Golden wings

Chapter 34 - Ripped

"P-please..."

Uriel's breath wavered and ended in a shaky sob. It was the only thing that echoed in the dark room.

He was holding a bowl, gently. But his claws were shaking; he almost dropped it, having been holding it for more than three minutes already. Time felt like an eternity, he waited hopefully for a little longer. The angel would not move, so he closed his eyes and moved away his hands. He laid the bowl on the bedside table near him, reluctantly. The brew was ice cold, done hours ago, refused multiple times.

He could not keep looking at Alexis. But he refused to stand up from his chair and leave. He just waited anxiously... not quite knowing for what. The angel was lying on his bed, with his eyes closed. However, he knew he was awake. He just knew. Alexis had been awake for two days already; two days had gone by since he brought him back to his manor.

Uriel had wanted to speak... He had wanted to apologize... But Alexis had not answered his cries, his pleas to be forgiven. He was only answered with silence. His amber eyes had opened once before, but they had only stared at the wall or ceiling, without emotion. He had not even said a word, not a single sound left his lips, not since he awoke. The angel only cried silently when the demon knelled at the side of the bed and begged him to answer him, to say anything. Uriel had let out a scared and mournful wail, once he realized that Alexis would not even look at him. He had expected anger, he had expected yells and curses once awake; yet there was only coldness, an eerie silence that haunted him.

He had barely moved; he had not spoken either. He had not even eaten anything... For three days. He had not been able to, not since he lost his wings.

Both knew now what had truly happened.

Uriel's eyes had only showed regret and horror when he looked at him, after saving him from that monster. All his body had trembled as he forced himself to look at him again, there, wounded and beaten near the bloody waves. He had not been able to leave his side; he had picked him up in his arms, as soon as he ran out of tears in that horrible coast.

He had hurried, to take Alexis back home-

No... He could not call this place home anymore.

He had brought him back to his manor, fast as he could be. He was fearful of all the wounds he had; he had been weak in his hold, fainted from blood loss and exhaustion.

Uriel had been scared. He had feared that he could die in his arms, but his angel kept on breathing; he kept on clinging to his life. He had laid him here, in the room he once had thought welcoming. He had then reached for him, needing to see the wounds closely. He cried for hours, because he saw the marks of slashes and claws. The bruises were all around him; he had been beaten and dragged to the limit. He thanked god he was not human. He had to contain his trembling and his sobs, while he bandaged carefully his body. He had been thankful that Alexis had been unconscious in that moment, because he had to make sure the wounds did not get infected. It had been hell since he saw those torn wings...

No. For Alexis it had been hell since he ventured into those caverns.

Uriel let out a raspy sigh. He tried to keep a clear mind, while he looked at the big bandage tied around Alexis' frame. It was held around his chest and back, in order to cover his shoulders and the wounds. The bandages were dried up, again. There were small patches of red, which he wished he could stop seeing.

A claw trembled, and rose slowly, with pure doubt. Uriel opened his mouth, to speak... But five minutes went by until he managed to say anything.

"A-Alexis..." Those black eyebrows seemed to go down a little. A faint frown grew on the angel's face. "I need to- We need to change the bandages... A-again."