When they reached the carriage, Zaniel stopped and looked at Kimberly..
"I will give you one chance to change your mind, come with me or stay here in the church.." Zaniel said. Wanting Kimberly to say one meaningful words to make him allow her.. To make him think it worth it, she dying for him..
"I want to, I want to stay with you.. Will you allow me?" Kimberly gathered her courage to say..
Zaniel look her without saying anything, just then he lifted Kimberly up his arms, and a beautiful black wings appeared on his back..
Kimberly was shocked and surprised.. Even the church members who was at the entrance was shocked to see him have such wings..
"Meet us at the mansion, Nicholas.." Zaniel said as he flew away with Kimberly in his arms..
〰️〰️〰️〰️
Kimberly felt that to fly and to stay on the ground was one strange feeling. The sky was high and never came the day to Kimberly where she would be so close to the sky almost like the bird she always see to be free and unbind by anything as they soar to the sky.
Upon reaching back to the castle, Zaniel's wings flapped as one of his legs took one step on the railing of the balcony before he transition his other leg to smoothly reach the floor of the balcony. Kimberly stepped down when Zaniel bent his body slightly so her feet could reach the ground.
"That was a meaningful trip," Zaniel commented. It was a very meaningful one to Ian as he watched Kimberly putting distance between her and him..
"I hope they will but loss is a loss. I hate what I found out ," Kimberly mumbled with her eyes drawn to the sky that had turned pitch black. "I still could not understand," said Kimberly and Zaniel watched her eyes that now stared at the sky where her blue eyes turn darker in the shadow.
"What can't you understand?" asked Zaniel and he turned his body to look at the sky beside Kimberly .
"Why would I die, when I finally found someone to live for.. Guardian angel, I don't want to be that, I don't care what you are, you are my savior, my Master.. My... Something I could not fathom." Kimberly felt that with Zaniel she could express her inner thoughts and the worries that bugged her mind. Zaniel would be there for her, but she was still scared to yes what is important to her out to him.
There was a bond between them. She didn't know when the bond sprouted and it was almost invisible to her eyes but she could tell it was there. Kimberly wondered if there will be a day to come where she would turn hostile against Zaniel or likewise. Her feeling told her that day will never happen.
Zaniel could tell the question came straight from Kimberly's heart. Zaniel didn't know how her aunt managed to keep Kimberly innocent.
Zaniel said "There are many things in this world one could never unravel. One of them are people's reason for putting something to action. There are many possibilities are in the world that to get to the bottom of the unknown one have to drown in it. What I mean is that to find the reason you would have to be ready to go to the bottom of the problem by getting into the case, You won't die" his eyes then turn to meet hers, "Many other die in this world as you know have reason. But the reason given you is one of the most ridiculous one"
Elise took the words for a good two seconds. Because of loving him, she will be a sinner? In the Church since her childhood, the priest and sisters would tell Kimberly about demons or angels. Angels have white wings but there were angels who had black wings and they were called fallen angels. As a punishment for breaking God's words and straying form the right path, their wings turn black and the fell to hell. Then she realized Zaniel wings is black.
"Are you an angel, Master Zaniel?" On her question, Kimberly felt the wind brushing on her face glide coldly on her skin. She stared back at Zaniel's eyes finding how his face was shadowed by the dark, making his smile to bear a darker meaning.
Zaniel turned his body and he took one step in which Kimberly didn't move back to until she felt how Zaniel's chest moved closer to her face, having her to compiled and slowly threaded her steps back. When her back pressed to the cold sensation of the glass which accumulated the cold wind of the night. Kimberly shivered, she saw Zaniel's hand raising to stop on beside the glass beside her face.
Kimberly turned her face to avoid looking at Zaniel's face in the distance, hoping Zaniel would move steps back. In this world however, no one could push him away from them not Kimberly whose mind and heart was all over him.
"Why do you think I am a fallen angel? Is it my wings that make you think so?" asked Zaniel and in one second, his wings emerge from his back.
"Are you not?" Kimberly asked him back. She moved her eyes from looking at the right side?when she felt his hand holding her waist, slipping under her red cloak that pressed her back even further. "I think I will go back now."
"If you go back, I will tie your legs and hands here before leaving you in my room," came Zaniel's sudden change in his voice that Kimberly flinched slightly. Would Master Zaniel really tie both her hands and legs if she run but she thought she should make a run now. Zaniel's tone was one where it left her no room to argue, abiding by his words and restrict her from trying to escape.
Kimberly felt her heart slipped along with her breaths when Zaniel's hand on her waist slowly climbs up. Her hand she pressed on her chest didn't know where it goes and when she felt Zaniel's hand reaching dangerously near her breast, she grab a hold of his hand, stopping him.
"I will stay here," so don't keep pushing your hand! Kimberly gulped the rest of the words as she was feeling too embarrassed to tell Zaniel . She knew if she said the rest of the word, they have never been this close before.
