When Elira finally regained consciousness she was confused and her whole body ached. She slowly sat up and leaned against a tree for support while she took inventory of her injuries. Her legs were covered in dried blood and shards of glass protruded from her skin. Her hand had started to heal, but a deep gash still remained from where Cat had stabbed her. The thought of Cat made Elira's stomach twist and she had the sudden urge to vomit. She forced it down, but her mind wandered to Cook and tears sprung to her eyes. He had given his life for her, and she would forever be grateful, but she hated him for it at the same time; he shouldn't have died, and it was all her fault.
Wracked with guilt, tears slid down Elira's cheeks and she sobbed until her tears subsided. Her head throbbed from crying and her body was weak from blood loss and fatigue. Her heart ached for the friend she had lost and the life she had taken, even if by accident, and she'd never forgive herself for eithet.
She decided to start pulling the glass out of her legs in an attempt to distract herself from the pain in her heart. She winced and grunted as she dug the glass out of her skin, which had already started healing over the shards. Fresh blood began running down her legs, making her feel even weaker, but she knew she had to move in case Clancy was looking for her. She used the tree she had been leaning against to help her stand. Her legs shook and threatened to give out under her, but she closed her eyes and took a few deep breaths to try and relax her body. It worked, but only slightly. She found a broken tree branch nearby and stumbled over to it, deciding to use it as a cane to help her walk; she knew her wings were too tired to carry her.
She used the makeshift cane to support her as she limped through the dense forest. She had no clue where she was or where she was going, but she didn't care, she just knew she had to get as far away from Clancy's mansion as possible. He was probably looking for her, and she didn't want to think about what would happen if he found her. She still wore the electric collar; which she knew he'd use to his advantage. She had escaped once, she doubted he'd let it happen again.
Elira thought all day as she walked through the dense forest, trying to distract herself from the pain in her body which ached with every step. It had started getting dark and Elira knew she needed to rest somewhere, but didn't want to be vulnerable. She looked around until she found a group of large bushes and decided to crawl into them to sleep, hoping the shrubbery would giver her some cover. Despite the pain throughout her body and the fear of being found, she was eventually able to slip into an uneasy sleep.
Elira spent the next two days walking through the forest, growing weaker each day. Her whole body ached and she was starving, though she had been lucky and ran into a stream where she was able to get a drink. Her head never ceased it's throbbing due to how much she cried, causing her to become dehydrated. She had tried to fly once, but after falling and breaking her arm, she decided to just walk. Part of her hoped she'd run into someone who could help her, but she was also pretty sure she wasn't on Earth anymore, so running into someone could prove to be dangerous.
She was wondering if there were any berries around to eat when Elira heard voices. Her heartrate quickened and she froze, terrified that Clancy had found her. She looked around to find cover, choosing to hide behind a large tree. She tried to keep her breathing under control so they wouldn't hear her, but as the voices drew closer Elira realized they were not familiar. She debated showing herself in hopes they would help her, but the thought of them working with Clancy kept her rooted in place.
"Hey, do you smell that?" a mqsculine voice asked.
"Yeah, it smells like blood" answered the other, this one sounding feminine. Elira silently pleaded that they wouldn't find her. She heard them walking around, their footsteps getting closer.
"It's coming from over here" the masculine voice said from the other side of the tree. Elira bolted from her hiding place, the adrenaline coursing through her making her pain disappear for the moment. She heard the voices behind her but she didn't dare turn around. She continued to run until she heard them chasing after her. She launched herself into the sky, souring as high and far as her wings would take her, which didn't happen to be very far. The adrenaline began to wear off, leaving Elira tired and weak again. She started to lose consciousness and began plummeting from the sky, though she never felt herself hit the ground. She opened her eyes and her vision was cloudy, but the last thing she saw before fully losing consciousness were two red eyes looking down at her.
~~~
Elira was groggy and sore when she woke up. She tried to open her eyes, but groaned and shut them again as a bolt of pain shot through her head. She took a few deep breaths until the urge to throw up subsided. She opened her eyes slowly and looked around the unfamiliar room, her head still throbbing. She was laying on a cot with a white sheet pulled over her. White curtains hung from the wall, making a makeshift room. She had an IV in her right arm and was hooked up to several machines. Bandages were wrapped around most of her body and her injured arm was in a cast.
