"You will come" said the same menacing voice
"I wont, you will never own me" I screaming at the air, I could hear the haunting laugh from the voice right in my ear. I turned to look but nothing was there, nothing was ever there.
"Oh, my innocent girl, you will be mine. You will be my bride" I wanted to throw up at the notion of being this 'things' bride.
"I will never be your bride, I would rather die!" My firm voice didn't waver, I would never be this monsters bride.
"Your defiance is one thing i'm going to love to break, and much more" I felt that same force against my body again, I started screaming and pulling myself free, but then I heard it, my name being called, it echoed in my mind, who was calling me? I tried to grasp onto it, I focus on only this, my name being called. And then, I was safe.
…
I could hear my name, pulling me from my nightmare. I pushed forward, to hear that calming voice say my name.
"Lilly, please wake up!" I knew this voice speaking to me.
"Dear God! Please Lilly!" I could feel large hands on me, one on my upper arm and one that caressed my face, I leaned into this persons touch, this tingling feeling flowing through my body, it was so strong, it reached every part of my body and soul.
I started to open my eyes, feeling the ache behind them. But I pushed through the pain and opened them to see silver eyes looking so worried, staring at my face. Qem.
"Oh thank God!" He moved his hand cross my face moving my hair so I could see. I blinked several times trying to get my eyes to focus.
"Q-Qem, what's going on?" I tired to sit up on the bed I was laying on, but my body just wouldn't move. Qem looked at me, I could see he was debating with himself on how to explain what had happened, but what had happened?
"You were in a car accident Lilly, thankfully you are okay. Your car, not so much" I laughed, at this, honestly who cars about their car after they could have nearly died?
"My car is the last thing on my mind right now" I tired to lift myself again while saying this to him, but his face grew stern and he held me down.
"Lilly, try not to move right now, your body took a beating from the crash" images flashed through me at this moment, a dark shadow, the pain in my back, and arms that saved me.
"How did you know I had been in a crash" I asked, he looked at me chewing on his lips, those perfect lips. Girl come on focus! I saw Qem smile, just slightly. Losing my patience, I huffed, and pulled myself out of his grip.
"Lilly, please. Look, I was driving down the same road as you, but I wasn't there in time to stop this" he looked so sad and angry.
"How could you have stopped this" I looked at him, but he turned his head away. Silence was what I got. I've had enough of this. I pulled myself away from him and, flipped the covers off and got off the bed, only to see that I was practically naked, only in my underwear. What the heck?!
"Where are my clothes?" I demanded, and I could see him blushing even in the dark of the room. That would have been a sight to see normally, but I was pissed, not knowing what had happened and now this. I could feel my heart racing, and I knew that meant my eyes would be dancing with a silver gleam. Qem was staring at me now, looking at my eyes. And then he was stood right in front of me. What? How? He held my head in his hands, staring right into my eyes, down to my soul.
"Your eyes" it was all he said, still staring, searching.
"They do that when I'm pissed!" I threw back at him, trying to get out of his grasp. Still holding my face with one hand, he pushed my hair back with the other.
"who are you?" He looked so broken when he said this. I finally pulled out of his grip, what does he mean 'who am i'. I turned my back to him trying to regain my composure and failing, I heard his intake of breath and felt him standing right behind me.
"Lilly, please don't move, I need to check something" the worry is his voice scared me a little, what was wrong now? I felt his had trace down a line over my shoulder blade, the feeling made my body hum, like it was coming to life. He repeated the movement on the other side. God, this feels amazing. I started to sway and I felt his arms slide around my waist to keep me standing, he turned me to look at him, something in his eyes made my whole body tremble. I closed my eyes and breathed in his sent, cinnamon and earth, oh man did it intoxicate me. It was perfect for him. I opened my eyes and he was smiling at me. Does he feel this strange connection too? I sighed. And then, the last thing id ever expect him to say to me.
"I do" he closed his eyes and brushed his head against mine.
"But.. how did you.." He cut me off before I could finish. He answered my thought?!
