29.

**Daya **


Small sobs echoed across the large, darkened chamber, disturbing the gravely silence. Thin rays of cold light penetrated the lightly fluttering curtains, creating glowing streaks on the carpeted floor as the moon was now raised in all its splendor.

Another drop fell on the dirtied bathrobe, moistening even further the already dampened sleeve, shallow exhales of warm breath gently caressing the bare skin on my hands from time to time as I held my knees close to my chest, like a scared little child nestled in between the large pillows on the bed.

“I want you, to stay away from her...”

That same sentence echoed again and again in my mind, reminiscing that cold, so filled with hatred glower.

Why?

Why does it have to be like this?

What did I ever do to deserve any of this?

My lips escaped another small sob as those dark and so cold orbs flashed before my mind’s eyes, leaving me equally cold and empty, that once so beautiful memory now so painful as I once again remembered it’s been nothing but a vicious lie, a cunning spell set to destroy both my heart and his sanity.

My hand then tightly clutched onto the fluffy material right over my chest, letting out a small, pained and desperate cry as I prayed, so that father would eventually find a way to safely remove the wretched thing inside of me before I have lost my sanity and patience and rip it out myself with my bare hands.

I felt so tired already...

So tired of constantly fighting with myself and hoping that I would eventually safely rid myself of the cursed entity, free of these invisible shackles, free to finally live and explore everything this human world has to offer -since I couldn’t go to my original home, Olympus again- without the constant fear of hurting other innocent beings.

If only...

My eyelids slowly fluttered closed as I briefly imagined what it would be like, to be finally free...

Finally safe...

Thud!

A sudden, startling commotion pulled me out of my brief reverie, all my previous thoughts quickly forgotten as I hastily rose myself into a kneeling position, warily gazing towards the dark fluttering curtains, since that seemed to be the only possible source, right before I hesitantly climbed off the bed, like a scaredy cat carefully tip-toeing towards the opened balcony.

Only just as I was about to pull them apart and step further, a dark looming figure suddenly made its appearance.

My lips quickly parted as I was about let out a loud scream, only to have it drowned as one large palm swiftly covered my mouth while the other wrapped around my waist, my entire body ready to retaliate when that unmistakable spicy scent reached my nostrils, finding myself gazing at those darkened features, barely distinguishing them in the faint moonlight penetrating the equally darkened chamber from behind his broad back.

I blinked a few times, completely failing to understand how was he here and why when his palm slowly retracted, only to feel the back of his fingers instead, gingerly gliding against my cheek, that so delicate and caring action though quickly reminding me of what father said.

And like being burned by his touch I hastily ripped myself free from his warm embrace and stepped back, protectively wrapping my arms around myself, lightly shaking my head.

“D-don’t touch me. Y-you’re not supposed to, remember?”

Moments of utter silence followed, even in the darkness still able to distinguish the way his black, penetrating gaze held mine, something so intense hiding beneath the surface as those words suddenly came out,
“I don’t care.”

And without even giving me the time to take a second breath he was suddenly right in front of me once again, stealing the air from my lungs as one arm wrapped around my waist, crushing me against him while the other firmly gripped the curls at the back of my head, mercilessly crashing his lips against my own.

My unnatural heart slammed so wildly inside my chest as he roughly kissed me, the feeling of his body against mine only rekindling that burning sensation I felt so many times before, all reason and hurtful thoughts leaving my mind, forgetting even how to breathe as he continued his almost violent assault, soon feeling the comfy surface of the bed hitting my back, followed by his warm hands caressing the skin on my thighs, right before he simply ripped the bathrobe open, leaving me completely bare to his roaming, heated gaze.

My cheeks instantly warmed, uncomfortably squirming underneath him as I felt so apprehensive, my trembling hands attempting to move to cover myself.

“Raph-”

My voice was suddenly drowned by his mouth as it once again crashed against my own, his massive body keeping me firmly pinned underneath him, careful not to crush me with his weight as he supported himself on his elbows, my eyes widening as something rather hard poked against my bare thigh.

