"First time for everything. Makes it more special if it means giving her back the ability to walk," Winterlya pointed out.
I sighed, ruffling my hair. "It won't hurt her, right?"
"Far from it. It’s a very pleasurable experience, Mr. Archangel," she replied, sipping her wine.
I narrowed my eyes at her. "How did you..." I asked, but trailed off when her eyes met mine.
"If you read my file, Daniel, you should be well aware of how old I am. I've lived as a human and as a shifter far before the Aspen War. One look at your group of star knights and I know exactly what shifter you all are." She lowered her glass and crossed her legs as she relaxed back in her seat.
I was silent, curious as to how she knew exactly what I was. The part of me I hide in the shadows, where it belonged. She grinned as if reading my thoughts.
"Yes, Daniel. I know you're a Fallen Angel. A rarity in itself. If only your own people knew what you were. They would never treat you as wickedly as they have," she whispered, looking away and staring at the window.
"It wouldn't have changed anything..." I trailed off, not wanting to think about my childhood.
"That is where you're wrong, Daniel. It would have changed everything and the day they find out, they'll regret it. It's sad to say your race tries to act pure and innocent on the outside, but their intentions are as impure and sinful as any other race. There will be a time when they'll need you and sadly if I were you, I wouldn't help them."
I tilted my head curiously at her, unsure what her prophetic sounding words meant. She didn't have foresight like Kai or even Scarlet. What was she referring to?
"What are you—" I began but then the door opened.
Winterlya and I turned to see Vinzent and another person walk in. The stranger had long gold hair tied in a ponytail and bright gold eyes. I gawked at him, knowing he was an angel shifter simply by his aura.
Azriel entered my mind and seemed just as speechless. Vinzent moved further into the room, staring at my stunned self before glancing over to Winterlya.
"Didn't think he'd still be here," Vinzent said calmly.
Winterlya looked confused, as if unsure what he meant. Then her gaze landed on the other male in the room. Her face softened and was filled with a loving smile.
"Now this is a surprise," she hummed.
The man shrugged, putting his hand in his pockets before going to stand next to Vinzent; they were the same height.
"I'm not as patient as the others. They can go cry rivers missing you. Don't worry, I'll keep my visit a secret." He winked and she laughed, placing her almost finished glass on the table and getting to her feet. She walked over to him and he opened his arms for an embrace.
"I missed you," she whispered.
"Me too." He leaned back and kissed her softly.
I blushed and turned away, not wanting to be rude by staring at them. I was still trying to come to terms with the other angel in the room, especially because he was an Archangel like me.
"He must have been the one who restored her leg function with his gift," Azriel announced.
I mentally nodded, still unsure what to say and feeling awkward for disturbing their romantic reunion.
Vinzent shook his head and cleared his throat. Winterlya and the new arrival broke apart to frown at him and Vinzent pointed to me. "Does Daniel need any more information from you, Winter?"
She turned to me and blinked as if remembered I was still there. "Daniel, do you need anything else? Or was the information enough for you to conduct your trial?” she asked.
I rose up and bowed my head to the three of them. "The information was more than enough, thank you very much. Sorry to disturb you."
"Glad I could be of assistance, Daniel. I pray everything works out." She gave me a small smile; her cheeks were tinged red.
I smiled, bowing again before making my way to the exit. As I slipped my shoes back on, I was able to listen to their quiet conversation.
"Fallen Angel, huh? A rare sight indeed. Does the King know?" I heard the new voice ask.
"I doubt it. It's a quality that develops over time. Once he awakens his shifter form, he may potentially be able to unlock the other half of himself. You just see the signs earlier on in their teens. His companions probably are aware, but his father, unlikely," Vinzent explained.
"He's too busy focusing on what his people want. Hmph, foolish. If it wasn't for Freila's presence in that castle, the people could tell him to jump off a bridge and he'd do it," Winterlya complained.
