CENTURIES AGO - PART II

"WILL YOU COME, LILAH?"

She was shaken out of her thoughts, gaze flicking towards where Helio was standing beside her on top of the tower. He came by often nowadays, every Monday and Sunday. She hadn't realized at first that there were names to the specific days, but Helio lived off organization, a stark contrast to her own chaos. He brought books and stories, her prison blossoming into something warmer in his presence. The last century had felt like an eternity, but these past decades with him seemed to have passed in the blink of an eye.

"What did you say?" she said.

"To my inauguration as the next Grim Reaper," he said," it's this Sunday. Will you come? I would love to have you there."

"I can't leave this place, Helio," she said quietly.

"I know," he murmured," still, your mother can't lock you up here forever. You deserve more than that, Lilah."

Vaguely she thought of how she used to hate her name, the way Delilah meant delicate, the way she was her mother's porcelain doll even when she was called upon. Every time the nickname Helio had given her slipped off his tongue though all she felt was warmth, like she was given the same vibrance as the color simply by him speaking it into life. She couldn't imagine life without him anymore, but she couldn't imagine a life outside of this tower either.

Most of the reasons keeping her back were out of concern for her mother, but she couldn't deny that a part of her was scared of the unknown as well. What if everything changed?

But couldn't it only be better than this?

"I'll talk to my mother about it," she said.

Helio beamed at her, taking something out of his cloak to hand to her then. "It's about the Egyptian gods this time, all the stories and the folklore. I figured you'd like it now you've memorized everything else."

She looked down at the golden book, hieroglyphs scribbled on top of it, eyes glittering as she glanced back at him.

"Thank you, Helio," she said," I love you."

He immediately took a step back, losing his balance and falling down. Before she could help him he had jumped up, cheeks completely red as he mumbled something she couldn't decipher and ran off.

"Helio!" she called out after him.

"I have to go," he said," very urgent business, I'll see you later."

With that he was off, leaving her behind with her new books. She placed down the one she had gotten on a stack which she hid when her mother came by, eyes flicking towards the opened book on the floor. Cooking, she had never attempted it, but it said it was fitting in moments of celebration. Helio had done so much for her, she really wanted to give him something back.

"Delilah."

Her whole body froze as she spun around, the books disappearing as soon as she closed her hand. Normally her mother wouldn't be back this early, what was she doing here? Delilah didn't have much time to think about it though, because a moment later the woman stood in front of her, ethereal as ever in the shimmery light of the stars. Her eyes were a fiery gold, dark hair cascading down her back like stormy waves at sea. For all the beauty she had, she always carried that element of danger in her, like she could barely contain all the power underneath her skin. Her white dress flowed in the wind with every step she took, covering her sight for a second as her mother gripped her cheek.

"What got you distracted?" she inquired.

"Nothing, Mother," Delilah smiled," what are you doing here this early?"

She had been more absent than usual the past few weeks, so it truly was a surprise to see her here, and this early at that. Her mother seemed anxious somewhat as she glanced at her, nails digging in her cheek.

"I have been fixing things," she said," I won't let them take you away from me."

"What?" Delilah blinked, vague panic filling her at the thought of her mother knowing about Helio," who?"

"It doesn't matter who," her mother said, words dripping so much with blood Delilah could taste the iron," I have lost your father, but I will not lose you, Delilah. I told them that, told them that I'd do this god-damned job for an eternity as long as I could have you by my side, all to myself —" She breathed out, hands covering her face. "Why is it not enough? Why are they still trying to take my baby from me?"

Delilah never had seen her mother show so much emotion before, unsure what to do as she reached out for her but halted before she could touch her. Her cheek was marred with red crescents from where her mother's nails had dug in, but her heart ached the most. Even when standing so close, she couldn't help but feel how far her mother was from her. There were so many secrets between them that for a moment she wondered if they would ever be able to listen to each other anymore.

"Why would they take me away, Mother?" Delilah whispered.

"Because you're her heir."

Their gazes snapped towards the person on their left, the guy's smile widening. He was like a fire ablaze, with hair the color of the break of dawn and eyes filled with smoke. The only thing revealed underneath his black cloak were his arms, a tattoo seeming to have been cut into his skin. It resembled a snake, but it was clear to see it wouldn't last, his immortality causing any wounds to close up. When she looked at him, all she could see was herself. How surprisingly easy it was to recognize the fact of someone who was trapped as well, even if their prison wasn't visible.

"You better hold that tongue, Niccolo," her mother spat, gold swirling around her hand as she held it up towards him.

Instead of tightening around his throat though her powers simply dissolved, Niccolo smiling at her.

"You can't hurt me, remember?" he said," I've been inaugurated as Augustine a couple of days ago, I'm untouchable to the gods now."

"If you utter one word -" her mother began, trying to grab Niccolo, but failing as he jumped back.

Delilah watched them run around in her makeshift jail cell, Niccolo's laughter echoing off the small walls as he shouted at her.

"Didn't you ever wonder why you couldn't go outside?" he said," your mother is quite the protective one, Delilah. You were supposed to be inaugurated a decade ago, but she kept pushing the date back, even though her powers are clearly fading. Is it love if you can't breathe?"

"Don't speak like you know anything!" her mother yelled," you're still just a child in a cursed body, you haven't seen all yet. You don't know what it was like for me to lose him."

"You see so much death," Niccolo laughed," and yet you still aren't over that man? You truly need to retire, you've been living in the past for too long now."

"Shut up!" her mother shouted, the world around them crumbling," shut up, shut up, shut up!"

"Stop."

At once Niccolo and her mother were frozen in place. Delilah didn't bother to return the woman's shocked gaze, the power she had barely contained until now blowing around them with the wind, glittering with the truth. It had been coming for a long time now, but she hadn't realized how tired she had grown of being a doll until she had seen her mother run around, depraving her of all air. Her asphyxiation had long since stopped tasting like protectiveness.

She was done with everyone keeping her out of the loop.

"Tell me," she said, stopping right in front of Niccolo," who am I?"

He leaned forward, somehow managing to break through part of her magic as he grinned.

"You're the Soulweaver's daughter," he said," and one of the new key players in this realm. Are you ready to take a seat at the table?"

Helio's words were the only thing which rung through her head. The Soulweaver. His inauguration was Sunday. She was the Soulweaver's daughter. Was this were her powers came from? Was she ready to take a seat at the table?

All of that disappeared as she suddenly realized one thing, her mother frozen in place thanks to a mere flick of her hand.

She was free.

Slowly looking back at Niccolo, she smiled at him, not caring if his eyes were stained with the colors of a looming tragedy.

"I am."