My hands tightly gripped against his shirt in my attempt to try resist him when a sudden, rather loud commotion abruptly stopped the both of us, feeling the bed underneath me and the whole building lightly vibrating.

“W-what’s happening?”

“Daya!”

My eyelids instantly snapped open as I heard that so familiar masculine voice, surprised to notice that I was completely alone in my bed as I hastily sat up.
Gripping the sides of the bathrobe I then hurriedly covered myself up, silently wondering if it was all just a dream as I blankly stared at my brother’s generally distressed expression, standing in the doorway for a few short moments, right before he quickly strode straight towards me.

“Are you okay?”

I simply blinked a few times as I struggled to process his words, lightly nodding after only a few moments, watching him gently take my hand, helping me get out of the bed as he then hastily said,

“Come on, let’s go see what’s going on.”

Lightly tugging at my hand from time to time to coax me into following him we then hurriedly exited the room I was currently residing in, my mind still reeling back to that supposedly imaginary moment between Raphael and I, rather tending to believe it’s been nothing but pure reality as I remembered how vivid it actually felt, the sweet lingering sensation over my lightly swollen lips only proving it.

Feeling Rem tug at my hand encased in his once again I quickly snapped back to reality, noticing we were already descending the large set of stairs, apparently using his wolf spirit’s supernatural senses as he took a subtle whiff. Those bright blue eyes attentively observed the whole area, seemingly guided by his super-senses’ help as we silently walked around the darkened house until we reached a double wooden door, carefully pushing it open, just in time to notice how father was standing right in front of a seated Blake, the male apparently being the owner of this giant house and the Archangel of Death also present in the rather large chamber.
My father’s palm gently pressed against the middle of her chest, skin to skin as she was wearing a quite revealing camisole, a frown marring his features as he stood completely focused, deeply staring right into her vividly glowing eyes for a few silent moments, right before his attention quickly averted to the Archangel of Death, who by the way was attentively watching their peculiar exchange this whole time, and with a long exhale he said,

“I sustain your theory.”

“I believe it too that it has to do with Daya’s little friend, the forest spirit,” My lips escaped a small gasp as my gaze darted back to her oddly glowing eyes, that small pang of guilt nagging at me once again, feeling a little bit apprehensive as well as her lover’s words echoed in my mind, now too scared to even risk a glance towards him.

“I can feel a great amount of power surging within her, it’s like that little creature had recharged her celestial batteries,” My father only continued, gingerly taking her wrist in his hand, his thumb lightly pressing against what appeared to be a very strange and scarlet glowing symbol.
“But only for a limited amount of time. I can already feel it slowly diminishing with each passing moment...” He almost absently explained, to my utter surprise that small frown slowly contorting into a knowing smile.

“Hmmm...good to know.
I believe this might come in handy one day,” He then said as he offered his hand to help her get up from the large dining table she was currently sitting on, giving her another one of his kind smiles as he almost jokingly added,
“So I suggest you go and befriend that little forest spirit too.”

My own lips lightly curled up into a hopeful smile at the hearing of his words, reminiscing that eventful encounter between her and Meliae, my feet taking me a little bit closer on their own accord towards them as I rather timidly added,
“She already has. Meliae likes her,”

Their heads turned almost in unison towards me, the attention I was suddenly receiving making me feel somehow uncomfortable, but before any of them could even utter a single word a powerful flapping sound filled the whole spacious room, quickly followed by a rather loud thud, my gaze darting straight towards the terrifyingly large, winged and hulking darkened figure, my eyes widening as it took a few slow and heavy steps closer, the dimly-lit chandelier hanging from the ceiling faintly illuminating his features, giving us a slightly better view at him, only now noticing the thin, crimson rings in his rich brown eyes and the visible scar crossing his forehead and right eyebrow, ending right above his eyelid.

“Dad!”