"There's so much to explain, and right now I need you to be calm. Tien will be here soon to give you some clean clothes. And then I will explain everything. Please just trust me, I know thats hard to ask when you don't know me.."
This time I cut him off.
"I do trust you Qem, I don't know why, but I do" with this, he smiled at me and took my hand and kissed it. Oh man, i'm in big trouble.
He left the room, I fell back to the bed, trying to wrap my head around this, but what is there to figure out? Nothing has even been said to me yet. There was a knock at the door and then Tien entered, she smiled at me and dropped something on the bed for me, she left and I stared at the door, why was Tien here? The sooner I get dressed the sooner i'll get my answers.
Leaving the room I was thankful to Tien for giving me fresh clothes as I could imagine mine were covered in my blood for the crash, wearing black yoga pants, and a near see through white T-shirt, hugging myself to hide this I made my way down the long corridor towards the muffled voices, the hall was covered in painting that looked to be hundreds of years old, they all looked beautiful. Stopping at one at the end of the corridor I looked at it closely, taking in the colours that were still so vibrate for how old it was, it hung in a gold antique frame that looked just as old as the painting inside it. And then I realised, this was a painting of the rebellion in heaven, The Fall of the Rebel Angels, if I'm not mistaken this was painted in 1562 by Pieter Bruegel the Elder. But this piece is meant to be in a museum in Belgium, so this cant be real, but from what I can see this painting is old, truly old, theres only so much you can do to canvas to make it look old, and the paint was old, and it defiantly had a smell from a different place from an older time. Feeling a presence behind me I turned to see Kobe stood there looking up at the painting too. Why was he here too?
"Amazing isn't it" he said in a whisper, keeping his eyes on the painting in front of us, depicting the rebel angels falling from grace.
"It truly is. Although I cant help but feel sad looking at it" it was true, I had a sadness inside my hear looking at these angels fall, from the grace of their Lord and Sire.
"And why should you feel sad? These angels were part of one of the greatest evils man has ever known" he looked at me now, an amused expression lighting up his handsome face.
"Because no matter what evil they had felt through this fight, they were fighting for what they thought was good, I find the balance between evil and good to be a very thin one, evil and good are interpreted by whomever beholds it" I looked to the ground and sighed, when Kobe didn't respond I looked at him and his eyes looked at me in wonder, and what looked like hope?
"Come, everyone is waiting for us" he held out his arm for me to take and went with him into the room where the voices were coming from. This room was huge, an exquisite library was laid out before me and I had to calm myself from getting too excited. Go crazy over the book later. I loved to read, almost anything I could get my hands on I would read it, I loved hiding away for hours on end and just losing myself.
I noticed Tien and Nefta sat on one of the large couches in the corner of the room, Qem was sitting at a large wooden desk with his head in a book. Kobe cleared his throat to get their attention and they all looked towards us, remember my top half was sheer I wrapped my arms over my chest.
"Please sit down Lilly" he smiled gently at me and wave his hand over to the couch and chairs where the girls were sitting. I sat in one of the large arm chair, placing my hands in my lap thankful for the darkened room I wouldn't need to keep my arms over my chest. The room was lit by candles place high and low over the entire library.
"Are you sure about this Qem" Tien said as she stop up and came to stand by Kobe, who was leaning on the back of the couch.
Qem nodded and I looked round at everyone, Nefta looked like she wanted to be anywhere but here. Qem moved from the desk and came and knelt down in front of me, he took my hand in his, and I felt the connection we had zap through my body causing my eyes to go wide, he gave me a knowing smile and squeezed my hand.
"Lilly, I know you want answers about what happened tonight, but for me to do that I must explain something else to you first" he paused and cleared his throat and looked at Kobe who nodded to him.
"Lilly, I know this is going to sound crazy, but you need to listen and hear me out before you make any decisions" he waited for me to acknowledge him, all I could offer was a tight smile, my nerves now taking over.
"What you said at lunch, about our names being those of fallen angels, well.. we are in fact the fallen angels you were referring too" I felt my heart stop. He cant be serious?
