The Dragons Egg : XVII : Deal with the Devil : Theodore : Draft

XVII

Deal with the Devil

Theodore

“Cael?” a deep voice reverberated within Theodore's mind as he tried to open his eyes. “Cael can you hear me?”

“My head…” Theodore groaned as he opened his heavy blue eyes.

“You fell and hit it against the curb I’m afraid,” smiled Gabriel pensively.

“How...how did you…”

“You didn't think that I would leave you to bare your troubles alone?” Gabriel said with a raised brow, his ancient blue eyes sparkling and calm.

“I would actually,” Theodore said bitterly. “Seeing as though my family has turned on me.”

“Not all of us have lost hope in you young guardian,” Gabriel said with a caring gaze. “Our trials and tribulations mold us and so the trials and tribulations you face will mould you into the man you wish to become.”

“Laura?” Theodore asked quickly as he sat up in his bed, lifting a hand to his sensitive head. “Where is she?”

“She is as we speak making you a pot of tea,” Gabriel said with a smile. “She is a lovely young woman, who cares about you very much.”

“That is an illusion,” Theodore said with a sigh. “She doesn't know what she wants whilst under an enchantment.”

“Yet she ran to you and covered your body with her own as you were being attacked,” Gabriel said defiantly. “I would say that her actions speak highly of her true intentions, wouldn't you?”

“I don’t know what to think anymore,” Theodore said as he lifted his gaze to the angel. “I am beyond thought and reason.”

“You are tired and in need of counsel my friend,” Gabriel returned as he lay a soft hand upon Theodore’s.

“The knights…what happened to them?”

“They fled, but will most likely return,” Gabriel said with a nod. “There is nothing you can do to fight them off, they are simply too powerful. All you can do is protect yourself and the young lady, soon they will leave when…” Gabriel turned his eyes away from Theodore.

“When my wife takes leave of this planet…yes?”

“Yes.”

“Tell me, would you stop me from returning to her? Would you disobey your orders so that I could be reunited with my wife?” Theodore asked plainly, his blue eyes dull and filled with sadness.

“Celestine choose to leave you behind, for reasons I believe you know of?”

“To find Galean,” Theodore said as he turned away from his old master. “If he had never returned here, she would still be mine and her heart would still be mine.”

“I believe a part of her heart will always be yours Cael, but she is at a crossroads and when you are afraid and unsure of the future it is easy to take flight,” Gabriel explained as he folded his hands upon his lap. “As to Galean, he was always destined to find Celestine in the end, an act of fate that none of us can retract however hard we may try.”

“But she loved me…” Theodore almost cried out. “She loved me.”

“And no one can take that away from you, no matter the prophecy or Galean, she did indeed choose not by force but by free will to marry you,” Gabriel said with understanding. “So no, I would not stand in your way. I am troubled as to your intentions though. I do not firmly believe you would return to her simply because you are lost without her, I believe your actions are those of vengeance and not honor. You love your wife but the woman you truly loved died because of your wife and she in turn was in a sense taken from you by another. You would return to Celestine not because you are desperately alone without her, but because you would wish to punish her and Galean. Am I right?”

“Why do you all paint me as a man without feeling, only motivated by greed, revenge and a need for power?” Theodore said angrily. “Have I not served you well? Am I not entitled under the laws of matrimony to find my wife and to hate the man that has taken her from me?”

“She is the future Queen of two Kingdoms, I can see that that in itself may be an incentive to you,” Gabriel said carefully as he rose up from the bed and walked over to the window. “Heiden sees all…and has seen your wrongdoings, which is why you are under observation.”

“Why are you really here?” Theodore asked the high angel darkly, his eyes upon Gabriel’s back.

“I am here to caution you as your friend,” Gabriel said as he turned his piercing blue gaze to Theodore. “And I am here for your sword.”

“My sword? But it is mine, given to me on my name day!” Theodore argued hotly as he bounded out of his bed and made for his sword which lay in its sheath by his writing table. With trembling hands, he drew it forth. “It belongs to me!”

