Violet Eyes

76: The Devil was once an Angel

^^***Damien concept art included***^^

"Wh-What?" Nyx uttered softly as she sat in the shadow hammock that Damien had created to catch her from falling. She held her hand up to her head to try and ease the spinning. "What do you mean you're the reason I'm alive?"

Damien rubbed his throat to ease the aching from Nyx's vice grip before he closed his eyes with a sigh. He crouched down to be at eye level with her, a subtle gesture to imply they were equals. "Nyx, what's the last thing you remember?" His voice was quiet and...normal.

Nyx lowered her head and thought for a moment, searching her memories. It was hazy and jumbled, mostly showing up in flashes. She saw the Erebus estate. She smelled the thick metallic scent of blood. She could hear the barrage of gunfire and the screams. She remembered the rage she felt, the unbridled raw power. She remembered her friends showing up, their faces showing concern...and fear. She remembered Damien's face as she held him to the wall by his throat. It was blank, looking her right in the eyes, accepting his fate completely. The last thing she could clearly remember was Nate's face of fear and regret from having to take control of her again. She also remembered hearing Damien's voice shouting "WAIT-" right before everything went black.

"I...remember blood, screams, and gunfire. I remember trying to kill you. I remember Nate and everyone else trying to stop me...and Nate took control of my mind again...then I remember you-" She lifted her head to look at Damien with a worried gaze. "-telling us...to wait." Realization spread across her face as Damien's gaze held firm. "Was I...dead?" Nyx's voice shook slightly.

Damien closed his eyes and sighed, "Yeah, you've been dead for about five weeks. The sniper that shot Nate on Halloween night, he killed you. He is a Gifted killer who goes by Z. Zachariah hired him to take out the two biggest threats to him. Nate..." Damien paused for a moment and lifted his hand to lazily point at Nyx. "...and you."

Nyx stared back at him with wide eyes, shock was plastered on her face. "Is Nate...?" She cut herself off, not able to bring herself to even finish the sentence.

"As far as I know, he's alive. Soul dragged him out of there, literally. Z had rigged the entire estate with explosives, they didn't have the time to recover your body so...I did." Damien said quietly as he averted his gaze. For some reason, he couldn't bring himself to look her in the eyes right now.

Nyx looked at him with wide eyes, "Y-You? You recovered my body?" The strong disbelief was evident in her voice. Damien finally managed to look at her and his eyes looked exhausted.

"Yes, I did. Look Nyx, I know that I have done a lot of unforgivable things to you, and to your friends but... Something happened before you showed up at the estate." Damien paused as he interlocked his hands in front of him and took a deep breath. "Willow killed my mother on Zachariah's orders."

"What?" Nyx asked in subtle shock with a hint of sympathy.

"Her last words were a request, I have to find Soul. She-" Damien stopped for a moment and looked down, Nyx's eyes widened when she saw that he was choking up slightly. "-She's all I have now, but if I walk up to Sanctuary out of the blue... They'd kill me on sight."

"Oh, definitely." Nyx added in a deadpan tone that made Damien roll his eyes and stand up. He turned away and rubbed his chin in slight frustration. Nyx eased herself up from the shadow hammock and steadied herself on her feet as the shadows slinked back into the floor. "So that's the real reason you brought me back, huh? A bargaining chip? You want me to go back there spouting how much of a saint you are for bringing me back from the dead, so they'll accept you."

"No." Damien said quietly as his body was turned away from her. Nyx raised an eyebrow in confusion before Damien turned around slightly with his arms crossed. "I brought you back because... I want to make amends for what I've done." Damien looked off into space as his face dropped before he moved his eyes back up to look at her. Nyx stiffened slightly, it didn't matter if he was hostile or not, his eyes had an effect on her. "I know that it will be a long time before I can even begin to make up for everything I've done. But I figured that bringing back one of the strongest Gifted in a decade would be a good start. Equally, it would put me in better grace with the leader of Sanctuary." Damien's eyes drifted off into space again as he spoke. He looked uncomfortable for a moment before speaking again. "And...I thought it would begin to make up for...what I did to Oliver." Damien spoke quietly, trying to soften the severity of his words. Nyx's face changed to anger again and Damien clamped his eyes shut, waiting to be hit, sent flying, anything.