Chapter 37
KORMAC
I wasn’t of my body. No feature of me remained. I looked with eyes that weren’t there, moved without bones or muscles or skin.
Floated.
The blue and green room overlooked many, many towers in a strange palace. Carved from glass. Or was that precious stone? Each of them green and blue, bathed in sunlight from a clear blue sky.
There was nothing in the room with me, not one piece of furniture. I couldn’t even see a door.
“Hello?” I tried.
No answer.
I touched the walls with no hands, only what seemed to be light, feeling a minor vibration within the glass.
Am I made of light?
“Hello.”
I spun to meet the voice, though not spinning as a man.
A ball of light hovered a few feet away. It changed color in slow fades from green to blue.
“Welcome home,” the female voice said.
“I’m dead,” I replied. “I’m in the heavens.”
“You’re home, Kormac. You do not die. There is no death here.”
“But… But I was stabbed through the heart.”
The ball floated closer. “The human body dies, but not the body of the angelus.”
“The what?”
“You are an angelus. A creature of this realm, no longer of the realm of Faerie. Your call is finished.”
If I had a stomach, it would lurch. “I don’t understand. My call?”
“Angelus are called from beyond the stars sometimes, summoned to serve the whims of other realms. You were called to serve that fae prince in Faerie, and now your duty is done. You are home, but you are changed.”
“My… My…”
“Our undying aids those prone to die. But your power is gone. Though you are not dead, you will no longer be called for aid. You will not be able to leave the palace, I’m afraid. At least until we figure out how to give you proper form again.”
“But… What? I’m dreaming…”
“You are awake. You are living as yourself. Your memories will return. You will recall you are not human, but an angelus. Trust me. And believe me when I say we are doing everything we can to give you back your freedom. No angelus wants to be trapped in the Sky Palace as a ball of light. It is a boring place to be stuck.”
“But…”
“Wait for your memories to return. To help you, let me remind of your name. It is Titus.”
“Titus?”
“And I am Olivia. Your friend.”
Running…
Laughing…
Friend…
Olivia…
“You will see,” she said. “Try not to strain yourself.”
“But Valance…”
“Is no longer your concern.”
“But he’s… I feel… He needs me.”
“Those feelings will fade. You have been through so much in your twenty-eight years in that realm. You lost all of your memories, were shaped into Kormac Aeson by the destiny you were required to serve. But you are not him. You are Titus.”
“Leanna… I could…”
“Could have saved her? No. You were called for Valance, not her.”
“A dark purpose…”
“The intention of the caller matters not.” She floated away a little.
“That dreadful old woman saw more than she should have. She fashioned that shard to steal your powers as much as give Valance his. Without a full understanding of who or what you are. A terrible creature. But we will fix you in time.”
“Valance…”
“Your feelings will dull and fade. Fear not, my friend. Soon we can live our lives again.” The ball called Olivia flickered as she laughed. “As long as I’m not called away.”
A man. Me. Made of green and blue. Running. Laughing. Not a man, but an angelus.
“I have to go now,” Olivia said. “I’ll be back later. Be sure to leave this room and wander the halls. At least, so it’s not too boring.” She tutted. “You poor thing.”
She left me to float. I knew now I was a ball like her, but not really a ball. Stuck like this, everyone else looking like me while I was… Trapped. Confused.
Angelus. Some strange creature beyond the stars. Kormac but not Kormac, the human from Riverleaf. Titus. My life a lie. My friends, not my friends. My father, not my father.
Alone.
Confused.
Trying to recall, seeing fragments of another life. My true life.
Pining for my prince.