The Exiled Angel

CHAPTER 1

                                                                                7 MONTHS LATER

SEPHANIE

It was snowing heavily outside. I was wrapped in a warm and cozy blanket on the couch near the fireplace, where the flames crackled, shedding a warm orange glow on the pages of the novel I held in my hands. Momentarily distracted by my thoughts, I watched the flames playfully curl themselves around the logs in a deadly embrace, when I heard a loud rapping on my front door. Worried who might arrive at a time like this; past 10 at night in a snow blizzard, I hurried to the door and peeked through the watch hole. In my view, was a human figure, draped in a long overcoat, hood over the head and a shiver. "A homeless person", I thought, annoyed as I was by the interruption. Nevertheless, I did not hesitate or scruple as I unlocked the door and opened it wide.

"Hello. Can I help you?"

Duh, what a question, I thought. The man, I guessed from his size, did not answer. Instead, he kept breathing heavily, sounding unsettled and impatient, so I ushered him in.

"Get in. Look, I'm feeling generous so you can stay here tonight. I'll show you the guest room. I have some food left over from dinner that I'll-"

I trailed off as the man pulled back his hood and removed his coat, placing it nonchalantly on the chair behind the door.

He had wild, midnight black waves, his face long with a sharp-cut and well-defined jawline, his complexion pale, his build strong and tall and his outfit entirely black. The stranger kept himself busy brushing the snow off his hair and shoulders as I reeled in my thoughts. This man first hit me as a robber but something about him said otherwise. The way he moved showed off pride and also as if he were familiar with my place. Partially absent-minded, I asked something that I should've asked before letting this man into the house.

"How did you get past my gate?"

Done with dusting off the snow, the stranger turned to me with a stoic face and stared me precisely in the eye. He had dead eyes; black with a royal blue ring around the iris.

I retreated a step as the bullet of recognition hit me. Those eyes were hard to miss, let alone forget; the wounded stranger. How long had it been since then? I looked over my shoulder to the fireplace where, in a small glass vial, lay a dry white rose.

The man, rather, the being stepped forward and spoke in a dangerous and unearthly whispered growl.

"I presume you have no notion of the peril that may befall you any moment, lady."

What danger was this hell of a guy talking about? Baffled, I gave a small, nervous chuckle and stumbled a little over my words.

"Look, y-you don't need to make excuses. I'm serious. I don't mind you staying here for the nigh-"

The man clenched his jaw conspicuously, evidently pissed off. Like a bolt from the blue, the man lurched forward and enclosed his large, veiny hand around my arm, yanking me towards him. All his former gentlemanly demeanor evaporated into non-being. His face alarmingly close to mine, he snarled again.

"How daft of you to assume that I'm merely jesting, woman. Do you believe I have time for such nonsense? I have not come to fool about. I've already stated that you are in a deathtrap and I assure you that taking my word for idiocy will cost you your life."

He lifted his chin, pushing his head back an inch, certain that he'd touched a string with his speech. I blinked repeatedly, trying to comprehend what this man was talking about but I failed to understand a word. My mouth opened and closed like a dumb-founded fish. I wanted to tell this man to shut the fuck up and get out of my house but somehow, I couldn't bring myself to do it. For some reason, I deemed that what he said was true. Not because what he said made any sense but because the way he placed it chilled my blood. All I could stutter was, "W-what do I do-?"