“You consciously broke the law when you pierced Galean, with the intention of killing him,” Gabriel said with authority. “You are fortunate you have not been arrested.”

“So we are judged if we hurt each other, yet given the privilege of ignorance when killing our foes?” Theodore said with eyes of thunder.

“Do not mince my words young one,” Gabriel returned with a raised hand. “Come do not make this harder for yourself than it already is. Just hand me over the sword.”

“I thought you were my friend? My ally? But you’re as bad as them!” Theodore said as he turned about in a vicious circle, trailing his sword after him. “Your master is as deceitful and manipulative as the enemy I have been killing!”

“Our master knows when we are beyond our capability in which to control our urges,” Gabriel said as he took a step closer to Theodore. “You would not use this sword in order to defend your people, you would use it in order to kill and so the high council have decided to take it from you until you can see the error of your ways.”

“Error of my ways, Error of my ways! Are you jesting with me?” Theodore laughed loudly, his eyes wild and his skin flushed. “How am I to defend myself?”

“You have your powers which are sufficient enough and will serve you as protector,” Gabriel replied with steady eyes. “Now please, hand me your sword.”

Theodore felt his grip tighten about the hilt of his sword, and his eyes narrow with hatred as the physically calm and assured angel held out his hand. As he stood, his body slightly contorted the door opened and with swiftness, someone took the sword from his grasp.

“It is for your own good,” Laura said with a small voice as she handed the sword over to Gabriel, who took it gladly. Turning to Theodore, her eyes wide and angered, she placed her hands on her hips.

“How much did you hear?” Theodore asked through gritted teeth.

“Enough to know that you will obey your master,” Laura said with heated cheeks. “I will not have my husband ruin himself in order to have your revenge.”

“Now you listen to me….!” Theodore began as he stepped towards his doppelganger wife.

“I know that you have some aversion to me, and now know why,” Laura said as she took a step back. “Whoever this women is, she has made her decision and she choose another.”

“Eve…”

“I don’t care what your excuse is, all I care about is your safety and if your friend here thinks it wise that you be without your sword, then so be it,” Laura said with defiance as she raised her chin. “He did save our lives the previous evening, I think you owe him your obedience.”

“But you know nothing of what we are quarreling about!” Theodore thundered, his anger unable to keep itself hot as he looked into her dazzling eyes.

“About a women I take it?” Laura said with a seething tongue. “Well you can listen to me and listen to me well husband. I am your wife! I may not be outstandingly beautiful and may lack in social etiquette and may be sometimes a little opinionated…but I am your wife and I love you. Do I hate you in this present moment? Well yes I do. Will I hate you forever…a majority of forever yes. But I married you because I loved you and despite the current climate for divorce, I do not intend on giving up on our marriage.”

Theodore turned his eyes to Gabriel.

“She does loves me…see?”

Gabriel walked over to Theodore and bent close to his ear.

“She is an illusion…she is not real…”

Without another word, Gabriel exited the room, turning one last time and looking Theodore straight in the eyes.

“Remember, you are not alone.” With a flick of his long silver gown, the arch angel disappeared from sight and left a fraught Laura and Theodore alone.

“What did he mean an illusion?” Laura said quietly, her eyes now large and round, filled with confusion and innocence.

“Nothing, he meant nothing,” Theodore said despairingly as he made for his dressing gown.

