Harlee POV
Despite my best efforts, I ended up sleeping almost as much as doing anything else on the island. I wanted to see everything, try everything with Zeev, even something as simple as walking along the beach under the stars holding hands. Plus, my naughty side kept kicking in and I would randomly attack him, which he didn't seem to mind, considering it helped keep him fed. All too soon he was checking us out and I was sighing at the ocean view one last time.
"We'll come back some day." Zeev promised, kissing my neck. I curled my fingers in his hair.
"But we have the whole world.." I said.
"And an eternity to explore it. There's time." He kissed me again and pulled me gently backwards into the shadow of a tall building.
"Where are we now?" I asked looking up.
"Oh, uh, Europe.. I thought since we were doing this, we might as well do the whole 'honeymoon tour' thing." This time Zeev did blush as I turned to gape at him. I squealed internally and leaped into his arms, kissing him soundly. How was a freaking Demon this cute?
"Why Zeev, I think you're a closet romantic!" I whispered, face next to his. He blushed again and set me down.
"Or maybe you are. I become whatever you need, remember." Zeev replied defensively. That stung. I frowned for a moment. I don't think I was creative enough to have come up with something this good though. So I brightened.
"Nooo, I don't think that's it!" I said chasing after him as he carried our luggage around the corner of the building. I was struck dumb by the beauty of the street in front of me. A cobblestone street with a beautiful stone cathedral situated at the end, lit up by the setting sun, made me catch my breath. I took several steps towards it. There were so many sharp angles and points on the cathedral, and it towered over everything else, but I still wanted to run my fingers over the outside anyway, to see what it felt like. And there were so many windows-I didn't know how it even stood under the weight of all that stone!
"Woooow..." I whispered and Zeev chuckled. "Wait-are you ok with this?" I asked waving vaguely at the cathedral. He laughed and kissed me on top of the head.
"Fallen Angel, dear." He replied softly. "Places of worship hold no fear for me."
"Well now I know I didn't influence this stuff. I would have been afraid you'd burst into flames or something." I crossed my arms and Zeev laughed out loud before crossing the street.
"This isn't a movie Harlee!" He called to me over his shoulder, then I saw his eyes widen and I ducked instinctively. There was a whistling sound and I turned to see something materializing out of the shadows behind us. I heard Zeev cough.
"Zeev!" I screamed and ran to where he stood, holding his chest in the middle of the street. Why wasn't I affected? I looked down to see my shirt covered in blood, but it was all Zeev's as he coughed again.
"What's happening? Why hasn't it affected me?" I screeched and Zeev clutched me to him and stepped us out of the middle of the street.
"Harlee." He collapsed in front of me. I didn't know where we were and didn't care. "It's my Heart." He coughed again and I shushed him.
"Use the link!" I urged and Zeev gripped my face desperately.
'I'm sorry! I don't want to drag you down with me. I'm dying Harlee-you don't feel it yet because you don't have this particular equivalent in your body. But once my body can't sustain, it'll drag you down with me. Harlee, I never intended for this to happen. I wanted to spend the rest of eternity with you. I even entertained the idea of asking you if you'd like children one day, after everything..calmed down.' Zeev's hand slipped from my face and then I felt it. The burning pain in my chest as my soul began to die. Was this going to be then then? I held on to Zeev, crying and screaming. He lost his human Form, and I used all my strength to pull myself onto his feathered chest.
"Don't die, Zeev. Don't die."
Zeev POV
My eyes snapped open and I knew immediately where I was. Hell.
"What's going on?" I snarled. I knew by the ache in my chest that Harlee was still alive, which obviously she was or else I would be dead too. But she wasn't in this room, and it didn't feel like she was doing well. I searched along our link and a hand came down across my face.
"None of that." Said a harsh voice.
"Well, well, well. Looks like our little half-soul Fallen Angel boy has come to. You want to know how much Grace I had to pour into you to keep you alive?" Huh? An Angel? Wait, I recognized that voice.
"You! I snarled, trying to zero in on the Angel's form. "Didn't we eat your arm? How's that working out for you?" The Angel walked into view.
"Oh, I'm much better now, as you can see." The Arch Angel replied. I snarled.
"Where's Harlee?" I growled at him.
"In another room." Answered an indifferent voice.
"Yes, we had to keep you separate since the two of you prove problematic when together." The Arch Angel smiled. I growled, but started to examine the room. I needed ideas...
Harlee POV
I was dying. I couldn't breathe here. I choked and more bloody mucus lodged in my throat. How long did I have? They didn't seem to care about me-I guess they figured leaving me here to slowly choke to death was enough. There was only one Demon guarding the door, staring at me, but that just meant they underestimated me. I reached for my Mark, but the Demon yelled, stepping forward and stabbing me with a blade on the end of a pike he was holding. I yelped. Great, now I was bleeding AND couldn't breathe. I let myself fall to the floor and closed my eyes. Ok, we'll try this way instead, sucker.
Zeev POV
I was in a Demon's Trap. No way of escape that I could see. They had me tied up with Heavenly Bindings-probably something the Angel had brought.
"So let's see then.. I think I'll start with..your arm." The Arch Angel sneered. Ah there it is.
"So you're just here for revenge-not on Heaven's orders." I tilted my head with a wicked smile.
Harlee POV
I concentrated on our Bond and reached out to Zeev.
"Hey! I said stop that!" The Demon yelled again and kicked me this time. I doubled up around my ribs in pain.
"You suck." I spat, and wheezed around the pain. Now I really couldn't breathe.
Zeev POV
"You know what this means, right?" I leered at the Arch Angel. "Have you checked yet? Or maybe it hasn't started for you.. But you seem at home here.."
"What are you yammering about you monstrosity?" The Arch Angel griped.
"Surely you jest. Haven't you checked your Form?" I asked.
"Why would I do that?" He sneered. I faked shock.
"Why, you went against orders didn't you? You Betrayed Heaven! You've Forsaken the Divine!" I tried not to crow the last bit, but it still came out that way. The Angel looked horrified for a moment, then struck me soundly. He strode from the room while I grinned like a lunatic through the blood dripping from my face.
Harlee POV
The Demon advanced on me again and raised his pike.
"Shut it human. You'll be dead soon enough anyway. Don't think I mind making that a little faster. Accidents happen when people try to escape." The Demon snarled.
"Escape? I can barely MOVE. Human bodies weren't meant for this place!" As if to prove my point, I began retching and a dark, foul smelling liquid spilled onto the ground in front of me. My vision swam.
"You disgust me." The Demon said with disdain, walking back towards the door.
"Why? Because you used to be like me? I can see you, you know. My Bond let's me see what you are, what you were. You were a human once-now look at you. A low-level grunt-" He kicked me in the ribs again to silence me. Ah good, while he was distracted then...