Nox Inferno

Chapter 6: BOA and Magic

I was pushed into the room before I could protest. Who says something like that and pushes them into a room? The room is almost completely blanketed in darkness except for a small white bulb shining above a wooden chair.

“Hello?” I called out but nothing responded but my echo.

So I tried again, “Hello Oziel?”

This time a voice responded, “Take a seat.” It hissed out.

I obliged, and I carefully made my way to the chair. I sat down and the chair groaned in protest.

“Take off your sweatshirt.” The voice hissed out, not wanting to be rude, I took off my sweatshirt, which left me in a white tank top.

“What’s your name?” The voice asked in a hiss.

“Twyla Chantelle.” I spoke searching for the owner of the voice. I squinted my eyes and I saw from the furthest left a shadow moved.

“Do you wish to see me?” The voice asked in a condescending tone.

Hesitance caused my voice to waver, when I said, “Yes.”

The shadow moved closer, but was taking their time, “Do you know my name?” It asked.

“Oziel.” I said and it stopped at the rim of light, illuminated by the light bulb dangling over my head.

The shadow laughed, “I am Oziel, the unloved daughter of Satan. So I ask again, do you wish to see me?”

Satan? As in the little devil with horns and tail. I wanted to laugh at the thought, but she sounded very serious.

“Yes.” I said again, but this time with confidence I didn’t have.

She stepped into the light and pushed the dark cloak away revealing her pasty red face, accented by her white pupils, her copper hair and blood red lips. With a smirk she pulled off the cloak and revealed a pastel pink silk dress and two long red horns.

“Like what you see?” She hissed and picked up the cloak.

“Uh...” Not wanting to offend her, “You surprised me, but I like your hair.” I motioned to her hair cropped around her face, making her eyes look whiter.

“Thank you.” She smiled and the retreated into the darkness for a brief second, when she reappeared, she was holding a dark blue bottle filled with a purple liquid, “Your hand.”

I held out my hand and she grasped onto it with one hand revealing her long nails, that looked like claws. With the other she popped of the cork at poured the some of the content into my hand.

“This may hurt.” She whispered so softly; I almost didn’t hear her.

The purple liquid began to solidify, and it began morphing into a black snake with hints of color decorating it. All I could do was stare at its haunting red eyes as it begun to travel up my arm. When there was no more arm left, it slithered up my collar bone and rested its head between my neck.

I felt Oziel tighten her grip on my hand, as the snake moved its head back and pierced its fangs into my neck. I could feel the venom traveling up my neck and creeping into my face, but oddly enough it didn’t hurt. It was just mildly uncomfortable, and I felt it’s venom in my veins as it trailed up around my eyes. My owl, started to move around uncomfortably, before settling down on my stomach.

“Fire.” She whispered and let go of my hand. The snake still resting its head on my neck moved back down my arm and into the bottle in Oziel’s hand. As it touched the purple liquid, it too became purple liquid.

“What just--How did--what’s going on?” I said all at once.

“Relax young Twyla, your questions will soon find answers.”

With that she headed back into darkness, “Take your sweatshirt and you may leave.”

I pulled on my sweatshirt and headed to the door, I turned and glanced at the room, not seeing Oziel. “Thank you.” I called out and walked out the door while touching the two newfound holes in my neck.

I was greeted by a smiling Dean and a fearful Lyra, “Your turn Lyra.” Dean Charles said and turned to face me, “Fire.” He smiled as he looked into my eyes.

“Huh?” I asked and he shook his head, “Follow me.” He turned on his heel, leaving a terrified Lyra at the entrance of the glowing door.

We exited the dark narrow hallway and walked to the other side of the main entrance. That hallway was decorated with gold and white marble with pictures of demons and other things that go bump in the night.

He made a sharp right into a conference room, and I followed him. Taking note of the sound of laughter and talking echoing further down the hall.

In the conference room was a man in a dark blue tailored suit and a girl on a monitor. At a quick glance everything seemed normal, but it wasn’t.