“Your supper is downstairs, and before I forget, I found this in your pocket,” Laura said as she dipped her right hand into the pocket of her cardigan and brought forth a roll of parchment. “Here.” She said, throwing the parchment into his hand before leaving him alone. As he stood with the map in his hands he heard her muffled cries as she descended the stairs and closed his eyes. Of course it was an illusion, but her pain was real and honest and he wondered if his real wife felt the same pain. With his dressing gown now tightly knotted, Theodore took a seat by his writing table and placed the map down upon the table, whilst letting his head fall into the palms of his hands. What was he to do now? Several minutes of silence passed him by as he rummaged through his mind to find the answer. Slowly he opened the map and found the last gateway, which lay within St Barnes cemetery. Theodore looked down at the map in frustration, he couldn't simply walk into what was known as the meeting place for shadows and ask to be escorted to the gateway, no they would want something in return and he had nothing to give but the doppelganger he had unconsciously grown accustomed too. His brows furrowed with disbelieve and exhaustion, Theodore drew in a deep breathe, he was stuck between sacrificing the life of an innocent young women and surrendering to the universe his wife. His fingers twisted in rage, Theodore sat up and opened his eyes. The thought and possibility of Eveline leaving earth and returning to her own world and the possibility of his once best friend sitting by her side upon the throne was too much to bare. He would have to sacrifice the life of Laura because if he did not, then he would be bound to his misery and jail for eternity and never would he willingly degrade himself to losing again.

*

The sound of the crackling fire stopped Theodore in his tracks and forced him to turn from the hall and enter the drawing room. The now dying candles flickered about the cream walls, causing various forms of shadows to form. Already dressed and ready to leave, Theodore came to the long drawing room chair, its fine silver material shining coolly. Upon the chair lay the sleeping figure of Laura, her unpinned hair cascading about her body haphazardly. A small smile formed on Theodore’s lips as he took in her fine features, overshadowed by her tense brows and lips which seemed to be filled with frustration and forlornment. Bending down quietly, he looked down into her troubled face and felt the familiar tang of guilt and disgust. He was soon to hand this innocent woman over to a group of perverted psychopath’s who would take great pleasure in killing who they thought to be Celestine. Theodore was unsure if Lagmar would kill her himself or hand him over to his master. If only there was another way he thought to himself as he stroked away a stray strand of hair. He knew that he was already a murderer and a traitor, but as he let his index finger gently trace the contours of Laura’s face he understood that what he was about to do would change him forever. No more would the light of him ancestors reside within him and no more would he be favored by the guardians. He would be hunted until brought to justice, but he had no other choice, no other way in which to get to Eveline before she left. Her nose twitching, Laura opened her eyes slowly and Theodore smiled with pleasure as they widened with surprise.

“Theodore?” she whispered with exhaustion. “Are you going out?”

“I have a message to do but will be home shortly,” Theodore said with warmth.

“What could be so urgent that you would go out at this time of night?” Laura asked with curiosity in her blazing eyes.

“Nothing serious, just something that needs to be seen to directly,” Theodore returned calmly. “I shall fetch you a blanket.” With ease he got to his feet and searched the room for a blanket, all the while feeling her eyes upon him.

“I'm sorry for what I said to you this afternoon,” Laura said aloud. “I didn't mean to be so ….honest.”

“I would be worried if you were anything but honest,” Theodore said with a smile as he found a cream blanket and brought it back to where Laura lay.

“I…I’m sorry that she choose another,” Laura said shyly as Theodore covered her long body with the blanket.

“Do not stress yourself,” Theodore said with searching eyes. “We can talk about it in the morning.”

“Can I ask you something?” Laura said as she laid a hand upon his own, her eyes filled with unspoken words. Theodore knew the words she wished to say and felt his heart thud painfully. It was an illusion, she was an illusion.

“Yes?”

“Have I done something wrong? Is that why you…why you…” Laura stopped, her top teeth biting down on her lips with pain.

“No,” Theodore said with certainty. “You have done nothing wrong. It is I that am in the wrong, and I that must be subjected to the pain I have put you through.”

Laura merely nodded her head in response, turning her face away from him, her body following suite.

“I promise I will make it up to you,” Theodore lied as he bend down and kissed her forehead. “Sleep and I will see you in the morning.”

“Be careful won’t you?” Laura whispered, her eyes shut.

