It has been ~four years since the war. In this chapter, we will be catching up with old friends and get more glimpses into Malbonte's and Vicky's private lives. Thanks to anywhoozles for the beta!
***—***
Vicky kissed Malbonte goodbye as she prepared to travel down to the Angels and Demons Academy for Mimi's inauguration as its new Principal. The Academy played a pivotal role in maintaining Harmony in the world of the mortals, and therefore both the Education Board and the Citadel Council had a say in who led the institution. The requirement for the Principal to be a high ranking angel had been abolished with the newly enacted Equality Law, and the votes had been unanimously in favor of Mimi. Vicky had once told her mother that the next person to lead the Academy ought to be a demon, and she was happy to see her wish fulfilled at last.
Mimi had become an instructor at the Academy after graduation. Several of the former staff, including Misselina, had resigned in the aftermath of the war, and Mimi had worked hard to provide much-needed stability to the institution. Vicky was happy for her friend and was looking forward to seeing her after a long gap. Things had been too hectic at the Citadel in recent months for Vicky to have much leisure to visit.
Vicky met Dino at the dragon stables as they had planned to travel together. Like Vicky, Dino was also a Citadel Councilor. They picked out two dragons from the lot and prepared to fly. Gone were the days when Fyr was Vicky's mount. It somehow didn't feel right anymore. After the war, Loy had become more open about his nature as a shapeshifter and had joined the squad of flying rangers. He often flew with Andy on long-term assignments.
The flight to the Academy was uneventful. The loud and rhythmic beating of dragon wings prevented any meaningful conversation with Dino. Vicky's heart gave a leap of joy when the spires of the Academy came into view. No matter what, this place would always have a special place in her heart.
The inauguration was held at a large arena where graduation ceremonies took place. Members of the Education Board and Council representatives were seated in the diaz along with Mimi. Vicky and Dino had opted to attend the ceremony as friends and not in their official capacity. As she looked at the crowd of attendees, the majority of whom were students, Vicky was happy to note that there were quite a few mixed groups of angels, demons, and unclaimed.
The ceremony went as expected. Vicky and Dino cheered loudly with the students when Mimi was officially sworn in as the Principal. She gave a short acknowledgement speech, then they were done.
Vicky mingled with the guests at the reception that immediately followed. She had spotted Mimi's mother, Eliza, and she went to greet the demoness. Eliza was a svelte brunette with elegantly curved horns on her head. She held her signature slim cigarette holder with a smoking cigarillo to one side as she greeted Vicky warmly.
"How are you doing, my dear? Things going well at the Citadel?"
Vicky made a noncommittal reply and said, "You must be so proud of Mimi!"
Eliza beamed. "Yes. We always knew Mimi was destined for great things. Mammon would have loved being here today."
Mimi had once told her that her family had lost some standing after a disagreement with a powerful demon landed her father in prison for a period. Her parents had enrolled Mimi at the Academy to give her a chance at bettering herself. Vicky had liked Mammon a lot. He had been so welcoming towards her, and so evidently fond of his daughter. He had chosen to fight against Malbonte in the war and regrettably, had fallen by his hand. Feeling guilty, Vicky soon excused herself and went in search of refreshment.
Donny came to say hello. They had had a bit of a competitive relationship as students, and Vicky teased him about that.
"You better not try to freeze off my wings again," warned Vicky, wagging a finger at him. "I can toss you in jail now."
"I wouldn't dare!" Donny held up his hands in mock surrender.
"By the way, congratulations on your new post as Guardian of the Earth Eye!"
The Earth Observatory was the main vantage point through which the immortals observed the mortal world, analyzed disturbances in the balance between Light and Dark, and set assignments to maintain Harmony. To be appointed guardian of the Eye, one had to demonstrate a high degree of knowledge, skill, and integrity. Four years ago, it would have been unthinkable for a former unclaimed to be selected for the position. Donny landing the role was no mean feat, as he would have had to outcompete birthright immortals for the post.
Vicky's own mother had fought tooth and nail to attain the high rank of Seraphim—the only unclaimed to have ever done so. Even then, she had been assisted behind the scenes by Torendo, who had been a hidden follower of Shephamalum and had assisted in Malbonte's return. With the recent passage of the Law of Equality, any discrimination on neutral territories on the basis of an immortal's nature was deemed punishable to the severest degree. Vicky felt that she and Malbonte could be proud of their accomplishments. It had taken time, but they were finally starting to see the fruit of their labors.