"I know this is hard to process but we really need you to be open and willing to listen Lilly" he dropped my hand and moved back, to give me space?
"This is a joke right?" I laughed, theres no way this is true.
"Afraid not" kobe stepped forward and sat on the arm of the couch.
Fallen Angels? They cant be.
"I think she needs showing" Nefta said with a smirk on her face. Yeah I was starting to dislike this girl.
"Qem you'll need to show her, her human brain is one of those 'seeing is believing' types" Nefta was blowing on her nails as if she'd painted them. Yeah this girl had some issue, and I think one of them was me. Yippee, she's a psycho. No they're all crazy!
"You expect me to believe you're all fallen angels?" The disbelief evident in my voice.
"For the love God, Qem just show her already" Nefta yelled at him, Qem looked at me and then it happened. A light so bright it was blinding erupted from behind him, as two magnificent white feathered wings, their span was so wide, it reached across the width of the room. I sat that, with my mouth hanging open, he smiled and I quickly shut it again. I was sure he looked even more heavenly now, in his true form. An Angel, no, a Fallen Angel. Holy shit! Something in me shifted and all I knew was that I was up and out of the chair walking to Qem, I stopped in front of him. His eyes shining, it was blinding, but I couldn't look away. He moved his wings and folded them behind his back ,I walked round him and looked at them, in the low light of the room you could barely make out the opal glint that his feathers had, but it was beautiful. I moved my hand forward and touched them, he shuddered at my touch and I stepped back round.
"Sorry" I whispered looking down to the floor.
"No, I wasn't expecting you to touch them. Our wings are very sensitive and I wasn't prepared" he cupped my chin and lifted my face to his, he gave me a smiled that could have knocked me on my ass, it was so pure. He turned back to the others and nodded at them, I heard Kobe and Tien left out a breath, where Nefta didn't look impressed by any of this. What was her problem? Qem put his wings away and he returned to the boy that I thought was human only a few moments ago. I fell back into the chair, not knowing what to to say next. Tien came and sat with me.
"Can I get you anything?" She asked, I smiled but shocked my head. I didn't know what I needed. Everything I knew started to changed. I looked back at Qem, I saw his eyes, they spoke to something deep inside of me but I didn't know what to say back.
"Lilly?" He gazed at me longingly. Say something!
"Aw, the poor thing, she's in shock" Nefta made her way over the the rest of us and perched up on the back of the couch.
"Nef, thats not helping" Qem looked at her with distain.
"Look I'm fine, I just need sometime. This isn't something you see every day." I pulled myself from the chair, and went to the ornate shelves filled with books, I exhaled. I turned to face them, I was met with a hopeful gaze.
"What's this got to do with me?"
"We're not sure yet" Tien mumbled under her breath.
"Whats that supposed to mean?"
"It's hard to explain.." She looked to Kobe and he made his way forward.
"You're a Divine" he proclaimed.
I stood there, stunned, my mouth falling open. Im what?
"There wasn't going to be an easy way to tell you any of this" Qem moved past everyone and came to my side, his beautiful face look at me with such sadness, being so close to him unnerved me.
"Surely I would know if I was an angel"
"We didn't say you were an angel" his words worried me, but he took my hand reassuringly.
"You could be a demon for all we know" Nefta said coldly.
"Nef, either shut up and be helpful or leave" Qem threw at her, she gave him a sweet smile but I knew it was anything but sweet.
"So now i'[m a demon?" I looked to Qem for answers.
"No, you're not a demon, there would be signs to show if you were" Tien stated.
"What, like horns?" I half joked.
"No they don't have Horns" Kobe laughed. Nefta interjected.
"But they do have tails" Everyone looked to her with a confused expression on their faces.
"Do you really think I wouldn't know? I've been around for millennia" she flipped her hair behind her. Wait, what? Millennia? Of course, i��m so stupid, they're the fallen.
"We all know you've been around" Kobe shook his head at her.
"Anyway, Lilly, I know this is hard to hear, But you have divine blood running through your veins. Did you never wonder why your eyes flickered with a silver gleam" he said pushing hair of my face.