"Why are you holding my hands?" Zaniel gathered his thought to her arm. He didn't swatted her hand and pursue his fingers to find its way over to the two mounds his eyes were looking subtly at.
Kimberly bites her lips. She didn't elaborate her words so Zaniel wouldn't use it for his advantage but it failed the moment he questioned her. "If you do not tell me, I can continue then, right?"
"You are going to touch inappropriate places if you do, Master Zaniel. Please stop," she begged him. Kimberly felt as if she had unraveled something in Zaniel. The gaze he used were fierce but not with anger but something else taking over it. Any more than this, Kimberly was sure the night wasn't going to end simply for her.
"Inappropriate places means improper the words only works when you feel unrest. But I do not think you are feeling uncomfortable with my hands and where it is going to," Zaniel dropped his tone low, his breaths brushing to Kimberly 's neck deliberately, making her eyes to shut close and her muscle pulled when she breathed out. "Do you feel uncomfortable, Kimberly ? If you do, I promise not to touch you," Kimberly felt relief relaxing her tensed body but it went constrict from movement again when Zaniel added, "Forever."
Kimberly for the first time out a glaring look at Zaniel which was mild and wasn't enough to intimidate him as it only make her look lovelier to Zaniel, she know she will never want that.. As his mate . "You are not playing fair, Master Zaniel ," she argued him.
Zaniel tilted his head, putting an expression of confusion, "What exactly am I not playing fair with? By promising to not touch you it is instead not fair for me," Zaniel twist every possible words Kimberly spoken. "I know, maybe you actually want me to touch you now?"
"I didn't mean that!" Kimberly could not fathom Zaniel's logic of words now. She was walking on a tight rope now with the person who hold the rope being Zaniel. By his mischief, she can't guess when she would plunge, having herself played by his words.
"You know, they said a strong denial is a positive response. How should I proceed with this?" With what? questioned Kimberly and she yelp when she felt Zaniel's teeth nipped on her ears.
Kimberly's whole body felt as if it was lit in a fire. Her heartbeat kept on racing that she was afraid it would run from her chest, leaving her lifeless. She want to cover her ears but if she does that, she would have to release Zaniel's hand. In the position everything she did felt wrong to her but Zaniel had left one opening for Kimberly to run and that was to confess her feeling now.
Zaniel pulled his grin, the evilness coming to lurk beneath his gaze.
〰️〰️〰️〰️
Kimberly felt as if a storm had blew her away, scattering her mind and thought she had in her mind, leaving almost none. She could only focus on Zaniel's gaze, his touch, and the breathing that softly cooed her neck like a brush of the night's air. When Kimberly met Zaniel's eyes she was brought back to reality how the situation she was in are dire.
If Kimberly allow Zaniel to continue to touch her, it wouldn't end with just a single touch. She knew it by her feeling even if she didn't know how weddings night took place. Kimberly became more conscious when she caught the faint shadow of Zaniel's bed even though it was dark inside his room. Denying Zaniel wasn't of her choice either. If she denied him, forever Kimberly wouldn't be able to be touched by him.
Kimberly didn't want that.
Zaniel watched how his sweet girl was torn between two choices that both didn't work favor on her as it works favor only to him. "You didn't reply to me earlier, Kimberly. About the fallen angel. Did you see me as one because I save you that day? On the day where I met you, bring you from the slave's building and have you stay with me."
Kimberly shook her head, "There was a tale I heard from the priest in the Church when I was still living in Runalia. It was about an angel who had killed a human. In result to their action, heaven punish the angel by removing them from heaven, and they fell to the hell, curse to become fallen angel. The angel's white wings turn to black, just like yours, Master Zaniel ." Kimberly felt less tense when she talk and she felt Zaniel removing his hand from her waist.
"Its a true tale and the correct term they use but from the moment I got it, my wings were pitch black," replied Zaniel and his wings he showed disappeared again from his back.
"Got it?" It was the wording that make Kimberly confused. Wasn't Zaniel born with the pitch black wings? But from his words it tell that his wings were something he acquired not born with.
"I was never born.. A was created but not with wings," answered Zaniel truthfully without hiding anything "There are only few beings that could stay immortal as they are against the nature God created. Angels they were born out of God's will but I am not one. What do you think I am?" He gave her a riddle with enough clues for her to take.
Kimberly felt somewhere she knew what Zaniel said. The idea surface to her mind for many times but she didn't brought the words to her lips because she wasn't sure. Zaniel now lay out every clues she needed and the answer was there now on her.
Kimberly gathered her voice to speak but Zaniel helped her, "I am a demon, not just a demon. I am a Djinn darling. One and the only Djinn you have ever seen." and as if upon his words, his black wings appeared from his back but that wasn't all Kimberly caught in her eyes. It was the only black horns that appeared on both sides of Zaniel's head. The horn was black in color, the same color of Zaniel's wings and it grew up to curl back when it reached a certain height.