"Thank you!" Donny blushed. "I'm both nervous and excited about it."
"You'll be fine." Vicky smiled. "But won't you feel tempted to sneak a peek at your family all the time?"
Donny pulled himself up. "I take my obligations very seriously! I swore an oath in front of the Island Guardians."
"Alright, alright!" Vicky put up her hands and grinned. Then, lowering her voice, she asked, "How is Monica?"
Donny blushed again. "She's fine, but her job keeps her busy, and we don't often get time to meet. It's tough being long-distance."
He and Monica were both former unclaimed who had joined the Academy sometime before Vicky. On graduation, Monica had become a demon, while Donny had chosen the side of Light. They had started dating sometime after the war ended. With the abolition of the ban against interrelationships, such pairings were not an uncommon sight these days. However, there were only a few places with good job prospects for both angels and demons, like the Citadel or the Academy. Couples like Donny and Monica had to work hard to juggle their personal and professional lives.
"I know what you mean." Vicky sighed. Malbonte's stints in Hell had gotten longer in the past couple of years. Vicky visited him occasionally when that happened, but the workload at the Citadel had increased so much that she had less and less time to make the long journey to Hell and back.
Donny and Vicky exchanged further small talk, and parted ways to speak to others.
Eventually, Vicky snuck away for a break from all the socializing. Her feet automatically led her to the alcove that housed the Statue of Harmony, the place where she had spent many an hour in silent contemplation during her student days. She wasn't too surprised to find Dino sitting there.
"Mind if I join you?" asked Vicky.
Dino smiled and raised an eyebrow. "Do you even have to ask?"
Vicky returned his smile and sat down on the adjacent stone seat.
They stayed silent for a while, each lost in their own thoughts until Dino broke the silence with, "This is the first time I've come back to the Academy after graduation."
Vicky looked at him in surprise. Dino's gaze was on the statue, but his focus seemed far away. "I was afraid that coming back would force me to confront everything that happened with my father, and I wasn't ready to deal with it."
"Are you ready now?" Vicky asked, gently.
Dino looked at her with a self-deprecating smile. "No. I don't think I ever will be."
Vicky silently commiserated. She despised Fencio and his death hadn't changed that, but she felt a lot of sympathy for Dino. His relationship with his father had always been complicated. Fencio's betrayal and ignominious death at his own hands hadn't made things any easier. Dino and Vicky had always avoided talking about his father, even though they now worked side by side as councilors. Fencio's tangled history with her mother made it a difficult topic for them. Being back at the Academy and sitting down in this peaceful spot somehow loosened the knot of tension between them.
"He pushed me and pushed me to study harder, train harder, excel at everything." Dino shook his head as though at the futility of all that ambition. "I'm pretty sure he was hoping that I would become a powerful player at the Citadel just to avenge him for the Rebecca-debacle."
"You became a Councilor just as he wished," said Vicky, "though thankfully you're not the avenging type."
"There is nothing to avenge." Dino grimaced. "My father made his own choices."
They were interrupted by Mimi's arrival.
"Mimi!" Vicky exclaimed and jumped up to give her a hug. "I thought you would be too busy schmoozing to come out."
"Shepha!" Mimi threw up her hands in the air. "I needed a break!"
Vicky made room for Mimi to sit beside her. With the three of them gathered together, it felt almost like their Academy days. Mimi and Dino must have felt it too, starting to chat about old friends from school, and those they had lost in the war.
"Do you remember when we went down to Mexico on Día de Los Muertos?" Mimi asked.
"Yes," replied Vicky. "That was one of the few times Luci hung out with us."
Towards the end, Lucifer had started to spend more time with the three of them. An angel, two demons, and an unclaimed—they had been an unlikely grouping of immortals back then. Dino and Luci had bickered a lot, but it had also been fun at times. Vicky still felt sad whenever she thought of Luci's untimely demise.
The talk next turned to Adi and Sammy and all their shenanigans together. The twosome had welcomed Vicky into their ranks almost at once—they had never treated her differently for not being a birthright immortal.
"Remember when we played Wagat and you dared Sammy to steal something from Fencio's office?" Vicky asked Mimi.
