Chapter VI

Another Book

I sat impatiently on the hard wooden chair. It was the only other seating in the small cramped room. Marx had led us to a wall I hadn't thought existed in the Oblivion Library and just in time. Damon had been losing consciousness fast. He was out before I was able to lie him on the stiff bed the room offered. He'd been sleeping ever since. Marx would come and go always muttering sometimes pouring a tonic down Damon's throat he hadn't been back in awhile. I sneezed again. The room smelled strongly of earth and dried herbs and flowers. Jars littered shelves along the wall some labeled with strange names others with more familiar ones. I small desk was buried under paper and books and a single lantern gave the too small space light. I suspected that this was where the imp slept.

I sighed in discomfort and brought my legs on to the stool holding my knees to me while watching the steady rise and fall of Damon's chest. He seemed to be fine and his wounds were healing at a unnaturally fast rate, I hoped he'd wake up soon. He had a lot of explaining to do.

There was a shuffling at the door and Marx bustled through a clay pot in his hand. "I made this, made this for the girl, she limps, terrible limp. Lotion will cure her foot, make it better. I know much about healing, I fixed the boy, yes, I fixed him." He turned and spotted me. "There she is, I knew she was close. She worries I can tell. There is no need the boy will be fine. Take this." He abruptly shoved the small jar into my face obediently I took it form him. "You must rub in on your foot. Helps the healing, you'll be walking normal in no time. Yes you will get better soon. Don't worry he'll awake not much longer now." With those words he left the room again. He truly was a strange creature.

I opened the jar. The cream inside had a pleasant scent and didn't look putrid although it was a sad lime color. I brushed off any concerns about using it, it couldn't make me foot any worse, I hoped. The cream was cool to the touch but warmed comfortably when I messaged it on my sprained ankle. Maybe this stuff did work. I put the jar next to the bed beside the small black book. As I sat up again I stole another look at Damon, and was met by his grey eyes. "Feeling better?" I asked. He looked away in what I imagined to be shame. "I think you owe me an explanation." I probed.

He pushed himself into a sitting position carefully. "Where do you want to start?" he grumbled. I stared in shock for a second. I hadn't thought at all that he'd offer anything this easily, in fact for a while I was dreading the idea of having to force it out of him, I had though that was what it was going to come to. I guess his pride had been hurt enough without having to lose another fight.

"That's it, no arguing, you'll tell me anything?"

"To a point." He agreed reluctantly.

"Okay, first an easy one. Who is Zak?"

"He's the son of the demon lord I serve under." He refused to meet my eyes. "I am, was a servant in his household until you summoned me, the summons breaks any previous ties, until I'm returned."

"How'd you become a servant, you don't seem the submissive type."

"My heritage is…unique…a thing that's frowned upon. I used to have my own life."

"Explain?" I prompted

"I'd rather not talk about that." He sighed.

"Alright, new question." I shrugged it off. "How about we get back to the poem? How did you know the words?"

"My…ah…mother used to say it. I don't know where she heard it but I got it from her. It was in a sense my lullaby."

"Alright, that's interesting. Now can you tell me what it means?"

"It's a riddle." He said stating the obvious.

"I figured that much out. But it's supposed to be some kind of potion too, what's it all mean? Like this first part…" I started flipping through the book to the page.

"'Gather tears/from heaven's weeping.'" Damon recited.

"Right, it's an ingredient…I think."

"Angel's tears." He corrected.

"Okay, and the next part…'Bleed the poison/of the damned.'"

"Demon's venom, most likely straight and fresh."

I shivered, "Moving on…"

"The rest is easy enough to understand and get. I think we'll only have trouble with those two things. They aren't common." He seemed a bit distracted as he said this.

"Um…really…okay then, as soon as your better we'll…um…where are we going to get them?"

"Marx might have some crushed rose petals, and any night there's a moon we can get the water." He sighed. "The powdered bone is a common ingredient as it is so any dark magics store should have it."

"Dark magics store?"

"Yes, a store for demons and witches."

"Wouldn't they have the other things then?" I asked confused.

He scoffed. "Angel tears are nearly impossible to find and any demon venom they sell would have been treated."

"You're a demon." I pointed out.

He looked at me brief confusion on his face that he quickly turned into a sneer. "I don't have venom."

"Huh…but…what? Why?"

"It doesn’t matter." He muttered.

"No venom, he has no venom, but the tears of an angel, that he has. Yes the boy is different, so different." I jumped, I hadn't even heard Marx come in. Damon glared at him with a ferocity that I thought was going to melt the little imp on the spot. "He's better, looks better. He's awake, good, good."

"What did you just say?" I directed my question to Marx.

"He's better…"

I cut him off. "No before that."

"Marx!" Damon barked before he could answer. "Do you have any crushed rose petals, preferably ones from noon."

"He asks for crushed rose petals plucked at noon. Interesting, yes, yes I have some, of course. Handy in medicine, very nice. Color, what color dose he want?"

"It doesn't matter." Damon responded. "Any color will do. If you don't mind we're in a hurry."

"In a hurry, always so eager, yes, crushed roses, I will get them, wait, I'll be back soon." Marx left muttering to himself as usual.

I turned to Damon, "What are you trying to hide from me, every time he talks about you, you send him away!"

"It's non of your business." He growled.

"Stubborn jerk." I muttered quietly but not as low as I'd hoped. I heard Damon growl but thankfully he didn't do anything more.

Neither of us spoke until Marx returned. He brought with him a small pouch and a backpack. "The roses yes here they are." He tossed the pouch to Damon. "For you, here. Yes makes traveling easier, much easier, you can carry things with you now." He dropped the backpack onto my lap. It was plain black and had several pockets.

"Thanks." I smiled glad for the pack, both the demon's cringed. Why did words make them so touchy.

"Come on we're leaving." Damon announced peeling himself off the bed.

"Alright." I sighed and put what we had into the backpack. The book, and rose petals and the cream Marx had given me.

Damon was out the door before I was finished. I stood to leave after him when Marx stopped me. "For you, girl." He shoved another small book bound in dirty white at me. I took it, there was no title.

"What is it?"

"A book, she asks what it is, it's a book."

"A book about what?" I said impatiently.

"Ah…it is a book about the angels. It also holds knowledge on those born of Heaven and Hell. Those that don't belong, the different ones." I frowned in confusion.

"Are you coming?" Damon growled

I glanced at the book wondering why he'd give me something like that then put it in the backpack. "Coming." I called waving to Marx as I left.