"I just thought it was just my emotions, a genetic defect"
"No, it's a gift only the divine poses, it's a unique power and its differs for each creature" he took my hand in his and carried on.
"It also explains the marking your have on your back" Now he really had my attention. He lifted his had and placed It on my shoulder blades, I jumped from the fiery feeling that flowed through me as he touched me.
"What was that?" my voice shaking.
"That is how I just felt when you touched my wings" he smiled at me. I bit my bottom lip, the feeling was so much more then just erotic, it spoke to my very core, it reached the very depths of my body. I blushed and Qem winked at me knowingly, he dropped his hand from my back and stepped away. Looking around at Tien and Kobe they too had smiles on their face.
"The sensation you just felt flow through you is called Blaze, this is linked to all of your emotions, it's what drives your divine power. But, it can also tell you who your soul is matched too" Kobe said mattarfactly. Soul that im match to, what does that mean? Before I could even voice my thoughts, Qem spoke.
" It means that it can tell you who your mate is, but you wont know until you've awakened" he ran his hands through he's hair and went and stood by his desk, he really was something to look at. His hair disheveled, his broad shoulder, his muscles protruding from his arms. Day dreaming about Qem I hadn't notice everyone now talking around me. I tried to keep up with the conversation but they were talking about altering the elders to come and speak with me.
"what do you mean by awakened" I asked him
"In short it means when you've been opened up to your divine abilities, and your true form has been set free." He held my gaze and I started to blush again. Damn it Lilly, pull your self together. And thats when I was asked who my parents are.
"Mable and Damian Shax, why?" All of their faces fell in unison.
"She's one of them!" Nefta screamed across the room. Confused I looked to Qem, his face was unreadable.
"One of what?" I threw back at Nefta, she didn't speak, only held my gaze with fear in her eyes. Kobe moved to stand closer to Tien, standing slighting in front of her, to protect her? From me? But Tien wasn't having any of it, she pushed past Kobe and came and took my hand, she looked into my eyes and I felt a warm pulse flow through my hand. What is that?
"She's adopted" she dropped my hand.
"How did you know?" Confused, she looked at me and smiled.
"Its one of my gifts" she shrugged and moved back to Kobe, all of the stress now gone from Qem's face.
"Lilly, your adoptive parents.. they're what we call Clippers. Your parents are people who clip the wings from any demon or angel. They are something all angels and demons fear, and there isn't much we fear." This information about my parents had me feeling unsteady, these people raised me and cared for me, granted they were gone a lot but they were everything to me. I tried to walk back to the chair but my legs gave out from under me, Qem was at my side in an instant. He pulled me to him and helped me to the chair. Feeling the effect the crash had on my body and all this information was too much, I needed to rest.
"You're right, you should get some rest now, we have given you so much to process" he started giving orders to the others, which I paid no mind too, I was more interested in the fact that Qem had answered my thoughts again!
"You can hear my thoughts." I lifted my head to meet his gaze.
"I can. And soon you will be able to aswell" he smiled and took my hand to lift me from my chair.
"Come, I will drive you home" he led me from the room and down the corridor to the front of the house, he gave me my bag and shoes. I grabbed my cell phone from my back and looked at the screen. Fuck!
"Whats wrong" he looked at me with concerned eyes.
"My parents are out of town and my mom was going to ring me to check how my day went, and my phone must have got broken in the crash" I turned the phone to him so he could see.
"Here, use mine and call them, i'll be in the car." he gave me his phone and turned to leave but paused.
"It might be wise not to mention anything to them for the time being, we don't know what there motives are behind all this" he turned to look at me again and I nodded in agreement. And then he left me at the front step and walked to the car. I dialled moms number and she answered on the first ring
"Why haven't you been answering your phone?!" She was furious. Great!
" I stayed on campus in the library and my phone died, i'm sorry" I decided against even telling them about the crash. I hated lying to them, but after this evening it turns out they have kept plenty of secrets from me.