“I’ll try,” Theodore said as he brought himself to his feet. He stood for a brief moment and looked down at his doppelganger wife before turning on his feet and exiting the room. Instead of making for the front door he turned and made for the kitchen instead. He knew that Gabriel would have spies posted to keep an eye on his movements and so the only other route in which he could take would be through the back door which was located in the large Georgian kitchen. Putting his velvet top hat on, he stepped outside into the mild night and looked about for any signs of life. The garden was small and in the distance he could hear the bark of a nearby dog. With ease and calmness, Theodore made for the garden gate and when upon the road, spotted a nearby car. It did not take him long to unlock the door of the black car and soon enough he was driving away from his townhouse and making for St Barnes Cemetery which was located in South London. The air was as usual filled with the loud sound of sirens, and overhead planes could be seen, whilst in the near distance great beams of orange light filled the dark sky, an indicator of the bombing raids that were under way. The air inside the small car was cold and unforgiving and when he found himself parked out the isolated cemetery he felt he tips of his gloved fingers deepen themselves into the leather steering wheel.

He knew that once he stepped over the threshold of the gate, he would be met by shadows and soon he would hand over Laura and subjected the jest of his enemies. With a deep intake of breathe, Theodore got out of the car and closed the door behind him roughly. His hands within the pockets of his thick grey coat, he crossed the quiet street and came to stand before the arched gateway. Above him an owl howled as though in disgust at his arrival. With a wave of his hand the iron gate opened before him and he entered. With each step that he took, he felt the pairs of eyes increase two fold and felt the last remaining flickers of hope dwindled into nothing. Soon he was standing before the great statue of an angel, the same very location where he had stood the previous year when he and Lier had stood when on a mission to save Jophiel from execution. How Lier would look down at him now with disappointment and how Jophiel, his first and only true love would disown him, knowing what he was about to do. As he stood with his head down, he felt an immeasurable presence from behind.

“How strange that you should enter this cemetery along and unarmed,” came a callous and cold voice. “Tell me, have you sunk so low that you forget the robe of dignity that was once bestowed upon you, to shield you from acknowledging your true self?”

“I am in need of your help,” Theodore said darkly, lifting his cool blue eyes from the dark ground below. Lagmar stood tall before him, his eyes of the deepest black and his form draped with a navy black gown. It was hard to tell his form from the darkness of the night, but easy to feel where he stood and were he looked.

“My help? Why would I help you?” Lagmar hissed loudly as he stepped forward quickly, his face now mere inches from Theodore's.

“There is a gateway here in this cemetery and I need access to it,” Theodore said with trembling lips, now feeling the insecurity of not having his sword present.

“To where?” Lagmar said thinly. “Where do you wish to go?”

“I wish to find Galean and kill him,” Theodore said with shaking hands.

“He is dead, so why would you wish to go after his corpse?”

“He is not dead,” Theodore said plainly, his eyes upon the shadow. “I received news that he still lives.”

“And why would you want to kill him?”

“He betrayed me,” Theodore hissed with venom.

“Ha-ha!” Lagmar laughed as he turned away from Theodore and lifted his hands into the air about him as though in victory. “The downfall of man is so fickle…it lies not with the sword, lies not with his strength of mind but lies with his pride!” Theodore heard the small laughs of appearing shadows, who formed a circle about him. “Oh but if we could summon such pride and drink it fully, how we would ruin our enemies and smite them with our fire! True power lies in those who can summon a man to his knees and here you stand before me, a man upon his knees, why? Because of a woman. How small, how insignificant and how pathetic you must feel.”

“She is mine,” Theodore said under his breathe, the rage of his anger towards his wife and his best friend now bubbling steadily.

“She was never yours, you fool!” Lagmar said as he turned about and looked down upon Theodore with powerful eyes. “You took her and stole her away from her fated lover.”

“Not knowingly…not consciously,” Theodore said with reverence, feeling now so small and so vulnerable.

“Even if you do return and find the prince alive…what makes you think that you are powerful enough to kill him?” Lagmar whispered into Theodore’s ear. “You have no power left, you are spent.”

