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Hadn’t we suffered enough?
"Mr. Redding sacrificed his life to protect us,” I asserted. The officers around us had no choice but to listen if they wished to live through this. Isolarel held his stance, never wavering from violent delights. And I was tired of death. “I would never have laid a hand on him and everyone knows it. He was the only father I knew after I left home. I would never hurt him. I loved him."
"Please,” my voice cracked. “Release him, Isolarel."
Isolarel’s body shivered for a second before he shook his head with a growl, tossing the officer to the ground. "For your sake, Shai won’t have to cut his thread of life today. Consider yourself fortunate that my female is merciful—for I am not."
Some of the initial crowd crept their way back to see what was happening, mumbling to each other. I rubbed Isolarel’s thorax to calm him for a few more moments before cautiously disengaging and slipping my hand in one of his lower ones tightly.
Without further interruption, we made our way inside the sanctuary of the library, leaving behind the chaos and stepping into a world of knowledge and secrets.
After a few hours, the officers tried a different, more humble, approach to their communication with us. It was then that they informed me that I was Mr. Redding's next of kin, and everything, including the library, had been left to me. Emotions overwhelmed me once again, and I almost fell to my knees if it wasn’t for Isolarel.
I had to hold him back from trying to attack the poor man under the pretense that he did something to me. I whispered to him in explanation through my tears and his body deflated.
Isolarel stood in the center of my world. His normally vibrant eyes dulled and mirrored my sorrow. His strong arms opened wide, inviting me into his embrace. I immediately wrapped my arms around his shoulders, seeking the comfort and safety that only he could provide. But as I buried my face into his chest, a scream tore through my throat—shattering the mumbles and buzz around us.
"My love, in the world of mortals, this happens but as we pass to the next life we live another one. I’m sure he was given the paradise he longed for,” he softly whispered into my ear.
"I can't believe he's gone." I was living in a nightmare that was my sad reality.
Isolarel held me tighter, his grip firm and unwavering. After a few long moments of me collecting myself, I finally was able to face reality head on. The officers assured me they were there to help and I nodded in gratitude. They even helped to shoo away the locals to give us space.
I made the necessary calls and arrangements for the funeral, ensuring that Mr. Redding would be laid to rest beside his beloved wife and daughter. Everyone was baffled as to what happened to the body and where it went, and I tried my best to divert the conversation around why they wouldn’t be able to wash the body—because there wasn’t one.
The days seemed to pass by in a blur as I handled the logistics, the weight of grief nearly was too much to bear but my love never left my side.
Isolarel was my rock, his strength providing a much needed succor in this difficult time.
The day of the funeral arrived, and only a few close friends and family members gathered to pay their respects. As we placed Mr. Redding's casket into his family’s mausoleum, I couldn't tear myself away from the mosque. Tears clouded my vision as I spoke to him, pouring out all the things I wished I had said when he was alive. I felt a deep sense of regret and longing, wishing I had expressed my gratitude and love more often.
In the distance, the sound of Isolarel's wings could be heard as well as people’s gasps and murmurs. Rumors of his appearance in the city had spread far and wide, sometimes eliciting unwanted curiosities as random people began to follow me around.
Isolarel landed beside me, his presence comforting as I ignored the mumbles from others as they began to get louder. "We believe that the dead find their families and live happy afterlives. Mr. Redding was a good man, and he sacrificed himself for us. I know good men, and he was one. And Osiris owes me a favor."
His words carried a deeper meaning to me, knowing that Isolarel was once a god himself. It brought me some peace to believe that Mr. Redding had finally found his in the afterlife, reunited with his loved ones.
Together, we stood, honoring the memory of a man who had touched our lives so profoundly.
Isolarel
I heldKhepria in my arms, her constant tears soaking my shoulder. Though I couldn't fully comprehend the depths of her grief as a mortal, my heart ached knowing that the woman I loved was being tormented emotionally. I wanted to offer her compassion, to take away her pain, but I knew that was beyond my power. All I could do was hold her, to be a source of comfort and strength in this moment of darkness.
Khepria pulled away from me, and I rubbed her back as she retrieved a book that she had been using to research places she would love to visit during her time under Mr. Redding. With trembling hands, she opened it to a page that showcased a minimally inhabited rainforest in South America.
Knocks came at the window from the locals who wanted to get into the library to take pictures of me and I hissed under my breath in irritation. They followed us around, never giving us time alone or allowing my Khepria to have her time of grief. We decided to close down the library for today just for peace of mind.
"Here," she said, her voice filled with a mix of hope and desperation, "this place... we would be free and safe."
She had expressed her concern about the city’s growing curiosity and how modern day marvels could easily transform into government locked experimentations. Though I reassured her that they wouldn’t be able to keep me captive, I humored her worry and agreed to listen to her solution.
I looked at the image of the rainforest—its lush greenery and untouched beauty, and I felt a glimmer of hope ignite within me. During my curse, I lost sight of everything else. During my youth and arrogance, I took everything around me for granted, never once caring what the realm of mortals held.
Khepria's words resonated deep within my soul, and I knew that she was right. We needed to leave this place. This city held so much pain and sorrow for her, I owe it to her to provide comfort in the embrace of nature. She deserves so much more.
I shot to my feet and I reached out to take her hand, shaking my wings in preparation but she stopped me. I tilted my head in confusion.
"Not yet, silly." A faint smile tugged at the corners of her lips and my wings vibrated. "I have to take care of Mr. Redding's library tomorrow. It's the least I can do for him."
