Nox Inferno

Chapter 53: Debriefing

Since Satan’s death, my dreams have been relatively normal. At least, I think they are, but I can’t really remember them. That never use to happen before.

“Good morning.” Clementine’s eyes bore trough my haze of sleep.

I bolted up. Any effects of sleep vanished instantly. Today, I will be going on my first mission.

“Someone looks excited!” Clementine mused and climbed down the latter and I followed her down.

“How can I not be?” I giggled and ran to the closet and pulled on my uniform.

Alvina looked at me with an eyebrow raised, “You realize that we have to go on a normal plane.” I blushed and changed into regular clothing and stuffed the uniform into a bag with my other clothes. I grabbed my rose handled suitcase and walked out again.

“Come on.” Alvina shook her head and linked arms with me. We walked out of our room where the others where waiting for us.

I was bouncing as Mama Fra read a file, “You mission is a simple scouting. We want to see what the Angels are doing in Crescent Moon. Try to be as discreet as possible. Remember you all are going home with Twyla for break. If you go anywhere go as a team, especially with Twyla.”

I shot a triumphant glance towards Kai who just rolled his eyes. I am totally going to bother him about this later.

“Here are your enchanted objects. They help suppress your magical side, don’t take them off during your trip if you are in the eyes of mortals. More so if they know Twyla, it could become problematic.”

Mama Fra closed the manilla envelope and opened a black pouch. She handed Kai a braided black leather bracelet with a small bluish-purple pendant in the center. I was trying to spot a difference in Kai, but I could not find anything different about him.

Then she handed Clementine a pink ring which Clementine slipped onto her pinky finger. I watched as the fuzzy pink color of her eyes fade to a dull brown. It’s hard to see Clementine with eyes any color than pink.

After she handed Zephyr a plain strap of leather which he tied several times around his wrist. Light reflected off the silver blue studs. His eyes didn’t change much. They only looked like someone added more blue dye into his eyes.

Finally she came to me. For some odd reason, my heart was pounding. She handed me a teardrop red necklace. I quickly took it, it felt warm in my hand.

“I won’t be able to communicate with you once you put it on. “ Nyra informed.

I made a humming noise in understanding as I clasped the chain at the base of my neck. Slowly I felt strength and power drain from my body. I was now very tired and hungry. My left arm felt very stiff and sore. I winced as I tried to move it, from the corner of my eye I noticed Kai staring at me.

I glance over at Alvina. She was just about finished clasping a white ankle bracelet with only a single green leaf pendent around her left foot. Her eyes looked duller. They didn’t glow as brightly, but she didn’t look any less pretty.

“I won’t be coming with you on this mission.” Mama Fra announced and handed everyone a lunch bag. Did everyone feel weak now? Or was it just my half-blooded side making me feel so sore.

No one protested or said anything. I hope this mission isn’t going to be this quiet. I don’t think I could handle this much silence, or I might begin to trail off in thought. Which might cause me to trigger my hallucinations.

“But I will drive you to the airport so you can eat. Your bodies are mortal like remember to take of it.” Mama Fra walked out.

I began to walk very slowly. My body felt like collapsing. Why was I feeling so weak?

I looked around. No one even looked fazed by the new change. I guess they all have done this before.

“Are you okay?” Alvina asked.

I nodded, “No.” I croaked out. The world felt like it was spinning. My eyes felt very heavy.

“I might just be the effects of your injury or your half-blood, but you shouldn’t feel that way.” Alvina explained. “Get Mama!” Alvina shouted at someone in the distance.

“I felt a cool hand press against my face.” I sighed in relief. That felt very cold and was combatting the fire burning inside of me.

“Her body is rejecting the pendant. Take it off!” I felt the necklace yanked off my neck. It wasn’t even unclasped, just yanked off. It actually hurt more than I thought it would.

Cold air rushed through my body and I felt better. I stood up straight, now able to see Kai holding the necklace.

“I felt like I was dying.” Nyra breathed out. Her voice sounded heavy.

“I think.” Clementine offered hesitantly, “and I could be wrong…” She trailed off.

“What do you think?” I asked. Despite clementine’s doll like appearance she was very smart.

“Your body burned through the demon ring that was suppose to help you suppress your powers, right?” she waited until I nodded, “It happened again with the necklace. Maybe, just maybe, your body can’t handle any enhancements made by full blooded demons. Which means you need to learn to make the enhancements yourself.”

I nodded. I get what she was saying but I couldn’t understand how Clementine got to that answer. I wasn’t dumb, but I was not the brightest bulb in the pack.

“Well enhancements are hard to replicate especially by newbies.” Mama Fra noted.

“Isn’t there-“ Zephyr asked Alvina.

“There is.” Alvina nodded. Did they just use telepathy? “I might have a way.” Alvina grabbed my arm.

She began leading me to the garden, “There are some herbs you can mix that will have the same effect as the pendant.” She explained as we walked quickly through the woods.

When we reached the garden, she walked to a small silver plant. “I don’t know how much of it needs to be done by you. So I need you to pick three leaves.” She pointed to the silver bush.

“Sure.” I hurried and picked the leaves. When I looked up, she was at another plant. She continued to ask me to pick parts of different plants. I began to lose track of everything she asked me to pick for her.

She handed me a bucket which I dumbed the leaves, flowers, and roots into. We quickly ran back to the house. After all, we did have an airplane to catch

Zephyr was waiting for us in the kitchen. He had one of those bowls with the wooden sticks they use in movies about witchcraft.

“What is that?” I asked Alvina as she instructed me to put all the roots together into the bowl.

“It’s called a mortar.” She explained and pointed to a stick. I began grinding the roots into a powder.

“Zephyr. I need you to take off my anklet.” Alvina instructed. She opened a cabinet and pulled open a jar.

“Sure thing, boss.” Zephyr joked and undid the anklet before stepping back to watch Alvina dip both hands into the jar.

When she took out her hands they were covered in a green paste, “Now grind the leaves and flowers.” She instructed me as she dumped out the powder onto the counter.

“You can’t do this since you are a fire magic. But this paste should stop my magic from harming you.” She explained and began to mumble. I began to find the flowers and leaves into powder. I glanced up at Alvina and almost dropped the bowl. She was making the powder float and dart around at random. Suddenly the powder in my bowl floated up and began to mix with the root powder.

“It’s pretty cool, right?’” Zephyr commented as he watched Alvina. Not her magic.

“It really is.” I looked at the flying powder.

“Get me a vial.” Alvina instructed her voice sounded strain. I began to look around, where would I find a vial?

“Here.” Zephyr held put a big glass tube. Where was that hidden? Alvina moved her hands and with it the powder followed her into the tube. Zephyr covered it with a cork and began to shake it. They really where a great team. They worked in sync; their thought looked like it was stemmed from one mind. It’s hard to believe they weren’t mates.

Alvina shared a smile with Zephyr before turning to me, “Take a pinch of this mixed with hot water and cinnamon and it should suppress your magic. But you will need to take it daily, you can’t miss it and need to drink it at exactly at the same time.”

She turned on the faucet and Zephyr handed her a glass. She filled it up halfway before taking the cinnamon from Zephyr. She opened the vial and dropped a little but of the powder into the glass. The powder dissolved upon contact with the brown water.

“Here.” She held out the glass for me to take.