“I have the power of my pride as you so eloquently put it,” Theodore said with strength. “He lies dying, he has not the power in which to protect himself from my wrath.”

“But he lies dying with an army surrounding him for protection,” Lagmar returned, his body now straightening as he listened to Theodore with interest.

“His family, his friends and those loyal to him know me to be his best friend, they would not suspect me of my true intent,” Theodore hissed back.

“And when you kill him…you will crawl back to your wife,” Lagmar lamented aloud. “Why should I allow you the honour?”

“I will not crawl back to my wife, she doesn't not want me,” Theodore said, the words falling from his lips like droplets of acid. There was truth to his words and only now had he fully acknowledged her true intentions.

“Then what shall you do with her?” Lagmar said, his cold hand upon Theodore’s wrist.

“I shall hand her to you,” Theodore returned, his chest tight and his heart without a thud. He felt the change almost abruptly as he stood amid the crowd of silent shadows. The lingering flickers of light had vanished from his soul as he now made a deal with the devil.

“Liar! Why would you do that when you have so much to gain from her?”

“She is nothing to me…and yet she is all I have to offer you in return for the gateway,” Theodore argued.

“She is here in London? The knights were speaking the truth? It is too easy, too simple…”

“Exactly…” Theodore smiled. “No one would truly believe Eveline to be residing in London, everyone believes that she had fled in the hope of returning to her world.”

“And you will hand her over to me willingly?” Lagmar asked with sharp eyes. “Just like that?”

“Willingly,” Theodore re iterated slowly. Lagmar’s grasp on his wrist tightened as they held each other’s gaze. Without warning, Lagmar pulled back Theodore’s coat until his wrist was bare and with one clean swipe of his long nailed finger, cut open a deep wound, causing Theodore to flinch with pain. “What are you doing?” he cried out as the shadow bent his mouth to the bleeding wound and licked it, his cold, hard tongue upon Theodore’s cold skin. A rush of nausea filled Theodore’s stomach as Lagmar lifted his head and licked his lips.

“Now you cannot hide from me, angel,” Lagmar said with a heinous smile as he dropped Theodore’s arm. “You belong to me now.” Theodore stumbled backwards as he held onto his arm tightly, the pain soaring through him like poison. “Bring her to me tomorrow night at the stroke of twelve, or you shall feel my wrath.” Feeling the eyes of the silent shadows upon him, Theodore turned on his feet and fled the cemetery, his eyes filled with angry tears and his stomach saturated with nausea. For a half hour, he sat within the confines of the car, his head upon the steering wheel. His shirt ripped and his wound bandaged, he started up the car and quietly made his way home.

Upon entering his townhouse, he slipped into the kitchen and attended to his wound, now crusted with black blood. When his wound was attended too, he made his way through the kitchen and through the great hall until he came to the drawing room, now only dimly lit by the dying fire. Stepping into the room he waved a hand over the fire until it burst into life once more and turned to look down at the sleeping form of Laura once more. As he looked at her a severe pain shot up his arm, forcing Theodore to look down at his bandaged wound. With fear and shock he noticed that the veins in his arm had changed colour, from a faint blue to a dark black. Holding his arm up in dismay, Theodore turned away from Laura and made a swift exit from the drawing room, until he finally came to the study. Closing the door behind him he ignited another fire and came to the nearby window. Dropping his arm, he gazed outside. The street was dark, the street lamps unlit, but beyond the gates of the park he saw the two knights, standing so very still, each clasped with a long silver sword. Lifting his arm, he pressed his finger to a vein and with fear watched as the down turned heads of the knights suddenly lifted, their piercing gazes directed his way. Turning, Theodore shut the curtains and made for the brandy bottle. Pouring himself a glass of brandy, he sat before the fire, his eyes fixated upon the flames.

“What have I done?”




© Iseult O'Shea and OneCrown&TwoThrones, 2016. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this site’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Iseult O'Shea and OneCrown&TwoThrones with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.