Mattias lay flat on the ground chest heaving, black tears streaking down his face. His lungs burned his ribs felt like they'd been split open from the inside. Above him loomed Miras Nightingale let his wings spread, he stopped singing now not a single hint of emotion touched the his brow
"You look pathetic right now ," Miras said mockingly
Mattias coughed, black sludge dribbling from his lips."you are a bastard."
That caught the Nightingale's attention. Miras tilted his head.
"Mm. Bold of you you do know I could kill you for real to ." His voice lowered, feather-light but weighted with venom.
Mattias forced strength into his words. "Looking at your face I doubt you would do it now" His lips twitched into a smile, even as his nerves screamed.
Miras crouched low, eyes gleaming. "You just got… balls on you huh?"
"My that means a lot to me ," Mattias whispered his voice low "get off me."
"Here I through you would be great full" The Nightingale laughed wild, sharp and soaked in malice putting his wing to Mattias is neck "I did help you get you sanity back?"
Mattias swallowed hard, then smiled anyway teeth blood stained in black. "Sure let me thank you after you get off me"
Feathers rasped as Miras' wings shifted back. His eyes narrowed. "If you try hitting me again it won't work"
Mattias coughed blood but his crooked grin held. "Of course I know that much by now"
Silence. Miras' grin spread slowly.
"Then what do you plan on doing ," the Nightingale murmured, "do you plan on running away because an inconvenient later."
Mattias tensed as his heart hammered. But his mouth curled too as an instinctive response.
"Why would I run" he shot back, "when I could use you to get stronger then just kill you"
Miras froze. Then let out a low and delighted laugh.
"You've got sharp teeth for a being so weak," He pressed a finger to Mattias's head, hard enough to bruise bone. "Keep them sharp"
Mattias's grin widened at the words.
Manu finally stood back up, wings folding tight. "Now get up ,you pathetic thing "
Mattias staggered to his feet, trembling but alive. He dared to breathe relief.
Then whip.
A single wing sliced through the air, and his head fell from his shoulders. For a heartbeat, his body stood upright while the world tilted.
Darkness closed in. The black goo surged reattaching head to neck. But Miras had infused energy into this blow making his body fluctuate and burn him from the inside making him collapsed unconscious.
And Miras smiled.
"Even that doesn't kill you what a monster "