We Dream of Hope

Heart to Heart

The sun quickly for it being up extra hours of the day. The night descended drawing dark shadows over the town restricting the view Nadia had. After hearing everyone was asleep Sera came in quietly. She walked so as not to make any noise missing all the squeaky floorboards and dancing around light footed. Extra care was placed in the dark to where everyone’s position was, she didn’t want to stumble and wake up anyone. Finally after expertly landing at Nadia’s side she planted her head in her arms resting them on the windowsill. “Let’s go outside.” She stared distantly at the buildings stretching toward the sky. 

Nadia looked at her in shock at the prospect of abandoning her post, “Shouldn’t I be on watch?”

She shrugged her response not entirely convinced Nadia was going to be a fair lookout to being with, “Like I said, this place is the safest you can be. Nothing to really look for. Besides, I wanted to talk with you. You know, without them.” pointing a finger behind her she looked more amazed that not even a rustle was caused by their talking. “They’ve had a long day anyway.” She reached forward and pulled herself over the ledge flipping and landing silently on the grass below. 

Nadia followed but made a few more than desired noises including a soft “ouch,” when she twisted her arm awkwardly. 

They didn’t go far, it was just outside the reach of earshot to prying friends. Sera after turning and tapping her heels together looked back with a smile completely at ease with the company she kept. Nadia, after so many days having to hold in her discomfort, didn’t wait for an invitation before she began to vent. 

“What’s wrong with me Sera?”

“What do you mean dear?” Stepping close she held out a hand touching Nadia’s forearm. 

“A few days ago I was just so happy. Now, everything is different. I don’t think I’m happy anymore and I’m very confused by everything going on. I mean concerning Aidan and everyone.” It surprised her that she added Aidan as a matter of importance. She had a different feeling for him, they hadn’t really had much time together and what time they had seemed to be draped with exploitation of emotions and trickery. 

“Well,” Sera began, then backed up quickly unsure where she was supposed to start, “Look, I know what you’ve been through. I haven’t been through it, but I saw it in your head. It was challenging and you don’t know where the demon ends and your life begins. The only thing I can tell you is that you need to start over.”

“What?”

“Start over, if you don’t know who you are then go off and think about what you want. You’ve spent far too much time wrapped up and controlled. No one knows what that's like you do and believe me when I say this you need to figure out who you are.” She sat down in the grass and patted beside her beckoning Nadia to join in.

She took her seat next to Sera and quickly leaned back resting her head on the ground, “I’m worried though.”

Sera leaned back to join her and stuck her legs far into the air tapping them together to amuse herself, “What is the biggest thing you’re worried about?” She dropped her feet with a heavy thud, “I can train Odion and Ma’at they are strong and they know what they want. You, you seem to be stuck, so tell me, what’s the one thing you are worried most about?”

She wanted to scream so many things at once, but stopped herself, she couldn’t really think of the most important one. 

Sera must have read it though and huffed loudly, “Okay, so let’s begin with you. You’re Hope’s daughter. She was the last angel and well regarded as the one to elude Lucifer. He never really liked that feeling she left.” she laughed for a moment thinking of a far off memory but jumped back to the present, “I can tell you Nadia, you’re strong. You just lack confidence. You have your moments, but they are few and far between. Before you start into Aidan, you need to think about yourself. Don’t go into anything without knowing who you are, it could change you for the worst.”

“What do you mean about Aidan?” She sat up and looked confused.

“Dear, he’s pining for you, you’re a little too naive to think it’s anything more than a simple trick he’s playing, but he’s head over heels for you. He’s got his reasons for it, but-” she hopped up and started to pace, “I’ve known Aidan a long time, I’ve known him enough to tell you that you two need to stay away from each other for a while. Right now, you’re still learning about what you are. Angels naturally hate demons. Demons naturally hate angels. It’s not so much that you want to kill each other, but you are wired to kill demons, and until you can get a better grasp on your feelings you two need to maintain your distance.”

She nodded and stayed silent. Nadia really thought she did need some time alone, but as Sera talked with her she had to admit she did want to seriously m**m that dumb demon. 

“Nadia, look, I’ll have a talk with him and get him to stay away from you for a while. Just while you get things sorted out. I’m not wanting you two to never see each other, I actually think you're great together, as a team, not necessarily anything more. It’s certainly a force Lucifer would absolutely despise. However, can you please do me a favor and just not seek him out? I want you to get in touch with yourself and that means staying by the house. Once you’re able to figure out what you want then we’ll talk about opening up to others.”

