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nikodemus kolden

I got home to Niko saying his goodbyes to Renee, not leaving a single part of her skin without at least one kiss from him.

She couldn’t stop giggling. “Niko, I have to go.” She’s been here a lot lately.

“I love you, Renee. So much.”

“I love you too, Niko, but I really need to get back to Atlas, I was supposed to be at the store two hours ago.”

“Okay, okay.” He continued his kisses. “I love you.”

She pushed him away, but he kept pulling her back. This was gross. I’d just wait in my room, I wanted to shower anyway.

When I got out, Niko was waiting for me. “Put this on.” He had set down a black suit with a black tie on top of my bed.

“What’s the occasion?” I asked. I’ve only worn a suit a few times in my life. “Aren't we training?”

“We’re going somewhere nice,” he said. “I have some news I want to share with you.” With that he left me to change. Before we stepped out, Niko tightened my tie, but I loosened it again right after. He gave me a disapproving look. “Must you always try to look cool?”

“I am cool,” I joked .

We went to a restaurant in the East side. “Do you remember when we first met?” Niko asked me.

“Barely,” I admitted. Out of pure and utter rage, I had locked my foster family in a room and set fire to their home.

“You were covered in soot,” he chuckled. “I thought you came from working at a factory.”

I shook my head, poking my food with my fork. “Why are you bringing this up?”

“Because I want to tell you what I saw in you,” he said.

“A scared little boy?” My tone bored. “You felt sorry for me and took me in, isn't that the story?”

He couldn't help his smile. “Yes, well, you were definitely scared, but I knew you were a fighter and I remember that there was this.

.. Something in your eyes I didn't understand at the time.” Niko looked at me.

“When I learnt you murdered your foster family because you were sick of the mistreatment, because you wanted revenge, I knew that this was a boy who was going to change this city and that he was willing to do it anyway he could as long as it was efficient.”

“Well, sorry to disappoint,” I muttered. I haven't done anything that changed Soulesity for the better. I am a menace to these streets.

“No, Cinth, I don't want you to think I've ever been disappointed in you–horrified, yes, sometimes you do things a bit out of my comfort zone–but regardless.” He took a breath, gathering his thoughts again.

“You are a powerful, smart, independent man.

You've worked so hard to become what you are now.

And I know when you mature further, you're going to understand and figure out who truly is evil and be the only one with the courage to do something about it.”

I am a wicked soul, he had so much confidence in me to be good, but it's not what I wanted.

“I know you think you're a bad person, a villain, that you’ve the blackest of hearts, but I see you, Cinth. I see you pat animals with the gentlest touch, I see you play along with the imagination of children, I see you protecting Celestine from everything you can. You are still so young, you do not know who you are just yet and that is completely normal and fine.”

“What if...” I started, “what if I want to be bad?”

He shook his head. “I know you're going to be bad in your own way.”

Niko’s eyes kept staring at something behind me, but before I could turn to finally look he said, “I know your birthday was a few weeks ago.” He pulled out a small box from his pocket. “But I wanted to give this to you now.”

He slid the box across the table, and I caught it before it could fly off. I opened the box to reveal a beautiful silver watch inside, “Niko, this is…”

“Maybe now you won’t be late to class,” he mocked.

I rolled my eyes, strapping the watch over my wrist, “I’m not going to want to be there any less.”

He chuckled. “Happy birthday, Cinth.”

Niko had only given me two presents in my life. My butterfly knife for my tenth birthday and now this. Usually, if I wanted something, I'd get it with my own money, so I never asked for anything. I didn't want a watch, but I did need one.

“And,” he added, “with Celestine, I really mean it, trust her with your soul.”

“Why are you saying this?”

“Have you figured out who her father is?”

“Ender.” I was a fool. Everyone knew but me. I was only thankful he was dead, because if Ender were still alive, he would eat me, slowly , for the things I’d done to and with Cel.

Niko nodded. “Poiesis created Demons in Phobus's image, humans in Moira's, Selkies in Archaeia’s and Angels in her own. She created seven of each to start with. ”

“Poiesis was the Goddess of the Ether, Goddess of creation,” I started. “Phobus the God of the Netherworld, the God of death. Archaeia the Goddess of the Sea, the Goddess of archives. Moira the God of the Surface, God of fate.”

Niko nodded.

“Each of the seven original Demons had been given one trait from Phobus that would be passed down to their children, Valorous, Ego, Temptation, Sly, Callous, Sadist and Fury,” Niko explained.

“Every Demon after was a descendant of one, rarely two of the seven original Demons. Zuriel a descendant of Temptation, a seventh generation Demon. Ignatius, a descendant of Ego and Temptation, a fifth generation Demon. Paxon a descendant of Valorous, third generation Demon. But Ender was a descendant of three; Sly, Sadist, and Fury. A second and third generation Demon and pureblooded. He was the most powerful and respected Demon who ever lived.”

Ender was Phobus’s favourite Demon.

“I know all this, Niko,” I said. I knew how powerful the Demons who lived after the Reckoning were and I knew just how eminent Ender was since his birth.

Niko continued. “I need you to understand. I need you to listen carefully to everything I’m telling you.”

I sighed, circling my finger over the rim of my glass. I was not here for a history lesson, but had no choice.

“Ever since female Demons were killed, powers have been watered down with every new generation and with every child, so, the first sibling is stronger than the second and so on. From what I know, Ender had only one child before Celestine who was killed in the Reckoning. His name was Finlay.”

The stories of Finlay were legendary, but it was his heart that led to his demise .

“Celestine may be mixed with human blood, but with her father being Ender, it’s not a wonder why or how she is already so powerful, but you must swear to keep her powers secret.”

“Doesn’t Silias already know?”

“If they knew, they’d be using her, don’t you think?”

