"Running through my head… they're still fighting, with their tank and the swords and their darkness in my head," Avalon sighed, looking over the map. Salvtore had just left, leaving her with Sandel. Avalon glanced at Sandel, her gaze hardened then before, Sandel moved on her shoulder, the faint conversation they had still in their minds playing back like a video.
"He can make more angels just by hatred alone? "
Salvatore asked, leaning on the table, his dress shirt unbuttoned from the heat coming from the two, like an oven someone just opened, blasting him. Salvatore let out a grunt, glaring at the two,
"I wouldn't say hatred alone, he did it because he could, he tested it even with Maxien, and we've seen it changed her, but the strength bestowed on her we have no concept yet of it."
Sandel explained her flame, turning to the map, scanning over it, the image of Mazien burned into her head, the black ink placed over her making it look more unnatural than before. She examined the tattoos over the image,
"Only time will tell what they have done to her,"
Sandel remembered the face he made, trying to hide behind a mask of indifference while his eyes spoke of the haunting guilt he felt for this, for him, Sandel let out a soft, thoughtful hum,
"He was playing the cold hearted boss well, but his eyes that led to his heart, he couldn't hide it there, the guilt that covers him like a glove," Sandel expressed,
Avalon stared at the flame, her eyes timid, her hand tight at her side, her flames, the heat surged around the room, Sandel almost searing the table,
"He was, wasn't he?"
"Try to keep it under the preference of ceo, but can't hide the lingering guilt or doubt, not from us at least," Sandel huffed
"Sandel," Avalon started her gaze reverted to the map, the flame moved turning to her without moving away from the image of Maxien looking more dead than alive, the tattoos could almost move off the image and grab them,
"It happened with them, they have their enforcers taking on a likeness of them, the power that's coming off them made them angels in their own right, and that meant," Avalon stopped staring at Sandel, the flame grew helping the heat in the room feel like the inside of fire place, Sandel stared at her through the fire Avalon could see her angels small form a woman lean her eyes round but her the clear colorful gleam that met hers, Avalon glanced at the flames,
"This is you…and the woman I met before is,"
"Yes, that…that was me," Sandel interrupted, her flame twisting the grew, shining with multicolored forms on the table a woman built of flame much like her sat there on the edge her flames curled around her,
"Then what you've done that day was…" Avalon stopped hearing her voice more clearly, recognizing the voice was clear. more high then inside the flame, Avalon lean to Sandel her hand holding onto the table, hearing Sandel speak once again
"To protect you from my mistakes, that why that beam appeared taking you," Sandel explained, moving a hand appeared tracing over Avalon's arm the tattoos that linger over her body, the tattoos glowed in Sandel's touch, reacting to the unkept power coming off the angel, it glowed green a deep one as it went back plain.
"I felt Peter had been for some time, I watched him like he asked, coming down to earth observing the lives of each human until that day i heard him say watch for a human with living fire for hair, silver eyes that matched the clouds he made, pale skin with dimples all over her shoulder and face, the age of seven running through a dark alley way, dirt covering her with blood dripping off her torn dress shirt, feral after stealing two bags of fast food rushing off,"
Sandel explained her eyes Avalon saw through the fire, the angelic woman in the set of flames stared back at her, the woman long white hair with a soft guilt ridden smile, lips like chess cloths but pink face round with a soft button noise, just like before. Avalon dazed moved her hand towards Sandel, her eyes squinting, colorful Sandel power ran through them and when Avalon touched her arm, Sandel's smile grew,
"Good your remembering me now,"
Sandel flame whispered around raising her hand to Avalon letting her grab it, Avalon felt the heat crossing through her hand, it burned her from the inside, Avalon felt it crawling towards her shoulder,
"Remeber? What..are you going on about Sandel, you..your not her,"
"I am the her that found you, not the one that made you,"
Avalon stopped, her breathing halted, her fire even stopped into a light smolder, her eyes itched from not blinking, she stared at the flame, the angel the woman who she found to be her companion, the one that brought her down to earth had her use the flame Sandel commanded without proper training, she remembered the boisterous laughter coming from Antony, while Sandel moved her flames around Avalon a connection,
"You remember that but can't recall the first time I saw you?" Sandel broke her train of thought, Avalon stared at her almost glaring at her moving her hand back hesitantly,
"I only remember you as a voice or a woman in the clouds, or the angel on my shoulder not an old friend that caught her..at a time she couldn't even remember,
"I see the memory there is fogy or" Sandel hummed taking Avalon's cheek turning her head side to side, Sandel's eyes glowed squinting trying to look,
"Its missing"
Sandel let out dropping Avalon's chin staring at her, losing something dear. Sandel pulled her hand back setting it to her side, the flame grew back a soft understanding smile still placed on her round face.
"That time must have been so traumatic for you, Avalon," Sandel whispered, looking down at what seemed to be her lap, but the flames curled around her iridescent, up to her face, the smile once filled with understanding shifts, and Avalon's eyes widen, sharp. messy. tragic.