“Can you at least tell me more about Hope? I mean I just used to look up to her and now knowing everything she did. I just…” she didn’t hate her, she just was rushed with negative feelings and she couldn’t put a word to them. 

“I never wanted you to hate your mother.” Looking at Nadia she lowered her gaze and her stomach dropped, “As much as I hated what I had to do for her, I still loved her. She had a lot of tough choices to make during a difficult time. We all strayed from the path we wanted to walk. That’s why we failed.” She dropped to her knees meeting Nadia’s face, “Hope, she carried a lot of weight in the end. She had a son before everything started to get really bad. His name was Von, she wanted me and Von to be together. The demons caught him and did terrible things.” she cut herself off remembering what happened. “After everything Hope swore she wouldn’t ever let them kill another child so if she saw a weakness she took care of it. Losing Von changed her and it wasn’t for the best. It woke up a deeper distrust in the world.”

“I’m sorry.” Nadia didn’t know Sera had anyone else she cared for like that, she always figured that Sera was just there unattached to the people from years of surviving. 

“Don’t be, I loved Von, but he wasn’t up for everything Hope straddled him with.” she retreated not entirely happy to recall Von after all these years, “I didn’t want to offend you by telling you what we did. I just wanted you to know there is a difference between your consequences and your actions. Right now I’m dealing with the consequences of my actions and I’m not even close to making up for it.” 

She nodded and then thought of something that might help her with everything, “If you want me to be able to look after myself can I ask you a favor.”

Sera nodded knowing good and well where this was headed. 

“I can’t be myself with you guys trespassing into my head. Can you-”

“Say no more!” Sera held up a hand and smiled, “Nadia, you’re far stronger than you know and you will always be stronger than we are. Your blood made us, we cannot be stronger than our creator. With that said,” she touched her arm holding her hand there for comfort, “You have to be the one to make us stop. We cannot help ourselves from hearing when you truly want us to hear your thoughts. It’s a communication pathway after all and it’s based on instinct. You have to get that mental fortitude in place and shut yourself up.” 

She huffed upset there wasn’t anything else that could be done. She would have loved for there to be a magical solution, but in the end, this was ultimately her power and she did need to control it.

“Now, you get back there and let me go talk to your admirer.” Sera winked and patted her on the knee, “I’ll be back before long.”

She lunged forward springing to her feet watching as Nadia climbed back into the house and started off. She could smell where Aidan was, perhaps hoping to get a late-night gander at the delicacy he was infatuated with. Sera knew this was going to be a challenge. He was hard-pressed to listen to her on a good day. Now, she was tasked with getting him to ignore an interest for someone else’s sake. Another thing Aidan wasn’t particularly good at thinking of others. Putting aside the fact he was smitten, Sera knew he was going to be self-searching. He wasn’t accustomed to emotions in the way others felt them. He was more demon than human and she was certain he was battling whether he wanted to tear her up or tear her clothes off. If she could intercept him and get him to choose the third option: leave her alone, everything would be fine.

Sera sniffed the air knowing he was a little too close for the exchange that took place hours ago. Is he a complete i***t? She scolded him and played through how this interaction was going to go. He was going to act nonchalant and try to toss away the dangerous predicament at hand, and she resigned herself to being the voice of reason as always. As she dashed around the scent led her upwards. The buildings weren’t very tall this far from the epicenter, but she still had to grab and make a running jump to the various balconies before she could make it to the roof.

There sitting like a proud productive member of society resided the one and only born demon of wrath. He raised a wine glass filled with water to her entrance before taking a swig. Water evaporated before it reached his lips and steamrolled around him filling the air. He seemed to be unphased by this and smiled wide behind the glass as Sera drew ever closer,  “I wondered how long it would take you to find me.” 

Rolling her eyes she made her way toward him taking note of the telescope and a rather magnificent setup he had for himself. A blanket sprawled out on the rooftop, the chair positioned on its corner with a candle, basket, and plates with glasses set for two were carefully placed in the center. “What’s all this then?”

He shrugged before taking another long immersion into the water vapor, just for the spiteful reason to make the conversation last longer.