"Elizabeth, you never do that to us again, we were worried sick" she let out a deep breath.
"I know, im sorry. I just got caught up, you know what im like when I start to read a book" I chewed my lip.
"Yes, well im glad you have settled in well. Now that I know you are safe I will call you tomorrow, we love you darling"
"Love you guys too" with that, she hung up. My heart felt like it was made from lead, it weighted down in my chest, they were still my parents, regardless of them being Clippers. I still had so many questions for Qem, but right now, I needed a shower and my bed.
We drove to my house in silence, what could be said? I was still trying to adjust to the fact that im a Divine creature. I could feel Qem steal glances at me as he drove so effortlessly, no matter whats happened or whats yet to come, I know that I feel safe with him by my side. He pulled up outside my house and jumped out and came round to help me out of the passenger seat, my body ached from the events that took place earlier this evening. He wrapped his arm around my was it and guided me to my front porch. I fumbled with the keys trying to get them in the lock but my hands were shaking, Qem took them from me and unlocked the door. He walked through the house to my living room, he sat me on the couch and then asked me where my pain medication would, after explaining it was in the kitchen cabinet he left. I moved back into my couch and laid my head on the back closing my eyes.
"Here, take these" I opened my eyes and Qem was holding two pills and a glass of water.
"Thank you" I took them from him. He sat beside me with his hand held in his lap.
"I think is best if stay here for the night, I don't feel comfortable leaving you on your own after everything", I looked at him, normally I would have said no, Id just met him, but I knew id feel safer with i'm here, but my headstrong brain kicked in.
"I've looked after myself for a long time Qem, I don't need you to babysit me" feeling frustrated I move to get up from the couch but my ribs had other plans, Qem caught me before I ended up on the floor.
"I have no doubt in my mind that you are able to take care of yourself Lilly, but I wasn't really asking your permission. I have opened you up this evening to a completely knew world, and after seeing a demon attack you tonight Im not leaving you alone." I looked at him, my breathe caught in my throat, the look on his face showed that he wasn't not going to take no for an answer.
"So it was a demon that pushed me off the road?" I still couldn't believe it was real.
"Yes, I told the others to go and hunt him down while I was here with you". So that must have been the orders he was giving out earlier.
"Hunt him? To kill him you mean?" I looked at the floor, this was all so much.
"Yes" it was all Qem said before he disappeared again. My head was filled with so many things, Demons, Angels, Divine creatures. Everything I had ever read about heaven and hell was real. But where did I fit into this? From what I could tell earlier, no one knew exactly what I was, just that im a Divine. I got up and walked over to the floor length mirror by the door, I turned and lifted my shirt to see my back. There was nothing there.
"You wont see the markings until you've awakened" I jumped at Qems voice. I pulled my shirt back down and blushed, he walked to me, dropping a bag he had in his hands, he turned me so I was facing the mirror. He looked eyes with me through the reflection, and lifted my shirt, I was frozen, just looking in his eyes made me surrender to him. He placed a hand on my back and I breathed in, he traced a finger down my spine and back up and then over my shoulder blades.
"It's beautiful. Your markings." He whispered, so close to my ear I could feel his was breathe.
"What does it look like" still looking in his eyes, he smiled.
"Lilium" he traced his fingers back over my left side, I shivered.
"Whats that" I breathed.
"Lilium is the Latin word for the flower lily, you have two lilies on either side connected by a single stem that runs down here," he said as he moved his fingers back down my spine. God, it felt amazing. He smiled at me, I blushed realising he just heard my thoughts.
"I'm sorry, I don't mean to invade your thoughts, but it's hard not to when they speak so clearly to me" he turned me, holding my face in his hands, his rubbed his thumbed over my lips, I could feel my heart beating straight through my chest, his touch made me feel so alive. His eyes dropped to my lips and I stopped breathing. He moved closer, omg he's going to kiss me, I closed my eyes waiting for his lips to grace mine, but they didn't. Instead, I felt a feathered kiss on my forehead. I opened my eyes, and I could see the desire swirling in his eyes, So why didn't he kiss me? He dropped his hands from my face and stepped back.