I closely watched, mesmerized as I quietly trailed after them, looking at that small and slender palm protectively encased in his much larger one and the way those forest green eyes gazed up at him with such adoration, graced with a so warm and filled with affection smile, his rough and purely intimidating appearance starkly contrasting his deeply caring behavior around her.

Such love...

A tiny, stray tear traitorously slipped over my cheek, hastily wiping away any evidence as I attentively watched their so touching display of pure, untainted affection, silently wondering if the one that gave birth to her also shared their love.

She certainly must have...

Unlike my own...

Another small tear slipped as I remembered all those horrible moments...Our last encounter...That so cold, filled with hatred gaze...

“How are you feeling? Are you okay?”

My head quickly snapped back up as that rough voice reached my ears, noticing how she only gave a small nod, once again offering him that childish, genuine smile.

“Good.”

His thin lips gingerly touched the top of her head, wrapping his arm around her thin frame to pull her even closer in a side-hug as they walked.

I attentively watched them for a few moments longer, curiously noticing how they didn’t share any physical traits, besides the skin tone, maybe...

But it wasn’t like I would share any similar features with my own father either -or mother, for that matter- so I simply disregarded the thought, choosing to believe that maybe it had something to do with us being supernatural creatures after all.

I closely followed them for the rest of our “walk” around the maze-like house until we reached that familiar spacious living room, I myself choosing to just stand somewhere close by a wall as I strangely felt so unfitting, like an intruder prying into their perfect circle.

“So...”

That rough voice once again reached my ears, averting my attention towards the mighty First Archangel, watching him comfortably take a seat on a comfy chair as he let his child go sit on the couch next to her lover, his own attention directed towards my father as he then continued,
“Let me get this straight; You have the Soul Carrier. But you need the Healer too, in order to safely remove that thing.”

I lightly winced at the sound of those last two words, unconsciously placing my tightly fisted hand over my chest in a rather protective manner.

“That is correct,” My father quickly answered, my gaze now directed towards him as I looked at him holding a nicely-carved crystal bottle, pouring some of the amber-colored content in a glass before his attention steered back to his sibling, tangible frustration lacing his tone as he then continued,
“Unfortunately, that pesky little “healer” does not wish to have his grace back, hence, without it we are completely powerless.”

I blinked a few times, finally understanding the reason behind my father’s insistent pleas towards Raphael earlier today, hurt and betrayal poisoning my soul as I couldn’t stop thinking about those moments we shared mere hours ago, barely holding my tears as I felt like falling to my knees and begging for the mighty Heavens to just end my misery already when the First Archangel’s two so simple words reached my ears,
“Make him.”

My blank gaze rose back to the mighty Archangel, curiously staring at his so relaxed features, my father’s questioning tone echoing in the background as he quickly replied,

“Excuse me?”

“Make him want it back,” The Archangel cryptically replied, those red-ringed brown irises finding my own as his attention fell on me now, blatantly ignoring my father’s next question as he rose from his seat, deliberately taking a few slow steps straight towards me.

“H-how...”

“You are a one of a kind, aren’t you?...Just like my daughter...” His rough voice so gently reached my ears as he said those words, finding myself blankly staring at him, unmoving as he took yet another step, his surprisingly warm gaze trailing all over my features as he quietly murmured,
“It’s funny how you don’t even share any of their traits...”

“I know Selene. I know your father too. They are both broken and twisted beings. But you’re not, are you?” I simply blinked, completely stunned to hear those words, his unnaturally colored eyes so deeply staring right back into mine, to the point where I vividly felt him practically reaching my soul as he stated,
“Your soul is pure. You are pure.”

Tears uncontrollably started streaming down my cheeks at the sound of his words, feeling like I couldn’t even breathe anymore, tiny sobs escaping my lips as I fought with myself to contain them, for the first time truly feeling so vulnerable and bare. Completely bare.

Maybe they don’t share similar features...But there is a trait they definitely share. Kindness.