26.3

In Philip's office at the university's Department of Demonology, the old elf removed a small, old leather volume and handed to Zyrdicia. He had already patiently recited to her everything he knew about Andireon - and it wasn't much.

She glanced at the book's title: "Thotter's Essay on Creation." This ancient work was part of the university's core curriculum. The author, who was long dead, propounded a philosophical theory how and why Sephiroth and Seraphim split apart during Creation. It was, essentially, a treatise on good and evil. She glanced in the index, and found a single entry for Andireon listed. Flipping to the correct page, she read out loud from a long footnote added by a later commentator:

"The separation of Sephiroth and Seraphim at the moment of creation explains why one entity, often described to be a Sephiroth, cannot properly be so categorized. That entity is Andireon, who came into being sometime after Creation."

She frowned and glared at Philip. "That's only true if being a Sephiroth means 'existing at the moment of Creation' - and Thotter made that up. Why the fuck do you people still read this drivel?"

Philip shrugged. "It's a classic. It was very influential on the last few centuries of the Old Priests. I think that allowed it to become dogma. Can you prove it wrong?"

"Andireon is a Sephiroth," she stated firmly. She knew that with every fiber of her being. She had, after all, tasted him.

Philip shrugged. "And yet he is quite unlike the others if he's made from a piece of Zyr's soul. He's like you, in a sense."

"Minus the humanity," she smirked. "It can't be possible that everyone's just ignored him for centuries because they aren't sure whether he's really truly a Sephiroth."

"The Old Priests were rigid in their classifications. That's part of why you posed such a problem to their world view."

"I posed a problem to their world view because I separated their heads from their bodies and spilled their entrails on the Old Temple steps."

"If you would explain the nature of your interest in Andireon, it might help me be more useful in my research for you."

"Curiosity," she said, smiling innocently.

Philip frowned. "If Andireon has begun appearing to you regularly, we should look more closely at sources outside the Old Priest's references. It is important to try to discern a motive. It concerns me that this entity has kept an unusually low profile - at least in his true form, he has been unusually stealthy. I would like to discover whether he has masqueraded in other places, under other names. So why the interest in Andireon, dear?"

"He's fun. And incredibly..." She paused, smiling as her brain searched for the word. Gorgeous? Thrilling? Familiar? None of them encapsulated how powerfully she was drawn to this dark angel.

Philip's bushy white brows came together in a scowl. "Fun?'

She nodded, smiling impishly.

"Zyrdicia, the lack of references to Andireon in the literature means there is no known bindrune to use against him. If he turns on you--"

Turns on me, or turns me on? Which is really more dangerous? she mused silently, smiling to herself. After a long pause she answered Philip, "I don't think he will." She paused again, still amused by the word play in her head. "I don't think he will turn on me. He's afraid of being trapped in Hell. Really afraid. And I think I know what he's doing here. His interests and mine really aren't that different. He's a good ally for me to have." And he turns me on, she added silently to herself, suppressing an impish grin.

"You mustn't forget how dangerous Baal was."

"Baal was a malevolent asshole. Andi's totally different. He's almost...sweet." She squinted at the last word, finding it somehow inapt. "In a diabolical sort of way. I suspect he's actually more dangerous to the rest of the Sephiroth than he is to me."

She saw the concern in Philip's eyes. She glared at him, daring him to express it. There was no warning he could give her that hadn't already crossed her mind. She said tersely, "I know what you're thinking. But if they're going to interfere with my life, I'll take Andireon's form of interference over Baal's any day. Like I said, he's fun."

Philip offered her a kindly smile. "Well, something seems to be agreeing with you. You look well, for a change."

"You'd be amazed at how great I'm sleeping," she grinned. Andireon's rune circle around her bed in the Old Temple was one of the greatest gifts anyone had ever given her.

"I've heard you aren't staying with Magnus and Sindra."

"I'm sleeping alone. And loving it."