17. She’s Got Magic in Her Fingertips #2
“It sure is! We’re going to let you explore a little on your own and see where your curiosity takes you.
There is a plethora of questions to be answered, and things/people to find.
Start by interviewing each of the demon rulers.
They’re ready to answer your questions and will show you glimpses of their Layers.
Then, we’ll move to the other side of the Inn and search for your scavenger hunt items.”
“I am so asking Elias first!” Kayden declared.
“Of course you’d go for the meathead,” Sarah snorted before dragging her partner across the room to the waiting ruler.
Geneva nodded to me, signaling this was my time to shine, before joining the Elites at the table.
Lucky for me, Emmeline was without a partner, as she was the odd one out, and was staring at her sheet with a grimace.
I laid a hand on her shoulder, which made her admittedly jump, but relax when she saw it was me.
“Hey. You look like you could use a partner?”
“You already know everything about this Realm,” she replied, unamused.
“Aren’t I one of the people you need to interview?”
She squinted at the paper before smirking a little. “Guess so.”
“Then let’s go off to the side and do my interview. You seem like you need some space from the group.”
“Yeah, I do…” she moped as she followed me to a separate table.
We were far enough away that our conversation would be private, but the Elites could still see and access me when needed.
I brought my legs under the table and crossed them, getting comfortable in my chair and trying to act casual to not put her off.
She, on the other hand, was incredibly stiff, her movements jerky as she situated herself.
“You seem tense. Is something bothering you?” I prompted to kickstart the conversation.
She stayed still for a moment before nodding once.
“I’d love to help you, if you’d allow me into your world? ”
She tensed up further then I said this. “That’s very unprofessional,” she blurted.
I shrugged to her disbelief. “Maybe so, but I tend to be pretty unprofessional most times.”
She smiled a little at my comment before exhaling softly. “Decimus… I haven’t seen him since the day before Pandora captured him, before he went on that mission with Erasmus and Seraphine.”
“Do you two have history?” I asked curiously.
She bit her lip harshly before moving her arms up to hug herself. “We were… dating, I think. We never labeled anything, but… he meant a lot to me, yeah.”
I nodded to confirm I was listening. “I see, I see. This must be pretty tough on you, then, his passing.”
“I… thought he might be the one, ya know?” She scoffed a breathy laugh and tucked her hair behind her ear. “Then again, he never saw me as more than a plaything, so who am I kidding?”
I snorted a sarcastic sound. “Tell me about it. Decimus and me, we have our own history. I know him for who he really is. Let’s just say, he got the job for more reasons than you’ll ever understand. You probably dodged a bullet, to be honest.”
She slumped forward in her seat. I realized my comment had done more harm than good and swore to myself under my breath for it. “That’s what everyone tells me, but… they haven’t lost as much as I have.”
I sat up straighter, giving her my full attention. “Lost? Care to elaborate?”
Emmeline abruptly shied away from me, shaking her head rapidly. “No, I, I need to stop talking! This is way too much to dump on my mentor! You’ll never hire me if I can’t handle my emotions!”
“I’d rather hire someone who has emotions rather than a robot,” I assured her.
She brought her hands down from her hair and sighed deeply.
“I don’t have good luck with keeping people around.
My parents always joked that it was because I was a Death Elemental, that everything I touched seemed to die…
and then they were killed in a demon attack.
My parents, my boyfriend, my brother… everyone close to me has died horrible deaths, and I can’t help but feel like the plague that brought this upon them.
I have no one except for an older sister, who I fear everyday will fall victim to my curse as well. ”
“I’m so incredibly sorry for your losses,” I began, laying a hand on hers to show my condolences. She didn’t pull away, but she didn’t react much, either. “I cannot imagine how much pain you’re really holding back.”
“All I have left is this job. It’s the only thing I want in this world. I want to prove I’m not an omen of death, that I can have people around me, and I can lead them away from their demise, but I’m so scared that people will keep getting hurt when I’m around…”
I squeezed her hand lightly as I spoke, “Emmie, you can’t think like that.
Have you been dealt really shitty cards, yeah, maybe, but that doesn’t mean you’re some kind of horrible omen.
There was no way you’d be able to predict that these things would happen, and you can’t blame yourself for them happening.
Your parents… that’s part of the job, unfortunately, and we all know that.
Decimus was a target because of his connection to me, nothing to do with you, and that is something I blame myself for every second of every day.
But, I take solace in knowing I gave him another chance to do something, to still have a life to some degree. ”
“Do people die around you a lot, too?” she whispered morosely.
I cracked a sly smile. “Yeah, but it’s usually because I’m the one killing them.
” She let out a gorgeous laugh, something I hadn’t ever heard from her before, that filled me with warmth and excitement from getting her to react this way.
I let her get it out fully before continuing, “I’ve lost a lot in other ways beyond death, but I understand the feeling of thinking you’re a bad omen.
I always see myself as this depressing cloud in my loved one’s lives, a menace to their happiness, but they make it their mission to convince me otherwise. ”
“How do you move past those thoughts? That you’re nothing more than a hazard?” she peeped as she chewed on the zipper of her undershirt.
“I remind myself of the importance of my job, of my place in the world. Without me, souls would not complete their journey and have a wonderful chance at an afterlife. Without me, the cycle for living things would end in a horrible, wasteful manner, where nothing ever mattered in the end. As my fiancé once said, “I can make living things, sure, but everything I create eventually dies. Everything I touch comes with the weight that it will one day face an end, some tragic, some not, but an end, nonetheless.” He told me that my element is the true beauty, because I give his ‘failed’ creations a new purpose. I’ve held that close to my chest, especially when I feel bad about myself. ”
“I never thought of it that way,” she said in awe.
“Just because we’re Death Elementals doesn’t mean we are meant to drag the world down with us.
We are just as, if not the most, important element, and without us, no one and nothing would have anything to look forward to after death.
” I squeezed her chin to make her giggle lightly.
“Everything that has happened to you is based on coincidence, not circumstance. I don’t want you to blame yourself any more than you have.
You need community, friends, a place to belong, and I want you to have that as one of my Elementals.
We are all here for you, Emmie, so let us be your support as you navigate this complex road called life. ”
Emmeline finally broke a full, loving smile, and squeezed my fingers back.
She tucked some hair behind her ear and nodded eagerly.
“Yeah, I see what you mean. I have made a lot of friends since coming to Odrikius. It’s been nice to distance myself from Valyce, from the bad memories, and to prove I’m here for a reason.
I really hope that, one day, I can work alongside you.
That I can keep other Elementals from getting hurt the way my family did, and that I can keep more families from being torn apart by the hands of some shitty demons. ”
“Who knows…” I winked heavily at her. “I’m on the hunt for my second-in-command Demon Hunter, and that spot surely has room for a courageous young woman like yourself.”
“You really mean that?” she squeaked hopefully.
“I really do.” I gestured to the table of demon rulers. “Why don’t you go get a head start on those questions. I don’t want you to miss out on this experience. I’ve taken enough of your time.”
“Will do!” She jumped up but paused briefly to turn and blink at me. Suddenly, she rushed forward and put her arms out. “Can I have a hug, please?”
I beamed at her gesture and stood to welcome her into my embrace properly. “You certainly can. I’ll be here for hugs whenever you need them.”
“I have a feeling I may need a few.” She had begun to cry in my shirt.
I concealed her from the room to give her a moment, smoothing locks of her copper curls down lovingly.
I knew this was the first time in a while that she had cried, could tell based on her personality, and was glad that I could give her relief enough to let it out.
Maybe I wasn’t such a bad God after all.