“Well it’s finished, pack up and get going buster!” She wasn’t going to play his games. Aidan knew this was more infuriating to her than anyone else in the discussion, but she had spoiled his fun earlier so why not make her suffer now? “I mean it Aidan, my son might have Nadia’s interests at heart right now, but that Ma’at is a live wire, she’s going to skewer you the first chance she gets.”

He paused from his long drink and looked her straight in the eyes, “Last I checked, you brought her to this town, you know of the prophecy for us, and you know how much I need her.”

Again she met him with a roll of her eyes, but this one was more for her own defeat, she had in one afternoon completely destroyed a sanctuary he had created for himself and it was done almost effortlessly. “Okay.” she huffed, “I admit, I did invite her here. I understand this prophecy about as much as anybody. However!” holding up a hand she quickly continued before he could interrupt which he was clearly gearing up to do, “In my defense, this was a very spur of the moment thing and completely unplanned. She and her friends are in a completely different place than they should be,” rubbing her temple she pondered just how unplanned this entire situation was. It was the last thing she wanted to do this year, and yet everything had to change, “Look, I’m sorry it happened, but honestly after the light a few days ago did you really think everything was going to stay the same?”

“I would have preferred notice, especially with this one. You and I both know it’s not Lucifer that’s going to come check on that light.” Aidan knew how much this girl meant to Seraphine, but she meant that much more to him. Sera wasn’t the only one at risk here and it was only a matter of time before more unwanted things started to take place. Still, the gravity of the situation was outweighed and he was growing more uncomfortable the longer the tension was raised between them, the only thing he could do is try to break it with a smart comment, “I mean please, this girl is just delicious, if you gave me more time I could have made a better impression.”

“Stop that!” 

Tension broken and Sera was flustered. Aidan cracked a smile at his triumph, “Oh please Ser, as if I would really try anything with her. She’s the angel, love, and you know I only have eyes for you.” he winked knowing this was going to be received with far less welcome than any other comment he would make tonight. 

“Let me put this thought out there for the tiny little demonic brain you have to process,” she paused and drew in a deep breath pointing a finger and wagging it the entire time, “That little girl is the personification of innocence and your little corrupt rift of rage are not going to go within two feet of her without someone else there.” Again she drew a long inhale before continuing, “I will totally put on a front for them but for their sake, they don’t know what’s really happening here, you as the dumbass you are, will respect my order to stay away from her.”

He chuckled which only made Sera more upset, but it was too late, this was getting fun, the most they had spoken in weeks and she couldn’t hold it together, “I know all of this will just make matters worse, but honestly dear.” He walked over and placed a hand on her shoulder she was so tiny compared to him his hand weighed heavily on her engulfing her from the neck to her arm, “Calm down, you’re acting a little brash don’t you think? I mean please, I’m not going to go chasing after her. She’s just a breath of…” he paused not knowing how to continue the thought. He thought before he was just joking around with her, but now thinking about it realistically, he did desire her on some different level he never felt before. She stirred something in him and he just couldn’t put it into words on what it was. 

This pause felt different to Sera, his hand weighed on her and as he continued to ponder it grew heavier. This was a familiar feeling to her, she went through the same thoughts when she was younger. “She gives you hope Aidan.” The whisper was just to comfort, but it carried a far greater meaning.

He took his hand back and looked at Sera confused, “Hope?” he scoffed and brushed his horns scratching his head with discomfort, “I don’t think you understand what you’re saying there.”

She shrugged and walked over to the blanket to dig through the basket, “Nah, I do.. This is actually a good thing, it means you have some human part in you still.” Looking through the basket there was nothing really sustaining just a few bits of dried meat and what looked like bread.

“Yeah, I don’t think it would be something so serious as hope though. I mean let’s rule out the worst case scenario.”

“Is it so bad though?” She took all the meat out and shoved it in her mouth, spitting bits out as she continued to talk, “You’re a young demon maybe you’re human half is catching up and trying to take over with your demon half starving.” 

“I would think all things considered it would be bad. All of this would be for nothing.” 

“Okay fine, so you’re more human than we thought, it just delays us a bit.” She swung the telescope around pointing it to the stars and glared at him, knowing full and well what he was looking at, “Look, how about we backtrack this a bit? We need to think through this a bit more if you are more human.”

“I’m really not liking where this is going.” he grabbed his chair and spun it around sitting in it backward, “Continue though, I’m sure I’ll completely disagree with you after I hear your terrible plan.”