"Come, you need to wash and rest" he picked up the bag he left in the door way. He followed me up the stairs and I showed him the guest bedroom, which was just down the hall from mine. It was a large room like mine, the decor modern with shades of grey and a double bed that laid in the middle of the room. One question still playing on my mind, I decided to ask Qem,
"Do you have any idea why that demon came after me tonight?" He looked taken back by the question, I could see him debating how much to tell me.
"Honestly, no. There are demon dens all oven this town and we've done what he can to keep them away from the humans but the more we kill, the more that come back. But when I saw you today, I sensed something different about you." He sat on the bed looking at me, I was standing by the door leaning on the frame for support, my body still aching.
"So do you think the demon could sense it too?" I asked looking towards to the window, seeing the moon light up the dark night sky.
"It's possible, you've just moved here right?"
"We moved in a month ago, but we've been around the town to set up my parents store." I looked back to him.
"They could have picked up your sent from there." He said with a small shrugged, it seemed he really didn't know, but was giving a good guess.
"My sent? What do I smell like?" Fighting with my shirt I looked at him. He sucked in a deep breath, locking eyes with me.
"Like sweet vanilla and wild Lilies", he exhaled, and walked to me. Lifting my chin up to meet his height.
"It's intoxicating", he stroked the side of my face and I was frozen again. Oh man, i'm in big trouble.
"Oh." it was all I could say. I was lost, his eyes were pure light, moon light.
"It's late, we will talk more in the morning." I nodded at him knowing he was right, it was in fact now early morning. Thankful that I don't have lectures today it would give me the chance to fully take it everything thats happened.
I showered quickly, and dressed in my pyjama shorts and cami. Sliding into my bed, the cotton sheets felt amazing on my skin, resting my head on my pillow I willed myself to have a peaceful sleep after the day I had had, but I was met with the haunting voice and darkness.
…
My body restrained by the invisible force, my eyes looking around in the darkness, trying to adjust. Thats when I saw him, his face in darkness, sitting in a thrown like chair, the arms and legs in a vine style, and black velvet upholstery. Two red eyes burning into my soul.
"You will be awake soon, and then you shall be mine." He rose from his chair and came to, I pushed against the force still holding me in hopes of getting away from this man.
"When will you get it into your thick head? Im never going to me yours" I screamed at him. He simply laughed at my response and stood only a few feet from me.
"Your will is strong, I admire your spirit, but I will break it. The blood that runs through your veins will set me free, and I will have you." Now he was stood right in front of me, his face was quite handsome if it wasn't for his eyes, red balls of light, the eyes of evil. He would have been beautiful, but he was a demon, nothing about him could be beautiful now. He raised his hand to touch my cheek and I tried to back away, but it was useless, whatever was keeping me still, was stronger this time and I couldn't break through it. His touch was scolding on my skin, it felt as if my cheek were on fire.
"Don��t touch me!" I jerked my head away from him, which only made him angry. He grabbed my chin in his hand and forced me to look at him.
"I will do as I please! You will submit to me" his rough hands grabbed my waist and he pulled me to him.
Thats it! I'd had enough of this torment, somehow I pulled my leg up and kneed him in his crutch, he pushed me away and bent over in pain. Funny, even a demon can see feel human weaknesses. And then I ran into the darkness away from him. His laugh echoing through the air, all around me, it suffocated me, I kept running, trying to find a way out of this nightmare, and then I fell into emptiness.
…
Feeling hands shaking me awake, I punched out, hearing someone groan, I opened my eyes, to see Qem now holding his jaw. Shit.
"I'm so sorry" I started crying, I couldnt help it. I wasn't like this, I was strong, confident. But the voice echoed through my mind scared me, I was terrified.
"you will be mine."
I screamed and grabbed Qem and held onto him, sobbing into his chest.
"Please don't let him take me" I mumbled into his chest between sobs.
"Let you take you Lilly?" He pulled me back to look at him, concern written all over his face.
"The demon, the demon from my dream".