"Vicky!" Mimi exclaimed and looked sideways at Dino.
Dino held up a hand. "I don't even want to know!"
As they chatted their grief mingled with the sweet memories of those carefree moments spent with dear friends. It did not erase the pain—but it lightened it ever so slightly.
Dino eventually took his leave, but Vicky and Mimi continued to chat.
"It's been a while since we went down to catch a show on earth," said Vicky. "I suppose you'll be even busier now that you've been officially appointed?"
Mimi loved theater, and would sneak off to catch a show or two during earth-missions as a student. After graduation, Vicky had accompanied her a couple of times to Broadway shows and had enjoyed it very much.
"Yeah. I doubt I'll be able to go for quite some time. And the coming Broadway season is looking really hot."
"How do you even keep track of all that now?" asked Vicky. Mimi had stopped going on earth-missions with the students as her administrative role increased.
"As you know, until Donny's appointment, the post of Guardian was vacant for a long time," Mimi said sheepishly. "As acting Head, I could use the Eye whenever I wanted to."
"Mimi!" Vicky exclaimed, laughing. "Your power has gone to your head. What's next? Blocking off the best seats months in advance?"
"I won't be able to do that anymore now that Donny's in charge. He's a stickler." Mimi rolled up her eyes playfully. "Just like an angel."
Vicky grinned. "Come on then, let's go and sneak a peek while we still have the chance." She stood and pulled on Mimi's arm. "Maybe we'll find something that fits our schedules."
"Hey—I'm supposed to be the demon tempting you to do shady things!" But Mimi was laughing as she let her friend drag her along to the Earth Observatory.
The observatory was a stately room with high walls and a domed ceiling. A shallow basin emitting a bluish light was set on a high pedestal in the center of the room. Runes in old Angelic were inscribed all around its rim. At a platform adjacent to it were various lenses and devices that looked very steampunk. Mimi calibrated the settings of the Eye and honed in on the listings displayed for current and upcoming Broadway shows.
"Chicago, Pirates of Penzance, blah blah blah, we went to School of Rock last time. Ooh, Tangled!" Vicky exclaimed when she saw the title.
"What's that about?" Mimi asked.
"It's based on a movie, which is actually based on the Grimm fairy tale…" Vicky trailed off as a thought occurred to her.
"Is that the one you want to see?"
"I might persuade Malbonte to go with me to see that one." said Vicky, and hesitated the teeniest bit before adding, "It's sort of an inside joke."
"You don't have to tiptoe around mentioning his name to me, you know." Mimi rolled her eyes.
"I don't…" started Vicky, but Mimi's skeptical look stopped her. She grinned sheepishly. "Okay, maybe I do. But that's only because I know you dislike him."
"I'm not going to lie and say I like him. In fact, I suppose I didn't think you two…" Mimi trailed off.
"Would still be together?" Vicky asked dryly.
Mimi reluctantly nodded in acknowledgment. "He's still so cold and intimidating. I suppose he's not like that with you?"
Vicky smiled faintly and shook her head. "He's very gentle and thoughtful. We have a lot of fun together."
"You make him sound like some nanny slash butler," Mimi said.
"He's very," Vicky paused and a sparkle brightened her eyes, "passionate."
"Ah, I see…" Mimi smirked and wiggled her eyebrows suggestively. "Say no more. I get it."
"Shut up!" Vicky blushed and smacked her friend on the arm.
"Well, he seems to be treating you right, and I respect your choice. To give him his due, I wouldn't have been appointed as the Principal if not for the Equality Bill, but…" Mimi paused again.
"But he'll always be the guy who killed your dad," finished Vicky, soberly.
"Yes."
Vicky's heart gave a pang and she pulled Mimi into a hug. Mimi returned the embrace and when the two of them separated, both had tears in their eyes. This was one of the reasons why Vicky hadn't visited Mimi as often as she would have liked. She did not want her friend to feel as though she was flaunting her relationship with Malbonte. The war hadn't been kind to any of them, no matter on whose side they had been fighting. She and her friends were like islands in an atoll always within sight but unable to ever touch each other's shores even when surrounded by the same ocean.
Mimi hastily wiped her eyes and pretended to scowl at Vicky. "You've made me ruin my makeup."