Kimberly saw how it grew and when Zaniel opened his eyes, she met his eyes that were redder then ever, glowing as if there was flame in his eyes. Her breaths quivered as she saw his appearance.
"You have horns Master Zaniel," said Kimberly in surprise, jolting loud what she saw. Zaniel's horns look like a deer except it seemed sturdier, and colored in black. It didn't seemed to be attached but rather grew from his head just like what she witness. Kimberly doubted this was magic. Magic didn't have the ability to sprout horns or wings that was tangible.
"You look as if you want to touch it, go on," Kimberly pulled his hand bringing it close to the top of his head but he loosened his hand when he created distance, wanting Kimberly to be the one to take the action.
Kimberly fingertips carefully tried to tap Zaniel's horn. Her action to Zaniel seemed as if she was trying to pet an animal with wild fangs from the forest. When Kimberly felt the solidness that was somewhat similar to wood with a tougher built. It didn't seem pulling would hurt or knocking would but Kimberly didn't want to try as she didn't want to hurt Zaniel .
"It is real." A hint of awestruck was contained in her voice. "Does all Demons have wings like yours, Master Zaniel?" Elise asked. She heard Demon's wings were more like a bat's but Zaniel was very close to an angel's wings that was similarly close to a bird's wings. Maybe Djinn are more different from demons.
Zaniel pulled his lips curling the corner on her question, "Is that your first question? I thought you would run by now although you don't have the space to run," commented Zaniel with his eyes looking down on his hand that was blocking Kimberly's escape route.
"I wouldn't run," Kimberly responded him. Why would she? she asked in her own mind. People would outcast her when learning she could see ghosts but Zaniel didn't. He had and would never. It would be petty for her to be scared of him but there was other reason why she didn't run even after knowing Zaniel was a demon, a being that was always associated with disasters and other unholy thing.
Instead of looking frightening, Kimberly felt her heart skipped at Zaniel's current appearance. His hair was messy from the flight they had together. From the collar of his shirt, the button had been opened, making his skin to show from his shirt, peeking out and allow Kimberly to see his taut muscle chest.
With his eyes that brought a different intensity. Kimberly felt each second, her heart that had swayed to him since the day they met.
"And why is that?" Zaniel whispered the words to Kimberly . She really had shown no fear to see his current appearance even if it was less frightening than his truest appearance. In the past he had seen women claiming their undying love for him but after seeing how he look like now, they would scream and begged for their life to be spared.
Not that Zaniel cared as he had shown the woman his demonic side to chase them away. Kimberly was different. She was afraid of ghost but she wasn't afraid of the being that were crueler than ghost. He could tell there wasn't any hesitation in her or movements she showed that sign her wanting to escape. She not running not just because of the mate bond, but because.. It geniu..
The smile he had was pulled wider after his question while waiting for Kimberly to gather her courage and replied.
"Because you are you, Master Zaniel . A demon or Djinn, you are still the same person I know and that will never change. Even this side of you," drawled Kimberly as her hand slide very slowly to his horns to move back toward his wings. Since the moment she saw Zaniel's wings few hours ago, she wanted to touch it but thinking it would be rude she didn't. She made use of the situation they were in to touch his wings.
"What is it?" Zaniel whispered over her ears and he pulled his face to lean backward to admired Kimberly's feature and the expression she had that look enchanted by how he looked now. "Continue," he demanded with a velvety voice, "Even this side of me is... what?"
Kimberly moved her face where her eyes shifted to settle better to meet Zaniel's eyes, her lips quivered along with her breath. Under the moonlight and stars behind Zaniel , Kimberly felt her eyes sinking to a daze at the breathtaking view, "Beautiful," her words added slowly.
"Oh?" Zaniel pulled his lips, his fangs that grew peeked out from the corner of his lips, "I didn't know you for one have a very twisted expression of beauty. I do not have an objection against it though. For someone to praise me as beautiful, you are the first one."
Kimberly licked her lips she bit on to purse again when Zaniel's face leaned forward. She turned her eyes at Zaniel, opening her lips to pursed it again, "Master Zaniel, you didn't reply to my question yet." It was the question Kimberly asked after gathering all courage she had and to be brushed off would be the last thing she wanted to happen.
"About what, Kimberly ?" Ian's voice somewhere to Elise's ears turn sweeter and she didn't know if Ian had done it while knowing it would make her heart wavering.
"What I asked before we left," answered Kimberly to his question, finding Zaniel whose expression look at her with a look of narrowing his eyes that darkened with a fierceness he narrowly hold back.
Zaniel hummed, his hand slowly grasping Kimberly's hand over his horn, "My deepest apologies my lady but I don't remember which. I think you didn't ask only for a few in this balcony when you are with me." On how his lips pulling, curling high and his words sounding more gentlemanly, Kimberly could take well he had no single means from his words.
"Do I have to repeat my words to help you comb through your memory?" asked Kimberly as she knew this was what Zaniel was going for.
Zaniel tipped his chin, "Please, what is it?"
...