"Not to mention Miss 'I want to be a future heir.’ I went by on business before they left for Heila and I watched three maids get fired in one sitting. Rather amusing to watch, though," the new voice chuckled.
"Before we continue, Vinzent! Where's my chocolate!" Winterlya demanded.
I heard Vinzent sigh.
The new voice laughed. "You bribed her with chocolate! Could have just told her I'd be here."
I made my way outside, not wanting to eavesdrop any longer, but that left me with more questions. I wondered about Vinzent’s comment about my other form.
I didn't know much about being a Fallen Angel. I'd only been told because of Karen finding traits of magic in my body during my teen cycles. Now that I was older, it was much stronger, maybe even overshadowing my Archangel qualities.
The knights knew of these traits, but were clueless about their growth. I walked down the stairs and made my way back to the castle, taking deep breaths to calm my racing heart.
"That Archangel is a hybrid," Azriel announced.
"Is he?” I asked out loud as I took a break, walking over to one of the stone benches along the path stone path.
"Yup. He has another spirit," Azriel elaborated. "Another rare one at that."
Sitting down, I leaned my back against the cool surface that I could feel through my clothes, looking up to the starry sky above.
"Intriguing. It makes me wonder what Winterlya's past has been like for her to know Vinzent and that man," I mumbled, closing my eyes.
I lifted my head from the desk, closing the book for the day. Sitting here wasn't going to help me get stronger and I'd spent all day just reading and my muscles ached from not working out. I got up, quickly gathering my things and making my way back to my room to get my gym bag. A good workout will help clear my mind.
So much had happened since the second exam on Minato, one that Makoto didn't even need to participate in. Thanks to that bastard Leo, she'd been ambushed by Jeffrey who had appeared, striking her in the chest.
I bit my lip, remembering her sweet voice in that moment, sounding so weak and vulnerable while she cried through the phone, apologizing over and over again for trying to open up to me.
“I’m sorry. So…sor–ry. I love you, Daniel. Don’t hate–hate me. I– I just want…wanted to know more about you,” she stuttered as the sobs took control and broke down crying.
I could feel everything from her heartache to the agonizing pain she must have been experiencing, making me wish I could just teleport to her side.
“Fuck, Mako, don’t cry. I know, baby. It’s my fault. Everything will be okay. We’ll work it out,” I begged. My heart wouldn't be able to take it if she died again. She had to survive this.
“The others… I love them, too. Ryder and Elias… Eli and Marcus… even Kai. I love you, my knights…so…much.” She continued to sob while struggling to breathe.
“Makoto, we know. Don’t talk like that. I’ll heal you, you’ll be fine. Just keep talking.”
I knew I could save her, but time was my worst enemy. I realized how quiet the other line had become and my heart seemed to stop.
"Mako? Mako!" I demanded.
I turned the corner and reached our room. I opened the door to see Ryder half asleep on my bed. His tired eyes met mine and he tilted his head in confusion.
"Why are you crying?" Ryder asked.
I blinked, lifting my hand to realize my cheeks were stained with tears. Shit.
/> "My eyes are irritating me," I mumbled, walking over to my desk to place the notes I had made from hours of research. "Must be from all the hours reading. Don't worry about it."
Ryder was quiet for a moment, but eventually sighed, turning to his side. "If you want to talk about it later, you know where I am."
I relaxed at his words. "Will do," I replied.
Seeing that he hadn't pushed on the matter meant he was tired as hell and didn't want to deal with me or my emotions on the matter. That's what the darker side of me thought, but I knew he cared and would have pressed the matter further if my feelings had leaked through the knight bond.
I went to the washroom and splashed my face with cold water, looking up to see my red eyes. I frowned before a sigh escaped me. Just the memory of that moment can make me cry. I need to toughen up.
"Or you can admit that Mako's second near-death experience tore at your very soul. Since she’s been dormant, you regret not getting there faster," Azriel summarized.
I rolled my eyes. I hate you.
"The Princess and Hope love my honesty, so hate all you want," he countered.
