Angel in chains (Forever yours)

by Lind, Nellie C.

  Chapter 12

  Inez heard him drop to his knees behind her. Short after, she heard him sob. Surprised by his reaction, she stopped and turned around. He looked scared where he sat on his knees on the ground, covering his face with his hands. The sight filled her with sadness. She just couldn't do it! She couldn't leave him.

  His wings were spread on each side of him, but they seemed to be higher up now, not lying flat on the ground anymore. Maybe the kiss had given him some of his strength back.

  Slowly Inez approached him. His pain was so obvious that she almost felt it herself.

  She reached out and gently touched his back, right between his wings. Aledyan didn't move, but he became quiet. She saw his wings tremble when her hand glided up on one of them.

  Inez smiled to herself. Touching his wings felt like touching silk. The feathers were huge and smooth, but they were majestic and very beautiful. She let her hand examine them, gently, slowly and very carefully, just in case he was still in pain.

  Aledyan shivered all over. Moans of pleasure left his mouth, and he writhed on the ground, as if in ecstasy. When he moved his hips forward and pressed his legs together Inez quickly withdrew her hand from his wings and stared at him with big eyes. Had she just given him pleasure? She hadn't meant to, she had only intended to comfort him, but the look he gave her when he raised his head told her otherwise. She saw longing and desire. He was on fire, and seemed ready to throw himself at her any second.

  “You should have stopped me,” she said. “I didn't know that touching your wings would make you ...” Inez cleared her throat and looked away in embarrassment.

  “I should have, but couldn't. It felt too good.”

  He was still on the ground, and as she sat down he moved closer. His eyes were filled with regret. It made her realize that he hadn't meant to do what he had done during the kiss.

  Inez sighed and understood. He was lonely and hadn't been touched by anyone for over two hundred years, not even a handshake. The only one he had to talk to was the warlock every ten years, and she doubted those conversations had been pleasant. When Aledyan placed his head in her lap, she realized he was as fragile as a child. All his confidence, all his strength and self-esteem had been broken down over the years. There was not much left of the angel he had once been, she was sure of that. Honestly, it was a miracle that he hadn't gone mad yet. She would have, a long time ago.

  Inez looked down. Aledyan lay still, crouching a little bit with his arms wrapped around him. He looked very vulnerable. The anger she had felt when he had broken his promise was gone. Instead, she smiled, and felt that she wanted to take care of him, give him the love that he needed and make him strong again. She wanted to be there for him, to be there whenever he needed a shoulder to cry on.

  She caressed his attractive face. A dark lock of his hair lay on his cheek. She gently moved it, and returned to soothing his face. Every touch was filled with care and love. She almost felt the effect it had on him. The fear she had seen in his eyes when she had told him she was leaving was gone. The fire in his eyes was also going away. That was good because she was not ready to go there yet.

  Aledyan took a deep sigh and closed his eyes. For the first time since she had entered the cave, he looked peaceful.

  Inez took her time to study him. His facial features belonged to a model with a strong jaw, straight nose and big, dark eyes that she could drown in. His skin was bright, almost too bright. It was obvious that he hadn't been in the sun for a long time.

  Her hands examined him, slowly moving up and down his arms, and a little bit on his back, but she avoided his wings. She noticed that Aledyan's smile grew. It made her smile also. He seemed to be thinking that he was in heaven. It sure looked like it according to his pleased expression.

  Inez licked her lips, and that longing feeling in her gut grew stronger. She wanted more now than just to caress him. If this went on, she would end up sleeping with him, but it didn't bother her.

  She wanted it to happen.

  She started slowly to lean down. Her move made Aledyan look up at her. When he realized what she wanted, he raised his body to meet her half-way.

  It was a kiss like no other, and this time she was the one who ended up in heaven. His lips were soft, but strong and firm. She opened up to him, more than she had intended to. But once the tip of her tongue touched his all thought fled.

  She grabbed his face while he sat up, never letting go of her lips. A loud moan escaped his mouth when they stood up on their knees, and she pulled herself closer to him, pressing herself against his body. She wanted him to make the next move, but he barely touched her. It was only his mouth that showed the fire and the desire that was burning within him. His hands were still on his sides, only sometimes making a move toward her, then stopping and dropping back down again.

  “You can hold me now if you want,” she said with a hoarse voice.

  Immediately his arms closed around her, pulling her closer than she had ever been before. Inez felt the heat from his body. His skin felt soft and smooth, but under it she could feel his strong and hard muscles working.

  She couldn't understand why this felt so different. She had kissed men before, but not like this. There was something more to this than just a regular kiss. He really made her tingle and tremble all over. It was as if his touch reached the deepest part of her soul, a place she didn't even know existed.

  Without hesitation, she gave in to his needs. His arms gently caressed her arms and back before moving on. She barely noticed when his hand slipped in under her t-shirt, but she jumped when his fingers touched the bare skin on her stomach. It left her head spinning and wanting more. He was becoming a drug to her, a drug she never wanted to get away from. He made her feel wanted, needed.

  Inez closed her eyes and leaned her head back when he wanted access to her throat. She heard a pleased moan leave his mouth, and she smiled to herself. A shiver went through her body when his lips connected with her skin.