She wracked her brain for any clues as to where she was or how she got there, but the last thing she remembered was falling from the sky, and those red eyes. Her heart began to race when she remembered she had not been alone when she lost consciousness, which caused one of the machines to start beeping.
Elira closed her eyes and tried to slow her heartrate, but she opened them when she heard someone approaching. They pulled back one of the curtains and looked at her. "You're finally awake" the woman said with a surprised look, which softened to a relieved smile.
"Wh-where am I?" Elira stuttered. Her voice was raspy from lack of use.
"No need to be afraid, you're safe here. You were found in the woods outside of the castle and were in bad shape, so they brought you to me. I'm glad you're alright, I was worried when you didn't wake up for three days."
"I've been asleep for three days?" Elira exclaimed, though her dry throat protested the shout and she was overtaken with a coughing fit.
"Let me get you some water" the woman said before leaving, returning a few minutes later with a glass of water, which Elira greedily drank.
"You said I'm in a castle?" Elira asked once her throat stopped burning.
"The castle infirmary to be more precise, but yes. My name is Arhenia, I'm the head Medic here." Elira looked at Arhenia closely. She was a pretty woman, but definitely not human, which verified Elira's assumption that she was no longer on Earth. Arhenia was tall and lean with an athletic build. She looked exotic, with angular features and skin the color of caramel. Her eyes were round, and somewhere between gold and orange in color. Black lines ran from her tear ducts down her slender nose, stopping at the tip. Two ribbed horns about a foot in length grew from the front of her head through short brown hair. Black spots dusted her neck and disappeared under the tan lab coat she wore, a spotted tail twitching behind her. Her nails came to sharp points, and her legs changed just below the knee to resemble that of a deer, hooves and all. "What's your name?"
"Elira. I'm in the Demon Realm, aren't I?" Elira asked. She already knew the answer, but Arhenia confirming it made Elira's stomach twist.
"It's nice to meet you, Elira. And yes, though you are safe here, I promise" Arhenia assured.
"I don't belong here, I want to go home" Elira said, tears pricking her eyes. She didn't want to cry, her head already hurt, but she was scared. All she wanted was her own bed, her own house, her own Realm. She wanted Sandra to hug her tightly and tell her everything was okay. She wanted Tyna to threaten Clancy with severe bodily harm which would make Elira laugh. She just wanted her life back.
"I'm sure you do, but I'm afraid that isn't possible right now. You're still in bad shape, even with your accelerated healing. And I am sure people from the Black Market are looking for you" Arhenia said, sympathetically.
"How did you know about the Black Market?" Elira asked, afraid this woman was somehow linked to that horrible place, or worse, with Clancy.
"You were wearing one of their collars when we found you." Elira's hand shot to her neck to find it empty; the collar was gone. "We were able to get it off of you, but it isn't safe for you right now. They don't like when their prisoners escape. We have been trying to shut them down for a while now, but it's difficult since they constantly move around and so many people participate in their disgusting behavior. We have captured many, but have yet to identify them all." Arhenia sounded angry as she spoke; her jaw was clenched and her eyes narrowed.
"So, you're not with them?" Elira asked.
"Of course not!" Arhenia replied defensively, causing Elira to flinch. Arhenia took a calming breath once she noticed she had scared Elira. "I'm sorry for shouting, I did not mean to frighten you, I just feel strongly about the Black Market."
"Well I'm not too worried about them. It's Clancy I'm afraid of" Elira said quietly, as if saying his name would summon him. Arhenia's eyes widened.
"You came from Clancy?" She asked, surprised.
"Yeah, and I never want to go back. That's why I ran when I was found in the woods, I thought Clancy had found me." Elira shivered at the thought, and had to force herself to stop thinking about him since it brought back memories of Cat and Cook, and she didn't want to start crying again. Arhenia seemed nice, but Elira was not about to trust a Demon after everything they had done to her.
"I see. Clancy has been a thorn in our side for a while. He's only a human but he has made many deals with Demons, which keeps him protected and relatively out of our sights. Do you happen to remember where he was keeping you?"
"It was a mansion, but I have no clue how to get to it" Elira admitted, not that she'd ever want to find it again.
"He's probably already moved anyway, he's slippery like that" Arhenia said with a sigh.
"He's awful" Elira mumbled unconsciously, though Arhenia nodded in agreement.