Vicky laughed, dabbing at her cheek with a handkerchief. "Don't worry. You look perfect, as always!"
Mimi preened. "Naturally!"
Vicky laughed again. "Come on, let's go. People will be wondering where you went, and I need to get going."
***—***
On her flight back home, Vicky couldn't help rueing the fact that most immortals still considered Malbonte a monster. He was seen as a stern and decisive ruler with no patience for bureaucratic bumbling or duplicity. Vicky often acted as his mouthpiece and right hand when it came to delicate negotiations. Together, they were unstoppable. But no matter what reforms Malbonte instituted, many would never see beyond their preconceptions.
When Malbonte had escaped his prison, he had pursued his agenda of revenge with single-minded ruthlessness. The fact that he had given up on his revenge and agreed to work with Shepha did not seem to register with the majority of immortals. Frankly, most were still skeptical that Shepha had willingly agreed to Malbonte's terms after calling him a monster for so long, and assumed that the God of Light had been forced into signing the peace treaty. Shepha's usual practice of non-interference did not help clarify matters. As for Shephamalum, he was just a hazy figure to most people—he wouldn't be replacing Malbonte as the bogeyman of the zeitgeist any time soon, even though he was the true monster.
Only Vicky had seen Malbonte's softer side. She alone had seen him in those rare occasions when he laughed, how vulnerable he could be during intimate moments, how often he anticipated her wishes, comforted her when she had nightmares, and all the little things they shared in day to day life. She loved the way he teased her and how passionately he kissed her, as though he couldn't have enough. She loved his rugged handsomeness and his dark power running through her veins. She loved cuddling him in bed and waking up in his arms, though that privilege had become less frequent as of late. She had taken to staying at her mother's house during Malbonte's absences, only returning home when he did, because it wasn't fun living at his castle by herself.
This was why Vicky had jumped at the thought of spending a whole day on earth with Malbonte, away from all their responsibilities. He had just returned from yet another long stay in Hell, and she wanted to snatch a private moment with him before things got hectic again. Besides, Tangled was simply the perfect choice for the two of them!
When Vicky had first met Bont, she had cautiously given him a false name, just in case things went wrong. With Bont being imprisoned in a tower, a natural association of ideas had led her to giving her name as Rapunzel. She hadn't yet told Malbonte the reason behind it, and thought this was the perfect opportunity to do it.
***—***
Their visit to Broadway was a success. Between Council meetings and formal events Vicky and Malbonte "had" to attend, it hadn't been easy wrangling their schedules to block an entire day to visit earth. But Vicky had managed it and made reservations for the show. They went in mortal guises, as was typical with any earth visit for an immortal.
The production was spectacular, with stellar performances from the cast. Malbonte shot Vicky an amused glance when he figured out why she had brought him to see this play in particular. Vicky got a bit teary eyed towards the end and Malbonte put an arm around her comfortingly. After the show, they had dinner at the Hard Rock Cafe, and discussed the play and the origin of the "Rapunzel" nickname.
"To be fair, it's you that I should have nicknamed Rapunzel," Vicky teased.
Malbonte ruffled his hair and stated, "I don't seem to have the hair for it," in a deadpan voice.
"That's not the important part," Vicky said loftily. "You were stuck in the tower and needed rescue."
He arched his brow. "Are you calling me a damsel in distress?"
"Well…you were in distress." Vicky grinned. "And I did rescue you…"
Malbonte laughed softly. "I'll give you that…"
After dinner, Vicky insisted on doing the "tourist thing" at Times Square. The bright lights, flashing billboards, and entertainment held their own brand of magic. Street performers dressed as Mickey Mouse or Wolverine posed for pictures while tattoo and comic artists plied their trade in makeshift booths across the sidewalks. Acrobats and street musicians added to the general atmosphere of noise and chaos. Vicky succumbed to the persistence of a street artist who drew a comic portrait of her and Malbonte.
When they finally reached home, Vicky was tired out, but she felt too wired from all that excitement to be able to fall asleep right away. She decided to brew some calming tea and draw a relaxing bath. Once the water was steaming hot and sudsy, Vicky slowly sank into the bath and sighed. Malbonte entered the room shortly after. Though she had seen him in the nude countless times by now, the sight of his naked body still sent Vicky's pulse hammering. She shamelessly admired his handsome features, defined muscles, and the smattering of hair dotting his torso as he confidently strode up. She scooted forward to give him space to settle behind her then laid back against his chest.