  She felt his longing and loneliness in every touch. The deeper his kisses became the more of his need he showed. It made her want to open up even more to him, make him feel that she really wanted him, make him understand that she would never run away again. She wanted to be there for him, to set him free.

  It took a while for Inez to register that his lips had stopped kissing her. All she could feel was his warm breath on her skin.

  Confused she opened her eyes and blinked. “What is it?”

  “Did someone hurt you?”

  “What do you mean?”

  “You said that I was no different from the others.” Their gazes met. Desire was still written all over his face, but he had stopped exploring her. “What happened?”

  Inez turned her head away. How could she explain a lifetime of experiences with a few sentences, and did she really want him to know? Just the thought of telling him made her realize that she did want him to know.

  “I don't trust men,” she said. “They have never given me a reason to trust them. My father was the first, my brother was the second, and my ex-boyfriend was the third. One by one they used my good side for their own benefits. They gained my trust just to break it, over and over again, and I, in my naive thinking, thought that maybe things would be different this time.” She went silent for a while. “But it never was.”

  Aledyan studied her. “I will never betray your trust.”

  She grinned. “But you did. You put your arms around me even though you said you wouldn't.”

  “I'm sorry, but you tasted so good. I couldn't help myself.”

  Inez smiled when she saw him blush. “Don't worry about it. I know I overreacted. You didn't deserve it.”

  “So, does this mean I can kiss you as much as I want?”

  Inez laughed then. “Yes, you can.” She placed her hand against his cheek. “You are different. I have never looked at a man the way I look at you.”

  He gave her a surprised look, but it disappeared fast. He suddenly turned
his head and looked toward the cave's exit.

  Everything became very, very quiet. The air got tense.

  Then Aledyan's eyes went big, and once again fear crossed his handsome features.

  “No,” he gasped.

  Before she knew it they were on their feet, and Aledyan dragged her back inside the cave.

  “What is it?” she asked.

  “He's here,“ Aledyan said. “Yorin is here.”

  Chapter 13

  Fear shot through every part of her body when she heard Aledyan's words. She quickly turned her gaze toward the exit, but didn't see anyone.

  “He's almost here,” he said. “You must hide.”

  “Where?”

  “In my bedroom,” he answered while he picked up her backpack. “He never goes there.”

  “I thought we had a day or two.”

  “So did I,” he said and grabbed her hand again. “But for some reason he chose to show up earlier this time.”

  Inez didn't protest when he led her toward his resting area. She looked quickly around. There wasn't much there, just a simple bed with a worn out mattress that stood in the shadows. It was as if she entered a little room without any door. It was a good place to hide. The warlock would never know she was there, unless he took a look. From the outside, this place was covered in shadows.

  Aledyan threw her backpack on the ground and grabbed her face between his hands. Once her eyes got used to the darkness she noticed once again despair and fear in his beautiful features, but this time because of other reasons.

  “Please, stay here,” he pleaded. “Make no sounds and don't reveal yourself, no matter what you hear.” He pressed his lips against hers, fast and hard, desperately. “Please, Inez.”

  She nodded slowly and swallowed hard. “I will stay.”

  His arms closed around her. “I don't know what I would do if something happened to you,” he said as he kissed her again, and left.

  Her arms felt suddenly empty. He disappeared around the corner, and a loneliness she hadn't expected to feel entered her heart. It was as if she had seen him for the last time.

  She could hear him move around in the other part of the cave, and she started to fear for his life. She feared what the warlock would do to him.

  She didn't understand any of this. So much had happened so quickly that it took her breath away just thinking about it. She barely knew him, but was drawn to him in a way she had never felt drawn to any man before. This was not like her. She didn't trust men. They had done nothing but hurt her, so why should she trust them? Why she would all of a sudden want to give her heart to a stranger, and above all an angel, she couldn't figure out, but at the same time she felt that it was too late. She had already given him her heart, just like that. There was no turning back. She would fight for him now.

  Reason never went hand in hand with emotions, it seemed.

  Everything was quiet. All she heard was her own breathing and Aledyan's footsteps. She cringed against the wall, tried to make herself as small as possible. Just waiting, for something of which no good could come ...

  Several minutes passed by without anything happening. Maybe Aledyan had made a mistake. She started to feel tired. The exhaustion from today's unexpected experiences were slowly catching up with her. Her eyelids felt heavy, and she started to doze off, slipping into the world of dreams.

  A sudden sound of harsh laughter made her gasp and awaken quickly. It belonged to a man, and she immediately didn't like him. It was a wicked laugh that sent cold chills through her body.

  Yorin.

  She was sure of it.

  From the several pairs of footsteps she heard she realized that he didn't come alone. One or two more people entered the cave with him. She became curious, but didn't move. She didn't want to risk anything. This time her curiosity would not win.

  “Aledyan, my dear friend,” the warlock said with a loud voice. “Have you missed me?”

  Aledyan didn't answer.

  “Well, I didn't expect you to,” the warlock continued.

  Something was placed on the ground with a heavy thump. Inez assumed it was the urn that was going to gather Aledyan's life force. Just the thought of it made her angry.

