Devery woke slowly the next day, her entire body aching, feeling like it had been pounded like a piece of meat and then tossed down a garbage chute for good measure. Rolling over in bed she moaned weakly, wincing.
Sitting up slowly she ran a hand through her hair, brushing it back from her face and peering around her room. Despite it being well furnished and comfortable she was still acutely aware of the fact that it was a prison.
Gold bars were still bars to cage you in...she thought with a sigh. Swinging her legs out of the bed she stood slowly, stretching her aching limbs through a series of movements designed to ease away pain after a battle. It was one of the many things that Miles had taught her, and it had prevented her from being injured after fighting many a time.
After she had finished she dressed and wandered over to the bookshelf, picking up the books she had pulled down from the upper shelves. She sank down into a plush chair nearby, tucking her feet beneath her as she began to skim through them, brow furrowed in concentration.
She closed her eyes and reached for her powers, letting all other thoughts drop away, her breathing slowing until she was barely respiring, her heart beating so slowly it would have been startling to anyone who had observed her.
Devery opened her eyes and gazed down at the book, smiling faintly when the words on the page began to rearrange themselves from the unintelligible archaic language into English. She lost track of time as she read, her eyes scanning the pages rapidly as her memory committed everything to a vault that would never let it escape.
Devery never even noticed when the door to her room opened, revealing Nadia carrying a tray of food. The other woman cleared away the empty bottle of wine and dry jug of water from the night before, replacing them with a full jug of water and a bottle of juice.
Nadia paused, watching Devery read with an intensity that was almost supernatural. There was an odd glow around her and she flipped the pages just a little too quickly to be reading at a normal human pace, her eyes flitting across the pages disturbingly fast.
Nadia shuddered and turned away; she was used to oddities from Gabriel and the 8-balls, they weren't human. But Devery was human as far as she knew, and shouldn't have the abilities she did.
A flare of jealousy rose up in Nadia; Gabriel was fascinated with Devery's powers and abilities, so much so that he refused to take her nearly killing him as an insult. Had it been anyone else Nadia was certain they would have been dead long before this, but because it was Devery, Gabriel allowed her to be disrespectful, audacious, and outrageous.
If Nadia was truthful with herself she was also jealous of the way Gabriel looked at Devery. The interest in his eyes was not purely academic, and it burned her. She knew she was not the first lover Gabriel had taken and she wouldn't be the last, but there was something about this other woman that just…vexed her.
Nadia huffed softly and strode from the room, heading to Gabriel's quarters to inform him that Devery was awake. He would be eager to see her.
Devery finally tore her eyes away from the books when the pounding in her head began to feel like a three piece drum set and the growling of her stomach had become audible enough to break through her concentration.
Rubbing at her eyes she set the book she was currently reading aside and glanced up, surprise registering on her face in a flash before disappearing to be replaced with mild annoyance at the sight of Gabriel.
He smirked faintly at her and wiggled his fingers in a semblance of a greeting. "Hello love, you looked awfully intent. Reading anything good?" he asked sardonically.
Devery stood and crossed the room to where the tray of food was waiting for her, crossing her legs beneath her as she sat on the divan. Piling her plate with grapes, toast, bacon and eggs, she began popping grapes into her mouth, giving Gabriel a mocking smile.
His eyes narrowed in frustration, but instead of engaging her he simply leaned forward and began stealing food from the tray, chewing bacon with a brow raised in her direction, waiting for her to say something.
Finally Devery swallowed and sighed, deciding she had let him stew for long enough. She could only push him so far each day and keep a certain measure of good will. Ending up dead was not part of the plan.
"Well, I have to say; I didn't expect to find handwritten personal journals of yours here in my room. They've certainly been enlightening."
She watched Gabriel for his reaction to her revelation, knowing it could be bloody and violent. He had left his personal belongings in her room, so if he had anyone to be angry with, it was himself.
After a moment the stony silence passed, as did the still look of emotionless chill on Gabriel's face.
"You're the first human to read those."
Devery nodded and ate a few more grapes, enjoying their sweet taste before responding. "I kind of assumed so. I don't have plans to reveal their contents to anyone, but I do find them interesting."
It wasn't a lie, the stories written within told of major historical events within the last two thousand years from a point of view never before revealed, one that many historians would probably cry over.
She picked up a grape and frowned at it softly before looking up at Gabriel, "Did Michael really kill all those people at Sodom and Gomorrah?" she asked faintly, her voice troubled. Gabriel's account of his brother's actions had caused her no little amount of disquiet, especially given how moralistic and proud Michael seemed.
A faint smile twitched on Gabriel's lips, "Indeed, my perfect brother is not as perfect as he would have you think. He was the great flood that wiped the evil from the earth, and some that were not so evil."
