ANGEL'S LANDING | BL ✔

CHAPTER 37 | PRAY WE SURVIVE

A small moan escaped Axel's lips as he regained consciousness. The pain that had once set a fire through his chest was gone, and he could think clearly. Blinking a few times aided his vision in focusing as he turned his head and looked at his surroundings. He was back at base, but he was not in the experience room he had been using for the previous few days.

A man sat in a chair that had been pulled up next to the bed Axel was lying on. His head was turned to the ground. Axel assumed him to be asleep, but at the sound of Axel stirring, the man looked up, his blue eyes locking with Axel's silver orbs.

"Colonel..." Axel voiced as he sat up to greet Rae. Relief washed over Rae as he saw Axel wake from his state of unconsciousness. Why is the colonel here? It took Axel a moment to recall what had led to him falling unconscious. Scenes of gunfire and blood filled Axel's vision as he remembered fighting Callon and begging Kilo to spare him.

Axel moved to jump from the bed as he voiced the half-demon's name, "Callon, is-is he...?"

The relief that had come to Rae's face quickly vanished as he stopped Axel from leaving the bed. Placing his hand on the hangel's chest, Rae pushed Axel back down as he asked, "Why is he the first thing you ask about?"

Chills rand down Axel's spine as he stared up into Rae's piercing, blue eyes. The softness of Rae's concern for the hangel had vanished and was replaced by...by... What is that look in his eyes? Axel had never seen this expression before. It was cold but curious and guarded.

When Axel could not muster a reply, Rae released a breath and stepped away from the hangel, his gaze dropping to the floor. "The demon is fine. He is being questioned by Kilo."

Axel swallowed dryly at the change in Rae's tone. It had become distant almost as if Rae no longer trusted him. Axel understood why. Rae had come to Dexys to protect Axel while he was under the command of Hendry. And the first thing the colonel saw was Axel protecting a demon who had killed several of his teammates.

Axel would be cautious of himself, too. How can I explain this? Axel did not want there to be anything about him that Rae could not trust. Rae was probably wondering what Axel's connection was to the demon. How could Axel know such a ruthless demon soldier? How strong was his affiliation with the demon?

But, when Axel opened his lips to speak, it was not to explain the situation, it was to ask about Callon...once again. "May I see him?"

Rae's eyes slanted when the hangel's second question was also for the demon. "Follow me," was all Rae said as he started toward the room's exit. The walk through the base was silent as Rae brought Axel to one of the back rooms that had been retrofitted as a holding cell.

Grunts of pain could be heard from inside the room causing Axel's eyes to widen in fear. What are they doing to him? Axel's heart rate increased as the sounds of pain continued to filter through the closed door. Callon...

Rae stopped just before the door that led to where Callon was being held and turned to face Axel. "The demon is just through here," Rae said as he gestured to the door, seemingly ordering Axel to open it himself. 

Axel winced as another cry of pain sounded from the closed door. Needing to know what was happening to Callon, Axel hurried to the door and quickly opened it, and what met his eyes was a complete shock. Axel gasped as he saw Callon cuffed to a chair with Eryx standing just in front of him. 

"Callon, please!" Tears streamed down Eryx's face as he called out his friend's name. The ambassador angel was trying to reach through to his friend who was trapped inside himself.

Sweat dripped down Callon's face and neck as he cried out in pain. Eryx's forced entry was hard on the half-demon's mind, and he was trying his best to reach out to it. But Hades' spells were strong and would not allow Callon to break free so easily.