  “You're early,” Aledyan said. His voice was cold, emotionless.

  “I'm in a hurry.”

  “Why?” Aledyan wondered. “Are you running low on my life force?”

  “I just need it sooner, that's why.”

  There was something about Yorin's voice. He sounded stressed, and Inez couldn't help but wonder why.

  “I will give you an energy kick,” Yorin said. “It will make you recover faster. I'll make sure the urn will help you with that as well. You should be strong enough within three days.”

  “Strong enough to kill you,” Aledyan said.

  Inez barely recognized Aledyan's voice. He sounded cold and filled with hatred. It was a side of him she hadn't seen yet, but it also made him sound strong and powerful, indicating that he was not to be played around with.

  Yorin snorted. “When are you going to realize, kiddo? You will never be able to kill me. Once we return I will have the urn start draining you of your life force.”

  “One day I will get out of here, and then you will pay.“

  “You think so? I doubt any woman would sacrifice herself willingly to set you free. No woman is that stupid.”

  Inez jumped. Sacrifice herself? What did that mean? Aledyan hadn't mentioned anything about sacrificing herself!

  “By the way,” Yorin continued. “Even if someone that stupid showed up you would never be able to perform.”

  “What makes you say that?”

  Yorin became silent for a while before he laughed. “Your time in here must really start getting to you. You know very well the chance that the woman will be 'the one' is slim.”

  “She will be the one. You just wait and see.”

  Yorin kept on laughing as if he didn't believe a word Aledyan said. It was good that he didn't take Aledyan seriously because if he would have, she would have been discovered by now. She didn't know what would happen to her then, but she was sure that it wouldn't be a pleasant thing. Yorin would order his men to kill her. She was after all a woman, inside the cave, to set Aledyan free. After the kiss she had become sure she would set him free. But she wasn't sure anymore, not after what she had just heard.

  “Whatever,” Yorin said. “It's time for your energy kick. Boys, hold him down!”

  There was a sound of fast moves, scuffling and heavy breathing before Aledyan cursed.

  Inez heart jumped. She pressed a hand against her mouth to keep herself from screaming. Fear filled every inch of her body.

  “This is going to hurt,” Yorin said.

  “You bastard,” Aledyan growled.

  “Yeah, yeah,” Yorin said as if he was bored. Then he started to chant. His voice became deep, trembling and loud as if he spoke from a deep place within himself. The voice sent shivers through her even if she didn't understand a word he said. The language sounded like a mix of Latin and German, but it was neither.

  Aledyan started to scream.

  Inez pressed herself against the cave's wall. Tears ran down her eyes, and she pressed her hand even harder against her mouth. She couldn't stop herself from trembling. Her heart was beating painfully inside her chest. Aledyan's screams went right through her, filling every inch of her, leaving traces for all eternity, making sure she always remembered this moment.

  It felt like it went on for hours before Yorin's chanting finally stopped, but Inez knew that only a few minutes had passed.

  “Now that wasn't that bad, was it?” Yorin said. Inez imagined that he was grinning. The tone in his voice told her so.

  “You just wait ...” Aledyan said with a strained voice.

  Inez heard him take a deep breath and exhale. The cave became silent. She didn't dare move. Any sound and she would reveal herself.

  “He's out,” she heard another man say. His voi
ce was calm and gentle, but not caring.

  “He'll wake up soon enough.”

  “Yes, but was it really necessary to hurt him? You could have chanted the spell without the words of pain.”

  “Watch it, Vincent! He's my prisoner, and if I want to hurt him then I will,” Yorin growled. “Besides, there's no fun without a little bit of pain.”

  Inez thought she would get sick. Yorin disgusted her, and she disliked him more with each passing moment, but Vincent, she started to like. He was actually trying to defend Aledyan. She couldn't tell why, but she was grateful for that moment of humility.

  “Here, throw this on his bed,” Yorin said suddenly. “He's going to need it. We will wait for you in the car.”

  Oh my God! No!

  A fear she had never felt in her entire life filled her body. Someone walked toward her with fast and determined steps. Inez wanted to scream, but controlled herself and remained quiet. She touched the walls, searching desperately after another way out, but there was none. She was stuck.

  A man appeared around the corner. Inez tried to make herself as small as possible. She couldn't see him clearly, but from what she could see, the man was tall, about a head taller than her, and had a fit body. He wasn't very muscular but seemed strong enough to break her neck.

  His face was handsome with a strong jaw, wide mouth and big eyes which were adorned with dark brows. His half-long and slightly curly hair framed his handsome features. She couldn't tell what color his hair was though, but guessed dark blond or light brown.

  He froze when he saw her. They stared at each other for what felt like minutes. His eyes were filled with surprise and his jaw dropped, and then his gaze became serious.

  He held a big bag in his hands. It was packed to its limits. Without taking his eyes of her, he threw the bag on the bed and came closer. Inez would have pulled back if she could have.

  He leaned down and looked her over, first with a cold gaze, but after a while he smiled. Strangely enough he looked happy.

  “So have you finally arrived,” he said. “What's your name?“