Devery felt her stomach turn at Gabriel's words; looking down at her plate she no longer felt hungry. Setting her plate aside she wrapped her arms around her waist, hugging herself, trying to rid herself of the ugly images in her mind.
She stood and wandered back over to the bookshelves, staring up at all the books contained within its parameters and sighed.
"Do you have anything…normal?" she murmured. Gabriel chuckled and Devery lifted a shoulder, shrugging uncomfortably, "I mean like a novel. I need a little break from history."
Gabriel stood as well and bowed slightly, mockingly holding an arm out in front of him, "This way love."
Devery rolled her eyes and strode past him, ignoring his low chuckle. Gabriel stayed behind her, occasionally pointing over her shoulder to direct her. A few minutes later they had ascended higher into the aerie and came out into a large room filled with books.
Devery grinned happily and began strolling through the stacks, fingers running over the spines of the books gently. She was amazed at the wonderful condition of the books; despite the age on some of the books they were still holding up well, they weren't dusty, and the room held no smell of mold.
She could hear the soft footsteps of Gabriel behind her but was soon lost in the wonderful sight of the books surrounding her; careless of whether he was stalking her. She pulled a book off the shelf and leaned against the stack, a smile on her lips as she opened it and began to read.
Gabriel watched as Devery relaxed and read, her expression softening as she forgot his presence. After a moment he stepped back quietly and left her to read; he had more important things to worry about, like getting his hands on the Chosen One.
Gabriel ran his fingers through his hair as he sat on his makeshift throne, reaching for his acolyte within the walls of Vega once more. He walked through the city unseen, seeking out his brother, as always, an almost unstoppable desire pushing him to find Michael.
No matter what happened between them, how much they hurt each other, they always seemed to come back together somehow. It was perhaps the most awful codependent and destructive relationship there had ever been, but when it had been good, it had been perfect.
Gabriel walked through the city, single minded in his pursuit of Michael, barely noticing the people as they passed. He climbed higher into the city, sensing he was growing closer to his quarry when he ran squarely into a young woman, sending her sprawling back.
She stared up at him with wide eyes for a moment before brushing herself off and standing, "I'm sorry; I wasn't looking where I was going."
She smiled faintly at him and Gabriel grinned broadly back at her, reaching a hand out in a solicitous manner, "Please, it was all my fault, are you all right Lady Riesen?" he asked. He had to suppress a laugh, it was his lucky day.
Claire smiled softly, "I'm fine, don't worry. I was in a rush and wasn't looking." Her smile slipped a fraction as she looked him over, "Where were you headed?" she asked, a faint hint of suspicious growing in her voice.
Gabriel shifted slightly, "To find the archangel, I was completing a task for him earlier and I need to let him know what I found out. Can you point me to him?" he asked politely.
Claire stared at him for a moment before nodding, "He's down the hall and in the third door to the left."
Gabriel nodded and gave her a small bow, gritting his teeth as he did, waiting for her to leave. When she had walked away he took off down the hall, his steps fast and eager. When he rounded the corner he heard Michael and Alex talking loudly, voices raised in an argument.
He stood outside and listened, smirking as he heard Michael confessing to Alex his crimes of eons past. A few moments later Alex stormed out and strode past without seeing him, anger clouding his eyes.
Gabriel snuck into the room and smirked when Michael's head came up, an eager look on his face. The hope in his eyes died when he saw it wasn't Alex in the door, but someone else.
"Always the disappointment, eh brother?" Gabriel quipped.
Michael stared at him for a moment, a frown creasing his handsome face before he lunged forward and grabbed the man Gabriel was inhabiting by the throat, tossing him up against the wall.
"How dare you come into the city walls like this Gabriel. You have taken this man's body and perverted it!" Michael's voice snarled through the room.
Gabriel let out a harsh laugh, despite the hand pinning him down. "I only wished to speak with you brother, don't you want to know how your little spy is doing?" he taunted. Michael's eyes narrowed in anger and he slammed Gabriel's head back against the marble with a sickeningly solid blow that left Gabriel struggling to hold onto the man's mind as his consciousness slipped.
"What have you done with her?" Michael hissed, his tone dangerously soft.
Gabriel choked out another laugh and squirmed in Michael's grip until Michael loosened his hand marginally. "There we are, that's better. Well, for now she's staying with me. She's trying to save me, can you believe that?" Gabriel scoffed, his tone sarcastic and dry.
Michael rolled his eyes, "I warned her it was a useless mission."
Gabriel felt a low thrum of disappointment pass through him at his brother's words. Something within him had hoped that despite everything, he and Michael would resolve their past issues and like the brothers they once had been.