I nodded in agreement. “Right. But, Niko, why are you telling me all this?”

“Because soon you’ll have to decide whose side to be on.”

“Why do I have to choose a side? Why can’t I stay out of it—” I paused. “Is this because you think I’m that stupid prophecy that’s written in the Book of Ice?”

“It’s not just written in the Book of Ice, Cinth, it’s in the Sky Scrolls, the Deep Archives, ancient tomes, sacred scripts — every religious text.”

“But I’m not Phobus’s son. You can’t possibly believe that I could be—”

“I know,” Niko reassured. “But Celestine is definitely the other half.”

“You don’t think it’s Bernadette?”

“Celestine is playing the part of a weak little girl. Of course Bernadette and the others think it’s her, but it’s not. I need you to protect Celestine until she finds the child of Phobus.”

“What’s going to happen when they do eventually meet?”

Niko shook his head. “I don’t know, nothing is written after.”

I stared at my half-eaten food, cold now. I turned my head up to meet Niko’s eyes. “So, is this what I’ve been training for? Is this why you chose me, why Ender favoured me?”

He released a breath. “The day you first met Ender was also the day I learnt about Celestine’s existence. He told me everything soon after.”

I took a sip of my drink.

“He favoured you because you reminded him of his son, Finlay.”

It didn’t fully answer my question .

“But yes, we trained you so that you would one day be powerful enough to protect Celestine.”

“I’m just a weapon, a pawn,” I spat. “This whole time, you’ve just been using me?”

“No, you’re more than that.” His voice held firm. “Hyacinth, I’ve raised you like my own son, I never want anything to happen to you, but Celestine is important—”

“I know, I get it.”

“Please, Hyacinth—”

“Niko. I will protect Cel, but not because you raised me to, but because I genuinely care about her. I never want anyone telling me what to do or how to live my life. You raised me to be a killer, you gave me the ability to fight and the skills to survive. I’d die before anyone lays a hand on Cel, but it’ll be bloody hard to kill me. ”

Niko let out a relieved breath. “I was afraid I had turned you to hate her again.”

“No, Niko, you were right,” I said. “It was never hatred I felt.” I realise that now.

He gave me a smile and stood up from his seat. “Come on.”

I followed him through a door, and we headed up to the rooftop of the restaurant where no one else was.

The sun was blocked by the Ether Kingdom, the grey clouds heavy around the city.

Niko released a slow, deep breath as he stared at the view.

“I want to retire.” He pulled out a ring from his pocket. “And ask Renee to marry me.”

I gave him a smile, ever since he met Renee, Niko had grown softer.

“It's a bit soon isn't it? She’s only been waiting eight years.”

He laughed. “Yeah, well, we were discussing things about how this would all work and,” he paused, nervous to say his next words. “We wanted to officially adopt you and live with us.”

My eyes widened. “Adopt me?” Light snow began to fall from the sky, the flakes attaching to Niko’s hair .

“I do consider you my son already and we do live together, but I wanted to make it official.”

“Are you serious?”

He laughed. “Of course. The papers are being processed as we speak.”

I didn’t know what to say. I thought for sure he was going to kick me out. I thought he was tired of me. I thought I was going to be on my own again. But Niko wanted me. Renee wanted me.

They’re choosing to be my family.

“I love you, Cinth.” Niko extended out his arms with a big smile and I stepped into his hug.

I wish I had said it back.

He was wet and something sharp poked me in the chest. What is that?

“Are you good?” I laughed, as his weight fell onto me. “Woah, what is going on with you?” I knelt down from the sudden heaviness as he collapsed onto me.

I pushed him off, turning him over, and cold dread sank into my bones.

An arrow pierced him directly in the heart.

Blood. His glazed eyes stared blankly up at the sky and I looked up to find the source, the killer, but I couldn’t see anyone on top of any of the buildings around us. It came out of nowhere.

I turned back to my mentor, my father figure for the past decade, his eyes already glazed over and his body quickly growing as cold as the air around us.

The world seemed to fall away, tilting under the weight that suddenly crushed my chest. Silence swallowed everything.

The man who guided me, protected me, was gone.

***

A light layer of snow covered the both of us by the time someone came up to the roof. I couldn’t process the words they were saying as they rushed over to Niko, shouting things to what I assume was a few others behind us .

I didn’t move when paramedics picked Niko off the snow, covering him up with a white sheet. A police officer crouched down next to me. “Hi, my name’s Xander. Could you tell me what happened?”

I wasn’t able to respond, I just stared at the indent in the snow in the shape of what once was Niko’s body and the red that stained it. Niko’s blood. My fingers were blue, but I couldn't feel it. I couldn't feel anything.

“We need to get you inside, you’re freezing.” There was a long silence as he waited for a response from me. When he realised I wasn’t going to move, Xander asked me, “was that your father?”

Father?

“Do you have anyone I can call for you?”

Renee.

She’s going to be so heartbroken.

“Leave him alone,” another officer said, “he’s in shock.”

Xander turned back to me, he scribbled something onto a note and handed it to me. “When you’re ready, call this number. We’ll have him cremated for you.”

Cremated. That’s what they do in Soulesity when someone dies so that Demons don’t eat their corpses.

When I didn’t take it, he slipped it into the front pocket of my jacket and patted me on the back. “You’re going to be okay. We’ll find the people who did this.”

No, the police are incompetent jokes. I’m going to do it. I finally stood up, feeling almost too calm.

“What’s your name?” Xander asked.

I met his eyes, and he flinched. “Vulture,” I said in a low voice.

Their eyes widened at the name. “Don’t tell us... That was... Nikodemus Kolden. ”

I didn’t reply, I just walked over to the edge of the roof and jumped off it, landing on the snow covered pavement.