Three Sisters

Chapter 8 Late Night Happenings

Malik probably hadn't vacated a bar so quickly in his life. He kept his gaze level with the ground, making a quick beeline for the stairs.

"Excuse me!"

Malik felt his heart skip a beat as he heard a voice, like the voice of an angel calling him home... nope. keep going. Just go, keep walking. Keep walking... Almost there-

"Excuse me, sir!"

Malik meanwhile was frozen midmotion... move damn it, he thought but he felt as if his legs had turned to lead and his joints were as rusted as the bolts on most wagon wheels... Malik took a breath, before turning around, "Yes miss?" he asked, oh gods...

His pupils dilated to nearly take over his entire iris as he stared down into the only set of blue eyes that could ever surpass Rimsak's. One glance and he was sent back in time, back when life was so much simpler... back when he had something worth living for.

Clarissa stared up at the unfamiliar and surprisingly... large and strong man before her. Logic told her no, it wasn't possible... but her heart said it was him... but how? The bronze armor wasn't his style... the red plume was far too extravagant. The light shadow over his face wasn't right either, her love had always taken great pride in his jet black and full beard. He was so tall too... and his eyes, they seemed so tortured and afraid, like a stray dog cornered... But it was so familiar how his dark gaze stared down into hers, the same petrified hunger that he always had when their gazes met. Clarissa tilted her head to the side, her long, curly strawberry locks falling to her side as she glanced up and down the familiar stranger. There was no way.... no logical way at least... "Is... is that you, my love?"

The man before her seemed to choke, shaking his head sparingly at first before full on throwing his head back and forth like a dog. "N-no, mi'lady. You have me mistaken for someone else, I've never seen you before in my life," he said as he quickly nodded, all but ducking down before her like a dog reprimanded by its master as he went to back away.

Only one man had ever done that to her...

"Malik Aurielius Valyn, don't you DARE walk away from me," Clarissa snarled, her voice angrier than a she-lion's roar as she grabbed the warrior's trunk of a wrist with her slender hand. Her fingers didn't even come close to wrapping around his wrist, but that didn't keep the small woman from having a tight, almost constricting grip on his wrist.

Malik froze when she said his full name, wincing as she intentionally dug her nails into his skin. Ow... ow... OW... "Ma'am, I assure you, I am- ow, dam it, Clary!" he growled as he jerked his hand back, pulling the much smaller woman into him.

She yelped in surprise as her head crashed against his bronze chest plate, but that barely slowed the she-devil down as she immediately stared up at him with icy daggers.

Malik's mind shutdown once more, staring down at the succubus that once stole his heart and soul.... and he could feel his knees weakening, more than ready to submit to that divine goddess once more. No, he couldn't do that. He wasn't the same person. It wouldn't be right. He went to try and recover, but he found his breath caught as her hand finally released his wrist... and now cupped his face gently. Malik's gaze flicked from her hand on his skin, then over to her face, where her angry expression slowly softened to one of pure wonder... then delight... then confusion... back to anger... before Clarissa actually sobbed, droplets of liquid diamonds forming in her ice blue gaze.

"It IS you," she breathed, her voice shaky, nearly choking on every word.

Malik shook his head slowly, the only form of defiance he could manage at the moment... as he felt himself reach for her despite his attempts to resist. His rough, calloused hand traced down her soft locks before he gently grabbed her chin, almost like he couldn't believe she was truly before him, not some mirage built from his delusions. Was he dying maybe? Perhaps this was the angel he needed to bring himself home... "Clarissa... it's.. it's not," he said after a few moments, knowing the man she had loved, and who had loved her... was long dead....