Vita

Chapter Eight

Levi holds me tightly from behind, whispering in my ear, "You're okay, princess, it was just a dream."

I still sob in pain at the feeling of my wings being ripped from my back. It felt so real, "Levi," I whisper, "my father ripped my wings from me in the dream. My wings... they were black, and my father told me I was The Black Angel."

"You're wings aren't black, and you're not The Black Angel. I promise you that, and do you want to know what color your wings really are?" he whispers in my ear and I nod.

He gets up and pulls me toward the bathroom off of my room. He places me in front of the mirror so I'm looking at myself and he stands behind me, "Look closely."

I sigh and focus on my reflection, studying some of the makeup that didn't quite come off when I cleaned my face, and my hair that was all over the place. My aristocratic nose that I hated as a child, but grew to love. Then my eyes fell on something behind me, not Levi, but wings. And they were gold.

"How did I not notice them before?" I ask, confused.

"Because you didn't believe in yourself. As a child you didn't know what you were, and for the past few months you haven't fully believed what you were capable of. But, oh, Eleanor, you are capable of so much that you haven't noticed yet," he smiles, and then I catch his wings. Black.

"Why are your wings black?" I ask quietly and his smile fades. I turn around to face him.

"I'm an Angel of Death, remember? I was born with black wings, so was my brother and sister. I always wished as a child to have white wings like the archangels and the guardian angels, but I don't care anymore," he steps closer to me.

"Are you The Black Angel?" I regret the question as soon as I asked it.

"No, I'm not," he laughs quietly, "black wings don't make you evil, and white wings don't make you pure."

I nod as he says this and when I look up at him, he's an inch away from my face, "I'm tired," I say awkwardly at the sudden movement from him.

"Do you want me to stay?" he asks and I question this myself grabbing for his hand.

"Only if you want," I give a soft smile.

"Princess, I always want to," he kisses me harshly before pulling back. And for the rest of the night we face each other in my bed, our limbs tangled in knots, and our quiet voices telling stories and our laughs filling each other's ears.