The man had unnatural white hair; the kind you need to get dyed at a salon. His eyes were an eerie light blue that almost looked white. The girl on the screen had golden brown hair that faded into obsidian black, she had two black horns peeking out from her hair and her eyes glowed red.

When her eyes met mine, she clapped, “Oh Twyla Chantelle you got fire.” she clapped again.

“Fire?” I asked, why was everyone around me talking in code?

“Miss.Chantelle, why don’t you take a seat.” He pointed to the chair across from him and the girl.

Once I was comfortably seated the girl spoke up again, “I see you meet, Oziel.”

“I did.” I responded curtly.

“How is my sister?” She asked, didn’t Oziel say she was the unloved daughter of Satan?

“Miss. Lamia I do believe we should try explaining to her what is going on before bombarding her with questions.” The white-haired man said.

The little girl sighed, “My name is Lamina, the youngest daughter of Satan.”

“I am the Principal Burnes.” The white-haired man said.

“Okay, nice to meet you Lamina and Principle Burnes.” I said hesitantly watching the girl.

“Aww. Aren’t you the most adorable thing I have ever seen.” Lamina cooed out.

“Thank you?” I said, shifting in my seat.

“Well Miss. Chantelle, I understand you have questions, and in a moment’s time, they will be answered. But I must ask, have you had any odd dreams as of late?” Principle Burnes said with a slight accent.

I shrugged my shoulders, scared of replying.

“You needn’t be afraid, Ms. Chantelle. We are here to help you.” He said and I nodded, “Do you believe in magic?” he then ask.

Uh-oh. I wanted to tell him, ‘he just opened a can of worms.’ I want to believe in magic because living without magic sounds boring. Though I have never seen magic before and probably never will, I will always believe in magic. Just as everyone believes in air and does not see it, I believe that behind the scenes, magic is there.

Principal Burnes cleared his throat and cleared me of my daze. I simply nodded. Lamina clapped her hands and let out a giggle.

“Goody.” She said, “This will be so much easier.”

Easier? What does she mean by that? I thought in alarm.

“Well there is no easy way of saying this but we, Twyla Chantelle, are demons.”

There was a pause of silence as two sets of eyes watched me, waiting for a reaction and all I did was stare back.

Then I let out a long and hearty laugh, but they stayed silent, “Oh that was a good one. I almost believed you.”

“We are serious!” Lamina said, rather childishly.

“Yeah, and I am queen of mermaids.” I retorted with a laugh.

“Ms. Chantelle, I can assure you we are very serious.” Principal Burnes said.

“Okay.” I said taking a deep breathe, “Let’s say in a hypothetical fantasy land, where you were very serious and were in fact demons. How would I come into play?”

“You are the newest Nox Knight.” Principal Burnes stated.

Alarms went off in my head. Nox Knight? It was in my dreams, the one in which I got a ‘magical’ owl.

“Oh shit.” Was all I could say as I stared at the two inhuman creatures in front of me. I mean it would make sense, the mentions of Satan, Lyra’s talks of sea nymphs.

“Now I know what you are thinking. Aren’t demon’s evil?” Principal Burnes said.

Actually, I hadn’t thought of that. But now that I am, I can feel my anxiety and stress building up.

“We aren’t just stupid mortals think that they can decide who is good and who is evil.” Lamina said angrily.

“But aren’t I, a stupid mortal?” I ask putting air quotes around the words, “Stupid mortal.”

“No, you are half mortal.” Lamina said with a sigh of relief, “I don’t know why, my father wanted to have a full mortal attend this school. I’m happy, I could change his mind.”

“No, I am pretty sure both my parents are mortal.” I countered, ignoring the second half of her statement.

“Yeah, the two people you live with are mortal. The man who actually fathered you is demon-”

“LAMINA” A voice echoed through her side of the monitor, all of a sudden her eyes grew huge as she gasped, “Uh-oh. I am sorry, Twyla I didn’t-” Her voice cracked, and her eyes filled with tears. Suddenly the monitor went dark and all that was left was a darkened reflection of me with red eyes.

“My dad, is not my dad?” I muttered quietly.