Brushing aside the disappointment, Gabriel raised a brow, smirking. "Yes, well, so did I. But she's quite the persistent woman. Lovely too." He smirked salaciously and enjoyed the look of outrage on Michael's face before his brother threw him across the room.
"You will not touch her!" Michael shouted, his face livid.
"Is she your pet?" Gabriel taunted as he stood, chuckling. "She didn't seem to mind me kissing her. If she is yours, she's forgotten you."
Michael glared at him, his jaw clenching and shook his head sharply. Gabriel barely saw the punch to the jaw that knocked the tentative hold he had on the man loose, sending him back to his own body in a rush of light and pain.
He cursed softly and called out for one of his servants, slumping down on his throne, brooding. A few moments later an 8-ball appeared, bringing him wine and cheese before backing away, leaving him to ruminate in silence.
His visits through his acolytes were achieving nothing in Vega…it was time to take further action.
Devery slumped in a chair, eyes blurry from reading. She had a stack of books beside her that she intended on taking back to her room, but for now she was straining her eyes in the fading light, trying to read the words on the pages.
A soft shuffling noise in the room broke her concentration. Looking up from the pages she glanced around the room until she found the source of the noise; an 8-ball moving around the room, straightening the shelves, carrying a camping lantern.
Devery leaned forward tentatively, "Um, excuse me, can I get a light, or is it okay if I take these to my quarters?" She watched as the woman's shoulders stiffened, pausing in her work before she turned to face Devery.
Shit, that's the woman from the other day who got her shit twisted about me helping Gabriel to his rooms. What's her name?...J-something…Jo-Jo!
Devery smiled faintly, "It's JoJo, right? Gabriel gave me permission to take these, but if you'd prefer that I leave them here and come read here during the day, I can do that."
The last thing she wanted was to start a fight with the locals, not while she was trying to prove to Gabriel that she wanted to help him.
JoJo's eyes grew darker, if that was possible, and she set the lantern down before stepping closer. "I'd prefer if you were dead, Knight. But sure, take what isn't yours." Her tone was bitter and poisonous, her eyes narrowed with hate.
Devery bit back a harsh response, smiling faintly instead. Gathering up the books she carried them from the room and retraced her steps back to her rooms. She was seeing more of the aerie every day, and with her ability to map locations in her head, she would be able to provide Michael an accurate way into the aerie if it came to war.
Her room was nearly pitch black, the faint light from the one window drifting through the room faintly. She cursed when her shin connected with the coffee table, nearly sending her tumbling. Carefully she set the books down on it before making her way towards the bed, stripping off her clothes as she went.
A quiet noise behind her sent a chill down her spine. Someone was in her room.
Gabriel?
Her weapons lay on the bed, just out of reach. She would have to be fast.
Her knuckles cracked as she clenched her fingers and she spun, lunging for her sword, rolling across the bed and keeping low as she landed. Her eyes swept the dim room, trying to find her assailant.
"Interloper…leave!" a voice hissed.
Devery turned towards the source of the voice, certain that it was a woman, but who, she wasn't sure.
"Begone Knight!" the voice hissed again.
Devery thought she saw a form this time, hidden in the shadows, soft and blurry around the edges.
Screw this! She thought furiously, reaching for her powers, intent on burning her attacker to nothing more than ash. She lifted a hand pointed towards the shape, smiling in satisfaction when, a moment later, it burst into flames.
Unusually however, it did not scream.
A hand wrapped around her throat and Devery felt the knife there a second later.
"Die witch!"
When the knife sliced across her throat Devery gasped and struggled, desperate to live. The woman threw her to the ground, standing over her, watching her die.
Devery struggled to stem the blood as her body heaved, her breaths wheezing and wet. As she grew colder and it became harder to fight she looked up into the face of her murderer and felt a moment of surprise….
Nadia
The next morning Gabriel strolled down the hall to Devery's room, intent on speaking with her. He had a plan for Vega that he would need her help with, and he wanted to get her on board as soon as possible.
She was a damn impossible woman, but she was smart, lethal, and creative.
If anyone could help him with his problem, it would be her.
Gabriel rounded the corner to her quarters and frowned, why is the door to her room open? he mused silently. Striding faster down the hall he stepped into the room and came to an abrupt halt at the nightmarish scene inside.
Lying beside her bed in just her underwear was Devery, throat slit.
Written on the wall above her in her own blood were the words: DEATH TO THE KNIGHTS.
AN: Hey guys, sorry it took so long for a new chapter, I've been travelling. I also know this chapter is a lot shorter than usual, but I think it's still quality, so let's get some reviews and hear what you think! Thank you for reading!