplace. Suneia sat on the couch, wrapped in a blanket, a teacup clutched in her hands. Yeseus knelt before her, gently rubbing her temples. His face was etched with a concern Klishei had only ever seen directed at herself.
“Does the headache still persist?” Yeseus asked, his voice soft, solicitous.
Suneia sighed, leaning into his touch. “A little, Yeseus. But your touch helps. When did you learn to massage?”
Klishei froze in the doorway, her heart seizing in her chest. The scene before her, intimate and tender, twisted her insides. The words of Daevar, the doubts she had fought so hard to banish, screamed in her mind.
He’s using you. Look at that blank expression. He never expressed his feelings toward you.
She remembered Suneia’s hostility, her disdain for humans. And now… this. Yeseus, tending to Suneia, his face a mask of devotion.
A choked gasp escaped her. Both Yeseus and Suneia looked up, their eyes widening.