Later that night as Trinity slept, Zyxel carefully opened the window to her room, and stealthily crept inside. In his right hand, he held a small wooden box with decorative markings carved into it. He stroked his thumb over the lid, debating what he should do with it.
He walked over and sat gently on the edge of her bed, making sure not to wake her up. He didn't want to frighten her any more than what he knew that she already would be.
Being cautious and making sure he didn't cut her with his claws, he delicately brushed several strands of her hair aside, to expose her beautiful features on her face. She was sleeping so peacefully, her chest rising and falling in tune with her breathing, he couldn't help but smile. Had Amara been telling him the truth earlier? Did Trinity really care for him? Or was Amara just taunting him?
Zyxel had been drawn to her since the day he laid eyes on her that first day inside the church, and he tried his best not to act rashly on his impulses. Although there had been a few times where he had slipped up, such as when chose seduction as the method to test her ability to fight off a divine influence.
Why he chose seduction, he didn't know at the time. But reflecting back on everything now, he wondered if he had subconsciously been hoping to receive an answer from her, as to his question. Maybe it was the simple fact that she had resisted him, that made him even more drawn to her.
This was partly why he had found all of her questions so annoying before, back in the cave. He wasn't sure what it was that kept drawing him to her, and he wasn't used to feeling this way about a human before; even though he didn't want to admit it yet at the time. And now to find out that she might have felt the same way, he wasn't sure how to feel about that.
Back when they first met in the church, the lack of fear was the first thing that stood out to him. Followed soon after by the strength of her mind that she displayed when she had performed the spell, which had only further interested him even more.
However, the most intriguing thing that he realized after their bond was formed, was the fact that he now possessed the ability to transform back to his original body through the link that she had summoned. It had been an unexpected surprise to him when he noticed his body beginning to shift. He had to race out of the church before anyone could notice what was happening.
Then when he realized that she could sense his energies, he knew for certain that there was something special about her, but he could never figure out exactly what it was. He didn't sense any demonic energy inside her, and if she'd had angelic energy, then Amara would have sensed it by now. It wasn't until he first turned to stone, that he was able to confirm that her mind was definitely stronger than most humans that he remembered back in his day.
The incantation that turns him to stone, was entirely dependent on the mental strength of the human who cast the spell. Normally, the spell that turned them to stone would require the full day of sunlight, and they wouldn't return back to flesh until after the sun went down. It was also due to this reason that their demon strength and abilities would be affected by the bond. If the human wasn't strong enough to draw enough energy through their link for the demon to feed from, then the magic of the gargoyle would eventually begin to feed off of the demon's energies to supplement and power the link.
But it hadn't been like this for Trinity. Somehow, something about her amplified the spell, allowing him to only need a mere six hours to completely recharge from feeding through the link to Hellfire.
How her mind had been capable of pulling on so much energy through the link, he wasn't sure. Then again, no other human had ever pulled divine energy through them when they touched their stone skin either. Even though she had been burned by his Hellfire as well, the divine energy that she somehow pulled through, chose to save and heal her.
With the back of his hand, Zyxel lightly caressed her cheek. Her skin felt soft like silk under his rougher, scaly skin. His hand then traveled down as he daintily brushed his thumb over her luscious lips. For a brief moment, he wanted nothing more than to kiss her just then. But the image from what she saw earlier that morning flashed vividly in his mind. Regrettably, he closed his eyes and pulled his hand away.
No! Even if she had felt that way at one time, he knew there was no way she would ever be able to see him the same now, after seeing what he had done. Amara had made sure of that when she brought her there earlier that day. She had witnessed the side to him, that he had never wanted her to see. And there was nothing that he could do, that could change the image she must now have of him.
"Zyxel." Trinity whispered faintly.
Zyxel's eyes flew open and he was ready to pounce back out the window, until he realized that she wasn't awake, but rather she was just talking in her sleep. The rise and fall of her chest remained steady and unchanging.
'Is she dreaming? Or can she sense my energy even when she is asleep?' Zyxel couldn't help but wonder which possibility it might be. He pressed his lips together into a thin line as he watched her carefully to make sure she was still asleep.
Zyxel clutched tighter on the small wooden box that he was still holding in his right hand. Should he leave it here with her? Would she accept it or be repulsed by it?
He looked around the room and noticed that the wooden staff he had carved for her was no longer in her possession. Sorrow and disappointment filled him as he considered the possibility that maybe she had rid herself of the item personally. After all, she no longer needed it to walk anymore. Then again, it was also entirely possible that either her father or Amara had discovered and gotten rid of it.
He had to know for certain. Would she accept it, or reject it?
He carefully placed the wooden box in her hand, and gently curled her fingers around it so that she would awaken with it in her grasp. Then he crept silently back out of her window, making sure to close it behind him.
~*~*~*~*~
As morning came, he observed the scene carefully as he soared from high above, as Trinity raced out of the house to meet up with her two friends who were waiting for her. She wore something heavy over her back that was strapped and held by her two shoulders. But he didn't see the gift he had left with her. He continued to wait and watched as the three of them climbed into a big yellow colored vehicle.
Frowning, he flew back down and climbed back into her room once more. The box he had given her now sat on her bedside table. The lid was popped off and slightly off center, showing that the box had been opened, but the lid hadn't been set back down into place properly.
He lifted the lid, and inspected the contents inside. The gift he had given her still remained inside, and untouched.
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(Questions in the Author's Comments below!)
Books I am currently writing:
- The Forbidden Luna
- Divine Banishment