"I can't even see it in your head for myself, something back then you were even in the dark parts of Niniane, you were just a swarm of orange rage and hunger, clinging onto whatever you can, you..you cat remember?" She asked eyes shining, fragile, Avalon could see that, like water she saw past her small smile, Avalon cast her eyes to the ground,
"No, I don't even remember that. All I know is that I was working at fifteen in a small start up, little did I know Salvatore was already watching me,"
Avallon answered her voice so hard to not crack under the weight, the conviction he sees in her own angel, her friend that stayed by her side since he came back, saved her from Lugh, her heart being pierced. Then the words broke that Sandel kept a strained small smile, her hands on her cheek, leaning on it, she tried to act like it didn't bother her.
"Thats… that's fine, it doesn't matter now," Sandel muttered she stood up her glowing body covered in flames, looked up at Avalon, head tilted back, with an aloof grin her hand twist an orange of fire before them,
"You can't just say that. Dropping something of this magnitude on me to expect me to let it go for something else,"
"Marcello,"
Sandel dropped her voice was sparse, she choked on the last syllable. Her flames curled around her face cradling her, when hair, long white, beautiful hair flowed through the fire, curling with it, her eyes doe held immense trouble in them, Avalon felt her tattoos radiating heat the green glow mixed and iridescent fighting on her body, her breathing picked up worried,
"Why are you talking about Marcello what are you talking about," Avalon let out confused, her hands held out in case she had to reach out, to take hold of Sandel if she falls or even if she fades, maybe just to hold something real, feeling so conflicted, her life she couldn't remember until her teens now Sandel laid it out only for another piece to fit in place,
"You kept him alive, thought me through what I've placed in you grew, that fire you made didn't just keep him alive, it made him like Maxien. But you kept his soul here attached to his body. He's still alive but an angel," Sandel explained
Avalon halted her hands, having a slight shake her watery eyes, closing her eyes Avalon felt the heat from her body placed in his heart, the tears that felt to be magma down her face onto his face, then her screech. One that the whole building heard, Avalon shaked once more before it stopped, she put her hands to her ide her eyes her gaze a stern glare,
"He's like Maxien? He's an angel, like you. Like me?" Avalon asked her eyes taking on Sandel's color,
"You are right for the most part he's more like you still human but given a monstrous power, it becomes them, you have more of me so more angel. Marcello has less than you, only small, you pulled so much of what I gave you into him.."
Sandel stopped her lips trembling and her eyes shut for a moment trying to formulate the words, but it didn't come out. Avalon watched her seeing the hesitating. Down right holding back from what she wanted to say. Frightened, Avalon walked to her hand reached out her finger tips touching Sandel's flame, Sandel tilted her head a faint frown on her lips trying not to tremble,
"IM surprised your living after that," Sandel admitted
"You're surprised that I'm alive?" Avalon asked stunned her voice clouded with barley held up by a wall of sternness, a wall built against her whole life, Sandel broke it saying,
"Because you almost gave him everything just to keep him breathing, to keep his own soul there, you made yours almost translucent."
Sandel flames receded from her body, showing. She showed her hair covering her face, mimicking the flames, her hand gripping the table, Avalon could hear the cracks coming from it.
"I warned you so much. I tried, but I heard your soul it was crying out to him, and you gave it. He's alive, but a hybrid like the other, however, where they stayed conscious, Marcello had died in the transfer, this is something I haven't seen and haven't experienced. Not with Antony, yu Avalon i had to guess how Marcello would survive, and he is,"
Sandel explained her flames shed her face, other than her eyes, she let go, barely pushing off the table, leaving burn marks on the table. The projection flickered from it casting the room in only their glow.
"Still alive, his brain still active, his heart never been healthier, his body even healed after there was an accident with taking his blood. It cut into his main vein in his arm, it…stichted itself back together before they could try and fix it." Sandel finished,
She stood before Avalon, a small smile on her face, making her flames only curl in her hair, feet, and back. She showed herself, openly, her body covered in white and iridescent armor, white fabric that seemed to change color with the light, she let her hands fall to her side, her head turned to Avalon, her flames cradling her.
"You kept him alive by your sheer will, for now listen to my suggestions, I won't order you. But hear me please,"
Sandel begged, she laid her head forward, her eyes never leaving Avalon, she felt a burn down her cheek, Avalon watched her, not tearing herself apart but laying it bare, Avalon witnessed this being powerful, humble, loyal to a fault. Poured out her spirit not thinking of the cost. Avalon watched the angel how the flames that matched hers,
"I will hear you out, I told you I couldn't let him die," Avalon answered, voice almost cold, but that was a lie, for her stare was like Sandel's one of great strength and grief, Sandel found herself lost. For wards and outcomes, Avalon strides to her hand, reaching and taking hold of Sandel's wrist, Sandel stared at her breath hitching, new. Something new wandered through Avalon's skin,
"Avalon?" Sandel gasped
Avalon stared at her gaze, squinting sternly, her hand let go with a huff Avalon tilted her head to the side her orange hair flustered,
"It matters if Marcello is this however, right now my attention must be on the family and their allies, you have to understand Sandel you were here with me for a bit this is my life and most time the shots are called by me, on the fly, in the heat of shit hitting the fan,"
Avalon smiled large, her lips even curled, "but I'm sure you've seen that already, think you can handle it again?" Avalon waited seeing Sandel's reaction, hoping she didn't harm her at all, but when Avalon starts to worry, Sandel frown turned up ward,
"I have seen it, and you are miraculously still here, my star,"