Chapter 38: THE DESIGNERS (2)
Without further warning, the small flame leaped from Arella’s finger. It zipped through the air, quick as lightning, and landed on Melsava’s long silver hair. A puff of smoke and a burst of orange light followed as the ends of her hair ignited. The acrid smell of burning hair filled the room.
The other two demons took a small step away from Melasva, not wanting to get even a small flick of holy fire on them. Melasva screamed, clutching at her hair in panic as the fire danced along the strands. Flicking her wrists, a dark shadow engulfed the flame as she tried to suffocate it in order to put it off.
Arella smirked. It was clear as day that this demon had never encountered an angel, nor had she ever fought with one. Her actions were futile, as the fire simply continued to burn past her shadow. The demon clutched at her hair in panic as the fire continued to dance along the strands. The flame was steady as it climbed all the way to the roots, sparing not even her scalp. Her silver hair, her beautiful silver hair, had been burned down to the roots. She could not even fight it. Was she really that weak?
She fell to her knees, numb to the pain the fire sank onto her scalp. Tears welled in her eyes as Arella snapped her fingers, extinguishing the flame with a casual flick. The silence that followed was more deafening than the screams Melasva had been letting out. The acrid stench of burned hair and flesh lingered in the air, as if a reminder of what had just happened.
Melasva remained on her knees, clutching at her now raw and bare scalp. Her eyes brimmed with tears, her proud demeanor shattered. She opened her mouth to speak, but no words came—a strangled sob escaping her instead. Her entire body trembled with humiliation as she sunk the tips of her fingers into the small amount of ashes that was once her hair.
Arella leaned back onto the settee, resting her fingers back on the armrest as she regarded the kneeling demon with an almost bored expression. Echo turned his head and rested his chin on Arella’s lap. Arella took a deep breath before placing the portfolios she had been holding on the plush cushion on the settee next to her. She sunk her fingers into Echo’s fur and took in another small breath before looking up at the demons.
"You should consider yourself lucky," her voice was soft. "I could have done much worse; holy fire burns more than just hair, you know." She absentmindedly plucked on Echo’s fur. "I trust you have learned a lesson. If you thought I was an easy pick because I am an angel..." She allowed her sentence to hang in the air, aware that she had made her point.
Melasva’s hands were clenched into fists, her nails digging into her palms. The urge to lash out was simmering beneath the surface, but now she had a fear of provoking further wrath from the queen. If she would have known that the queen could be so ruthless, she would have chosen to go to the king. However, that would have been much worse. Her father would have been implicated, which would affect the entire family. With a shaky breath, she rose unsteadily to her feet. Her head was hung low, tears still streaming down her face.
"I... will take my leave, Your Highness." She lifted her skirt and gave a curtsy.