Vicky immediately felt even more excited. Malbonte wrapped his arms around her, pressing against her wings as he nuzzled her neck. Vicky liked the feeling of being caged between his chest and his strong thighs. He shifted behind her as she ran her hands over his legs.
"Thank you for arranging this special day for us," Malbonte said.
Vicky blushed. "I wanted to spend some time away with you." She partially turned her head to look at him. "It's been a while since we did something fun together."
"That was thoughtful of you," Malbonte said and kissed her. It was a hard open mouthed kiss—lips, tongue, and teeth—and it left Vicky breathless and gasping. He then poured some soap into his hand and lathered up her body. Vicky returned the favor, both of them breathing hard by the end of it. They made love right there in the bathtub, the tempo adagio as they savored the finale to a magical evening.
They rinsed and toweled off after and helped each other wring out water from their wings. Vicky spread her wings and flapped them to get rid of the excess moisture. She giggled as droplets of water landed on Malbonte's towel-dried skin. He shook his head in mock-outrage.
Vicky brushed her teeth and put on a cozy nightgown. She took a tin of wing liniment from a shelf and joined Malbonte in bed. He lay half-reclined against a stack of pillows and was leafing through a book. Vicky wordlessly handed him the liniment tin and turned to sit with her back to him. Malbonte huffed out a laugh and the mattress buckled a little as he scooted closer. Vicky smiled to herself as she heard the tin crack open behind her. An involuntary shiver wracked her body as Malbonte started rubbing the concoction through the base of her wings with a soft yet steady touch.
Malbonte paused; his warm breath tickled her ear. "Afraid you started something you can't finish?" he whispered huskily.
"N..no!" Vicky stuttered.
Malbonte teasingly bit her earlobe, triggering another pleasant tremor. He laughed and placed a soft kiss on her cheek, then silently resumed applying the liniment. He could reduce her to a puddle in an instant!
When he was finished, Malbonte didn't pull back right away. He put his hands on her shoulders and asked abruptly, "Do you miss that part of mortal life? The entertainment and the bustle…"
Surprised by his question, Vicky twisted her neck to catch his eye. "Like all that frenzy in Times Square?" she clarified.
"Yes."
Vicky smiled faintly and shook her head. "No. Broadway, Times Square—those aren't real life, not even for humans. They are wonderful for an evening, but the true satisfaction is in coming home and sleeping it all off in your own bed." She pressed her hand over his reassuringly. "I don't miss being human. I'm loving the life we have here."
A small smile graced Malbonte's lips. "I'm glad," he said. He squeezed her shoulders once and let go.
Vicky took the open tin from Malbonte and crawled across the bed to kneel behind him. She scooped up a dab of ointment and brushed it through his wing roots. His deep maroon feathers rustled in response to her touches. After she was done, she rubbed some balm over the deep grooves of Shephamalum's tattoo etched between Malbonte's shoulder blades. He tensed slightly but remained still. It had taken him some time to get comfortable with Vicky touching him there. The skin at the ridges felt dry and irritated—he clearly hadn't been taking care of himself properly. Vicky's heart ached for him, thinking of the horrors he must have suffered trapped with that monster. She had tried to get him to open up about his experience once or twice, but he always shied away from that topic, and Vicky did not like to insist. She could only hope that one day he would be ready to trust and confide in her about that part of his life.
Her job done, Vicky kissed the nape of his neck, then closed the tin and set it on the nightstand. She wiped her fingers on the linen cloth Malbonte handed her and laid down, turning to her side so the liniment wouldn't rub off on the sheets. Malbonte blew out the candles and joined her, pulling up the bed covers over them. Vicky snuggled up to him with a sigh of contentment.
Vicky wondered what had made Malbonte ask her about her human life. When they were still enemies, he had apologized to her for causing her death. Did he think she still held it against him? She hadn't lied when she denied missing her earthly life, though she would give anything to see her father again. Sighing, Vicky pushed away such thoughts and closed her eyes, the fatigues of the day finally catching up to her.
"Good night!" she mumbled into Malbonte's chest, already drifting off as he echoed her wish.
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Hope you enjoyed the chapter!
