Caged

Chapter 12

     It was seven o'clock in the morning, I've come to realize that I'm not really a morning person at all. I'm obviously a night owl, I get more done in the late hours of the night than I do any other time of day. But here I am getting ready for a training session with Abigor. He's already been here for three  weeks, he has six weeks left before it's time for him to leave again. My anxiety was heightened this morning, what happens after Abigor leaves? I've been abnormally worried lately thinking about the future ahead of me. happily eating my cereal I was so deep in thought that I didn't realize Max sitting down next to me.

     "You got something right there." He pointed at my chin, laughing at me. 

     "I don't believe you."

     "You really do, look." Leaning in closer to me he ran his thumb across my lower lip, taking his sweet time. At that very moment Abigor walks into the dining room. The frown displayed on his face is a pretty clear indicator that he didn't like the situation unfolding in front of him. 

     "Be outside in five." 

     "But, what about my cereal?" He was already gone.

     "You heard him, I gotta go." Quickly throwing my duffel bag over my shoulder containing a spare set of clothes and water, I take off after Abigor. I burst out of the front door searching for his large frame. I saw him disappear into the forest, probably walking to the clearing that we trained at yesterday. It was still dark out but my night vision set in. It was mid-September, the breath that escapes my lips is more visible now than ever. I Briskly make my way down the path hidden by the foliage. The cold nips at my exposed skin and I rub my arms trying to create heat. It's getting colder by the day and I'm really not looking forward to today's training session. When I arrived at the clearing in the forest Abigor was leaning up against a tree with arms crossed waiting for me. 

     "Took you long enough." 

     "Awh, did you miss me Abigor?" With one slick movement, he yanked off his black t-shirt. 

     "Are you going to start stretching or what?" His stupid smirk got on my nerves so I did what was expected of me. We warmed up like usual, with a ten-mile run and some kickboxing. We were standing in the clearing watching the sunrise. Looking at Abigor I was originally planning to ask him when we were going to go back home but the sight was too captivating to break. The sweat beads that formed on his body glistened in the sun, his fully black eyes consuming any light that reaches them, and his hair was a mess. His muscles, his jawline, and those low riding sweatpants drove me crazy. I told myself this wasn't allowed to happen so I looked away, it's too dangerous to get involved with somebody like him. 

     "Alright, you ready?" His perfect teeth shone brightly against his complexion.

     "Ready for what?"

     "I think it's time for me to show you what I'm made of." Putting a hand on each of my shoulders he smiles and gently guides me back a few steps, then stepping away from me he closes his eyes. There was a bright light that emitted from his body it began by his heart and traveled throughout. Until all that is seen is a huge, bright, ball of light. It looked like the sun, so beautiful yet if you looked straight at it you risked damaging your eyesight. I looked straight at it. The light traveled up, Abigor was getting taller, a lot taller. When the light began dying down his true form came to view, and let me tell you, he was still too damn hot and that was unfair.

     "I'm speechless." His black hair was replaced with slicked back blue flames, and he was two times taller than me now. He had a huge set of horns, like a bull. His body was unbelievable, it was like mine but the rocky surface seemed smoother? And his muscles looked like the gods themselves carved them. Between the cracks, blue flames were visible, the power he possessed almost suffocated me. I walked up to him touching his abdomen, he kneeled down so I could get a closer look at his face.

     "That's not all." I heard the flapping of feathered wings, and I was suddenly surrounded by a large shadow. 

     "You have wings!" They were enchanting, the wingspan was massive. I reached out my hand to run my fingers through the large black feathers and they were softer than anything I've felt before. 

     "I told you, I'm partially a fallen angel so I thought you knew I had wings." 

     "How come I haven't seen them before?" 

     "Because the only way I can access them is if I'm in my true form. I use to be nothing more than a fallen angel. Since I became a big deal in hell and alI I still kept some characteristics the fallen angel would have." 

     "It doesn't hurt?" 

     "The transformation? No, it hurts a few times at first.

     "How old are you?" 

     "I'm well over a hundred years old in human years, but as a demon, I'm twenty-three and I've been that age since day one of being an angel."

     "You don't age?" 

     "Nope, so from now on, you'll be nineteen for a while." Does that mean I'll outlive everybody I care about? What about my extended family, what about my friends I have now and those I'll make in the future? 

     "I'm sorry to tell you this Athena, but you don't really have any extended family. There were bad people trying to wipe out your bloodline and everybody but your parents died. That's why they did everything to keep you alive, because technically if you had a baby they would be born as a full-blooded hunter, hunter blood is more dominant than any other, you won't be giving birth to demon babies, don't worry." Am I the only one that's utterly shocked by all this information that's handed to me here and there.

     "Wait, so I'm immortal?" 

     "Not really, you can still die from really bad wounds." Well, that burst my bubble. He gestured at his duffel bag thrown beside mine.

     "Can you get my second pair of sweats in there. It's time we get going." His voice was deep enough to shake me to the core and I slowly shuffled over to his duffle bag. I threw him the pair of sweats and turned around.

     "What, too scared to see something you'll want?" I could practically hear his smirk from here, my cheeks turned hot.

     "No, I just have common decency. Unlike you." 

     "Ouch, that one hurt." His breath rolled across my neck, he was close. 

     "Turn around Athena." I turned around facing him, but still, have my gaze planted on the ground. He placed two warm hands on my cheeks, which in turn made me look him straight in the eyes. For somebody like him, for a demon, there was an awful lot of warmth trapped in those eyes. 

     "You're so cute when you blush." I couldn't speak, no words came out and I got nervous. My stomach turned to knots. Just like that, he pulled me into a warm hug, his scent drowning my nervous thoughts so I could finally speak again. 

     "I think it's okay if we stay like this a while."