Convoke - Chapter 61: Chapter 61

Tom was yet again stunned. Ezra told him to stop looking so surprised when they stood outside his bedroom. So, he snapped into a neutral expression and entered. Monelle was standing by his window, looking at the sky. Her long curls were full against her back, and her long fingers absentmindedly tugged at the ends, curling them around as if deep in thought, or distracting her thoughts.
She blinked quickly when he turned on the light, and he caught a glimpse of tears in the corners of her eyes.
His gut flipped, and he wanted to do all he could to make her smile. But that was her angel aura drawing him in. Tom lingered by the door, watching Ezra stand by his bookshelf.
"Hello again," Tom said kindly.
Monelle smiled, and he relaxed a little in her presence. "Hello Tom, I'm glad you're okay. Where did you go? Ezra was worried."
"To Berry Pond."
"You should be careful about travelling at this hour," she warned, choosing to sit on his desk chair. "I apologise for occupying your room so late."
"It's okay. I'm glad Ezra was able to track you down." Tom felt a little shivery, and a little weak from the lack of sleep. He sat on the corner of his bed and encouraged Ezra to do the same. When they were all seated, Monelle loosened her shoulders.
"So, now that you know the truth behind the choirs, you must also know the truth about what the elder angels are planning to do to the demons in this country."
They both nodded. "It can't happen."
Monelle glanced sadly down at her intertwined fingers. "I don't know how to stop it."
"Can't Othrowan come to some sort of agreement with the angels? What are they wanting an uprising for? Are they planning on wiping out the humans, or the angels, or both? Or are they fighting for more rights?"
"More rights, we assume. Though Othrowan doesn't want to wait to find out."
"He doesn't have to," Ezra grumbled. "He could simply have a conversation with the demons responsible and ask why they're causing the rise in violence."
"Othrowan would never do that. He always thinks he knows best."
Tom was surprised to hear her say that. Though she was also an angel in love with a demon. "Does Kie know what he's planning?"
She stiffened at the mention of his name and glanced to Ezra as if he had cracked open her darkest secret.
Ezra frowned. "Why would you expect me not to tell him?" he asked.
"I just thought you might wait until I wasn't here," Monelle said quietly. "But no, he doesn't know what Othrowan is doing. I've distanced myself and pleaded that he leave the country, but Kie has had enough. He knows something is going on. He's done with me now, I withhold too much from him." She then scoffed, and her tears returned. "I envy you both. You're so good at communicating. Why do I find it so difficult to do the right thing."
"Because you'll be punished. And Othrowan doesn't take this sort of stuff lightly," Ezra said, leaning forwards. "Monelle, I think you have to tell Kie. Or you'll end up losing him, and not to whatever plan Othrowan is doing. You'll lose him before any of this."
"It's too late now," she said sadly.
"It's never too late to fight for what you want," Tom said, and he felt Ezra's finger touch the side of his hand. "Which is why we need to figure out our own plan. Othrowan is spinning us in webs, and so are the demons. The rise in violence has been manipulated to the point where I don't know who to trust anymore."
"Trust that the angels want this to stop. We don't want an uproar, and I'm sure many demons don't want that either. But the longer the violence goes on for, I'm sure that will change."
"So, what do we do?" Tom asked, and they all looked at each other, hoping someone would suggest even the smallest plan.
"We can either wait for this uprising and hope for the best, or we can let the angel's choir take all those innocent souls, or we can beg the elder angels to come to some sort of agreement with the demons," Ezra said. "And I know which one I want."
"How are we going to get the elder angels to agree to that, though?" Tom asked.
"They'll be coming for my changing ceremony. That will be the best time to get them all in one place. They're a lot like Othrowan. They speak in riddles and enjoy being the wisest one around. It'll be hard, but we'll have to do it then. I don't see any other way."
Tom agreed, and so did Monelle.
"It's risky though," she said. "What if we don't change their minds in time. Do you think we're leaving it too late?"
"Yes," Ezra admitted. "But that is a risk we will just have to take."
Tom flopped backwards and stared up at his ceiling. "I hate this."
"I do too," Monelle said. "I miss the simpler times, when I was able to fall in love, and not have to choose the way I do now. My heart hurts every day, and I'm tired."
"I'm tired too," Ezra said. "Sick and tired of it all."
They sat in silence, deep in thought, until Tom felt his eyelids starting to close. He peeled himself up and said goodnight to Monelle, who left immediately.
Without another word, Tom crawled under his duvet, still shivering. Like many nights before this one, Ezra joined him under the duvet. His warmth was appreciated, but the physical contact was needed.
Tom felt most at ease when he could feel him there, and he could smell his familiar scent, and be the centre of his attention for the night. "I'm still pissed off at Kie," Ezra muttered in the dark.
"Me too. I was scared."
"I know," Ezra said, rubbing a palm against his chest. "You put on such a brave face."
"Lying to them felt awful because I didn't know if they already knew the truth. It was so risky."
"Too risky, but I'm thankful that it worked. I don't know if Monelle will tell Kie or not, but I certainly won't. It's just us now. You're the only one I can trust."
Tom placed a hand on top of Ezra's. His eyes were closed, but he was listening. "Just us now," he whispered, liking the sound of that. "Monelle and Kie though . . ."
"I know. I'm still surprised. She's so-" Ezra paused as he tried to think of the right word. "Angelic. And he's so-"
"Demonic?"
They laughed in the darkness. Tom felt Ezra's chest jolting against his back with each chuckle. The sound of his laughter brought a big smile to his tired face. "How could he not tell us something like that?"
"I guess he thought their relationship was failing. And now it's over. Why would he want to talk to us about that?"
"True. But still, I'm sure he'd know that we'd understand more than most." Tom yawned, and he started to think of a time where he wasn't scared of demon nightmares, or anxious for demons to enter their pub. Or worried when he saw a group of demons wandering harmlessly through their small village.
The ending was in sight, but what ending, and at what cost.
The thought made his chest tight, and his heart beat a little faster. Ezra felt it and rolled them both onto their sides. He held tightly, and pressed his mouth to the back of Tom's neck so he could feel his hot breath.
"How are you feeling about your changing ceremony?" Tom asked, frustrated that he had felt so tired, and now when he was trying to sleep, the anxiety swooped.
"I want to be excited," Ezra said, and by the huskiness of his voice, he was starting to get tired too. "But it does still feel to good to be true. And now that we have to convince the angels not to take all those demon souls, I'm not as excited as I was before."
"At least something good will come out of it. You'll finally get your redemption."
"Yeah," Ezra whispered. "But Othrowan has made sure it will come on the day of the biggest demon massacre in history. I'll forever have that on my conscience."
A wave of dread passed through Tom, and he was suddenly wide awake.
"Sorry," Ezra whispered as if he could feel it too. "There's nothing either of us can do about any of this right now. The best thing for us is sleep. If we have a lot to do tomorrow, then at least we'll be well rested for it."
Tom knew he was right, and it took a long while for it to sink in, and for his eyelids to feel heavy again. He could hear Ezra falling in and out of sleep behind him, as if he was willing himself to stay awake until Tom fell asleep.
Tom turned around, so they faced each other. He closed his eyes and started counting Ezra's breaths against his face. He reached almost seventy until his own mind drifted into familiar dream-like thoughts.