I shook my head and reached out to grab my towel. I dried my face and walked out to get my training bag that I'd already prepped the day before. I had planned to train after my meeting with Winterlya, but that never happened.
I glanced at Ryder, quietly laying on my bed. "Why are you in my bed, anyway?" I asked, unsure why Ryder was in my room to begin with.
"Hmm? This is your room…oh," Ryder mumbled, turning over and grabbing the other pillow next to him. I watched him hug it, but other than that he didn’t move.
"Wow. Don't see that every day," Azriel commented.
He's exhausted and is barely sleeping lately. He’s still trying to postpone the competition and has been going to meetings on behalf of Kade and the King. Kade may not show it, but he's distressed for sure.
"I agree with you there. Hmm, let's not wake Ryder up," Azriel suggested.
Aww, are you finally going to warm up to Stryker?
"No."
Uh huh. Didn't look that way when you hugged him and cried you— OW! You need to stop fucking doing that. I almost said the words out loud as I grabbed my notes and stuffed them into my bag, needing a moment to shake off the weird tingling that was left behind by Azriel’s little shock attack.
"Good. Stop talking and get your ass to training, time waster," Azriel grumbled and I had to force myself not to laugh.
You're an ass. Don't shock me again.
I walked over and placed the light blanket over Ryder who didn't budge. Then I walked out, closing the door gently behind me. I made my way to the training room, remembering what had happened earlier.
"Makoto's awake," Kai announced.
I paused in the process of washing my left arm; my eyes widened at the announcement. "What?" I exclaimed, feeling a wave of relief hit me. Azriel's happiness washed over me and I smiled at the weird sensation.
"Thank you, Starlight," Marcus sighed.
"How is she?" Elias questioned.
"Are you with her?" Ryder asked.
He sounded like he'd just woken up after feeling Kai's happiness that leaked through the bond. I couldn't blame him, all of us were extremely glad that our Princess had arisen.
"Yes. Makoto's awake. She's okay. A little vulnerable, but her mother was there when she woke up and worked things out. I'm not with her. Kade and the King and Queen of Heila are with her. I left them alone to have family time. They'll probably stay with her till morning and I've already informed Karen and the others to give them space unless requested. I'll drop by sometime tomorrow to help her with therapy," Kai explained.
I sighed; my hands lowered to my sides and I rested against the tiled wall, the stream of water hitting the floor. The news had me trembling, beyond grateful that Mako was okay and her family was with her.
"That's good." Ryder sighed in relief, yawning through our bond.
"You sound tired, Ryder," Marcus pointed out.
"Ya. I think the lack of sleep is getting to me. If it's okay with you guys, I'm going back to bed. If you need me, Stryker will be awake for a little bit," he mumbled, sounding like he was already drifting back to sleep.
"Go rest, Ryder. Mako's safe so we all should get a good night rest. I don't think we should bombard her at once. I have physiotherapy with her tomorrow so I'll see how she reacts and we'll take it slow," Kai encouraged.
"Hmm," Ryder mumbled, before leaving us as he faded out of the bond.
I frowned, wondering if Ryder was truly okay. Made me want to go check on him after my shower.
"He's seriously tired. He must be exhausted to have fallen asleep during a conversation,” I pointed out, which only made me more worried.
"He's been helping with trying to get Makoto out of the competition. He's been having meetings with his father in Kade's and the King of Heila's steed," Kai reminded.
"No wonder. Any word on that?" Marcus questioned.
"They don't want to budge. They don't care if Makoto is injured," Kai informed us.
"I'll have a talk with my father," I stated, feeling rather irritated that this was happening to begin with. Knowing Father, he was doing this because of peer pressure, probably from that despicable woman he married. Even attempting to imagine Cecelia as a future Queen of ArchAilennia hurt my head and could easily induce nightmares.
"He won't budge," Elias pointed out.
"If he hasn't given in after you've explained Makoto's situation, I doubt a plea from his son will do anything," Marcus commented.