She sat down and placed the basket on her lap continuing to pick through its contents, “Whatever loser,” she rolled her eyes, “I think you need to give Nadia some time and stay away, then after you are confident you no longer feel what you feel,” she looked him up and down judging him and what she was certain were inappropriate feelings, “then you come back around, and see if you feel it again.”

“What the hell will that accomplish?”

“Well for starters if you never stop feeling it then they never see you again, so win for them.” Sera was met with an unimpressed scowl and she left that punchline alone, “All jokes aside if you keep away from her then you will be able to think clearly. If she’s changing your emotions then you’re going to be unpredictable, you’re feeling things you don’t know how to process and until you figure it out you need to tread carefully. Nadia is quite literally the last hope and if you do anything to hurt her or those she cares about you’re going to figure out just how much control of this place your father doesn’t have.”

Aidan considered the offer and why it needed to happen, he didn’t think it was going to be so difficult to agree to stay away. What the hell is she doing to me? He held his head and dug his nails into his hair. This was some girl he just met, it shouldn’t be so hard to stay away from her. He thought about how adorable she had looked watching the building. She smiled just over the silliest things. It was a cool building, but he never really cared to look at anything in the town, it just seemed not his. Then she walked in, that little fluke of perpetual sunshine beaming rays of delight and wonder onto a stupid building of greek women. Why am I caring so much about this? He cursed again. This is silly. 

“Taking your time there bud?” She slapped a large piece of bread into her mouth and grinned ear to ear, “please do take your time, not like I’ve got anywhere else to be.”

He sneered before returning to his thoughts. It was supposed to be simple, just say yes!

Sera rolled her eyes and tossed the basket off her lap before crawling over to Aidan and grabbing both his knees, “This is what I mean, you’re making this into something that it is clearly not!” She growled and placed her elbows on his knees propping herself up, “look, just give it a week at most, I’m telling you your head will clear and hers will too. You kids are just kids. You don’t know what’s going on and neither of you has really had the chance to live life, so please, for the sake of us all, do not tap that.” 

He shook himself at that little jab, “Excuse me? I most certainly am not considering that.”

She tilted her head and peered into his eyes, “Really Romeo, the girl is adorable, and she’s a freaking angel, you most certainly are thinking with your d**k on this, or else you’d have agreed to the deal by now.”

“Fine, I agree to the deal.” It was quick and very aggressive, but he accepted the offer only to get Sera to shut her mouth about what he was or was not thinking about. 

“Knew that would get you.” She winked and stood up giggling, “Don’t worry, this is really for the best Aidan, she needs some time to figure out who she is.”

“She’s been her for her entire life, wouldn’t she know by now?” Aidan crossed his arms pouting that he had fallen for her trap. 

“Dear, she’s been a prisoner her entire life, she didn’t even know she’s an angel.”

His eyebrow c****d at the thought, but Sera slapped his knee before he could entertain anything further.

“Don’t!”

“I wasn’t!” He shouted back, “I just was wondering where she was being held.” 

Shrugging Sera tried to think of where they could have been, she thought she had searched everywhere near here years ago. She certainly had made thorough swoops miles out and back, so how could she have missed the prison? “Not sure, I know they mentioned a mountain once, but last I checked demons couldn’t climb up them still.”

“Right.” He nodded not wanting to give away anything. He knew this wasn’t the case anymore, demons were climbing them years before the war ended, it was just a guarded secret that they could. “Look, I’m happy to keep my distance, so are we done here?”

"Not entirely." Ser winked and threw her head back, "We both know Lucifer isn't the kind of ruler to do things himself. So, who is dear ol'daddy sending to do his dirty work?"

He thought for a few moments going over the five demons who were qualified to do the job, "Two possible ones. One would be far more preferable than the other."

"So they could meet Riley before we know it then?" turning away Sera hid her dismay, Riley was the one demon that was sure to take care of things in an unsavory way.

"I'd say Nyx is more likely. Father needs to give her something to do every now and then just to show she's still alive." 

"Let's just hope for everyone's sake it's Nyx."

"Yeah." Aidan scratched his horn looking down. If he wasn't a demon one would have mistaken him for praying, but Sera knowing better knew it was wishful thinking. 

"Relax, just get home. I'll be sure to let you know the minute anything changes."