"I've never met him, but I hear he is not a nice man." It was Elira's turn to nod, unsure what else to say. Arhenia seemed to have some ideas for conversation though. "How did you end up in the Black Market, if you don't mind me asking? The Angel Realm is known to be difficult to enter."
"I'm not from the Angel Realm, I've lived on Earth most of my life" Elira said hesitantly, unsure how much information she should divulge. Arhenia must not have expected that, because her already big eyes widened.
"Why were you not in the Angel Real with the others?" she asked in shock.
"I don't remember much, but my parents sent me there when I was only eight, and that's where I've lived for almost fifteen years now, until a Demon found me and brought me to the Black Market, where Clancy bought me. I'm not sure how long ago that was." Remembering her home brought more tears to Elira's eyes, which she swiped at before they had a chance to fall.
"I'm so sorry" Arhenia said. She sounded genuine, and Elira wanted to believe she was good, but she had thought the same about Cat, and she had betrayed her. Thinking about Cat brought back memories of her lifeless body in Clancy's office, which brought back everything else. Elira's stomach twisted and her chest tightened as if someone was squeezing her heart. Would she ever get past these feelings of guilt? She doubted it. Elira shrugged and sunk down into the bed, wanting to be alone. Arhenia must have noticed, because she excused herself. "I'll let you rest. If you need anything just press that button" Arhenia said, motioning towards a small button next to the cot Elira laid in. She nodded and Arhenia left, closing the curtain behind her, leaving Elira alone.
She didn't want to think anymore, it hurt too much, but she couldn't stop the thoughts racing through her head. She pulled the sheet up over her and curled into a ball as tears flowed freely down her cheeks. She cried silently, not wanting anyone to hear her. Her life had changed so much and all she wanted was everything to go back to normal, but she had a feeling that that was impossible; she had changed, and after everything she'd been through, there was no going back. She cried until her eyelids got heavy and she slowly drifted off, dreaming about her normal life.
The next morning Elira awoke to Arhenia's voice through the curtain. "May I come in?"
Elira rubbed her eyes, trying to remember what had happened. It all came flooding back to her and quickly soiled the good mood her pleasant dreams had left her in. "Yeah" Elira answered.
Arhenia opened the curtain and stepped into the make-shift room. "How are you feeling?"
"I'm okay. A little hungry" Elira admitted, though she was more than just a little hungry, she was starving. She hadn't eaten a thing since leaving Clancy's house a week ago. The IV in her arm had helped with the dehydration, but her body missed food. Her stomach growled, emphasizing her point, which caused Arhenia to chuckle.
"Sounds like it, what would you like?"
"Anything" Elira said quickly, her mouth watering at the mere thought of food.
"Alright, I'll be back shortly with something for you to eat." Arhenia said with a smile before leaving. Elira propped herself up in the cot while she waited, noticing that her body ached far less than it had the previous day. Her accelerated healing helped, but she assumed there was some kind of pain killer in her IV.
She focused on listening to see if anyone else was in the infirmary while she waited for Arhenia. She heard some coughs and groans, meaning she wasn't alone. Elira wasn't sure if she liked that fact, so she occupied her mind with something else. She thought of questions she wanted to ask Arhenia, like who found her in the woods. She wanted to meet the person who saved her, she figured she should thank them. She also wanted to know who was behind the red eyes she so vividly rememebred.
Elira smelled the food before Arhenia returned. She set a tray on the bed which held a plate stacked with pancakes, sausage and eggs, along with a glass of orange juice. "It looks delicious" Elira said, salivating like a dog as her stomach rumbled.
"Dig in" Arhenia said, and Elira quickly obliged. Arhenia chuckled at Elira's eagerness, which caused her to slow down.
"Who exactly found me?" Elira asked after she had finished her breakfast.
"Niela and Alexios found you when they were on their daily outing" Arhenia replied.
"Who was the one with the red eyes?"
"That would be Drayis" Arhenia said hesitantly. "You'll meet him soon."
"Sooner than you think" a masculine voice said from outside the curtains. "May I come in?"
Arhenia looked at Elira, who nodded hesitantly. She was nervous to meet the man who saved her, but his deep voice caused a tingling sensation in her stomach which she'd never experienced before. "Yeah, you can come in" Arhenia replied.
