effect of a strong impact on the head moved into something fiery. It was not only the body, but also consciousness. He seemed to be trapped, there is no exit.
The gold creation still stood before his eyes. The heart beats like a caught bird.
His statue! His deity! Perhaps he himself created from the shrine an idol. And here is the punishment. The devil took the appearance of this idol.
It seems that this time the devil won. Ferdinand left only one desire, go to his beloved statue of angel, rush to her knees and reveal the veins. Let the blood wage the sculpture, flushing all his sins. And pain and desire to sin then simply will not remain. But how then the Order will have time to find and dedicate the next favorite. He cannot let down everyone. Can not! Nevertheless, the image of gold creation firmly sat down in his brain. He looked in the night, and saw Nicolette. Her lips moved slightly, like fading snakes.
«I am your death, and you are mine,» the words also sounded in the brain, almost burning.
«Do you not have little things for the needy?»
Ferdinand did not immediately notice some a beggar, but obediently put him a coin. Only a strange cut-off beggar in a torn cape not immediately left him.
«Gold!» He turned the coin in clawed brown hands. «Do you know that all gold in the world is from the devil?»
Ferdinand didn’t see the monstrous face under the hood, but saw only the scandal curls of Nicolette, the golden beauty of the fallen angel.
«Yes, I know,» he said with difficulty.
A strange creature suddenly laughed.
«Do not fall into trouble!» It warned and left.
«I already got,» he wanted to say, but could not. It was not just a trouble. It was the end of the world! For him one! And this is just some days before the end comes for the whole world.
If Nicolette survives and comes to power, the devil will own the whole world.
But how can you think about the elimination of the creature, without the beauty of which, the world seems to cease to exist?
How can you split the shrine to that you are praying?
All the paths suddenly became curves and wrong. And all because of this meeting. It was impossible to look at her earlier than you bring a ritual knife, but he looked. And everything suddenly changed.
Ferdinand returned not to himself in the cell, and broke into the chapel, fell on his knees before the altar, not far from the niche with a statue. He could easily pass for a madman. He asked all the saints about forgiveness and strengthen, he almost sobbed, because the prayers did not help. From the inside it seemed to burn fire.
He stood on his knees an hour, maybe more, and could stay night all night, if anyone’s hand suddenly did not lie on the shoulder.
The young man flinched and turned around.
«It happens with everyone,» said the old monk.
«With everyone?»
«All who are struggling with the evil, renounced from their own desires?»
«And how to deal with them?» Ferdinand strains, but nothing came to mind.
«Only killing the flesh,» the monk slightly moved the cassock, showing terrible scars.
Ferdinand nodded as a sign of understanding. When the monk went out, he took out his dagger. Beautiful thing with dragons on the handle and a deadly blade. This blade was designed to the devil, not him, but now there was a special moment. Ferdinand put the blade on the left palm and spent them on the skin with all his might. The cut was deep. Blood spoke immediately, but it did not make it easier. Probably because his desire was not physical. The soul suffered from it. And the angel in the niche greedily looked at his blood, and as if he was smiling.
Dreams of a Dragon
The feeling was as if her suddenly cut off. Nicolette looked at the left palm. Nothing! But the feeling that the blade passed by hand, cutting the skin to the blood, was so real. She already did not remember when the last time she made rituals with an admixture of her own blood. The estate in the forest has long been moaning from the number of victims. Surely, so many ghosts lived here that they were not counted. But none of them would not dare to disturb her. But one living creation dares. Nicholette frowned again, remembering the azure eyes and silky strands. What still in this young man was so special. Something that was not even in lost heaven. The feeling of some secret kinship. As if everything you had to find was already found.
Nicolette came home. Under the guise of a cold statue it was impossible to see the hellish fire. But the fire monster was sitting inside and waited.
This hour will come soon. Hell’s watch will beat soon. Nicolette felt like lips burned from her own inner flame.
«You are like Edwin,» unexpectedly she heard a voice from the dark hallway. Nicolette did not even turn. She knew who was there.
«Have you been familiar with him personally?»
«Perhaps, but only without officially presentation,» said Brett
«They say, he has a damn at the courtyard, it’s hard to get an audience,» in her voice, sarcasm was barely distinguished. She never was at this court, often described only in fairy tales. Over the court of evil spirits rules that whom she could well consider as her brother. Or almost such. It seems to be so beautiful as the devil himself, in the days of his fame in heaven. Therefore, Nicolette tried to do not particularly look at him. She needed to avoid the temptations. It was impossible to admit rapprochement with any living being, which will be valuable for her. And Edwin could become just like that. His name seems to be made by magic symbols, and blood was the same self-turning, like her. He could turn into the real dragon with golden scales. Maybe, so he too rarely left the limits of his empire, invisible for mortals. For people, he was also too a big temptation: beautiful and dangerous.
Today’s night was a moment of celebration. She killed not for the first time. But the last victim has especially a black soul. But the blood was sweet. Nicolette was grinned. Lips as if still in the blood are sweeter than raspberry juice.
«Have you ever thought about meeting him?» Soft baritone of Brett echoed in the ears.
Nicolette was amazed. What’s this? Jealousy? Previously, he did not allow himself this. Perhaps so before she did not think about who he was actually so. A friend who did not make up for a year, although when she was a child, he was already an adult man. Since then, wrinkles have not appeared on his beautiful face. He froze into the state of his youth, as a perfect picture, only without dust and cracks. Nicolette did not surprise the fact that a person may not grow old at all. For creatures, it seems to be natural. Only Brett was not such a creation. He was something else, but so far he became her faithful companion and mentor. This situation suited both. Dark friendship. Union in the darkness. Therefore, they lived together, not counting those moments when she spent the nights in the crypt. An abandoned estate, lost in the forests, belonged to both of them equally.
It was quite luxurious here. Although they did not hold mortal servants. Their servants were invisible.
There was a small dragon on her desk. Absolutely gold, with another transparent wings and tail. He looked more like a toy than a dangerous creature. But soon he will become so. He will not even need to grow. When the clock points the fateful hour, he will throw off his visible vulnerability as the egg shell. In his eyes, similar to two living topaz, already sparkled the premonition of the soon rebirth and full power. Therefore, the look seemed dangerous.
The little dragon itself is placed in the forest, as well as many other creatures, crossed the line between the worlds. They felt Nicolette and stretched to her, like to a magnet. They knew that their place was at her throne.
Brett found a dragon in the forest and brought here. His hands were burned, and burns did not pass instantly. Nicolette