I groaned and was tempted to hit something.
"He has a good point," Azriel added, sending a wave of understanding through me.
I knew Marcus was right, but it only left me even more frustrated, wanting to do something, anything that would help us avoid this situation. Mako needed time to recover physically, emotionally and mentally. After what she'd experienced over the cycles, anything could set her off again down a spiral of misery and despair.
"I'll try. If not, we'll just have to let Makoto know about it after next week and maybe we can request an extension. At least we're not trying to stop the competition, just requesting enough time for Makoto to recover. They can't go against that," I suggested.
"Sounds like a plan. I'll let Ryder know tomorrow and he can bring it up at the meeting," Kai confirmed.
Marcus nodded his agreement. "Okay. Keep us posted."
"Ya. Let us know when we can see her," Elias requested.
"Got it," Kai replied.
Marcus and Elias both said goodbye, leaving me and Kai alone.
"You going to bed?" I asked, hearing the exhaustion in his voice.
"Actually, I'm three minutes from your room," he admitted.
"You need me?"
"Ya. I have some information," Kai revealed.
I wonder what else he needed to tell me. It was thanks to him I'd been able to get this far with my research.
"Give me five minutes, I'm showering," I replied.
"Okay.”
"The door’s unlocked. You can come relax. You sound tired," I pointed out.
"I'm a little tired," he admitted.
"I'll finish up, just relax on the couch or bed," I offered.
"Kay," Kai replied, before leaving the bond.
I reached the training room and locked the door behind me. I stared at the empty space, inhaling deeply before letting out the breath slowly. Now that Makoto was awake, I needed to accomplish this. I'd been avoiding seeing her because I didn't want to stress her.
I was also afraid she'd hate me after my argument with Midnight. Even if I was on good terms with Midnight now, it didn't mean Mako would be as forgiving. I sighed and slapped my hands on my cheeks. Concentrate, Daniel. You need to do this for your Princess as a star knight.
"And lover," Azriel added quietly.
She may not love me anymore.
"Why not? Over a little dispute," Azriel replied.
"It was far from little," I stressed out loud, putting my gym bag in the corner before peeling my top off.
"She won't cast you aside over an argument with her spirit, Daniel. Just give Mako a chance. She may act tough or try and distance herself because she has a lot going on, just like how you tried to distance yourself before to avoid confrontation with her regarding Claire. Give her an opportunity to breathe," Azriel instructed.
I sighed and nodded, biting my lip. I just don't want to lose her. It will be like losing everything. Well, it will feel that way.
Being Mako's star knight had changed my life, helping me meet amazing people who loved and cared about me and allowed me to escape my traumatic childhood. It was the reason why I'd made it this far. But without Mako in my life…I'd truly feel lost.
“Trust her and be more confident in yourself. Stop running and show her that you'll fight for her," he encouraged.
I nodded, taking a deep breath to get focused. You're right. I'll try it. Thanks, Azriel.
"Anytime," he replied, sounding satisfied with my answer.
I smiled and began my first set of stretches.
Once that was done, I got the pages of research, setting them on a weight bench and taking a few more calming breaths.
I will be more confident and chase my Princess I love and adore. I swear to the Starlight gods, I will heal her.
In stars we trust.
I took my glasses off and pinched my nose, relaxing against the wall. The meeting was still going on regarding our plans after the competition was over. We were still trying to delay it, but my father and that hag of a woman wouldn't budge.
I'd excused myself to get my other pair of glasses, and was now debating whether to return or not. Kai told me to check on Mako on the way, but I was scared.
I was afraid of confronting her, worried she'd discard me. Since waking up, Mako had been avoiding me. Whether it was in the halls or when I was scheduled to watch her, she'd either sleep or let Midnight take over. I knew I deserved it, but I wished I could talk to her. Just a few moments to ask her the question that had been the center of my focus. Do you still love me?
DANIEL (The Starlight Gods Series Book 6) Page 13
