Golden wings

Chapter 54 - Archangel

The sun was beginning to rise. And she awoke with a start.

Ayako gasped for air, as she clasped her chest with her hand, painfully. She blinked and looked slowly down. Her eyes narrowed with slight confusion, because she saw a cape, which had been covering her. She slowly relaxed, seeing that she was still in the clearing. The dark still surrounded the forest, but it was cowering under the dim light of the dawn.

She let out a long sigh, and then brushed her hand against her forehead, to wipe away her cold sweat. She frowned, because no matter how much she tried to remember what she had dreamt, she could not. It still pounded deep in her mind, surely a nightmare. It had to be, given that she had awoken so sharply. She still could feel fear, deep inside, for something.

But what?

She sat there, looking around her.

No matter how she tried, she would not remember, she knew. So she decided to get up and take the cape with her. After a deep breath, she began to step towards the cave, hesitantly.

Had he...?

She had not expected him to be awake.

Alexis was sitting on the edge of his bed, in the shadows of his nest. His eyes were narrowed, with a serious and worried expression. Ayako halted at the mouth of the cave, somewhat nervously. She watched how he held Abiel: one of his hands held him, while he petted him carefully with the other. The animal was growling strongly, his little claws were scratching Alexis' lap while he struggled in his hold, his fur was as puffed as possible, and his ears were leaned back; he looked scared. The blond did not seem to want to acknowledge the bites and pushes that the rabbit was giving him.

"Alexis?"

The angel blinked when she called, because he had been entirely focused on the small ball of fur. He looked sideways slowly, and saw her there, peeking in between the drapes. She was holding the leafs with a hand, while the other...

He saw the cape.

"...Good morning, Ayako."

His voice sounded tired, with a slight sad tone, which she did not catch.

Ayako stepped in slowly, something that Alexis did not seem to mind. He let her near, and both stared down at the rodent. Abiel did not like to see her so close; he let out a loud growled whimper and cowered into Alexis' hold.

"What's wrong with him?"

"I would like to know. I haven't seen him like this before."

Ayako took a deep breath, as worried as he was. She looked over her shoulder, with a thoughtful and serious expression.

She felt wrong. She could not avoid feeling like if she was not alone, and not in a good way. Of course, Alexis was not the one that caused that feeling, but something else; something she could not see.

Alexis gasped silently when he felt something brush him. He looked up nervously, and stared at her caring eyes. He did not move an inch while she let go of the cape with a smile, to let it cover his shoulders and lap.

"Thank you."

The angel sat there, baffled, with no clue of what to think. He would have stayed frozen, were not for the fact that he saw her walk out the cave, dagger in hand. He reacted before she could get out of sight.

"Ayako? Where are you going?"

She did not halt, she did not even look back, but she did reply him with a playful tone.