The man who walked through the curtain was absolutely stunning; Elira couldn't keep her eyes off of him. He was the embodiment of tall, dark and handsome. He had to be well over six feet tall. He was dressed in black jeans with boots and a deep red t-shirt which strained over his muscular chest. He had deep black hair that fell down his back, ending just below his shoulder blades. Two thick horns that resembled those of a bull grew from either side of his head. He had a strong jaw with chiseled features, a strong nose, and ruby red eyes. Despite being handsome, his face looked blank, as if he had no emotions, and Elira felt a shiver run down her spine as he gazed at her intensely.
"So, this is the fallen Angel?" he asked.
"Y-yes" Elira stuttered.
"Arhenia tells me you're from Earth?"
"Y-yes."
"Is that all you know how to say?" He asked with a raised eyebrow, the effect it had on Elira was strong. She had never found someone so attractive yet so terrifying before, she didn't know how to react. It was as if she had forgotten how to converse.
"N-no."
The man gave her an annoyed look and crossed his strong arms over his chest. "How old are you, Elira?" Hearing him say her name send a rush of excitement through her, but she tried to ignore it.
"I'll be twenty-three this year." This earned her another eyebrow raise.
"You look younger" he replied. Elira shrugged, unsure what to say. "I'm Drayis, by the way. I'm the King here." Elira's blood ran cold at his words; King of the Demon Real meant he was what the Human's called Satan, though their version of the Demon Realm and it's King was vastly different than the real thing. Earth, the Demon Real and the Angel Real were all on the same plain of existence, with several points of contact where you can cross hidden throughout the world.
Him being the King also meant he was the one who lead the war against her people, meaning he probably hated Angels. Elira got a pit in her stomach that made her feel sick; she didn't want to think about what he planned on doing to her. Any attraction she had felt for him was quickly forgotten and replaced with fear. She had to force herself not to shake, not wanting to anger him in any way. She didn't remember much about her people, but this man was their biggest enemy, and she retained a few horrifying stories about him that she had been told as a child before going to Earth.
"It's n-nice to m-meet you" she stammered, amazed she could speak at all.
Draying nodded and turned to Arhenia. "I have business to attend to so, I'll be back late. You're in charge until then."
"Alright, see you later. Have fun" Arhenia said with a playful smile. Drayis rolled his eyes.
"Yeah, sure" he said before turning back to Elira. "Arhenia has been tasked with taking care of you for now, so let her know if you need anything." Elira nodded, not trusting her voice. Drayis said good-bye before departing and Elira let out a long breath she didn't realize she'd been holding.
"He's the one who saved me?" She questioned incredulously.
"Yes, he was doing rounds when he saw you falling and was able to get there and catch you before you hit the ground, then he brought you to me" Arhenia answered.
"Why?" Elira could not fathom why the King of Demons would save her, unless he had some fiendish plan for her. She trembled at the mere thought.
"He is a good man" Arhenia assured, but Elira didn't believe her. Maybe he was good to his people, but he couldn't possibly be kind to the enemy. It wouldn't matter to him that she had nothing to do with the war since she lived most of her life on Earth, he'd still see her as an enemy. Maybe he planned on using her to get to the Angels somehow. Arhenia frowned. "You don't believe me." It wasn't a question, but Elira answered anyway.
"No, I can't see why Demons would ever be kind to an Angel, especially their King" Elira admitted.
"Have I not been kind to you?" Arhenia asked, she sounded hurt.
"I just don't know if I can trust anyone here" Elira said. She had made the mistake of being too trusting before, only to get stabbed in the back, almost literally. The only person she knew she could trust in this Realm was Cook, and not only was he human, but he was dead, and it was all her fault. Elira shook her head as if that could clear away the memories, but they would never go away. Thinking about Cook sent a pang of guilt through her heart, and Elira hid under the blankets so Arhenia didn't see her cry.
"I understand you've been through a lot. I'll give you some space, I just hope you learn that not all Demons are bad" Arhenia said. Her voice was quiet and she sounded sad, which made Elira feel guilty; she had done nothing but help Elira, and as a thanks she gets told Elira doesn't trust her. Before Elira could say anything, Arhenia left the room, her hooves clacking against the floor as she departed.
Hurting one of the only people who had shown her kindness send another wave of guilt through Elira, who hugged her knees to her chest as tears slid down her cheeks. She was so sick of crying, it seemed to be all she did lately, but she couldn't help it. There were so many emotions running through her that she didn't know how else to deal with them. She cried herself to sleep yet again, but this time it was plagued with nightmares.