Sixty

It comes as no surprise when Shay brings me to what looks like a luxurious hotel, a resort of some sort.

Wherever we are the sun has yet to set, and when I look out the window I notice the brightly coloured foliage of trees. It paints a stunning view with its rich shades of purple, golden orange, yellow, red, and white. It feels like a fairyland and I can't take my eyes off it.

" Welcome," A deep voice echoes in the cavernous room, so I take my eyes off the outside in search of the owner of the voice.

" Thank you little Daiō. You may leave," And Shay does just that.

Bollocks.

" Show yourself, " I say calmly. Fear is no longer a faithful companion. I have the means to escape, I have the means to defend myself.

His dark, wicked laughter bounces off the walls enhancing the menace that lies behind it. It feels like a promise.

" Little girl," He drawls, a tinge of humour lacing his tone, " You don't tell me what to do," I gulp at that. Not good. I'm at a disadvantage. He knows far more than I'd like and I know nothing about him. For once I'd like to know how my mother used to control the daios. Although I don't entirely agree with commanding an autonomous entity, it could come in handy.

He hums, " Your mother was clever. When she stripped your sisters of their powers and hid them inside you," Just great. Another one who knows more about me than I do.

" She was, " I agree. Maybe he will keep talking.

He hums again. And I have a feeling that this is my mystery man. Note to self, Be careful what you wish for, you might not like what happens when it does come true.

" Did you know that your mother never chose Ifrim of her own free will?" He offers. I thought as much. No ephemerae has ever chosen a master. Why would an all-powerful being choose to bow to a man inferior to her? Not only that, she allowed him to enslave her. It doesn't make any sense.

" I figured as much," I lean against the window pane and find the handle. It could go either way. We fight and only one of us walks out alive or we have a civilised conversation.

My money is on the first. So to keep him from getting any ideas, I summon my latest creation. He is adorable and also extremely vicious.

The black lion materialises at my feet shaking his shaggy dark mane, and looks up at me with his endless black eyes where everything perishes.

" Heel," He sprawls himself at my feet and huffs an annoyed breath. Never had to fight a daiō before so this is just a little precaution.

He laughs again but remains hidden from sight. I have a feeling that this man has similar powers to Balthasar which means he will be tricky to catch.

" Interesting little trick. Afraid it won't do," The mockery irks me to no end. A sudden breeze sweeps in the room, but it feels different from what you normally experience outside. Its sickly fragrance sticks to my throat and lungs, poisoning the air with its sweet fragrance. I begin to cough, violently and in doing so breathe more of it in. The lion at my feet dissipates as I feel my powers wane, and deplete in a matter of seconds.

" What are you doing to me?" I ask between hacking coughs, and he finally makes an appearance in front of me.

At first, it's nothing more the little swirls of dust, sweeping across the floor, that slowly begin to gain shape, creating the outline of the man I've been looking for.

He doesn't hold solid form, like Balthasar, he resembles more of an apparition. But I can distinguish facial features, and haunted eyes that have seen far too many atrocities. Most likely he is the one who committed them.

" Where are the seals, little witch?" He asks with a sinister sneer, as he wraps his hand around my neck, and begins to squeeze, obstructing my airways even more. I don't feel the physical touch of his hand, but I feel the pressure of a firm hold mercilessly squeezing the life out of me, bit by bit.

Even so, I can't help but smirk, as I look him dead in the eyes," Go fuck yourself, "physical form or not, I can still kick his ass with my bare hands.

I swing my hand and it goes through him just like it would go through the air, disturbing his concentration and shape. The pressure around my neck dissipates, even though I feel the imprint of his hand on my skin. It doesn't matter.

He regains shape once again a few paces away from me.

" I see that you want to do this the hard way," He taunts, as he launches towards me, nothing more than a twister of dust.

"That's the only way I know," I respond, as I move out of the way and he hits the wall but recovers quickly. I fighting air, and I can't even know how to win this fight.

" Was it you who trapped my mother and gave her to Ifrim," I have to know. It's just a hunch but I have a feeling that days aren't all that peaceful after all.

He laughs, it so loud and raucous, that it grates my nerves and my eardrums. Christ almighty.

While he takes his time to gloat and feel good about himself, I try to find something that I could use to trap him. You can't fight the wind but you can most certainly trap it.

My eye catches on a decorative urn sitting on a high table by the dressing table, and I lunge for it. Balthasar preached about humans being vain and selfish but we are no different.

He sobers up just as I reach for the urn, and comes at me hitting me sideways with a sudden gust of wind so powerful that it sends me sprawling across the room. I hit the wall with a painful grunt while he charges again towards me in the same manner. If I time it just right I can make it to the table before he can collect himself off the floor.